Omid Taheri Qazvini - School of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Shohreh Fatemi - School of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

After modeling, simulation and validation of the model, the influential parameters of the process were investigated through a parametric analysis of the process efficiency. Pressure of adsorption stage, purge to feed ratio at regeneration step and temperature of the 1st and 2nd heating steps were found to be the most influential parameters affecting the natural gas purification efficiency. For the sake of energy saving some suggestions were proposed for upgrading the operating design conditions with no significant effect on the purification performance. The results revealed that reduction of adsorption pressure from 6.8 to 6.1 Mpa, changing purge/feed ratio from 0.06 to 0.045, and decreasing regeneration temperature from 453 K and 560 K to 440 K and 540 K could be replaced in the operational conditions without significant changes in purification of the product. It was shown with such changes approximately 80,000 $ per year can be saved on operating cost

Parametric study, Cyclic adsorption process, Operating cost, Mercaptan removal, Operating parameters