Hydrocarbon Distillation
First Claim
1. A system for producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and separating heavy hydrocarbon components, comprising:
- a LNG production facility configured to receive and liquefy a natural gas feedstock, the LNG production facility having a refrigerant fluid configured to accept heat from the natural gas feedstock; and
a distillation column coupled to the LNG production facility and having a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to a liquid containing heavy hydrocarbon components such that the liquid boils to form vapor thereby allowing the heavy hydrocarbon components to be separated and collected, the heat being transferred from at least one of a heated fluid comprising at least a portion of at least one of the natural gas feedstock, the refrigerant fluid, and an ambient air.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for increasing the efficiency of liquefied natural gas production and heavy hydrocarbon distillation. In one embodiment, air within an LNG production facility can be utilized as a heat source to provide heat to HHC liquid for distillation in a HHC distillation system. The mechanism of heat transfer from the air can be natural convection. In another embodiment, heat provided by natural gas, or compressed natural gas, can be used for HHC distillation. In other embodiments, various other liquids can be used to transfer heat to HHC liquid for distillation.
15 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and separating heavy hydrocarbon components, comprising:
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a LNG production facility configured to receive and liquefy a natural gas feedstock, the LNG production facility having a refrigerant fluid configured to accept heat from the natural gas feedstock; and a distillation column coupled to the LNG production facility and having a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to a liquid containing heavy hydrocarbon components such that the liquid boils to form vapor thereby allowing the heavy hydrocarbon components to be separated and collected, the heat being transferred from at least one of a heated fluid comprising at least a portion of at least one of the natural gas feedstock, the refrigerant fluid, and an ambient air. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for separating heavy hydrocarbon components, comprising:
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delivering a fluid in an LNG production facility to a first heat exchanger coupled to a distillation column that contains a liquid containing heavy hydrocarbon components; transferring heat from the fluid to the liquid such that the liquid boils to form a vapor containing heavy hydrocarbon components; extracting heat from the vapor such that desired heavy hydrocarbon components condense to form a distilled heavy hydrocarbon liquid; and collecting the condensed distilled heavy hydrocarbon liquid. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification