Natural Gas Processing from Midstream to Downstream

13 Thermodynamic Modeling of Relevance to Natural Gas Processing

Georgios M. Kontogeorgis and Eirini Karakatsani^*

Center for Energy Resources Engineering (CERE), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark

^*Current address: Haldor Topsoe A/S, Nymøllevej 55, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

Chapter Menu

1. 13.1 Introduction to the Problem
2. 13.2 The Models
3. 13.3 Systems Studied and Selected Results: Part 1. No Chemicals
4. 13.4 Systems Studied and Selected Results: Part 2. With Chemicals
5. 13.5 Conclusions and Future Perspectives
6. Nomenclature

13.1 Introduction to the Problem

Even though present in small quantities only, water can cause various problems during the production, transportation, and distribution of natural gas. For example the presence of water is one of the three conditions that promote hydrate formation together with high pressures and low temperatures. Natural gas hydrates are solid, nonstoichiometric compounds that consist of water molecules forming “cages” containing guest molecules. They may be stable above the normal melting temperature of water by as much as 50K at high pressures [1]. Water condensation and ice formation are also common problems observed in natural gas production systems [2, 3]. The precipitation of all possible condensed and solid phases containing water may have many negative effects, such as increased corrosion, liquids in dry processes, two‐phase flow problems, safety hazards and flow ...