Gases hydrocarbons

Flares. Flares are used for the combustion of waste hydrocarbon gases in which the rates may vary over a wide range and for emergency releases. Steam injection is usually used to enhance mixing and the formation of a clean flame. 

In the case of three-phase equilibria, it is also necessary to account for the solubility of hydrocarbon gases in water. This solubility is proportional to the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon or, more precisely, to its partial fugacity in the vapor phase. The relation which ties the solubility expressed in mole fraction to the fugacity is the following ... 

Solubility of hydrocarbon gases in water expressed as Henry s constants. 

The properties of hydrocarbon gases are relatively simple since the parameters of pressure, volume and temperature (PVT) can be related by a single equation. The basis for this equation is an adaptation of a combination of the classical laws of Boyle, Charles and Avogadro. 

The z-factor must be determined empirically (i.e. by experiment), but this has been done for many hydrocarbon gases, and correlation charts exist for the approximate determination of the z factor at various conditions of pressure and temperature. (Ref. Standing, M.B. and Katz, D.L., Density of natural gases, Trans. AIME, 1942). 

Under certain conditions of temperature and pressure, and in the presence of free water, hydrocarbon gases can form hydrates, which are a solid formed by the combination of water molecules and the methane, ethane, propane or butane. Hydrates look like compacted snow, and can form blockages in pipelines and other vessels. Process engineers use correlation techniques and process simulation to predict the possibility of hydrate formation, and prevent its formation by either drying the gas or adding a chemical (such as tri-ethylene glycol), or a combination of both. This is further discussed in SectionlO.1. 

Miscible processes are aimed at recovering oil which would normally be left behind as residual oil, by using a displacing fluid which actually mixes with the oil. Because the miscible drive fluid is usually more mobile than oil, it tends to bypass the oil giving rise to a low macroscopic sweep efficiency. The method is therefore best suited to high dip reservoirs. Typical miscible drive fluids include hydrocarbon solvents, hydrocarbon gases, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. 

Direct hydrohquefaction of biomass or wastes can be achieved by direct hydrogenation of wood chips on treatment at 10,132 kPa and 340 to 350°C with water and Raney nickel catalyst (45). The wood is completely converted to an oily Hquid, methane, and other hydrocarbon gases. Batch reaction times of 4 hours give oil yields of about 35 wt % of the feed the oil contains about 12 wt % oxygen and has a heating value of about 37.2 MJ /kg (16,000 Btu/lb). Distillation yields a significant fraction that boils in the same range as diesel fuel and is completely miscible with it. 

The WAG process has been used extensively in the field, particularly in supercritical CO2 injection, with considerable success (22,157,158). However, a method to further reduce the viscosity of injected gas or supercritical fluid is desired. One means of increasing the viscosity of CO2 is through the use of supercritical C02-soluble polymers and other additives (159). The use of surfactants to form low mobihty foams or supercritical CO2 dispersions within the formation has received more attention (160—162). Foam has also been used to reduce mobihty of hydrocarbon gases and nitrogen. The behavior of foam in porous media has been the subject of extensive study (4). X-ray computerized tomographic analysis of core floods indicate that addition of 500 ppm of an alcohol ethoxyglycerylsulfonate increased volumetric sweep efficiency substantially over that obtained in a WAG process (156). 

The in situ combustion method of enhanced oil recovery through air injection (28,273,274) is a chemically complex process. There are three types of in situ combustion dry, reverse, and wet. In the first, air injection results in ignition of cmde oil and continued air injection moves the combustion front toward production wells. Temperatures can reach 300—650°C. Ahead of the combustion front is a 90—180°C steam 2one, the temperature of which depends on pressure in the oil reservoir. Zones of hot water, hydrocarbon gases, and finally oil propagate ahead of the steam 2one to the production well. 

Tanks are used to store hquids over a wide temperature range. Cryogerhc hquids, such as hquefied hydrocarbon gases, can be as low as —201 C(—330 F). Some hot hquids, such as asphalt (qv) tanks, can have a normal storage temperature as high as 260—316°C (500—600°F). However, most storage temperatures are either at or a htde above or below ambient temperatures. 

Potential Processes. Sulfur vapor reacts with other hydrocarbon gases, such as acetjiene [74-86-2] (94) or ethylene [74-85-1] (95), to form carbon disulfide. Higher hydrocarbons can produce mercaptan, sulfide, and thiophene intermediates along with carbon disulfide, and the quantity of intermediates increases if insufficient sulfur is added (96). Light gas oil was reported to be successflil on a semiworks scale (97). In the reaction with hydrocarbons or carbon, pyrites can be the sulfur source. With methane and iron pyrite the reaction products are carbon disulfide, hydrogen sulfide, and iron or iron sulfide. Pyrite can be reduced with carbon monoxide to produce carbon disulfide. 

In the SRC work, coal was slurried with a process-derived anthracene oil and heated to 400—455°C at 12.4—13.8 MPa (1800—2000 psi) of hydrogen for 0—1 h. A viscous Hquid was extracted. The product stream contains some hydrocarbon gases, and H2S. The residue is gasified to generate hydrogen for the process. The remaining filtrate is separated into solvent, which is recycled, and SRC, a low ash, tadike boiler fuel. 

Most hydrocarbon gases are more soluble in cold oil than in hot oil and may lower the viscosity to a dangerous level. The problems of thrust-bearing failures during startup due to low-viscosity oil can be eliminated by equipping the reservoir with oil heaters to raise the oil to the normal operating temperatures before starting the machine. 

Figure 1. Approximate heat-capacity ratios of hydrocarbon gases.

Using extraction to treat hydrocarbon gases, Chemical Engineering, Oct. 27, 1986, p. 53. 

Extractive Stripping of Inert-Rich Hydrocarbon Gases with a Preferential Physical Solvent. U.S. Patent 4,680.042, Jul. 14, 1987. 

Processing Hydrocarbon Gases with Selected Physical Solvents, U.S. Patent... 

Chemical Reactivity - Reactivity with Water Reacts violently to form flammable hydrocarbon gases Reactivity with Common Materials Not compatible with silicone rubber or urethane rubbers Stability During Transport Stable Neutralizing Agents for Acids and Caustics Not pertinent Polymerization Not pertinent Inhibitor of Polymerization Not pertinent. 

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Paraffin hydrocarbon gases comprising propane, butane, and pentanes derived from natural gas wells and from the petroleum refining process that remain as liquids when stored under pressure in tanks and bottles. 

---