# US 2022/0034584 A1 · Large liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas production process

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2022/0034584 A1
- Document ID: US20220034584A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/389,744
- Filed: 2021-07-30
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-30
- Assignees: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
- Applicants: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
- Inventors: Michael A. TURNEY; Alain GUILLARD
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220034584A1

## CPC

- F25J 1/0234: {Integration with a cryogenic air separation unit (cryogenic separation of air F25J3/04)}
- F25J 1/0015: {Nitrogen}
- F25J 1/0017: {Oxygen}
- F25J 1/0022: {Hydrocarbons, e.g. natural gas}
- F25J 1/0037: {of a return stream}
- F25J 1/004: {by flash gas recovery (F25J1/0267 takes precedence)}
- F25J 1/0045: {by vaporising a liquid return stream}
- F25J 1/005: {by expansion of a gaseous refrigerant stream with extraction of work}
- F25J 1/0052: {by vaporising a liquid refrigerant stream}
- F25J 1/0055: {originating from an incorporated cascade}
- F25J 1/0072: {Nitrogen}
- F25J 1/0215: {with one SCR cycle}
- F25J 1/0219: {in combination with an internal quasi-closed refrigeration loop, e.g. using a deep flash recycle loop}
- F25J 1/0236: {providing refrigeration for different processes treating not the same feed stream}
- F25J 3/04224: {Cores associated with a liquefaction or refrigeration cycle}
- F25J 3/04357: {and comprising a gas work expansion loop}
- F25J 3/04412: {in a classical double column flowsheet, i.e. with thermal coupling by a main reboiler-condenser in the bottom of low pressure respectively top of high pressure column}
- F25J 3/04612: {Heat exchange integration with process streams, e.g. from the air gas consuming unit}
- F25J 2270/42: Quasi-closed internal or closed external nitrogen refrigeration cycle
- 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)}

## Abstract

A process for co-producing a liquid oxygen and a liquefied hydrocarbon stream, including introducing a gaseous hydrocarbon stream and a gaseous nitrogen stream into a liquefier, thereby producing a liquefied hydrocarbon stream and a liquid nitrogen stream, liquefying a gaseous oxygen stream, wherein at least a portion of the required refrigeration is obtained from the liquid nitrogen stream. Wherein the liquefied hydrocarbon stream and the liquefied gaseous oxygen stream have mass flow rates. The liquid oxygen stream may be produced in an aft separation unit, wherein at least a portion of the required refrigeration is obtained from the liquid nitrogen stream.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for co-producing a liquid oxygen and a liquefied hydrocarbon stream, comprising:
introducing a gaseous hydrocarbon stream and a gaseous nitrogen stream into a liquefier, thereby producing a liquefied hydrocarbon stream and a liquid nitrogen stream,
liquefying a gaseous oxygen stream, wherein at least a portion of he required refrigeration is obtained from the liquid nitrogen stream, wherein the liquefied hydrocarbon stream and the liquefied gaseous oxygen stream have mass flow rates.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the ratio of mass flow rates of the liquefied gaseous oxygen stream and the liquefied hydrocarbon stream is between 2 to 5.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the ratio of mass flow rates of the liquefied gaseous oxygen stream and the liquefied hydrocarbon stream is between 3 to 4.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the liquefier uses a dual refrigerant liquefaction process, comprising a first refrigerant and a secondary refrigerant.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4, wherein the first refrigerant is nitrogen or neon or a mixture of neon and nitrogen.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4, wherein the secondary refrigerant is a hydrocarbon mixed refrigerant.

### Claim 7

A process for co-producing a liquid oxygen and a liquefied hydrocarbon stream, comprising:
introducing a gaseous hydrocarbon stream and a gaseous nitrogen stream in a liquefier, thereby producing a liquefied hydrocarbon stream and a liquid nitrogen stream,
producing a liquid oxygen stream in an air separation unit, wherein at least a portion of a required refrigeration is obtained from the liquid nitrogen stream,
wherein the liquefied hydrocarbon stream, the liquid nitrogen stream, and the liquid oxygen stream have mass flow rates.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7. wherein the ratio of mass flow rates of the liquid oxygen stream and the liquefied hydrocarbon stream is between 2 to 5.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein the ratio of mass flow rates of the liquid oxygen stream and the liquefied hydrocarbon stream is between 3 to 4.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein the ratio of mass flow rates the liquid nitrogen stream to the liquid oxygen stream is 0.5 to 1.1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein the liquefier uses a dual refrigerant liquefaction process, comprising a first refrigerant and a secondary refrigerant.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11, wherein the first refrigerant is nitrogen or neon or a mixture of neon and nitrogen.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11, wherein the secondary refrigerant is hydrocarbon mixed refrigerant.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7. wherein at least a portion of the refrigeration required to liquefy the oxygen is from an auxiliary refrigeration produced within the air separation unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein the auxiliary refrigeration is produced within the air separation unit with a main air compressor and/or a booster air compressor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The process of claim 15, wherein the auxiliary refrigeration is produced from at least 10% of the combined main air compressor and/or booster air compressor energy.

### Claim 17 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7. where the pressurized gaseous oxygen and/or gaseous nitrogen stream are produced by pumping of liquid and vaporizing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the liquid oxygen stream is subcooled by heat exchange in the air separation unit with a nitrogen stream.

### Claim 19 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein the air separation unit produces both a liquid oxygen stream with a mass flowrate and a gaseous oxygen stream with a mass flowrate, the liquid oxygen stream mass flowrate is added to the gaseous oxygen stream mass flowrate to produce a total oxygen mass flowrate, and wherein at least 90% of the of the total oxygen mass flowrate is liquid oxygen.