Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Other

Newton, Charles L.

Davis, Robert N.

Charles L Newton

Dennis L Fuini

Wayne G Stuber

Lee S Gaumer, Jr

Yu-Nan Liu

Robert Newton Davis

Michael A Patterson

Robert N Davis

The present invention is an improvement to a liquefaction process for natural gas, wherein refrigeration for the liquefaction process is provided by two closed-loop refrigeration cycles. The first or low level refrigeration cycle uses either a mixed refrigerant or a single component refrigerant as the heat pump fluid, and the second or high level refrigerant uses a mixed (multicomponent) refrigerant as the heat pump fluid. In the liquefaction process the second or high level refrigeration cycle cools the low level heat pump fluid. The low level refrigeration cycle cools and liquefies the cooled natural gas feed. The improvement to the process is the use of an absorption refrigeration cycle to precool the natural gas feed, the low level heat pump fluid, the high level heat pump fluid and, if required, the deep flash recycle. Heat to drive the absorption refrigeration cycle is provided by the exhaust gas from one or more drives for the compressors in the process.

Natural gas liquefaction process using low level high level and

An automated control system for the control of mixed refrigerant-type liquified natural gas production facilities comprising optimization of functional parameters, concurrent monitoring and adjustment of critical operational limits, and maximization of production functions. Optimization is accomplished by adjusting parameters including mixed refrigerant inventory, composition, compression ratio, and compressor turbine speeds to achieve the highest product output value for each unit of energy consumed by the facility.

Automated control system for a multicomponent refrigeration system

A closed loop single component, e.g. propane or Freon refrigerant, refrigeration cycle is added to a single or dual mixed refrigerant natural gas liquefaction process to precool the natural gas prior to adsorptive drying. By means of pressure control, the single component refrigerant temperature can be accurately controlled to ensure against hydrate formation in the natural gas feed and to maximize the precooling of the natural gas feed prior to drying. The addition of the single component refrigeration cycle overcomes the difficulty of controlling the precooling temperature which occurs when cooling by a multicomponent refrigerant, and thus improves plant reliability and minimizes the equipment sizes associated with the drying operation.

Feed gas drier precooling in mixed refrigerant natural gas liquefaction

A portion of the boiloff from LNG storage container is revaporized and recycled during reliquefaction process to control the concentration of nitrogen and to provide upper limit temperature control.

Apparatus and method for recovering liquefied natural gas vapor boiloff

A volatile component over a wide range of concentrations in a multicomponent feed to a distillation column is accommodated at varying feed flow rates without destroying bubble tray efficiency. This is effected by establishing on a bubble tray a plurality of separation zones having discrete and different liquid pressure seals above bubble apertures on the tray. To avoid entrainment, vapor flow restrictors are utilized with bubble apertures in at least one separation zone having less liquid head to offset a tendency of proportionately increased vapor flow through such a bubble aperture during operation of separation zones having a liquid head differential. Intermediate weirs or bubble apertures having different elevations below a liquid level on the tray can be used to establish such separation zones of differing liquid heads.

Sectioned bubble tray distillation over a wide range of feed composition

A system for liquefying and subcooling natural gas wherein compression power is shifted off the closed cycle refrigerant by subcooling the liquid natural gas to a relatively warm exit temperature and subsequently reducing the pressure and flashing the liquefied natural gas to recover a gaseous phase natural gas in excess of plant fuel requirements, the excess being recompressed and recycled to the feed to the process.

Deep flash LNG cycle

An apparatus and process for liquefying natural gas using two closed-cycle, multicomponent refrigerants; a low level refrigerant which cools the natural gas and a high level refrigerant which cools the low level refrigerant wherein the improvement comprises phase separating the high level refrigerant after compression and fully liquefying the vapor phase stream against external cooling fluid after additional compression.

Dual mixed refrigerant natural gas liquefaction with staged compression

A process and system are set forth for precooling, liquefying and subcooling a methane-rich feed stream, such as natural gas, with two closed circuit multicomponent refrigerant cycles in which the first refrigerant comprises a binary mixture of propane and butane in a flash refrigeration cycle and the second refrigerant comprises a mixture of nitrogen, methane, ethane, propane and butane in a subcool refrigeration cycle. The first refrigerant preferably cools the feed stream in a plate and fin heat exchanger.

Double mixed refrigerant liquefaction process for natural gas

Power is recovered from the vaporization of natural gas by warming the natural gas against a multicomponent stream which is cooled and liquefied. The liquefied multicomponent stream is pumped to an elevated pressure and is warmed against one or more streams of propane which are cooled and liquefied. The warmed multicomponent stream is heated, expanded through a generator loaded expander and recycled. The liquefied propane is pumped to an elevated pressure in single or multi-staged streams, vaporized, expanded through a second generator loaded expander and recycled.

Recovery of power from vaporization of liquefied natural gas

A process for liquefying natural gas in which heavier hydrocarbons are separated in a scrub column from the natural gas prior to liquefaction. The feed to the scrub column is intercooled against the methane-rich overhead from said column and isentropically expanded before being introduced to the column and separated from the heavier hydrocarbons. The methane-rich overhead stream is compressed utilizing the mechanical energy of expansion and liquefied in a refrigerated heat exchanger.

Process for liquefying methane

Power is recovered from the vaporization of liquefied natural gas by warming and vaporizing the liquefied natural gas against a first multicomponent stream which is cooled and liquefied. The liquefied multicomponent stream is pumped to an elevated pressure and is warmed and vaporized against a second multicomponent stream which is cooled and liquefied. The warmed first multicomponent stream is heated, expanded through a generator loaded expander and recycled. The liquefied second multicomponent stream is pumped to an elevated pressure, heated, vaporized and expanded through a second generator loaded expander and recycled.

Power is recovered from the vaporization of liquefied natural gas by liquefying a multicomponent refrigerant. The liquefied multicomponent refrigerant is then pressurized, vaporized and expanded in two stages through two expanders which are coupled to a generator.

Recovery of power from the vaporization of natural gas

A process for producing liquefied natural gas from a high pressure hydrocarbon feedstock is shown. In this process, the feedstock is isentropically expanded and distilled at a pressure lower than the critical pressure to form an overhead rich in methane and a bottom fraction. The methane rich overhead is compressed utilizing the energy obtained from the expansion and then the compressed overhead is liquefied in a refrigeration cycle.

Process for manufacturing liquefied methane

This invention relates to a tubular phase separator for removing entrained liquid from a gas stream having a feed inlet, a gas outlet spaced apart from the feed inlet, a liquid outlet spaced apart and below the feed inlet and gas outlet, and a mist eliminator pad disposed between the feed inlet and the gas outlet. The improved phase separator has a plate disposed between the mist eliminator pad and the gas outlet having a plurality of perforations therein for effecting improved gas flow across the mist eliminator pad and for improving the efficiency in removal of entrained liquid.

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Bethlehem, PA, United States of America

Charles L Newton