Plant and Method for Liquefying Natural Gas
OwnerJolinde Machteld Van De Graafinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a plant (10) for liquefying natural gas (90), the plant (10) at least comprising: a pre-cooling heat exchanger train (1) comprising a final heat exchanger (2a) for cooling the natural gas stream (90); a distributor (4) located upstream of the final heat exchanger for splitting the natural gas stream (90) into at least first and second natural gas substreams; at least first and second main cryogenic systems (200,200′), each system (200,200′) comprising an outlet for liquefied natural gas (95,95′).
Claims24
A plant for liquefying natural gas, the plant at least comprising:
- a pre-cooling heat exchanger train comprising a final heat exchanger preceded by one or more heat exchangers, the final heat exchanger being provided with a pre-cooling refrigerant circuit for removing heat from the natural gas stream;
- a distributor for splitting the natural gas stream into at least first and second natural gas substreams;
- at least first and second main cryogenic systems, each system comprising a main heat exchanger having a first hot side having one inlet arranged to respectively receive the first and second natural gas substreams and an outlet for liquefied natural gas, and each system comprising a main refrigerant circuit for removing heat from the natural gas flowing through the first hot side of the corresponding main heat exchanger;
- wherein the distributor is located upstream of the final heat exchanger.
A method of liquefying a natural gas stream, the method at least comprising:
- (a) pre-cooling the natural gas stream in one or more stages including a final stage in a heat exchanger train against a pre-cooling refrigerant being cycled in a pre-cooling refrigerant circuit, wherein the heat exchanger train comprises a final heat exchanger preceded by one or more heat exchangers;
- (b) splitting the natural gas stream into at least first and second natural gas substreams;
- (c) further cooling the first and second natural gas substreams obtained in step (b) into full condensation against a main refrigerant in at least two main cryogenic systems, wherein in each main cryogenic system the main refrigerant is cycled in a main refrigerant circuit;
- and
- (d) drawing a liquefied natural gas stream from the main cryogenic systems;
- wherein the splitting of the natural gas stream into first and second natural substreams is effected upstream of the final pre-cooling stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.