# US 12,763,308 B2 · Process composition analysis via online mass spectrometry

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- Number: US 12,763,308 B2
- Document ID: US12763308B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/505,526
- Filed: 2021-10-19
- Published: 2022-04-21
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-19
- Assignees: ConocoPhillips Company
- Applicants: ConocoPhillips Company
- Inventors: Michael A. Home
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12763308B2

## CPC

- H01J 49/26: Mass spectrometers or separator tubes
- F25J 1/0022: {Hydrocarbons, e.g. natural gas}
- F25J 1/0255: {controlling the composition of the feed or liquefied gas, e.g. to achieve a particular heating value of natural gas}
- F25J 1/0257: {Construction and layout of liquefaction equipments, e.g. valves, machines (F25J1/0279 takes precedence)}
- G01N 30/72: Mass spectrometers {(mass spectrometers per se H01J49/00)}
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- F25J: LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS {OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS} MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT {OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE (cryogenic pumps F04B37/08; gas storage vessels, gas holders F17; filing vessels with, or discharging from vessels, compressed, liquefied or solidified gases F17C; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B)}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A method for improving the efficiency of liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction including receiving a gas feed stream at an LNG facility, condensing the gas feed stream into an LNG product stream, removing nitrogen from the LNG product stream via a nitrogen rejection unit coupled with the LNG facility to produce a final LNG product stream, analyzing one or more process samples taken throughout the liquefaction and nitrogen removal processes via mass spectrometry, and adjusting one or more aspects of the LNG processing system based on the analysis.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction, the method comprising:
receiving a gas feed stream;
condensing the gas feed stream into an LNG product stream;
removing nitrogen from the LNG product stream using a nitrogen rejection unit to produce a final LNG product stream;
determining a nitrogen content by performing a compositional analysis to generate mass spectrometry data of a plurality of process samples using mass spectrometry without gas chromatography applied to the plurality of process samples, the compositional analysis is performed on the plurality of process samples simultaneously, the plurality of process samples are taken from the final LNG product stream output by the nitrogen rejection unit and from an intermediate stream at a location before the nitrogen rejection unit;
determining a nitrogen removal rate of the nitrogen rejection unit by comparing the nitrogen content of the plurality of process samples taken from the final LNG product stream output by the nitrogen rejection unit and from the intermediate stream at the location before the nitrogen rejection unit; and
controlling, via control logic, at least one of at least a portion of an LNG facility or one or more operating parameters of the nitrogen rejection unit based on changes in the nitrogen removal rate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating a methane (CH4) content determined by the compositional analysis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a nitrogen/methane (N2/CH4) ratio of the plurality of process samples.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of any of claim 1, wherein the compositional analysis further comprises determining an ethane (C2H6) content.

### Claim 5

A method for liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction, the method comprising:
receiving a gas feed stream;
condensing the gas feed stream into an LNG product stream;
removing nitrogen from the LNG product stream using a nitrogen rejection unit to produce a final LNG product stream;
determining nitrogen content by performing a compositional analysis to generate mass spectrometry data of a plurality of process samples using mass spectrometry without gas chromatography applied to the plurality of process samples, the compositional analysis is performed on the plurality of process samples simultaneously, the plurality of process samples are taken from the final LNG product stream output by the nitrogen rejection unit and from an intermediate stream at a location before the nitrogen rejection unit;
determining a nitrogen removal rate of the nitrogen rejection unit by comparing the nitrogen content of the plurality of process samples taken from the final LNG product stream output by the nitrogen rejection unit and from the intermediate stream at the location before the nitrogen rejection unit; and
controlling, via control logic, at least one of one or more LNG facility parameters of an LNG facility or one or more operating parameters of the nitrogen rejection unit based on changes in the nitrogen removal rate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the compositional analysis is performed by a mass spectrometer and further provides one or more of a methane (CH4) content, or an ethane (C2H6) content.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
transmitting, via a communications network, the compositional analysis of the mass spectrometry to a controller; and
calculating, using the controller, an efficiency for the LNG facility based on the compositional analysis of the mass spectrometry.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
determining whether the efficiency of the LNG facility exceeds a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, when the efficiency exceeds the predetermined threshold, further comprising:
calculating one or more adjustments to the LNG facility based on whether the efficiency is below the predetermined threshold; and
transmitting, via the communications network, the one or more adjustments to the LNG facility.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more adjustments are based in part on at least one of the nitrogen (N2) content, a methane (CH4) content, or an ethane (C2H6) content of the plurality of process samples.

### Claim 11

A system for liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction, the system comprising:
an LNG facility operable to condense a gas feed stream received at the LNG facility into a LNG product stream;
a nitrogen rejection unit coupled with the LNG facility, the nitrogen rejection unit operable to remove nitrogen from the LNG product stream to produce and output a final LNG product stream;
an analyzer coupled with the LNG facility and operable to obtain mass spectrometry data for a plurality of process samples simultaneously, the analyzer including a mass spectrometer without a gas chromatograph, the plurality of process samples taken from the final LNG product stream output by the nitrogen rejection unit and from an intermediate stream at a location before the nitrogen rejection unit, the analyzer determining a nitrogen removal rate of the nitrogen rejection unit by comparing a nitrogen content of the plurality of process samples taken from the final LNG product stream output by the nitrogen rejection unit and from the intermediate stream at the location before the nitrogen rejection unit; and
control logic operable to control at least one of one or more LNG facility parameters of the LNG facility or one or more operating parameters of the nitrogen rejection unit based on changes in the nitrogen removal rate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising the control logic operable to receive the mass spectrometry data from the analyzer and determine whether an efficiency of the LNG facility exceeds a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the control logic is further operable to calculate, when the efficiency is below the predetermined threshold, one or more adjustments of the LNG facility to cause the efficiency to increase.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the control logic is further operable to transmit, via a communications network, the one or more adjustments to the LNG facility.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein a compositional analysis of the mass spectrometry data includes at least one of the nitrogen (N2) content, a methane (CH4) content, or an ethane (C2H6) content.