Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for processing liquefied natural gas (LNG). In one implementation, a solvent is injected into a feed of natural gas at a solvent injection point. A mixed feed is produced from a dispersal of the solvent into the feed of natural gas. The mixed feed contains heavy components. A chilled feed is produced by chilling the mixed feed. The chilled feed includes a vapor and a condensed liquid. The condensed liquid contains a fouling portion of the heavy components condensed by the solvent during chilling. The liquid containing the fouling portion of the heavy components is separated from the vapor. The vapor is directed into a feed chiller heat exchanger following separation of the liquid containing the fouling portion of the heavy components from the vapor, such that the vapor being directed into feed chiller heat exchanger is free of freezing components.

The present invention relates to a method and system for treating a flow back fluid exiting a well site following stimulation of a subterranean formation. More specifically, the invention relates to processing the flow back fluid, and separating into a carbon dioxide rich stream and a carbon dioxide depleted stream, and continuing the separation until the carbon dioxide concentration in the flow back stream until the carbon dioxide concentration in the flow back gas diminishes to a point selected in a range of about 50-80 mol % in carbon dioxide concentration, after which the lower concentration carbon dioxide flow back stream continues to be separated into a carbon dioxide rich stream which is routed to waste or flare, and a hydrocarbon rich stream is formed.

A process and plant for natural gas liquids (NGL) recovery includes a main heat exchanger, a cold gas/liquid separator, a separation or distillation column, and an overhead gas heat exchanger. A pressurized residue gas generated from an overhead gas stream removed the top of the separation or distillation column is expanded and used as a cooling medium in the overhead gas heat exchanger and the main heat exchanger. The expanded residue gas, used as a cooling medium, is then compressed up to a pressure to be combined with the overhead stream from the separation or distillation column.

Provided is a gas separation device configured to separate a non-hydrocarbon gas from a feed gas containing the non-hydrocarbon gas through use of a gas separation membrane, in which a decrease in operating rate can be suppressed, and economic efficiency is satisfactory. A first membrane module (1) and a second membrane module (2) are arranged in parallel to each other with respect to supply lines for a feed gas. Gas lines for regeneration (14, 15) ((24, 25)), which are branched from a permeate gas line (13) ((23)) of the membrane module (1) ((2)), and which are joined to a feed gas line (21) ((11)) configured to supply the feed gas to the membrane module (2) ((1)), are provided. Under a state in which the feed gas is supplied to the membrane module (1), a permeate gas through the membrane module (1) is supplied, as a gas for regeneration, to the membrane module (2) through the gas lines for regeneration (14, 15). In this case, the membrane module (2) is brought into a non-operation state, and the membrane module (2) is regenerated.

Disclosed are systems and methods of continuous hydrothermal carbonization of wet biomass, such as manure. A disclosed system uses both inlet flow rate and outlet flow rate simultaneously to regulate the reaction time for continuous production.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Systems and methods that utilize feed gases that are supplied in a wide range of compositions and pressure to provide highly efficient recovery of NGL products, such as propane, utilizing isenthalpic expansion, propane refrigeration, and shell and tube exchangers are described. Plants utilizing such systems and methods can be readily reconfigured between propane recovery and ethane recovery.

A process for purifying a feed gas including methane and heavy hydrocarbons, including: step a): cooling the feed gas in a heat exchanger; step b): introducing the resulting into a first phase separator to produce a liquid stream depleted in methane and enriched in heavy hydrocarbons and a gas stream; step c): separating the gas stream in a membrane from which a methane-enriched permeate stream and a partially condensed residue stream exit; step d): introducing the residue stream from step c) into a second phase separator vessel in order to produce a liquid stream and a gas stream; step e): introducing at least one portion of the gas stream resulting from step d) into a JT expansion means; and step f): heating at least one portion of the expanded stream in the heat exchanger used in step a) counter-current to the feed stream in order to cool the latter.

A method for removing heavy hydrocarbons from a feed gas by: feeding, into an absorber, a top reflux stream and a second reflux stream below the top reflux stream, wherein the absorber produces an absorber bottom product stream and an absorber overhead product stream; depressurizing and feeding the absorber bottom product stream to a stripper to produce a stripper bottom product stream and a stripper overhead product stream; cooling and feeding a portion of the absorber overhead product stream back to the absorber as the top reflux stream; and pressurizing and feeding the stripper overhead stream back to the absorber as the second reflux stream. A system for carrying out the method is also provided.

A process for cleaning and beneficiating biomass is described which may allow removal of entrained salts and light volatiles from biomass materials. The process may also minimize energy use through capturing steam and flue gases for re-use. The process may generally comprise the following steps: prewashing and/or preheating a biomass, pressurizing the biomass in a steam explosion vessel, rapidly depressurizing the steam explosion vessel, releasing the steam from the steam explosion vessel entrained with fine lignin-enriched particles into a cyclone-type gas expansion vessel, routing the steam from the gas expansion vessel to the input hopper, subjecting the biomass to a second washing step, mechanically removing a portion of the water from the biomass. After the biomass has been steam-exploded, it may be washed and used as an engineered soil.