Linde Process Plants, Inc.

Other

Linde Engineering North America, Inc.

Proquip, Inc.

Linde Boc Process Plants LLC

Ronald Dean Key

William G Brown

Maqsudur Rahman Khan

Heinz Bauer

Loren L Buck

Stephan Burmberger

Danielle R Goldbeck

Christoph Hertel

Aleisha Marty

Zaheer I Malik

Steven C Brantingham

The invention relates to an integrated process and apparatus for liquefaction of natural gas and recovery of natural gas liquids. In particular, the improved process and apparatus reduces the energy consumption of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) unit by using a portion of the already cooled overhead vapor from a fractionation column from an NGL (natural gas liquefaction) unit to, depending upon composition, provide, for example, reflux for fractionation in the NGL unit and/or a cold feed for the LNG unit, or by cooling, within the NGL unit, a residue gas originating from a fractionation column of the NGL unit and using the resultant cooled residue gas to, depending upon composition, provide, for example, reflux/feed for fractionation in the NGL and/or a cold feed for the LNG unit, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the LNG unit and rendering the process more energy-efficient.

Integrated process for NGL (natural gas liquids recovery) and LNG (liquefaction of natural gas)

The invention provides an improved process and apparatus for integrating the heat transfer zones of spiral-wound, plate fin, tube and finned tube exchangers thus increasing the overall effectiveness of the process.

Process and apparatus for synthesis gas heat exchange system

An improved process for separating a hydrocarbon bearing feed gas containing methane and lighter, C(ethylene and/or ethane), and heavier components into a fraction containing predominantly methane and lighter components and a fraction containing predominantly Cand heavier hydrocarbon components including the steps of cooling and partially condensing and delivering the feed stream to a separator to provide a first residue vapor and a first liquid containing C, directing a first part of the first liquid containing Cinto a heavy-ends fractionation column wherein the liquid is separated into a second hydrocarbon bearing vapor residue and a second liquid product containing C; further cooling the second part of the first liquid containing Cand partially condensing the second hydrocarbon bearing vapor residue; combining the cooled second part of the first liquid and partially condensed second hydrocarbon-bearing vapor residue and directing them to a second separator effecting a third residue and a third liquid; cooling and directing a first part of the third liquid into the lights-ends fractionation column, to thereby condense C's and heavier components while the methane is evaporated in the light-ends fractionation column to thereby obtain fourth residue vapor and liquid, heating and supplying the fourth liquid recovered from the light-ends fractionation column to the heavy-ends fractionation column as a feed thereto; conducting the second part of the third liquid to the heavy-ends fractionation column as a feed thereto.

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An improved process for separating a hydrocarbon bearing feed gas containing methane and lighter, C,(ethylene and/or ethane), C,(propylene and/or propane) and heavier components into a fraction containing predominantly C,and lighter components and a fraction containing predominantly C,and heavier hydrocarbon components including the steps of cooling and partially condensing and delivering the feed stream to a separator to provide a first residue vapor and a C,containing liquid, directing a portion of the C,containing liquid into a heavy-ends fractionation column wherein the liquid is separated into a second hydrocarbon bearing vapor residue, a second C,containing liquid stream, and a C,containing product. Directing part of the second liquid into the lights-ends fractionation column, which liquid provides additional liquefied C,'s which act as a direct contact refrigerant to thereby condense C,'s and heavier components while the C,'s are evaporated in the light-ends fractionation column to thereby obtain third residue vapors and liquids, supplying the liquids recovered from the light-ends fractionating column to the heavy-ends fractionation column as a feed thereto.

Process and apparatus for C3 recovery

An improved process for separating a hydrocarbon bearing feed gas containing methane and lighter, C,(ethylene and/or ethane), and heavier components into a fraction containing predominantly methane and lighter components and a fraction containing predominantly C,and heavier hydrocarbon components including the steps of cooling and partially condensing and delivering the feed stream to a separator to provide a first residue vapor and a first liquid containing C,, directing a first part of the first liquid containing C,into a heavy-ends fractionation column wherein the liquid is separated into a second hydrocarbon bearing vapor residue and a second liquid product containing C,; further cooling the second part of the first liquid containing C,and partially condensing the second hydrocarbon bearing vapor residue; combining the cooled second part of the first liquid and partially condensed second hydrocarbon-bearing vapor residue and directing them to a second separator effecting a third residue and a third liquid; cooling and directing a first part of the third liquid into the lights-ends fractionation column, to thereby condense C,'s and heavier components while the methane is evaporated in the light-ends fractionation column to thereby obtain fourth residue vapor and liquid, heating and supplying the fourth liquid recovered from the light-ends fractionation column to the heavy-ends fractionation column as a feed thereto; conducting the second part of the third liquid to the heavy-ends fractionation column as a feed thereto.

Process for C2 recovery

An improved process for separating a hydrocarbon bearing feed gas containing methane and lighter, C.sub.2 (ethylene and ethane) and heavier components into a fraction containing predominantly methane and lighter components and a fraction containing predominantly C.sub.2 and heavier hydrocarbon components including the steps of cooling and partially condensing and delivering the feed stream to a separator to provide a first residue vapor and a C.sub.2 containing liquid, directing a portion of the C.sub.2 containing liquid into a heavy ends fractionation column wherein the liquid is separated into a second hydrocarbon bearing vapor residue and a C.sub.2 containing product, conducting a portion of the first residue vapors with at least part of the partially condensed second residue into a light ends fractionating column to thereby obtain third residue vapors and liquids, supplying the liquids recovered from the light ends fractionating column to the heavy ends fractionation column as the liquid feed thereto and directing part of the C.sub.2 containing liquid from the first step into intimate contact with the second residue, which liquid provides additional liquefied methane which acts with the partially condensed second residue as a direct contact refrigerant to thereby condense C.sub.2 and heavier components while the methane itself is evaporated in the light ends fractionation column.

Growing community of inventors

Broken Arrow, OK, United States of America

Ronald Dean Key