GPA Glycol Dehydration · Engineering tool
TEG circulation rate
L = W · R
Glycol dehydration screening — water removed, TEG circulation rate, and an estimated regenerator reboiler duty for a lean/rich TEG loop.
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TEG circulation rate
0.69gpm
- Water removed
- 330lb/day
- Water removed
- 150kg/day
- Circulation
- 0.16m³/h
- Estimated reboiler duty
- 28kW
- Estimated reboiler duty
- 94kBTU/hr
How it works
Triethylene glycol (TEG) dehydration removes water from natural gas by contacting the gas with lean glycol in a trayed or packed absorber. The rich glycol is regenerated in a reboiler/still column and pumped back to the contactor as lean TEG.
The circulation rate is set by the water to be removed and a circulation ratio R (gal TEG per lb water), typically 2–5 gal/lb. The mass balance gives the lean and rich TEG concentrations; the regenerator reboiler must supply the sensible heat to raise the rich glycol to reboiler temperature plus the latent heat to vaporise the absorbed water.
This tool reports the water removed, the TEG circulation rate, and a screening reboiler duty from that mass balance. The lean TEG purity needed for the outlet water dew point is set by the regenerator — reboiler temperature, stripping gas, and pressure — not by circulation rate alone.
Assumptions & limitations
- Inlet and outlet water contents are entered (from a water-content correlation or simulation at line P & T), not re-computed here.
- Circulation ratio R is design gal TEG per lb water removed; 2–5 gal/lb is typical, 3 gal/lb a common starting point.
- Reboiler duty = sensible heat (rich TEG heated from contactor to reboiler temperature) + latent heat to vaporise the absorbed water, plus a 15% reflux/loss margin. Stripping gas and BTEX not included.
- TEG density 9.26 lb/gal and Cp ≈ 0.6 BTU/lb·°F; water latent heat ≈ 970 BTU/lb at the regenerator (varies with temperature).
Related reading
Companion articles
Process · Simulation
TEG gas dehydration — designing the contactor and regenerator
Triethylene glycol dehydration is the workhorse of pipeline gas conditioning. The contactor, the regenerator, and the lean-rich exchanger together drive the water dewpoint — and a handful of design choices determine whether the unit holds spec or limps along on chemicals.
Jose CampinsProcess · Simulation
TEG regenerator design — reboiler duty, stripping gas, and lean glycol purity
How a TEG regenerator converts rich glycol back into a dry absorbent—and how reboiler duty, stripping gas, heat recovery, and still overhead design determine the lean glycol purity a gas dehydration unit can actually sustain.
Jose CampinsProcess · Simulation
Why is my TEG unit producing off-spec gas? A troubleshooting guide
A practical, evidence-led method for diagnosing high water content and poor dewpoint performance in a TEG gas dehydration unit—from sampling errors and lean glycol quality to contactor hydraulics and regeneration limits.
Jose CampinsNeed a glycol dehydration sizing, troubleshooting, or regeneration review?
A principal will respond within one business day with an initial fit assessment and a practical next step.