(72e) Simar Applications in Gas Processing: Challenges in Supercritical Regions

SIMAR, which stands for System Intrinsic Maximum Recovery, is a hypothetical operating scenario in which an expander-based C2+ recovery system can draw refrigeration freely from the environment. SIMAR operation is approximated when the feed stream to the system is Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), instead of natural gas (NG) streams. It has been demonstrated that SIMAR is a useful tool for evaluating various process configurations. Furthermore, when actual natural gas stream is used as feed, with slight modifications to include external refrigeration, the same methodology can assist the process design of practical systems.

This paper will provide descriptions of SIMAR, its applications in gas processing industry, and special challenges and solutions in handling supercritical feed streams. In most cases, the inlet natural gas stream has a pressure level below its critical point. Hence, phase identification poses no problems during the entire chilling process. However, when the feed streams have sufficiently high pressure that they are in supercritical regions, the distinctions between vapor and liquid phases are blurred. Simulation for these systems would encounter difficulties. This paper will detail the observed phenomena, discuss the causes, and provide solutions.

Speaker Brief Bio

Carlos Yengle is a Lead LNG Engineer for Chevron Corporation, he resides in Houston, TX. He has an expertise in Process Design and Steady and Dynamic Modeling Simulation, including Gas Processing and Liquefaction. Carlos began his professional career in the Process Engineering group at Bechtel Corporation and then moved into LNG Technology Development with Chevron Corporation. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Peru, and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of South Florida in Tampa, FL