US 10,704,829 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for cooling a hydrocarbon stream

AssigneeShell Oil Company

InventorsMark Antonius Kevenaar, Johan Jan Barend Pek, Chun Kit Poh

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Abstract

A hydrocarbon stream, such as natural gas, is commonly cooled together with a first refrigerant stream, against an evaporating refrigerant in a series of one or more consecutively arranged common heat exchangers. The series comprises of one or more consecutively arranged common heat exchangers comprise a first common heat exchanger, upstream of which first common heat exchanger the hydrocarbon stream and the first refrigerant stream are not commonly cooled. The hydrocarbon stream to be cooled is fed into the first common heat exchanger at a hydrocarbon feeding temperature, while the first refrigerant stream is fed into the first common heat exchanger at a refrigerant feeding temperature. The temperature difference between the hydrocarbon feeding temperature and the refrigerant feeding temperature is lower than 60° C.

Claims20

Dependent claims

Method for cooling a hydrocarbon stream, wherein the hydrocarbon stream and a first refrigerant stream are commonly cooled against an evaporating refrigerant in a series of one or more consecutively arranged common heat exchangers, which series comprises a first common heat exchanger, upstream of which first common heat exchanger, the hydrocarbon stream, and the first refrigerant stream are not commonly cooled, the method at least comprising the steps of:

(a) compressing the first refrigerant stream comprising a first refrigerant to obtain a compressed first refrigerant stream;
(b) cooling the compressed first refrigerant stream against ambient to a refrigerant temperature;
(c) receiving the hydrocarbon stream to be cooled at a starting temperature that is lower than the refrigerant temperature;
(d) feeding the hydrocarbon stream into the first common heat exchanger at a hydrocarbon feeding temperature that is lower than the refrigerant temperature;
(e) further lowering the temperature of the first refrigerant stream, after said cooling of step (b), by heat exchanging against a medium different from ambient in a pre-cooling heat exchanger;
(f) feeding the first refrigerant stream into the first common heat exchanger, after said heat exchanging of step (e), at a refrigerant feeding temperature, wherein the refrigerant feeding temperature is lower than the refrigerant temperature, and wherein a temperature difference between the hydrocarbon feeding temperature and the refrigerant feeding temperature is lower than 60° C.;
(g) commonly cooling the hydrocarbon stream and the first refrigerant stream against an evaporating refrigerant in the series of one or more consecutively arranged common heat exchangers,
wherein said medium different from ambient comprises the hydrocarbon stream to be cooled upstream of said feeding of the hydrocarbon stream into the first common heat exchanger in step (d), and wherein a splitter splits the first refrigerant stream after the temperature of the first refrigerant stream has been further lowered by the pre-cooling heat exchanger in step (e) into a plurality of first refrigerant sub-streams each comprising a liquid.

5 more elements

Apparatus for cooling a hydrocarbon stream, the apparatus comprising:

a first refrigerant stream;
a compressor arranged to compress the first refrigerant stream to obtain a compressed first refrigerant stream;
an ambient cooler arranged to cool the compressed first refrigerant stream against ambient to a refrigerant temperature;
a pre-cooling heat exchanger arranged to receive the cooled compressed first refrigerant stream and to further lower the temperature of the first refrigerant stream by heat exchanging against a medium different from ambient;
a splitter coupled to the pre-cooling heat exchanger and configured to split the first refrigerant stream after the temperature of the first refrigerant stream has been further lowered by the pre-cooling heat exchanger into a plurality of first refrigerant sub-streams each comprising a liquid;
a hydrocarbon source arranged to provide the hydrocarbon stream to be cooled at a starting temperature that is lower than the refrigerant temperature;
a series of one or more consecutively arranged common heat exchangers arranged to receive and commonly cool at least the hydrocarbon stream and the first refrigerant stream, which series comprises a first common heat exchanger, such that upstream of which first common heat exchanger there is no other common heat exchanger wherein the hydrocarbon stream and the first refrigerant stream can be commonly cooled;
a hydrocarbon inlet on the first common heat exchanger arranged to receive the hydrocarbon stream at a hydrocarbon feeding temperature lower than the refrigerant temperature;
a first refrigerant inlet on the first common heat exchanger arranged to receive the first refrigerant from the pre-cooling heat exchanger at a refrigerant feeding temperature that is lower than the refrigerant temperature, and such that a temperature difference between the hydrocarbon feeding temperature and the refrigerant feeding temperature is lower than 60° C.,
wherein said medium different from ambient comprises the hydrocarbon stream to be cooled upstream of the first common heat exchanger.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/006,576Filed 26 Jan 2016 · division
Priority: EP 0612210211 Oct 2006
Published: US 2016/0138862 A119 May 2016
Granted: 7 Jul 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

F25J 1/0022
Characterised by the fluid to be liquefied: hydrocarbons, e.g. natural gas
F25J 1/0052
Using an "external" refrigerant stream in a closed vapor compression cycle: by vaporising a liquid refrigerant stream
F25J 1/02
Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures: requiring the use of refrigeration, e.g. of helium or hydrogen ;…
F25J 1/0214
Using a multi-component refrigerant [MCR] fluid in a closed vapor compression cycle: as a dual level refrigeration cascade with at least one MCR cycle

Family

PCT/EP2007/060808Parent of this division · filed 11 Oct 2007
US 2016/0138862 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 May 2016
Application12/444,852Parent of this division
US 9,273,899 B2Parent of this division
US 2010/0037654 A1Published application
US 10,704,829 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.