Systems and methods for LNG refrigeration and liquefaction
AssigneeFluor Technologies Corporation
InventorsJohn Mak, Jacob Thomas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A LNG liquefaction plant system includes concurrent power production, wherein the refrigeration content of the refrigerant or SMR is used to liquefy and sub-cool a natural gas stream in a cold box or cryogenic exchanger. For concurrent power production, the system uses waste heat from refrigerant compression to vaporize and superheat a waste heat working fluid that in turn drives a compressor for refrigerant compression. The refrigerant may be an external SMR or an internal LNG refrigerant working fluid expanded and compressed by a twin compander arrangement.
Claims15
A method for LNG liquefaction, the method comprising:
- providing a natural gas feed stream;
- providing, in a heat exchanger, heat exchange between the natural gas feed stream and a compressed and cooled refrigerant stream, wherein the heat exchange heats the compressed and cooled refrigerant stream;
- after the heat exchange in the heat exchanger, splitting the compressed and cooled refrigerant stream into a first refrigerant portion and a second refrigerant portion;
- expanding, in a first expander, the first refrigerant portion to produce an expanded first refrigerant stream portion;
- using the expanded first refrigerant stream portion in the heat exchanger to cool the natural gas feed stream, where the expanded first refrigerant stream portion is heated in the heat exchanger to produce a first warm LNG vapor stream;
- compressing the first warm LNG vapor stream with a first refrigerant compressor;
- using the second refrigerant portion in the heat exchanger to cool the natural gas feed stream, wherein the second refrigerant portion is heated in the heat exchanger to produce a warmed refrigerant stream;
- expanding, in a second expander, the warmed refrigerant stream to produce an expanded second refrigerant stream portion;
- and
- using the expanded second refrigerant stream portion in the heat exchanger, wherein the expanded second refrigerant stream portion is heated in the heat exchanger to produce a second warm LNG vapor stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.