Burns & McDonnell issued patent for use of dividing wall columns in the NGL industry

Burns & McDonnell has received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a dividing wall column (DWC) designed for the natural gas liquids industry (NGL). This DWC technology means the traditional four-tower fractionation design is condensed into a three-tower system yielding the same five purity products: ethane, propane, isobutane, normal butane, and natural gasoline. 

“Utilizing DWC technology in the NGL fractionation market is a game changer not only in the midstream market, but also within refineries and chemical facilities. The cost, energy and emission efficiencies gained are invaluable, especially with the focus on ESG,” says Karen Bray, vice president of process and project development at Burns & McDonnell. 

In 2019, Burns & McDonnell completed construction of the first dividing wall column train in the NGL fractionation industry for a confidential midstream company. The facility processes 125,000 bpd of Y-grade feed. The DWC methodology was successful in lowering capital costs and providing significant operational and utility savings after startup.

The DWC fractionator technology can be customized and scaled for a wide variety of throughput requirements. From lower carbon emissions and lower capital costs to greater operational efficiencies, this innovative solution can help create opportunities for the midstream oil and gas market. 

“By reconceptualizing the traditional distillation system with a DWC, capital and operational costs are significantly reduced, a more environmentally friendly process is implemented and less footprint is required to build,” says Andrew Becker, process technology manager at Burns & McDonnell. 

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