Cooling Function

Lean amine exits the regenerator at 100-120°C after heat exchange with rich amine. Contactor operation requires cooler lean amine typically 35-50°C to optimize acid gas absorption, as lower temperatures favor chemical reaction and increase amine treating capacity. The cooler removes remaining sensible heat ensuring proper inlet temperature for maximum sweetening efficiency and gas specification compliance.

Design Configuration

Shell-and-tube construction with hot lean amine on tube side enabling cleaning access and cooling medium on shell side. Air-cooled units employ finned tube bundles with forced or induced draft fans. ERGIL engineers coolers based on amine circulation rate, inlet temperature after heat recovery, target outlet temperature, and available cooling utilities with typical duties 0.5-8 MMBTU/hr.

Cooling Methods

Water-cooled exchangers using cooling tower water provide compact efficient design. Air-cooled units offer operation without water consumption suitable for arid locations or where water conservation is priority. Refrigerated cooling achieves sub-ambient temperatures for enhanced absorption in demanding applications. Material selection addresses amine corrosion with carbon steel or stainless steel construction.

Material Selection

Carbon steel with corrosion inhibitors suitable for standard amine service. Stainless steel tubes for high acid gas loading or elevated inlet temperatures. Tube-side design facilitates mechanical cleaning addressing amine fouling from degradation products. Construction per ASME Section VIII or TEMA standards with appropriate pressure ratings typically 50-300 psig.

Applications

Natural gas sweetening systems, refinery hydrogen purification units, syngas treating facilities, and sour water stripping across MEA, DEA, MDEA solutions. Serves amine circulation rates 5-500 GPM in upstream production, midstream processing, and downstream refining operations requiring reliable acid gas removal.

Control Integration

Temperature control modulates cooling water flow or air fan speed maintaining precise lean amine temperature optimizing contactor absorption efficiency. Prevents overcooling that wastes energy or causes operational issues. Outlet monitoring ensures optimal treating conditions. Integration with overall amine system controls maximizes gas sweetening performance.

Performance Benefits

Optimized lean amine temperature maximizes H₂S and CO₂ removal efficiency reducing required amine circulation rates. Lower circulation decreases pump energy and regeneration heat duty. Proper cooling protects contactor internals from thermal degradation. Reliable operation ensures consistent gas specification compliance with minimal maintenance requirements.

Construction Standards

Design per ASME or TEMA codes with materials suitable for amine service. Tube bundles removable for cleaning. Hydrostatic testing validates integrity. Air-cooled units include structural supports and fan systems. Complete documentation with heat transfer calculations and performance specifications.

ERGIL lean amine coolers deliver dependable temperature control ensuring optimal gas sweetening efficiency through proper contactor inlet conditioning.