Title: Natural gas treatment by membrane-case study of liquefied natural gas plant of Arzew-Algeria

Authors: Amina Mezouagh; Belkacem Absar; Maghnia Hamou Maamar; Omar Belhamiti

Addresses: Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Laboratoire des Sciences et Techniques de l'Environnement et de la Valorisation, University of Mostaganem, Route Belhacel, Mostaganem 27000, Algeria ' Faculty of Computer Science and Exact Sciences, Laboratoire des Sciences et Techniques de l'Environnement et de la Valorisation, University of Mostaganem, Chemin des crêtes, Mostaganem 27000, Algeria ' Faculty of Computer Science and Exact Sciences, Laboratoire des Mathématiques Pures et Appliquées, University of Mostaganem, Chemin des crêtes, Mostaganem 27000, Algeria ' Faculty of Computer Science and Exact Sciences, Laboratoire des Mathématiques Pures et Appliquées, University of Mostaganem, Chemin des crêtes, Mostaganem 27000, Algeria

Abstract: A calculation method for predicting the performances of multi-component gas mixture through a membrane permeator is presented. Two mathematical models are developed to study the effect of the circulation of feed and permeate inside the membrane module. The explored circulation modes are the cocurrent and the countercurrent flow pattern. The developed mathematical model in the case of countercurrent flow pattern is subject to the split boundary value problem. To solve this problem, a numerical approach is developed combining the (0, 2) Jacobi multi-wavelets method and the decoupling and quasi-linearisation iterative technique. The developed models are then used to predict the performances of a membrane module designed for the treatment of a natural gas load (case study of the liquefied natural gas plant of Arzew-Algeria). The obtained results show clearly the efficiency of the countercurrent compared to the cocurrent flow pattern: high product purity is obtained for the same recovery rate. [Received: May 6, 2019; Accepted: August 7, 2020]

Keywords: membrane gas separation; mathematical modelling; (0, 2) Jacobi multi-wavelets method; cocurrent flow; countercurrent flow.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2021.117157

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2021 Vol.28 No.1, pp.52 - 79

Accepted: 07 Aug 2020
Published online: 19 Aug 2021 *

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