Mixed Refrigerant Liquefaction System and Method with Pre-Cooling
First Claim
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1. A system for cooling a gas with a pre-cool refrigerant and a mixed refrigerant comprising:
- a. a pre-cool heat exchanger having a feed gas inlet adapted to receive a feed gas stream and a feed gas outlet, a pre-cool refrigerant inlet and a pre-cool refrigerant outlet and a liquefaction mixed refrigerant inlet and a liquefaction mixed refrigerant outlet, said pre-cool heat exchanger configured to use the pre-cool refrigerant to cool feed gas passing through the pre-cool heat exchanger between the feed gas inlet and outlet and to cool liquefaction mixed refrigerant passing through the pre-cool heat exchanger between the liquefaction mixed refrigerant inlet and outlet;
b. a pre-cool compressor system including;
i) a pre-cool compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with the pre-cool refrigerant outlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger;
ii) a pre-cool condenser having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the pre-cool compressor, said pre-cool condenser also having outlet in fluid communication with the pre-cool refrigerant inlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger;
c. a liquefaction heat exchanger including a liquefying passage in fluid communication with the feed gas outlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger, a primary refrigeration passage, a high pressure vapor cooling passage and a cold separator vapor cooling passage, where the cold separator vapor cooling passage has an outlet in fluid communication with the primary refrigeration passage;
d. a mixed refrigerant compression system including;
i) a mixed refrigerant compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the primary refrigeration passage;
ii) a mixed refrigerant cooler having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the mixed refrigerant compressor, said mixed refrigerant cooler having an outlet in fluid communication with the liquefaction mixed refrigerant inlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger,iii) a high pressure accumulator having an inlet in fluid communication with the liquefaction mixed refrigerant outlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger and a vapor outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the high pressure vapor cooling passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger;
e. a cold vapor separator having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the high pressure vapor cooling passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger, a vapor outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the cold separator vapor cooling passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger and a liquid outlet in communication with the primary refrigeration passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger.
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Abstract
A system for cooling a gas includes a pre-cool heat exchanger and a liquefaction heat exchanger. The pre-cool heat exchanger uses a pre-cool refrigerant to pre-cool a feed gas stream prior to the stream being directed to a liquefaction heat exchanger. The liquefaction heat exchanger uses a mixed refrigerant to further cool the pre-cooled gas. The pre-cool heat exchanger also pre-cools the liquefaction mixed refrigerant used by the liquefaction heat exchanger.
3 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A system for cooling a gas with a pre-cool refrigerant and a mixed refrigerant comprising:
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a. a pre-cool heat exchanger having a feed gas inlet adapted to receive a feed gas stream and a feed gas outlet, a pre-cool refrigerant inlet and a pre-cool refrigerant outlet and a liquefaction mixed refrigerant inlet and a liquefaction mixed refrigerant outlet, said pre-cool heat exchanger configured to use the pre-cool refrigerant to cool feed gas passing through the pre-cool heat exchanger between the feed gas inlet and outlet and to cool liquefaction mixed refrigerant passing through the pre-cool heat exchanger between the liquefaction mixed refrigerant inlet and outlet; b. a pre-cool compressor system including; i) a pre-cool compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with the pre-cool refrigerant outlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger; ii) a pre-cool condenser having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the pre-cool compressor, said pre-cool condenser also having outlet in fluid communication with the pre-cool refrigerant inlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger; c. a liquefaction heat exchanger including a liquefying passage in fluid communication with the feed gas outlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger, a primary refrigeration passage, a high pressure vapor cooling passage and a cold separator vapor cooling passage, where the cold separator vapor cooling passage has an outlet in fluid communication with the primary refrigeration passage; d. a mixed refrigerant compression system including; i) a mixed refrigerant compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the primary refrigeration passage; ii) a mixed refrigerant cooler having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the mixed refrigerant compressor, said mixed refrigerant cooler having an outlet in fluid communication with the liquefaction mixed refrigerant inlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger, iii) a high pressure accumulator having an inlet in fluid communication with the liquefaction mixed refrigerant outlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger and a vapor outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the high pressure vapor cooling passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger; e. a cold vapor separator having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the high pressure vapor cooling passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger, a vapor outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the cold separator vapor cooling passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger and a liquid outlet in communication with the primary refrigeration passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for cooling a feed gas stream comprising the steps of:
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a. pre-cooling the feed gas stream in a pre-cool heat exchanger using a first refrigerant to form a pre-cooled feed gas stream; b. further cooling the pre-cooled feed gas stream by; i) cooling a high pressure second refrigerant stream in the pre-cool heat exchanger to form a cooled high pressure second refrigerant stream ii) separating the cooled high pressure second refrigerant stream to form a high pressure vapor stream and a high pressure liquid stream; iii) cooling the high pressure vapor stream in a liquefaction heat exchanger, to form a mixed phase stream; iv) separating the mixed phase stream with a cold vapor separator to form a cold separator vapor stream and a cold separator liquid stream; v) condensing the cold separator vapor stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger using the second refrigerant and flashing, to form a cold temperature refrigerant stream; vi) directing the cold temperature refrigerant stream to the liquefaction heat exchanger; vii) subcooling the high pressure liquid stream to form a subcooled high pressure liquid stream and combining with the cold temperature refrigerant stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger; viii) subcooling the cold separator liquid stream to form a subcooled cold separator liquid stream and combining with the cold temperature refrigerant stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger; and ix) thermally contacting the pre-cooled gas stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger with the cold temperature refrigerant stream. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for cooling a feed gas with a mixed refrigerant comprising:
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a. a pre-cool heat exchanger having a pre-cool refrigerant inlet configured to receive a stream of pre-cool refrigerant and a pre-cool refrigerant outlet and a liquefaction mixed refrigerant inlet and a liquefaction mixed refrigerant outlet, said pre-cool heat exchanger configured to use the pre-cool refrigerant to cool liquefaction mixed refrigerant passing through the pre-cool heat exchanger between the liquefaction mixed refrigerant inlet and outlet; b. a liquefaction heat exchanger including a liquefying passage configured to receive a stream of the feed gas, a primary refrigeration passage, a high pressure vapor cooling passage and a cold separator vapor cooling passage, where the cold separator vapor cooling passage has an outlet in fluid communication with the primary refrigeration passage; c. a mixed refrigerant compression system including; i) a mixed refrigerant compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the primary refrigeration passage; ii) a mixed refrigerant cooler having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the mixed refrigerant compressor, said mixed refrigerant cooler having an outlet in fluid communication with the liquefaction mixed refrigerant inlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger, iii) a high pressure accumulator having an inlet in fluid communication with the liquefaction mixed refrigerant outlet of the pre-cool heat exchanger and a vapor outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the high pressure vapor cooling passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger; d. a cold vapor separator having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the high pressure vapor cooling passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger, a vapor outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the cold separator vapor cooling passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger and a liquid outlet in communication with the primary refrigeration passage of the liquefaction heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for cooling a feed gas stream comprising the steps of:
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a. directing the feed gas stream into a liquefaction heat exchanger; b. cooling a high pressure mixed refrigerant stream in a pre-cool heat exchanger to form a cooled high pressure mixed refrigerant stream; c. cooling the feed gas stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger by; i) separating the cooled high pressure mixed refrigerant stream to form a high pressure vapor stream and a high pressure liquid stream; ii) cooling the high pressure vapor stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger to form a mixed phase stream; iii) separating the mixed phase stream with a cold vapor separator to form a cold separator vapor stream and a cold separator liquid stream; iv) condensing the cold separator vapor stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger and flashing, to form a cold temperature refrigerant stream; v) directing the cold temperature refrigerant stream to the liquefaction heat exchanger; vi) subcooling the high pressure liquid stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger to form a subcooled high pressure liquid stream and combining with the cold temperature refrigerant stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger; vii) subcooling the cold separator liquid stream to form a subcooled cold separator liquid stream and combining with the cold temperature refrigerant stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger; and viii) thermally contacting the gas stream in the liquefaction heat exchanger with the cold temperature refrigerant stream. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification