Self-refrigerated LNG process
First Claim
1. A process for producing LNG, comprising:
- (a) directing a feed stream comprising natural gas to a cooling stage, the cooling stage comprising the steps of;
(i) cooling the feed stream in at least one cooling step producing a cooled feed stream;
(ii) expanding the cooled feed stream in at least one expansion step by reducing the pressure of the cooled feed stream producing a refrigerated vapor component and a liquid component; and
(iii) separating at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component from the liquid component; and
(b) repeating step (a) one or more times until at least a substantial portion of the feed stream in the first cooling stage is processed into LNG wherein the feed stream comprises at least a portion of the liquid component from step (iii) of a previous cooling stage;
wherein at least a portion of the cooling for step (i) in at least one cooling stage is derived from at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component produced in at least one cooling stage.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a process for producing LNG by directing a feed stream comprising natural gas to a cooling stage that (a) cools the feed stream in at least one cooling step producing a cooled feed stream, (b) expands the cooled feed stream in at least one expansion step by reducing the pressure of the cooled feed stream producing a refrigerated vapor component and a liquid component, and (c) separates at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component from the liquid component wherein at least a portion of the cooling for the process is derived from at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component; and repeating steps (a) through (c) one or more times until at least substantial portion of the feed stream in the first cooling stage is processed into LNG wherein the feed stream in step (a) comprises at least a portion of the liquid component produced from a previous cooling stage.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A process for producing LNG, comprising:
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(a) directing a feed stream comprising natural gas to a cooling stage, the cooling stage comprising the steps of;
(i) cooling the feed stream in at least one cooling step producing a cooled feed stream;
(ii) expanding the cooled feed stream in at least one expansion step by reducing the pressure of the cooled feed stream producing a refrigerated vapor component and a liquid component; and
(iii) separating at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component from the liquid component; and
(b) repeating step (a) one or more times until at least a substantial portion of the feed stream in the first cooling stage is processed into LNG wherein the feed stream comprises at least a portion of the liquid component from step (iii) of a previous cooling stage;
wherein at least a portion of the cooling for step (i) in at least one cooling stage is derived from at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component produced in at least one cooling stage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A process for producing LNG, comprising:
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(a) directing a feed stream to a cooling stage, the cooling stage comprising the steps of;
(i) cooling the feed stream in at least one cooling step producing a cooled feed stream;
(ii) expanding the cooled feed stream in at least one expansion step by reducing the pressure of the cooled feed stream producing a refrigerated vapor component and a liquid component; and
(iii) separating at least a portion of the refrigerated component from the liquid component; and
(b) repeating step (a) one or more times wherein the feed stream comprises the liquid component from step (iii) of at least one cooling stage;
wherein at least a portion of the cooling for step (i) in at least one cooling stage is derived from at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component produced in at least one cooling stage;
wherein the inlet pressure of the feed stream in step (b), as measured in psia, is at least ⅓
the inlet pressure of the feed stream, as measured in psia, of the immediately preceding cooling stage provided that the inlet pressure of said feed stream of the immediately preceding cooling stage is at least 75 psia.- View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A process for producing LNG, comprising:
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(a) sending a feed stream comprising natural gas to a cooling stage, the cooling stage comprising the steps of;
(i) cooling the feed stream in at least one cooling step producing a cooled feed stream;
(ii) expanding the cooled feed stream in at least one expansion step by reducing the pressure of the cooled feed stream producing a refrigerated vapor component and a liquid component; and
(iii) separating in at least one separation step at least a portion of the refrigerated component from the liquid component;
(b) repeating step (a) one or more times wherein the feed stream comprises at least a portion of the liquid component from step (iii) of a previous cooling stage;
wherein at least a portion of the cooling for step (i) in at least one cooling stage is derived from at least a portion of the refrigeration vapor component produced in at least one cooling stage, and wherein at least one cooling stage employs multiple separation steps that are integrally operated with at least an equal number of expansion steps. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A process for producing LNG, comprising:
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(a) directing a feed stream having a pressure of at least 1,000 psia to a first cooling stage, the first cooling stage comprising the steps of;
(i) cooling the feed stream producing a cooled feed stream;
(ii) expanding the cooled feed stream by reducing the pressure of the cooled feed stream producing a refrigerated vapor component and a liquid component; and
(iii) separating at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component from the liquid component; and
(b) directing a second feed stream comprising at least a portion of the liquid component produced in the first cooling stage and having a pressure, at least ⅓
the pressure of the first feed stream to a second cooling stage, the second cooling stage comprising the steps of;
(i) cooling the second feed stream producing a second cooled feed stream;
(ii) expanding the second cooled feed stream by reducing the pressure of the second cooled feed stream producing a second refrigerated vapor component and a second liquid component; and
(iii) separating at least a portion of the second refrigerated vapor component from the second liquid component;
wherein at least a portion of the cooling for step (i) in the first cooling stage or for step (i) in the second cooling stage is derived from at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component or from at least a portion of the second refrigerated component. - View Dependent Claims (22)
wherein at least a portion of the cooling for step (i) in the first, second or third cooling stages is derived from at least a portion of the refrigerated vapor component, at least a portion of the second refrigerated component or at least a portion of the third refrigerated component.
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Specification