Replace Glycol Dehydrator With Separators and In-line Heaters

The document outlines a methane reduction opportunity (PRO No. 204) involving the replacement of glycol dehydrators with cyclone separators and in-line heaters. In this process, natural gas expands in a cyclone separator to cool and condense water vapor, which is then reheated to a specific dew point. This eliminates the need for glycol, thereby avoiding the methane emissions associated with glycol dehydrator operations. The technology is suitable for transport and distribution systems in cold environments, provided there is sufficient upstream pressure and a power source for resistive heaters. One partner reported saving 1,930 thousand cubic feet of methane by replacing 14 dehydrators. Economic analysis suggests a strong return on investment, with annual methane reductions of 130 thousand cubic feet for a system processing 10 million cubic feet of gas per day (reducing water vapor from 7 to 4 lbs/MMcf).

• The technical requirements for this implementation include a power source for resistive in-line heaters and sufficient upstream pressure to allow for expansion cooling while still meeting distribution system pressure needs.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Replace Glycol Dehydrator With Separators and In-line Heaters. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03090356/CH_separators-and-inline-heaters.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Replace Glycol Dehydrator With Separators and In-line Heaters. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03090356/CH_separators-and-inline-heaters.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Replace Glycol Dehydrator With Separators and In-line Heaters |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03090356/CH_separators-and-inline-heaters.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendreplace, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Replace Glycol Dehydrator With Separators and In-line Heaters}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03090356/CH_separators-and-inline-heaters.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }