A TSA Unit (Temperature Swing Adsorption Unit) is designed to remove water from wet feed gas. In gas production, dehydration is essential to prevent the formation of free water. When natural gas, hydrogen, or CO₂ contains water, the combination of low temperatures (<20°C) and high pressure can lead to hydrate formation. These hydrates block export pipelines and disrupt production. Free water also increases the risk of corrosion in downstream systems.
With a TSA Unit, gas streams are dehydrated to meet strict network or storage specifications, ensuring reliability, safety, and compliance.
How the TSA dehydration process works
In this skid-mounted package, adsorbents such as molecular sieves or silica gel are used as desiccants. The wet gas enters the top of the adsorber vessels filled with beads. As the gas flows downward, the adsorbent captures water molecules. The dry, dehydrated gas exits through the bottom outlet nozzle and passes through a particle filter, where any dust from the adsorbent material is removed.
Once the adsorbent bed is saturated with water, it requires regeneration to restore adsorption capacity.
1. Regeneration of the adsorbent bed
Regeneration is performed using a side stream of heated feed gas. This regeneration gas flows through the saturated silica gel or molecular sieve, releasing the captured water molecules. After cooling and condensing, the separated water is removed and the regeneration gas is recycled back to the TSA Unit inlet.
The regeneration cycle operates at the same pressure as adsorption. The gas flow rate is controlled by a flow control valve that adjusts automatically to maintain the correct balance.
2. Heating requirements for TSA Units
To achieve effective regeneration, the entire adsorbent bed must reach a temperature of at least 150°C. This ensures the water is fully removed and adsorption capacity is restored.
The regeneration gas is heated to approximately 180–185°C in a regeneration heater vessel equipped with a thyristor-controlled electric heater. This precise control guarantees safe heating, compensates for heat losses, and protects the adsorbent material from underperformance.
Benefits of a TSA Unit
A properly engineered TSA Unit offers multiple benefits:
- Effective removal of water from natural gas, hydrogen, and CO₂
- Prevention of hydrate formation and corrosion in pipelines
- Reliable adsorption and regeneration cycles
- Automated process control for stable performance
- Compliance with network and storage specifications
Get in touch with FB Group for your new TSA Unit
Are you looking for a dependable TSA Unit for your gas processing installation? The specialists at FB Group provide tailor-made solutions to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant gas dehydration. Contact FB Group today and discover how we can support your project with reliable adsorption technology.
