Abstract:
A system and method for air separation using a supplemental refrigeration cycle is provided. A portion of the refrigeration required by the air separation plant to produce a liquid product stream is supplied via a supplemental refrigeration circuit configured to direct a cooled refrigerant produced by the turboexpander through the main heat exchanger of the air separation plant. The refrigeration capacity is controlled by removing or adding a portion of the refrigerant in the supplemental refrigeration circuit to adjust the inlet pressure while maintaining a substantially constant volumetric flow rate and substantially constant pressure ratio across the compressor. Removing the refrigerant from the supplemental refrigeration circuit decreases the refrigeration imparted by the supplemental refrigeration circuit and thus decreases the production of the liquid product stream. Adding refrigerant allows for an increase in the refrigeration imparted by the supplemental refrigeration circuit and thus allows for increased production of the liquid product stream.
Abstract:
A system and method for air separation using a supplemental refrigeration cycle is provided. A portion of the refrigeration required by the air separation plant to produce a liquid product stream is supplied via a supplemental refrigeration circuit configured to direct a cooled refrigerant produced by the turboexpander through the main heat exchanger of the air separation plant. The refrigeration capacity is controlled by removing or adding a portion of the refrigerant in the supplemental refrigeration circuit to adjust the inlet pressure while maintaining a substantially constant volumetric flow rate and substantially constant pressure ratio across the compressor. Removing the refrigerant from the supplemental refrigeration circuit decreases the refrigeration imparted by the supplemental refrigeration circuit and thus decreases the production of the liquid product stream. Adding refrigerant allows for an increase in the refrigeration imparted by the supplemental refrigeration circuit and thus allows for increased production of the liquid product stream.
Abstract:
A LNG storage and regasification plant includes a reliquefaction unit in which boil-off vapors from the storage tanks are re liquefied and recycled back to the LNG storage tanks for tank pressure and Wobbe index control. Preferably, LNG cold is used for reliquefaction and operational flexibility is achieved by feeding a portion of the pressurized boil-off gas to a fuel gas header and/or to be recondensed by the sendout LNG.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a liquefied natural gas composition. The composition contains methane, ethane and propane and butane. The composition contains a substantial amount of butane while being substantially free of hydrocarbon molecules larger than butane.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a liquefied natural gas composition. The composition contains methane, ethane and propane and butane. The composition contains a substantial amount of butane while being substantially free of hydrocarbon molecules larger than butane.
Abstract:
A process is provided for converting a boil-off stream comprising methane to a liquid having a preselected bubble point temperature. The boil-off stream is pressurized, then cooled, and then expanded to further cool and at least partially liquefy the boil-off stream. The preselected bubble point temperature of the resulting pressurized liquid is obtained by performing at least one of the following steps: before, during, or after the process of liquefying the boil-off stream, removing from the boil-off stream a predetermined amount of one or more components, such as nitrogen, having a vapor pressure greater than the vapor pressure of methane, and before, during, or after the process of liquefying the boil-off stream, adding to the boil-off stream one or more additives having a molecular weight heavier than the molecular weight of methane and having a vapor pressure less than the vapor pressure of methane.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a process for purifying natural gas to provide a liquified natural gas product which is substantially pure methane. In the process, a natural gas feed stream is introduced into indirect countercurrent heat exchange in a first heat exchanger to cool the natural gas to below the dew point of ethane and higher hydrocarbons so as to separate the feed stream into a gas which is substantially pure methane and liquid which contains the ethane and higher hydrocarbons. The liquid/gas mixture is transferred to a separator where the gas occupies the head space of the separator and the liquid occupies the bottom of the separator. A gas fraction is removed from the top of the separator and is introduced into countercurrent heat exchange with liquid nitrogen in a second heat exchanger so as to liquefy the substantially pure methane gas. Liquid nitrogen is introduced into a third heat exchanger where the liquid nitrogen is mixed with a recycled portion of nitrogen vapor is mixed with a recycled portion of nitrogen vapor exiting from the second heat exchanger to provide a liquid nitrogen feed stream for the second heat exchanger.
Abstract:
A variable speed liquid LNG expander (X1) and a variable speed two-phase LNG expander (X2) in line, downstream from X1. The rotational speed of both expanders can be controlled and changed independent from each other. The speed of expander X1 and expander X2 is determined in such way that the amount of liquid LNG downstream from the PHS compared to the feed gas supply is maximized and the amount of vapor and boil-off downstream of X2 is minimized.
Abstract:
NGL recovery from natural gas is achieved by processing the natural gas in a scrub column that operates at high pressure. A C3+ depleted vapor stream is generated from the vapor portion of partially condensed scrub column overhead and expanded to provide refrigeration for the vapor portion to so form a second reflux stream and the C3+ depleted vapor stream. The C3+ depleted vapor stream is then combined with another vapor portion of partially condensed column overhead to produce a lean liquefaction feed stream.