Systems and Methods for Processing Geothermal Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)
AssigneeFluor Technologies Corporation
InventorsClifford Neal Prescott, Jeff (Jianfeng) Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Regasification systems and processes for converting liquid natural gas (LNG) from a liquid into a gaseous state are described. The process includes a closed-loop system that uses geothermal wells as a heat source. A warming fluid circulates through the closed-loop system coupled with a geothermal well and a LNG heat exchanger. The warming fluid is heated as it passes through the geothermal well and cooled as it passes through the LNG heat exchanger, thus heating and gasifying the LNG. The cooled warming fluid then returns to the geothermal well. The closed-loop system minimizing environmental impact by eliminating the need to discharge the warming fluid.
Claims10
A heat exchanger for a regasification system comprising:
- a first pipe segment comprising a cryogenic material;
- a second pipe segment;
- a first coupling that couples an end of the first segment with an end of the second pipe segment, and comprising (i) a tube having an inner diameter sized and dimensioned to receive an outer diameter of the first pipe segment and an outer diameter of the second pipe segment, and a v-shaped cross sectional area, and (ii) a first sleeve encasing a portion of the v-shaped cross-sectional area;
- a second sleeve encasing the first pipe segment, second pipe segment, and the coupling;
- a first internal chamber defined by a radial space between an inner surface of the sleeve and an outer surface of the first pipe segment;
- a second internal chamber defined by a radial space between an inner surface of the sleeve and an outer surface of the second pipe segment;
- wherein the first and second internal chambers are fluidly coupled via a second coupling;
- an inlet fluidly coupled with the first internal chamber for receiving a circulating fluid;
- and
- an outlet fluidly coupled with the second internal chamber for disposing the circulating fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.