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US 8,117,852 B2Granted
LNG vapor handling configurations and methods
AssigneeFluor Technologies Corporation
InventorJohn Mak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
LNG from a carrier is unloaded to an LNG storage tank in configurations and methods in which expansion of compressed and condensed boil-off vapors from the LNG storage tank provide refrigeration to subcool the LNG that is being unloaded. Most advantageously, such configuration and methods reduce the amount of boil-off vapors and eliminate the need for a vapor return line and associated compressor.
Claims15
An unloading plant for transfer of LNG from an LNG carrier to an LNG storage tank comprising:
- a compressor configured to receive and compress boil-off from the LNG storage tank;
- a condenser or absorber configured to receive compressed boil-off from the compressor and a sendout LNG stream from the LNG storage tank to thereby produce a saturated liquid stream that is composed of the sendout LNG stream and compressed boil-off condensed therein;
- a pressure reduction device configured to reduce pressure of a portion of the saturated liquid stream;
- and
- an exchanger that is configured to subcool the LNG coming from the LNG carrier using refrigeration content of the portion after the pressure of the portion has been reduced.
2 more elements
A plant comprising:
- an LNG source configured to provide an LNG stream to an LNG storage tank that is configured to provide a sendout LNG and an LNG vapor;
- a compressor configured to compress the LNG vapor;
- a condenser or absorber fluidly coupled to the LNG storage tank and configured to receive the compressed LNG vapor and to provide a pressurized saturated liquid stream that is composed of the sendout LNG and LNG vapor condensed therein;
- a pressure reduction device configured to reduce pressure of a portion of the pressurized saturated liquid stream;
- and
- a heat exchanger that is configured to subcool the LNG stream using the portion of the depressurized saturated liquid stream from the pressure reduction device.
3 more elements
A method of transferring an LNG stream from an LNG source comprising:
- compressing boil-off from an LNG storage tank;
- receiving the compressed boil-off and a sendout LNG stream from the LNG storage tank in a condenser or absorber to form a pressurized saturated liquid stream that is composed of the sendout LNG stream and boil-off condensed therein;
- depressurizing a portion of the pressurized saturated liquid stream;
- and
- cooling the LNG stream using a heat exchanger which receives refrigeration content from the portion of the depressurized saturated liquid stream.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.