Natural gas to liquid fuels, liquid natural gas and compressed natural gas
OwnerVictor Rivas Alvarezinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for the liquefaction of natural gas or conversion of other gases to liquids that uses nanosecond or femtosecond pulse laser machined structures on surfaces of heat exchangers. The heat exchanger has metal plate and plate fin surfaces with increased surface area to volume ratio from the nanosecond or femtosecond pulse laser machined structures on its surfaces. Heat transfer and cooling are accelerated by exposing the gas to nanosecond or femtosecond pulse laser nanomachining structures. Fluid refrigerant flows through the structures in the heat exchanger metal plate and plate fins, and exchanges heat with refrigerant flowing through the structures.
Claims17
A method to convert natural gas to liquid fuels and to liquid natural gas (LNG), the method comprising:
- providing a heat exchanger with heat exchanger plates having surfaces;
- increasing surface area to volume ratios on the surfaces of the heat exchanger plates by providing nanosecond or femtosecond pulse laser machined structures on surfaces of the heat exchanger plates;
- exposing natural gas to the surfaces of the heat exchanger plates;
- cooling the natural gas through heat transfer from exposing the natural gas to the surfaces of the heat exchanger having the nanosecond or femtosecond pulse laser machined structures;
- and
- converting the natural gas to the liquid fuels and to the liquid natural gas (LNG).
A method comprising:
- providing heat exchange surfaces,
- nanomachining, femtomachining or nanomachining and femtomachining the heat exchange surfaces,
- assembling the nanomachined, the femtomachined or the nanomachined and femtomachined surfaces in a heat exchanger,
- cooling the heat exchange surfaces in the heat exchanger,
- providing a gas to the heat exchanger, and
- contacting the nanomachined, the femtomachined or the nanomachined and femtomachined surfaces in the heat exchanger with the gas, condensing the gas into a liquid and storing the liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.