(74b) Maximizing Amine Contactor Efficiency with Multipoint Temperature Systems

Amine units are systems that treat, or “sweeten”, refinery sour gas or raw natural gas by capturing and removing unwanted compounds, primarily hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). An optimized gas sweetening process is essential for a plant’s overall efficiency and profitability.

Temperature monitoring and control are necessary for operating amine units, as that is how refineries and chemical plants can prevent some of the major issues seen in amine contactor columns. Reliable temperature information and a complete temperature profile can help operators optimize their units’ performance by pinpointing where most of the heat of absorption is occurring in the column. Using this information, they can minimize and even avoid foaming, carryover, corrosion, inefficient amine filtering, and other problems.

A typical contactor column has around 20 trays stacked at an equal distance from each other. A single thermocouple placed somewhere along its height provides but one data point, whereas a multipoint temperature system offers a complete temperature profile of the column. WIKA designed, manufactured, and installed multipoint thermocouple assemblies specifically for two of Gulf Coast refineries. This temperature measurement solution helped the company gain insights that allow for proactive responses to avoid operational upsets. In addition, the data creates opportunities to improve energy efficiency through optimized operation.