Processes and systems for liquefying natural gas
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsRobert A. Fanning, Keenis E. Davis, James E. Kaucher
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Abstract
Natural gas liquefaction systems are provided wherein the dedicated compression strings normally found in each liquefaction train of a multi-train LNG plant are replaced by common compression strings which, in turn, supply the respective refrigerants (e.g. propane and mixed refrigerant) to more than one of the multi-trains. This allows the refrigerants to be treated as a utility in that all of the refrigerants are supplied from a respective single source by the common compression strings.
Claims12
A natural gas liquefaction system comprising:
- (A) two or more dependent trains, each of said dependent trains comprising:
- (i) an inlet for a feed gas;
- (ii) a first refrigerant circuit for initially cooling said feed gas;
- and
- (iii) a second refrigerant circuit for cooling said initially-cooled feed gas to a cryogenic temperature;
- (B) at least one common first compression string for circulating a first refrigerant through said first refrigerant circuit of each of said dependent trains;
- (C) at least one common second compression string for circulating a second refrigerant through said second refrigerant circuit of each of said dependent trains;
- and
- (D) means for reducing the pressure of said cryogenic temperature feed gas to substantially atmospheric pressure to produce liquefied natural gas.
A process for liquefying natural gas, said process comprising flowing said feed gas through at least one of said dependent trains to initially cool said feed gas by heat exchanging said feed gas with a first refrigerant and to further cool said feed gas to a cryogenic temperature by heat exchanging said initially-cooled feed gas with a second refrigerant, including supplying said first refrigerant to said dependent trains from a common first compression string and supplying said second refrigerant to said dependent trains from a common second compression string.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.