GAS LIQUEFACTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Title:

GAS LIQUEFACTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Document Type and Number:

WIPO Patent Application WO/2017/136703

Kind Code:

A3

Abstract:

A liquefaction system that is configured to use a single methane expander to provide primary refrigeration duty. The liquefaction system can include a first or main heat exchanger and a fluid circuit coupled with the heat exchanger, the fluid circuit configured to circulate a process stream derived from an incoming feedstock of natural gas. The fluid circuit can comprise a compression circuit, methane expander coupled with the compression circuit and the main heat exchanger, a sub-cooling unit coupled with the methane expander, the sub-cooling unit configured to form a liquid natural gas (LNG) product from the process stream, and a first throttling device interposed between the main heat exchanger and the sub-cooling unit. The first throttling device can be configured to expand the process stream to a process pressure that corresponds with the suction pressure internal to the compression circuit.

Inventors:

KENNEDY DAVID ALLEN (US)
ZIGTEMA JOHN RAYMOND (US)
HAMM DEANNA KOREEN (US)

Application Number:

PCT/US2017/016476

Publication Date:

September 14, 2017

Filing Date:

February 03, 2017

Export Citation:

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Assignee:

GE OIL & GAS INC (US)

International Classes:

F25J1/00; F25J1/02

Domestic Patent References:

WO2007142668A1

2007-12-13

Foreign References:

US4435198A	1984-03-06
US6658890B1	2003-12-09
JPH05203342A	1993-08-10
US20130118204A1	2013-05-16
US20130199238A1	2013-08-08

Other References:

REMELJEJ C W ET AL: "An exergy analysis of small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction processes", ENERGY, ELSEVIER, AMSTERDAM, NL, vol. 31, no. 12, 1 September 2006 (2006-09-01), pages 2005 - 2019, XP024900205, ISSN: 0360-5442, [retrieved on 20060901], DOI: 10.1016/J.ENERGY.2005.09.005