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Efficiency improvement of open-cycle cascaded refrigeration process for LNG production

  • US 6,289,692 B1
  • Filed: 12/22/1999
  • Issued: 09/18/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a process wherein a LNG-bearing stream is produced at an elevated pressure and said stream is flashed in an open methane refrigeration cycle employing a multi-stage compressor via multiple stages of pressure reduction to a near-atmospheric pressure and employing a multi-stage compression step, the improvement comprising in at least one of said pressure reduction stages:

  • (a) flashing a pressurized LNG-bearing stream in an expander thereby generating a two-phase stream and energy;

    (b) separating said two-phase stream into a gas stream and lower pressure predominantly LNG-bearing stream;

    (c) compressing said gas stream in a compressor thereby producing a pressurized gas stream and wherein said compressor is powered at least in part by the energy of step (a); and

    (d) returning said pressurized gas stream to the multi-stage compression step employed in the open methane refrigeration cycle.

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