| dc.description.abstract | Natural gas is the cleanest and most preferred energy source due to its high accessibility, low cost, and energy efficiency. Subsea processing aims for underwater natural gas purification at high pressures, enabling the transfer of natural gas to the market directly. It is essential to remove impurities such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide while operating in subsea conditions. Removing water vapor from natural gas prevents corrosion and hydrate formation in pipelines. Compared to other dehydration methods for natural gas, membrane technology has shown promising results. Membranes provide a compact design and require lower overall energy supply and cost. This project investigated the effects of operating conditions on composite membrane contactor performance in the dehydration process.
A solution of 1 wt% Teflon AF2400 in solvent FC-72 was employed to make a composite membrane on the polypropylene fibers. The thickness of the dense layer and the support pore conditions were investigated using SEM images, and a thickness of 2.77 µm was obtained. The selectivity of the membrane of CO2 over N2 was studied in a single gas permeation rig. The membrane had a selectivity of 5.3 and 5.2 at a pressure of 1 and 2 bar, respectively. The effects of operating conditions (i.e., gas flow rate, liquid flow rate, and pressure) on membrane performance were examined. The results showed an increase in water flux while the gas flow rate and pressure increased. However, the effect of the liquid flow rate was negligible. In addition, long-term operations for 30 days were carried out, and a maximum of 10.3% decrease in gas flow rate was obtained. | |
