Temperature controlled method to liquefy gas and a production plant using the method

• US 10,571,187 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2013
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 1304342 Alberta, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: 1304338 Alberta, Ltd.
• Inventors: Lourenco, Jose, Millar, MacKenzie
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Keith M
• Application Number:
  US14/386,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20150107297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0022 Hydrocarbons, e.g. natural gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0035 by gas expansion with extraction of work
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/004 by flash gas recovery F25J1/0267 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0045 by vaporising a liquid return stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0047 using an "external" refrigerant stream in a closed vapor compression cycle F25J1/0221, F25J1/0225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0202 in a quasi-closed internal refrigeration loop F25J1/0208, F25J1/0219, F25J1/0224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0232 integration within a pressure letdown station of a high pressure pipeline system
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2205/02 using simple phase separation in a vessel or drum
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2220/00 Processes or apparatus involving steps for the removal of impurities
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2220/64 Separating heavy hydrocarbons, e.g. NGL, LPG, C4+ hydrocarbons or heavy condensates in general
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2245/02 Recycle of a stream in general, e.g. a by-pass stream

Abstract

A method for liquefying gas involving pre-treating the gas stream in a pre-treater to remove impurities, and then passing the gas stream through a first flow path of a first heat exchanger to lower a temperature of the gas stream. The gas stream is then passed through the gas expansion turbine to lower a pressure of the gas stream and further decrease the temperature of the gas stream. The gas stream is then passed into a primary separator to separate the gas stream into a liquid stream and a cold gas stream. The liquid stream is collected. Selected quantities of the cold gas stream are passed through a second flow path of the first heat exchanger whereby a heat exchange takes place to cool the gas stream flowing through the first flow path to maintain the temperature of the gas stream entering the gas expansion turbine at a temperature which promotes the production of liquids.

Claims

1. A method for liquefying gas, comprising:

obtaining a gas stream from a transmission pipeline at a pipeline pressure;

pre-treating the gas stream in a pre-treater to remove impurities and produce a pre-treated gas stream;

passing the pre-treated gas stream through a first flow path of a first heat exchanger to lower a temperature of the pre-treated gas stream to produce a cooled gas stream;

passing the cooled gas stream from the first heat exchanger through a gas expansion turbine to produce an expanded gas stream by lowering a pressure of the cooled gas stream to about atmospheric pressure and further decrease the temperature of the cooled gas stream;

passing the expanded gas stream into a primary separator to separate the expanded gas stream into Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and a cold gas stream;

collecting the LNG;

passing selective quantities of the cold gas stream through a second flow path of the first heat exchanger whereby a heat exchange takes place in the first heat exchanger to cool the pre-treated gas stream flowing through the first flow path to maintain the temperature of the cooled gas stream entering the gas expansion turbine at a temperature which promotes the production of liquids;

mixing a slip stream of the collected LNG into the cold gas stream via a mixer that is positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger and upstream of the gas expansion turbine, the slip stream causing natural gas liquids (NGLs) in the cold gas stream to condense to produce a mixed phase stream;

passing the mixed phase stream through a preliminary separator positioned downstream of the mixer and upstream of the gas expansion turbine to separate the condensed NGLs from the mixed phase stream; and

directing the remaining mixed phase stream to the gas expansion turbine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of compressing a portion of the cold gas stream to the pipeline pressure and returning the compressed cold gas stream to the transmission pipeline downstream.