Apparatus for humidification of hydrocarbon mixtures

Abstract

A humidification system (A) for humidifying a dry hydrocarbon stream includes a column ( 10 ) which defines an interior cavity ( 20 ). The cavity is partially filled with a bed ( 12 ) of a packing material ( 40 ) and a layer of water ( 20 ), leaving a headspace above the water. An inlet ( 52 ) adjacent a lower end of the cavity receives a dry hydrocarbon stream which is broken up by the packing material and dissolves water as it passes therethrough. Entrained water droplets fall out of the wet blend in a disengagement zone ( 70 ) above the water layer leaving the hydrocarbon stream humidified yet substantially free of liquid water in an upper region ( 72 ) of the column.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments, the invention is now claimed to be:  
     
         1 . A method of humidifying a hydrocarbon stream comprising: 
 passing the hydrocarbon stream through a bed comprising a packing material and water, thereby forming a humidified hydrocarbon stream.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packing material is in the form of particles.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon stream is passed upwardly through the bed.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the packing material comprises particles, the particles having a smaller average diameter adjacent a bottom of the bed than adjacent a top of the bed.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the particles in the bottom layer have an average diameter of approximately 0.2 to 0.5 centimeters and the particles in the top layer have an average diameter of approximately 1 to 1.5 centimeters.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packing material comprises porcelain.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon stream includes at least one hydrocarbon from mono-unsaturated alkanes and conjugated dienes.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the hydrocarbon includes butadiene.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the hydrocarbon stream further includes a solvent in which the hydrocarbon is soluble.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises butadiene and the solvent comprises hexane.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further including, after the step of passing the hydrocarbon stream through the bed: 
 allowing liquid water to fall out of the humidified hydrocarbon stream in a head space above the bed so that the humidified hydrocarbon stream is substantially free of undissolved water.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further including: 
 combining the humidified hydrocarbon stream with a second portion of a hydrocarbon stream to achieve a desired moisture content.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the humidified hydrocarbon stream includes about 200 ppm water and the step combining the humidified hydrocarbon stream with a second portion of a hydrocarbon stream results in a humidified hydrocarbon stream having a moisture content of from about 10 to about 150 ppm.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said particles are generally spherical.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further including; 
 recycling at least a portion of the humidified stream through the bed.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon stream is a liquid.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for humidifying a hydrocarbon stream comprising: 
 a vessel which defines an interior cavity and having an inlet adjacent a lower end of the cavity for receiving a hydrocarbon stream;    a bed of a packing material in the cavity; and    water filling at least a portion of the bed.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further including: 
 a second inlet in the vessel for adding water to the vessel.    
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further including a return line for returning a portion of a hydrocarbon stream which has been humidified to the cavity.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17  further including: 
 a mixer for mixing the humidified hydrocarbon stream with an unhumidified hydrocarbon stream to form a combined stream; and  
 a sensor for detecting a moisture content of at least one of the unhumidified hydrocarbon stream and the combined stream.