RU2834993C2 - Method of organizing a gas processing cluster for producing microbial protein gaprin - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: gas transportation industry.

SUBSTANCE: disclosed is a method of organizing a gas processing cluster for the production of microbial protein gaprin, which includes the supply of high-pressure main natural gas up to 10 MPa through a system of main gas pipelines of gas compressor stations to a reduction unit, gas separation into two streams, one of which is directed to a unit for producing methane hydrates, which are then used in a reactor to obtain microbial protein gaprin, and the other is to a power plant or reactor, at that, gas obtained from the air separation unit into components is also fed into the reactor, followed by output of the waste gas and the culture liquid from the reactor, first of which is purified, while performing complete and/or partial recovery of the obtained waste water into the methane hydrates production unit, and the culture liquid is sent for separation with separation of microbial protein gaprin and filtrate, which is sent to a unit for obtaining methane hydrates with further utilization.

EFFECT: invention provides maximum use of resource of existing gas transmission and gas distribution systems of main gas lines of high pressure.

1 cl, 1 dwg, 4 ex

Description

The invention relates to the gas transportation industry and can be used to increase the economic efficiency of gas transportation using high-pressure main gas pipelines and gas compressor stations.

The country's gas transportation system includes high-pressure main gas pipelines, which have a chain of gas compressor stations that increase gas pressure from 55 to 75 atmospheres. These gas compressor stations are located far from populated areas and have the highest category of energy supply, in addition to their own generating capacities. Thus, there is a connected network of enterprises with virtually unlimited resources of natural gas, heat and electricity, and land. The geographic location of this network of enterprises provides unlimited access to water resources.

There are many known gas processing clusters. For example: Russian Federation Patent No. 2685099, IPC B01D 53/00, published: 16.04.2019; Russian Federation Patent No. 2647301, IPC B01D 53/00, published: 15.03.2018; Russian Federation Patent 2657910, IPC E21B 43/20, E21B 43/34, published on 18.06.2018; Russian Federation Patent 2278958, IPC E21B 43/20, published on 27.06.2006; Russian Federation Patent No. 2594496, IPC E21B 43/20, published: 20.08.2016.

The disadvantage of these inventions is that they solve the problems of only extracting and transporting natural gas, and at best they allow improving only one specific feature of this complex system, both technically and economically. At the same time, they do not increase the economic efficiency of gas transportation, but are aimed only at increasing its production.

A gas processing cluster is known (RU Patent No. 2715772 C1, IPC B01D 53/00, E21B 43/00, published on 03.03.2020, application No. 2019127713 dated 02.09.2019), adopted as a prototype, including a gas production unit, a gas preparation unit, a gas transportation unit, a gas processing unit, a transportation unit, gas production, gas preparation, gas transportation, gas processing, transportation units are part of the main complex, which is the industrial center of the cluster, the gas production unit consists of inactive wells with gas pipelines-flowlines decommissioned from commercial operation, with a reservoir pressure of low-pressure natural gas of no more than 22 atm. (2.2 MPa), with the possibility of feeding this gas by means of residual reservoir pressure through the gas preparation unit, into the gas transportation unit, which is a system of main gas pipelines, including those certified for a pressure lower than the main one, the convergence point of which is located at a distance of no more than 500 km. from inactive wells decommissioned from commercial operation, the gas processing unit includes a synthetic liquid fuel (SLF) plant for the production of diesel fuel, gasoline, aviation kerosene; a plant for the production of nitrogen fertilizers; a plant for the production of the microbial protein gaprin; units for separating air into components, and the main complex, which is the industrial center of the cluster, also includes a finished products unit, while the gas processing cluster includes a service complex, including a support unit, a residential unit, a security unit, and a service unit.

In addition, the gas processing cluster is expected to be located near the gas field, at the nearest convergence point of the main gas pipelines from all inactive wells decommissioned from commercial operation; the transport block includes interfield highways, rail, road, air and sea transport; the finished product block is a complex for their storage and shipment; the support block of the servicing complex includes power and heat supply systems, water supply and sanitation; the residential block of the servicing complex contains shift residential complexes for the servicing personnel included in the servicing block; the security block of the servicing complex includes fire stations, fire water supply systems, medical centers, checkpoints, fences and video surveillance systems; it is possible to use existing functional components included in the gas production block - gas preparation block, gas transportation block, transport block, servicing block, security block, support block; The production of the microbial protein gaprin based on natural gas, which is part of the gas processing unit, is provided by the heat accompanying the synthesis of SLF and the production of nitrogen fertilizers.

The disadvantages of the known invention, taken as a prototype, include the following features. The known gas processing cluster does not use the advantages of main gas with a pressure of up to 10 MPa, does not place the cluster near gas compressor stations and does not improve the process of obtaining the microbial protein gaprin by recuperating waste water and does not use methane hydrates for this.

The objective of this invention is to maximize the use of the resource of existing gas transportation and gas distribution systems of high-pressure main gas pipelines by creating a high-margin production cycle for processing natural gas into the microbial protein gaprin directly near the infrastructure and/or using gas compressor stations.

The technical result is an increase in the economic efficiency of using high-pressure main natural gas due to the production directly at enterprises that have a supply of such gas of a high-margin and in-demand product - the microbial protein gaprin using methane hydrates for the recovery of circulating water.

The specified technical result in the implementation of the invention is achieved in that the gas processing cluster and the method for organizing it for the production of the microbial protein gaprin, including energy and heat supply, water supply and sanitation systems, installations for separating air into components, a plant for the production of the microbial protein gaprin, with the possibility of supplying natural gas by means of residual pressure through a system of main gas pipelines, including at a pressure below the main pressure, has a feature consisting in the fact that high-pressure main natural gas of up to 10 MPa is used to obtain methane hydrates, which are used to fully and/or partially feed the microbial biomass of gaprin, wherein the methane hydrates are obtained directly from high-pressure main natural gas at gas compressor stations of main gas pipelines, where full and/or partial recovery of wastewater from the process of obtaining the microbial protein gaprin is carried out by separating clean water in the form of methane hydrates, and the concentrated filtrate is used, for example, as a complex fertilizer.

In addition, production of gasprin from extracted methane hydrates is located directly on production platforms near fish aquaculture sites on the shelf in the open sea.

In addition, the production of haprin is located at ammonia synthesis plants, where nitrogen-containing compounds are additionally used as a nutrient supplement for the biomass of haprin synthesis.

In addition, haprin production is located at methanol synthesis plants, where methanol is additionally used as a nutrient medium for haprin synthesis biomass.

In addition, production of gaprin is located at such enterprises as: metallurgical plants, thermal power plants, methane filling stations and enterprises for the production of liquefied hydrocarbon gas, where there is a supply of high-pressure natural gas.

The proposed invention is implemented as follows, the drawing Fig. 1 is shown.

The main natural gas 1 enters the reduction unit 2, where it is divided into two flows: reduced gas 3 and feed gas 4. Reduced gas 3 is sent to the power plant 5 and to the bioreactor 6, and feed gas 4 is sent to the methane hydrate production unit 7, from which the methane hydrate flow 8 is sent to the bioreactor 6. Oxygen 9 is supplied to the reactor 6 from the air separation unit 10, or air 11 is supplied, or the oxygen is diluted with nitrogen 12. The exhaust gas 13 from the reactor 6 is fed to the absorption column 14, where clean water 15 is also fed, thereby obtaining purified exhaust gas 16, which is fed to the power plant 5, and the washing solution 17 is fed to the methane hydrate production unit 7. The culture liquid 18 is fed to the separator 19, from where the microbial mass 20 is sent to further processing, and the filtrate 21 is fed to the methane hydrate production unit 7, from where the concentrate 22 is sent, for example, to the production of fertilizers.

Example 1.

The main natural gas 1 with an absolute pressure of up to 10 MPa enters the reduction unit 2, where it is divided into two flows: reduced gas 3 and feed gas 4. Reduced gas 3 is sent to the power plant 5 and, optionally, to the bioreactor 6.

The power plant 5 can be organized in any known way, preferably modular, for example, by modules of gas turbine engines GTD-1250. The pressure of the reduced gas 3 is up to 1.2 MPa, which allows for feeding the bioreactor 6, operating under pressure, or a group of such bioreactors.

Reduction in unit 2 leads to a drop in gas temperature, which has a positive effect on obtaining methane hydrates in unit 7, where feed gas 4 is supplied with a pressure of up to 8 MPa. A reverse of excess feed gas 4 back to reduction unit 2 is provided for utilizing gas that has not interacted with water, with an increased content of ethane, propane, etc. The internal structure of unit 7 is not disclosed in the present invention and can be organized in any known way. The product of unit 7 is a flow of methane hydrates 8, for example, in the form of slush - a dispersion of methane hydrates in water. The ratio of flows of methane hydrates 8 and reduced gas 3 can be changed in any value.

Oxygen 9 is supplied to the reactor 6, arranged by any known method that ensures operation under pressure, from the air separation unit 10, designed for a pressure of up to 1.2 MPa. Preferably, a membrane device of the unit 10 or the use of short-cycle adsorption, not excluding the separate use of liquid oxygen and nitrogen. Air 11 can be supplied through the unit 10 or oxygen 9 can be diluted with nitrogen 12, which is also used for technical purposes of the enterprise to the required extent. Nitrogen 12 is also used for servicing the process equipment of the proposed invention.

The exhaust gas 13 from the reactor 6 is fed to the absorption column 14, where clean water 15 is also fed, thereby obtaining purified exhaust gas 16, which is fed to the power plant 5, and the washing solution 17 is fed to the methane hydrate production unit 7.

Abgas 13 is a gas-water dispersion containing microbial biomass, salts, organic acids, methane, and oxygen. The safest method of utilization is afterburning, for which, before feeding to the power plant 5, it must be washed with water. The resulting washing solution 17 is used to obtain methane hydrates. The cost of a cubic meter of water in the synthesis of gaprin from methane is significantly higher than the cost of a cubic meter of natural gas, therefore, measures for the recovery of circulating water greatly affect the profitability of the process.

The culture liquid 18 is fed to the separator 19, from where the microbial mass 20 is sent for further processing by any known methods. The filtrate 21 is fed to the methane hydrate production unit 7, from where the concentrate 22 containing ammonium mineral salts and microelements is sent, for example, to obtain fertilizers, or is utilized by any known methods.

The use of methane hydrates for obtaining the microbial protein gaprin has not been described in the literature and may become the main method for obtaining gaprin in conjunction with the placement of production facilities in accordance with this invention.

Example 2.

It is known that inexhaustible deposits of methane hydrates are located at the bottom of the oceans and shelf seas. The proposed invention can be used to produce gaprin from extracted methane hydrates directly on production platforms, near fish aquaculture sites, the main prospective consumer of gaprin.

Example 3.

Large consumers of main natural gas are ammonia synthesis plants, which are often producers of methanol and urea. The proposed invention can be used for the production of gaprin at such plants, with an additional solution being the use of nitrogen-containing compounds as a nutrient supplement for gaprin synthesis. In the case of methanol production, it is appropriate to test the technology for obtaining microbial protein from methanol. Methanol requires special handling measures, which have already been implemented at these plants.

Example 4.

High-pressure main gas is supplied to such enterprises as: metallurgical plants, thermal power plants, methane filling stations and enterprises for the production of LPG - liquefied petroleum gas, where the proposed invention can be used for the production of gaprin.

The use of methane hydrates as a complete or partial feed for a bioreactor has several advantages. Methane hydrates slowly release methane in the bioreactor in a hydrated form, thereby significantly reducing the risk of an off-gas explosion and increasing the percentage of methane use. In addition, hydrates contain pure methane, which has a positive effect on the biomass of microbes by eliminating hydrocarbons - methane homologues - that are harmful to the process.

Claims (2)

1. A method for organizing a gas processing cluster for producing the microbial protein gaprin, which includes feeding high-pressure main natural gas of up to 10 MPa through a system of main gas pipelines of gas compressor stations into a reduction unit, dividing it into two streams, one of which is sent to a methane hydrate production unit, which is then used in a reactor to produce the microbial protein gaprin, and the other to a power plant or reactor, wherein gas obtained from the air separation unit into components is also fed to the reactor, followed by the release of off-gas and culture liquid from the reactor, the first of which is purified, thereby carrying out full and/or partial recovery of the obtained wastewater into the methane hydrate production unit, and the culture liquid is sent for separation with the separation of the microbial protein gaprin and the filtrate, which is sent to the methane hydrate production unit with subsequent utilization. 2. The method according to item 1, wherein the utilization of the filtrate is the production of a complex fertilizer.