Electricity generation system
AssigneeSyntroleum Corporation
InventorJ. Mark Landrum
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electricity generation system is disclosed for utilization with a natural gas purification system. In one embodiment, a gas-driven engine which is substantially powered by a low-BTU gas produced in a natural gas purification process is mechanically coupled to an electric motor and is utilized to drive the electrical motor. The electric motor generates electrical energy that can be utilized to power substantially all or a portion of the purification process' electrical load. The generated electricity may be used to supply major or minor loads of the gas purification process.
Claims10
A process to purify a natural gas stream comprising between about 25% and about 60% total inerts, the process comprising the acts of:
- (a) treating the natural gas stream with a first-stage process comprising one or more processes of the group of selective membrane filtration, cryogenic distillation, and amine scrubbing to produce a semi-purified natural gas stream comprising less than or equal to about 30% total combined inerts;
- (b) treating the semi-purified natural gas stream with a second-stage process in a pressure swing adsorption unit having one or more adsorbent beds having CTS-1 molecular sieve to obtain a product natural-gas stream comprising less than about 5% total combined inerts;
- (c) recovering a low-BTU stream from either or both of the first-stage process or the second-stage process;
- (d) feeding the low-BTU stream to a gas-driven engine, the gas-driven engine being mechanically coupled to an electric generator;
- (e) generating electricity via the electric generator;
- and
- (f) using at least some of the generated electricity to power either or both of the first-stage process or the second-stage process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.