US2015013379A1PendingUtilityA1

LNG Formation

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Assignee: OELFKE RUSSELL HPriority: Mar 30, 2012Filed: Mar 4, 2013Published: Jan 15, 2015
Est. expiryMar 30, 2032(~5.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Russell H. Oelfke
F25J 1/0062F25J 1/0022F25J 1/0217F25J 1/0052F25J 1/004F25J 1/0219F25J 1/0268F25J 1/021F25J 1/0042F25J 2220/64F25J 1/0087F25J 1/0077F25J 2220/62F25J 1/0035F25J 1/0214F25J 1/0097
54
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Claims

Abstract

Systems and a method for the formation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) are disclosed herein. The system includes a refrigeration system configured to chill a natural gas using a refrigerant mixture including a noble gas. The system also includes an autorefrigeration system configured to use the natural g self-refrigerant to form the LNG from the natural gas.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for formation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG), comprising:
 a refrigeration system configured to chill a natural gas using a refrigerant mixture comprising a noble gas; and   an autorefrigeration system configured to use the natural gas as a self-refrigerant to form the LNG from the natural gas.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a first refrigeration system configured to cool the natural gas using a non-hydrocarbon refrigerant prior to flowing the natural gas into the refrigeration system. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a nitrogen recovery unit upstream of the autorefrigeration system. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to chill the natural gas for hydrocarbon dew point control. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to chill the natural gas for natural gas liquid (NGL) extraction. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to separate methane and lighter gases from carbon dioxide and heavier gases. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to prepare hydrocarbons for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production storage. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to condense a reflux stream. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant mixture comprises xenon or krypton, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant mixture comprises xenon, krypton, argon, or nitrogen, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration system comprises a mechanical refrigeration system, valve expansion system, or turbine expansion system, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant mixture comprises a hydrocarbon, and wherein the hydrocarbon comprises methane, ethane, propane, or butane, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration system comprises multiple cooling cycles. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration system comprises multiple cooling cycles, comprising:
 one or more pre-cooling stages, wherein the refrigerant mixture comprises a noble gas, nitrogen, or a hydrocarbon, or any combinations thereof, and   one or more deep cooling cycles, wherein the refrigerant mixture comprises a noble gas, nitrogen, or a hydrocarbon, or any combinations thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant mixture comprising the noble gas is utilized in one or more cooling stages to achieve deeper cooling than provided by hydrocarbon refrigerants. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a nitrogen rejection unit, wherein a liquid feed from the bottom of the nitrogen rejection unit is used to provide cooling to a reflux condenser at the top of the nitrogen rejection unit. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant mixture comprises a pure component refrigerant. 
     
     
         18 . A method for formation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG), comprising:
 chilling a natural gas in a refrigeration system, wherein the refrigeration system uses a refrigerant mixture comprising a noble gas; and   liquefying the natural gas to form the LNG in an autorefrigeration system.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising cooling the natural gas in a first refrigeration system prior to chilling the natural gas in the refrigeration system, wherein the first refrigeration system uses a non-hydrocarbon refrigerant. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein chilling the natural gas in the refrigeration system comprises:
 compressing the refrigerant mixture to provide a compressed refrigerant mixture;   optionally cooling the compressed refrigerant mixture by indirect heat exchange with a cooling fluid;   expanding the compressed refrigerant mixture to cool the compressed refrigerant mixture, thereby producing an expanded, cooled refrigerant mixture;   passing said expanded, cooled refrigerant mixture to a first heat exchange area;   optionally compressing the natural gas;   optionally cooling said the natural gas by indirect heat exchange with an external cooling fluid; and   heat exchanging the natural gas with the expanded, cooled refrigerant mixture.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the noble gas comprises xenon or krypton. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the refrigerant mixture comprises nitrogen or a hydrocarbon, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising liquefying the natural gas to form the LNG via a plurality of expansion valves or hydraulic expansion turbines and flash drums. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising:
 chilling the natural gas via one or more pre-cooling steps using a first refrigerant mixture, wherein the first refrigerant mixture comprises a noble gas, nitrogen, or a hydrocarbon, or any combinations thereof, and   chilling the natural gas via one or more deep cooling steps using a second refrigerant mixture, wherein the second refrigerant mixture comprises a noble gas, nitrogen, or a hydrocarbon, or any combinations thereof.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising using the refrigerant mixture comprising the noble gas in one or more cooling stages to achieve deeper cooling than provided by hydrocarbon refrigerants. 
     
     
         26 . A cascade cooling system for formation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG), comprising:
 a first refrigeration system configured to cool the natural gas using a non-hydrocarbon refrigerant, wherein the first refrigeration system comprises a plurality of first chillers configured to allow for cooling of the natural gas via an indirect exchange of heat between the natural gas and the non-hydrocarbon refrigerant;   a second refrigeration system configured to chill the natural gas using a refrigerant mixture comprising a noble gas, wherein the second refrigeration system comprises a plurality of second chillers configured to allow for cooling of the natural gas via an indirect exchange of heat between the natural gas and the refrigerant mixture; and   an autorefrigeration system configured to form the LNG from the natural gas, wherein the autorefrigeration system comprises a plurality of expansion valves or hydraulic expansion turbines, or any combination thereof, and flash drums.   
     
     
         27 . The cascade cooling system of  claim 26 , wherein the first refrigeration system comprises a compressor that is configured to compress the non-hydrocarbon refrigerant and a condenser that is configured to cool the non-hydrocarbon refrigerant. 
     
     
         28 . The cascade cooling system of  claim 26 , wherein the second refrigeration system comprises a compressor that is configured to compress the refrigerant mixture and a condenser that is configured to cool the refrigerant mixture. 
     
     
         29 . The cascade cooling system of  claim 26 , wherein the plurality of first chillers comprise evaporators configured to cool the natural gas by at least partially vaporizing the non-hydrocarbon refrigerant via a transfer of heat from the natural gas to the non-hydrocarbon refrigerant. 
     
     
         30 . The cascade cooling system of  claim 26 , wherein the plurality of second chillers comprise evaporators configured to chill the natural gas by vaporizing the refrigerant mixture via a transfer of heat from the natural gas to the refrigerant mixture. 
     
     
         31 . The cascade cooling system of  claim 26 , wherein the LNG comprises a liquid fraction and a residual vapor fraction, and wherein the cascade cooling system comprises a liquid separation vessel configured to separate the residual vapor fraction from the liquid fraction. 
     
     
         32 . The cascade cooling system of  claim 26 , comprising a nitrogen rejection unit upstream of the autorefrigeration system. 
     
     
         33 . The cascade cooling system of  claim 26 , wherein the refrigerant mixture comprises a pure component refrigerant.

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