Mathematical Modeling of Acidity Removal from Natural Gas through Alkaline Scrubbing

The production of natural gas (NG) and its contribution to the world energy matrix have increased in recent years. The use of natural gas, mainly stranded gas, usually requires pretreatment. This paper presents a mathematical model for reactive absorption in a bubble column containing a sodium hydroxide solution to remove sour components from natural gas. Model validation was based on experimental data by solving the system of equations via the computer package EMSO-Environment for Modeling, Simulation and Optimization. The results of the evaluation for some operating situations demonstrate that the model can be considered a suitable tool for accurately simulating the removal of H₂S even in the presence of CO₂ and provides a means to control the process on the basis of easily measured process variables, which are appropriate for the desulfurization of natural gas from stranded gas reserves.