Abstract:
A method for producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) is provided. The method may include feeding natural gas from a high-pressure natural gas source to a separator and removing a non-hydrocarbon from the natural gas. A portion of the natural gas from the separator may be precooled, and the precooled natural gas may be cooled in a first heat exchanger with a first refrigeration stream. A first portion of the cooled natural gas may be expanded in a turbo-expander to generate the first refrigeration stream. A second portion of the cooled natural gas may be cooled in a second heat exchanger with the first refrigeration stream and expanded in an expansion valve to produce a two-phase fluid containing the LNG and a vapor phase. The LNG may be separated from the vapor phase in a liquid separator and stored in a storage tank.
Abstract:
A method for producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and separating natural gas liquids (NGLs) from the LNG is provided. The method may include compressing natural gas to compressed natural gas, removing a non-hydrocarbon from the compressed natural gas, and cooling the compressed natural gas to a cooled, compressed natural gas. The method may also include expanding a first portion and a second portion of the cooled, compressed natural gas in a first expansion element and a second expansion element to generate a first refrigeration stream and a second refrigeration stream, respectively. The method may further include separating a third portion of the cooled, compressed natural gas into a methane lean natural gas fraction containing the NGLs and a methane rich natural gas fraction. The methane rich natural gas fraction may be cooled in a liquefaction assembly with the first and second refrigeration streams to thereby produce the LNG.
Abstract:
A system for producing liquefied and sub-cooled natural gas by means of a refrigeration assembly using a single phase gaseous refrigerant comprises at least two expanders; a compressor assembly; a heat exchanger assembly for heat absorption from natural gas; and a heat rejection assembly, in which the expanders are arranged in expander loops and the refrigerant to the respective expander is served in a compressed flow by means of the compressor assembly having compressors or compressor stages enabling adapted inlet and outlet pressures for the respective expander. According to the present the expanders and compressors assembly are assembled in two mechanically connected compressor and expander packages (200, 300) of which one is driven by a gas turbine (201) and the other is driven by a steam turbine (301), the steam primarily being generated by exhaust gases from the gas turbine in a waste heat recovery unit (202), and in that the expanders and compressors assemblies are distributed between the two compressor and expander packages to optimize the steam utilization and to balance the power generated by the gas turbine and the steam turbine.
Abstract:
Method and apparatus for cooling a hydrocarbon stream (520) to produce an at least partially liquefied hydrocarbon stream (530). A cooled main refrigerant stream (245) is further cooled against at least a part of one or more expanded cooled pre-cooling refrigerant streams (155). A hydrocarbon stream (520) is at least partially liquefied in one or more main heat exchangers (220) against an expanded cooled main refrigerant stream (255), to provide an at least partially, preferably fully, liquefied hydrocarbon stream (530). The air inlet stream (45) of a first gas turbine (50) is cooled using cooling duty from the main refrigerant in the main refrigerant circuit (200) to provide a cooled air inlet stream (55) to the first gas turbine (50).
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for operating a compressor using concentrated solar power (CSP), the method comprising at least the steps of: (a) providing a concentrated solar power system (10); (b) collecting solar energy from the sun in the concentrated solar power system (10) to provide captured solar thermal energy; (c) generating one or more heated expansion fluid streams (42) from one of more expansion fluid streams (12) using at least part of the captured solar thermal energy; (d) passing at least one of the heated expansion fluid streams (42) to the inlet (101) of a first turbine (100) to power the first turbine (100); and (e) mechanically driving a first compressor (200) with the first turbine (100).
Abstract:
Plant (30) for the liquefaction of natural gas (NG), characterized in that gas comes from a low pressure reservoir, in particular, a pipeline ( 1 ) or a stranded well, and such gas (1) is joined to a low pressure recycle stream in a methane expansion cycle and it is compressed fairly by a methane compressor (C) that is integrated with a cooling system that pre-cools the unique combined stream of methane (Ia) and refrigerant (18a).
Abstract:
A method of cooling a gaseous hydrocarbon stream (10) such as natural gas comprising at least the steps of : (a) sourcing the gaseous hydrocarbon stream (10) in an underwater pipeline (12) to a hydrocarbon facility at sea (18); (b) cooling the gaseous hydrocarbon stream (10) against one or more cooling streams (40) to remove heat from the gaseous hydrocarbon stream (10), and so provide a cooler hydrocarbon stream (20) and one or more warmer cooling streams (30); (c) using the heat of at least one warmer cooling stream (30) to heat the gaseous hydrocarbon stream (10) being sourced in the pipeline (12).
Abstract:
The present invention concerns systems for storing energy and using the stored energy to generate electrical energy or drive a propeller (505). In particular, the present invention provides a method of storing energy comprising: providing a gaseous input, producing a cryogen from the gaseous input; storing the cryogen; expanding the cryogen; using the expanded cryogen to drive a turbine (320) and recovering cold energy from the expansion of the cryogen. The present invention also provides a cryogenic energy storage system comprising: a source of cryogen; a cryogen storage facility (370); means for expanding the cryogen; a turbine (320) capable of being driven by the expanding cryogen; and means (340, 350) for recovering cold energy released during expansion of the cryogen.
Abstract:
Integrated process for converting light hydrocarbon gas to heavier hydrocarbon liquids. In a first embodiment, a Fisher-Tropsch (FT) process is integrated with a cryogenic liquefied natural gas (LNG) process wherein tail gas from (FT) reaction is used to drive a refrigeration compressor in the (LNG) process. The process may be further integrated with a fertilizer production process comprising an ammonia synthesis process and a urea synthesis process. To produce ammonia, hydrogen separated from synthesis gas produced in a primary and/or secondary reformer in the (FT) process is combined with nitrogen produced in the (LNG) process. Nitrogen may also be supplied to the ammonia synthesis process from an optional air separation process, which also provides oxygen enrichment to the thermal reformer in the (FT) process. The produce urea, the ammonia is subsquently reacted with carbon dioxide removed during processing of the gas prior to its liquefaction. In an alternative embodiment, an (FT) process is integrated with a methanol synthesis process wherein tail gas from the (FT) reaction is used to fuel burners in a secondary thermal reformer.