Method and apparatus for liquefying a natural gas stream
First Claim
1. A method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream, the method at least comprising the steps of:
- (a) supplying a partly condensed hydrocarbon feed stream to a first gas/liquid separator;
(b) separating the feed stream in the first gas/liquid separator into a gaseous stream and a liquid stream;
(c) expanding the gaseous stream obtained in step (b) thereby obtaining an expanded stream and feeding said expanded stream into a second gas/liquid separator at a first feeding point;
(d) feeding the liquid stream obtained in step (b) into the second gas/liquid separator at a second feeding point;
(e) removing from the bottom of the second gas/liquid separator a liquid stream and feeding said liquid stream into a fractionation column;
(f) removing from the top of the second gas/liquid separator a gaseous stream and passing the gaseous stream to a compressor thereby obtaining a compressed stream having a pressure above 50 bar;
(g) cooling the compressed stream obtained in step (f) thereby obtaining a cooled compressed stream;
(h) further cooling the cooled compressed stream by heat exchanging the cooled compressed stream obtained in step (g) against a stream being downstream of the first gas/liquid separator and upstream of the fractionation column; and
(i) liquefying the cooled compressed stream, after heat exchanging in step (h), thereby obtaining a liquefied stream.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream such as a natural gas stream, the method at least comprising the steps of: supplying a partly condensed hydrocarbon feed stream (10) to a first gas/liquid separator (2); separating the feed stream (10) in the first gas/liquid separator (2) into a gaseous stream (20) and a liquid stream (30); expanding the gaseous stream (20) thereby obtaining an expanded stream (40) and feeding it (40) into a second gas/liquid separator (3); feeding the liquid stream (30) into the second gas/liquid separator (3); removing from the bottom of the second gas/liquid separator a liquid stream (60) and feeding it into a fractionation column (5); removing from the top of the second gas/liquid separator (3) a gaseous stream (50) and passing it to a compressor (6) thereby obtaining a compressed stream (70); cooling the compressed stream (70) thereby obtaining a cooled compressed stream (80); heat exchanging the cooled compressed stream (80) against a stream being downstream of the first gas/liquid separator (2) and upstream of the fractionation column (5).
19 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream, the method at least comprising the steps of:
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(a) supplying a partly condensed hydrocarbon feed stream to a first gas/liquid separator; (b) separating the feed stream in the first gas/liquid separator into a gaseous stream and a liquid stream; (c) expanding the gaseous stream obtained in step (b) thereby obtaining an expanded stream and feeding said expanded stream into a second gas/liquid separator at a first feeding point; (d) feeding the liquid stream obtained in step (b) into the second gas/liquid separator at a second feeding point; (e) removing from the bottom of the second gas/liquid separator a liquid stream and feeding said liquid stream into a fractionation column; (f) removing from the top of the second gas/liquid separator a gaseous stream and passing the gaseous stream to a compressor thereby obtaining a compressed stream having a pressure above 50 bar; (g) cooling the compressed stream obtained in step (f) thereby obtaining a cooled compressed stream; (h) further cooling the cooled compressed stream by heat exchanging the cooled compressed stream obtained in step (g) against a stream being downstream of the first gas/liquid separator and upstream of the fractionation column; and (i) liquefying the cooled compressed stream, after heat exchanging in step (h), thereby obtaining a liquefied stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification