Liquefaction method and system
First Claim
1. A method of liquefaction using a closed loop refrigeration system utilizing substantially isentropic expansion of a gaseous refrigerant, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) compressing a gaseous refrigerant stream in at least one compressor;
b) cooling at least a portion of the compressed gaseous refrigerant stream in a first heat exchanger to below ambient temperature, thereby creating a compressed, cooled refrigerant stream;
c) expanding at least a portion of the compressed, cooled refrigerant stream in a first expander to provide a first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream, wherein the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream exiting the first expander is substantially vapor;
d) cooling and substantially liquefying a feed gas stream to form a substantially liquefied feed gas stream in a second heat exchanger through indirect heat exchange against at least a first portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream;
e) extracting a second portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from the first portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from an intermediate location of the second heat exchanger to balance a precooling section of the second heat exchanger; and
,f) extracting at least a third portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from the first portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream at the warm end of the second heat exchanger.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for liquefaction using a closed loop refrigeration system, the method comprising the steps of (a) compressing a gaseous refrigerant stream in at least one compressor; (b) cooling the compressed gaseous refrigerant stream in a first heat exchanger; (c) expanding at least a first portion of the cooled, compressed gaseous refrigerant stream from the first heat exchanger in a first expander to provide a first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream; and (d) cooling and substantially liquefying a feed gas stream to form a substantially liquefied feed gas stream in a second heat exchanger through indirect heat exchange against at least a first portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from the first expander, wherein the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream exiting the first expander is substantially vapor.
34 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method of liquefaction using a closed loop refrigeration system utilizing substantially isentropic expansion of a gaseous refrigerant, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) compressing a gaseous refrigerant stream in at least one compressor; b) cooling at least a portion of the compressed gaseous refrigerant stream in a first heat exchanger to below ambient temperature, thereby creating a compressed, cooled refrigerant stream; c) expanding at least a portion of the compressed, cooled refrigerant stream in a first expander to provide a first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream, wherein the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream exiting the first expander is substantially vapor; d) cooling and substantially liquefying a feed gas stream to form a substantially liquefied feed gas stream in a second heat exchanger through indirect heat exchange against at least a first portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream; e) extracting a second portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from the first portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from an intermediate location of the second heat exchanger to balance a precooling section of the second heat exchanger; and
,f) extracting at least a third portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from the first portion of the first expanded gaseous refrigerant stream at the warm end of the second heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A closed loop system for liquefaction utilizing substantially isentropic expansion of a gaseous refrigerant, comprising:
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A refrigerant compressor; A first heat exchanger fluidly coupled to the low pressure refrigerant compressor and adapted to receive at least a portion of a compressed gaseous refrigerant stream from the refrigerant compressor; A first expander fluidly coupled to the first heat exchanger and adapted to receive at least a portion of the cooled, compressed refrigerant stream from the first heat exchanger; A second heat exchanger fluidly coupled to the first expander and adapted to receive at least a portion of an expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from the first expander, wherein the at least a portion of the expanded gaseous refrigerant stream is substantially vapor; A first conduit for extracting a first portion of the expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from the second heat exchanger from an intermediate location of the second heat exchanger to balance a precooling section of the second heat exchanger; A second conduit for extracting at least a second portion of the expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from the second heat exchanger from the warm end of the second heat exchanger; and A third conduit for introducing a feed gas stream in the second heat exchanger to form a substantially liquefied feed gas stream through indirect heat exchange against at least a portion of an expanded gaseous refrigerant stream from the first expander. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification