EP2215414A2 - Procédé et appareil de refroidissement d'un flux d'hydrocarbure - Google Patents

Procédé et appareil de refroidissement d'un flux d'hydrocarbure

Info

Publication number
EP2215414A2
EP2215414A2 EP08856792A EP08856792A EP2215414A2 EP 2215414 A2 EP2215414 A2 EP 2215414A2 EP 08856792 A EP08856792 A EP 08856792A EP 08856792 A EP08856792 A EP 08856792A EP 2215414 A2 EP2215414 A2 EP 2215414A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pressure
stream
refrigerant
compressor
refrigerant stream
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP08856792A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Francois Chantant
Chun Kit Poh
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
Original Assignee
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV filed Critical Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
Priority to EP08856792A priority Critical patent/EP2215414A2/fr
Publication of EP2215414A2 publication Critical patent/EP2215414A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J1/00—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures
    • F25J1/003—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures characterised by the kind of cold generation within the liquefaction unit for compensating heat leaks and liquid production
    • F25J1/0047—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures characterised by the kind of cold generation within the liquefaction unit for compensating heat leaks and liquid production using an "external" refrigerant stream in a closed vapor compression cycle
    • F25J1/0052—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures characterised by the kind of cold generation within the liquefaction unit for compensating heat leaks and liquid production using an "external" refrigerant stream in a closed vapor compression cycle by vaporising a liquid refrigerant stream
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B1/00—Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle
    • F25B1/10—Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle with multi-stage compression
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J1/00—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures
    • F25J1/0002—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures characterised by the fluid to be liquefied
    • F25J1/0022—Hydrocarbons, e.g. natural gas
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J1/00—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures
    • F25J1/006—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures characterised by the refrigerant fluid used
    • F25J1/008—Hydrocarbons
    • F25J1/0087—Propane; Propylene
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J1/00—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures
    • F25J1/02—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures requiring the use of refrigeration, e.g. of helium or hydrogen ; Details and kind of the refrigeration system used; Integration with other units or processes; Controlling aspects of the process
    • F25J1/0243—Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used; Details of the refrigerant compression system used
    • F25J1/0279—Compression of refrigerant or internal recycle fluid, e.g. kind of compressor, accumulator, suction drum etc.
    • F25J1/0294—Multiple compressor casings/strings in parallel, e.g. split arrangement
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2400/00—General features or devices for refrigeration machines, plants or systems, combined heating and refrigeration systems or heat-pump systems, i.e. not limited to a particular subgroup of F25B
    • F25B2400/13—Economisers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B5/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity
    • F25B5/04—Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity arranged in series

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for cooling a hydrocarbon stream.
  • the present invention relates to a method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream.
  • a common example of a hydrocarbon stream to be cooled and/or liquefied is natural gas.
  • LNG liquefied natural gas
  • natural gas can be stored and transported over long distances more readily as a liquid than in gaseous form because it occupies a smaller volume and does not need to be stored at a high pressure .
  • Natural gas can be liquefied using a compressed refrigerant.
  • US Patent 6,962,060 describes a compressor system for a multistage refrigeration of LNG comprising first and second refrigerant compressors, each with first and second stages, and piping means to combine the discharge from the second stages of the first and second compressors to provide a compressed gas.
  • US Patent 6,962,060 only shows one arrangement of first and second compressors having first and second stages. It does not have any flexibility to provide a compression system for other refrigeration arrangements .
  • the present invention provides a method of cooling a hydrocarbon stream such as natural gas comprising at least the steps of: (a) providing a refrigerant stream at a refrigerant pressure;
  • step (b) passing the refrigerant stream through at least three heat exchange steps operating at different pressure levels;
  • step (c) passing a hydrocarbon stream through at least two of the heat exchange steps of step (b) thereby progressively lowering the temperature of the hydrocarbon stream to provide a cooled hydrocarbon stream;
  • step (e) compressing the first evaporated refrigerant stream through a highest-pressure compressor stage of a single compressor casing to the refrigerant pressure to provide at least a fraction of the refrigerant stream at the refrigerant pressure of step (a) ;
  • the present invention further provides a method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream, to provide a liquefied hydrocarbon stream, comprising cooling of the hydrocarbon stream in accordance with the method as defined above or using the apparatus as defined below.
  • the present invention further provides an apparatus for cooling a hydrocarbon stream such as natural gas at least comprising: a refrigerant stream at a refrigerant pressure; at least three heat exchangers comprising pressure reduction means for operating the heat exchange steps at different pressure levels refrigerant passage means for passing the refrigerant stream passes through the at least three heat exchangers; hydrocarbon passage means for passing a hydrocarbon stream through at least two of the heat exchangers steps to provide a cooled hydrocarbon stream; a first evaporated refrigerant stream at a first evaporation pressure, at least two other evaporated streams at evaporation pressures lower than the first evaporation pressure; a highest-pressure compressor stage in a single compressor casing for compressing the first evaporated refrigerant stream to provide at least a fraction of the refrigerant stream at the refrigerant pressure; at least two parallel lower pressure compressor stages for compressing the other evaporated refrigerant streams to provide one or more part-compressed refrigerant streams; and a pathway to pass all of the
  • Figure 1 is a first scheme of a hydrocarbon cooling process according to one embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a second scheme of a hydrocarbon cooling process according to another embodiment of the present invention .
  • Embodiments of the present invention provide an improved method of cooling a hydrocarbon stream such as natural gas, which has greater flexibility in its refrigerant compressor arrangements.
  • the highest-pressure compressor stage is located in a single compressor casing (possibly together with one or more lower compressor stages of the same compressor train) .
  • Another advantage of the present invention is that there is little or no additional CAPEX or OPEX required to create any new stream flow arrangement required by the present invention, such as the embodiment shown in the accompanying Figure 1 hereinafter described, from prior art stream flow arrangements such as that shown in US Patent 6,962,060.
  • Figure 1 shows a first general scheme 1 for a hydrocarbon cooling process, generally involving cooling a hydrocarbon stream 20 such as natural gas.
  • the hydrocarbon stream may be any suitable gas stream to be cooled, but is usually a natural gas stream obtained from natural gas or petroleum reservoirs.
  • the natural gas stream may also be obtained from another source, also including a synthetic source such as a Fischer-Tropsch process.
  • the natural gas stream is comprised substantially of methane.
  • the hydrocarbon feed stream comprises at least 50 mol% methane, more preferably at least 80 mol% methane.
  • the natural gas may contain varying amounts of hydrocarbons heavier than methane such as ethane, propane, butanes and pentanes, as well as some aromatic hydrocarbons. The composition varies depending upon the type and location of the gas.
  • Hydrocarbons heavier than methane generally need to be removed from natural gas for several reasons, such as having different freezing or liquefaction temperatures that may cause them to block parts of a methane liquefaction plant.
  • C2-4 hydrocarbons can be used as a source of natural gas liquids.
  • the natural gas stream may also contain non- hydrocarbons such as H2O, N2, CO2, Hg, H2S and other sulphur compounds .
  • the hydrocarbon stream containing the natural gas may be pre-treated before use either as part of a hydrocarbon cooling process, or separately.
  • This pre-treatment may comprise reduction and/or removal of non-hydrocarbons such as CO2 and H2S or other steps such as early cooling, pre-pressurizing. As these steps are well known to the person skilled in the art, their mechanisms are not further discussed here.
  • a hydrocarbon stream to be used in the present invention undergoes at least the minimum pre- treatment required to subsequently liquefy the hydrocarbon stream.
  • a requirement for liquefying natural gas is known in the art.
  • a refrigerant stream used in the present invention may be formed from a single component such as propane or nitrogen, or may be a mixed refrigerant formed from a mixture of two or more components selected from the group comprising: nitrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, butanes, pentanes, etc.
  • the present invention may comprise, or may be part of, a multistage cooling process involving two or more cooling stages, each stage having one or more steps, parts etc.
  • each cooling stage may comprise one to five heat exchange steps.
  • a first cooling stage could reduce the temperature of a hydrocarbon stream to below 0 0 C, usually in the range -20 0 C to -160 0 C, more usually -20 0 C and -70 0 C. Such a first cooling stage is sometimes also termed a ⁇ pre-cooling' stage.
  • any second cooling stage is typically separate from a first cooling stage. That is, the second cooling stage comprises one or more separate heat exchange steps using a second refrigerant circulating in a second refrigerant circuit, although the refrigerant of the second refrigerant stream may also pass through one or more heat exchange steps of the first cooling stage.
  • Such a second cooling stage is sometimes also termed a ⁇ main cooling' stage .
  • Figure 1 shows a hydrocarbon stream 20 passing through four heat exchange steps in series, comprising a first heat exchange step
  • Each heat exchange step 12, 14, 16, 18 may comprise one or more heat exchangers, with multiple heat exchangers operating in series, parallel or a combination of same.
  • each heat exchange step 12, 14, 16, 18 comprises a single heat exchanger such as a kettle or plate-and-fin heat exchanger known in the art. Arrangements of series of kettles or plate-and-fin heat exchangers are known in the art.
  • each heat exchange step 12, 14, 16, 18 progressively lowers the temperature of the hydrocarbon stream 20, to provide therefrom a cooled hydrocarbon stream 30.
  • the heat exchange steps, 12, 14, 16, 18 shown in Figure 1 may reduce the temperature of a hydrocarbon stream such as natural gas to below -0 0 C, usually in the range -20 0 C to -70 0 C, in a manner known in the art.
  • FIG. 1 shows a first refrigerant circuit 3 which provides a refrigerant stream 10 such as propane at a refrigerant pressure ready to provide cooling to the heat exchange steps 12, 14, 16, 18 by passage therethrough, along with the hydrocarbon stream 20.
  • the four heat exchange steps 12, 14, 16, 18 operate at different pressure levels, and in each of the heat exchange steps 12, 14, 16, 18, a fraction of the refrigerant stream 10 is expanded and evaporated.
  • the expanding usually is accomplished by passing the refrigerant stream though pressure reduction means (not shown) in the form of an expander, a valve, or the like.
  • each heat exchange step 12, 14, 16, 18 is operating at a different pressure, each heat exchange step 12, 14, 16, 18 will provide an evaporated refrigerant stream therefrom at a different evaporation pressure.
  • the first heat exchange step 12 provides a first evaporated refrigerant stream 40 at a first evaporation pressure, typically at the ⁇ highest' pressure closest to the refrigerant pressure of the refrigerant stream 10.
  • the highest evaporation pressure may also be termed ⁇ a high-high-pressure'
  • the first evaporated refrigerant stream 40 may also be termed a ⁇ high-high- pressure evaporated refrigerant stream' 40.
  • the second heat exchange step 14 receives a first remaining portion 10a of the original refrigerant stream 10, and expands and evaporates a fraction of the first remaining portion 10a to provide a second or other refrigerant stream 50 at a pressure lower than the first evaporation pressure of the first evaporated refrigerant stream 40.
  • the second evaporated stream 50 may also be termed a ⁇ high-pressure evaporated refrigerant stream' .
  • a second remaining portion 10b of the first remaining portion 10a not expanded or evaporated in the second heat exchange step 14 passes to the third heat exchange step 16, wherein another fraction of the refrigerant stream 10 is expanded and evaporated to provide a third or other evaporated refrigerant stream 60 at an evaporation pressure lower than the first evaporation pressure.
  • the third or other evaporated refrigerant stream 60 may also be termed an ⁇ intermediate-pressure evaporated refrigerant stream' .
  • a third remaining portion 10c of the refrigerant stream 10 passes to the fourth heat exchange step 18, where it is expanded and evaporated to provide a fourth or other evaporated refrigerant stream 70 at an evaporation pressure lower than the first evaporation pressure.
  • the fourth evaporated stream 70 may also be termed a 'low-pressure evaporated refrigerant stream' 70.
  • each of the evaporated refrigerant streams 40, 50, 60 and 70 must then be re- compressed back to the refrigerant pressure of the original refrigerant stream 10.
  • the first evaporated refrigerant stream 40 is compressed through a highest- pressure compressor stage 22 to provide at least a fraction of the refrigerant stream 10 at the refrigerant pressure.
  • the term "highest-pressure compressor stage” refers to the compressor stage having the highest inlet pressure. Where the first evaporated refrigerant stream is a high-high-pressure evaporated refrigerant stream 40, then the highest-pressure compressor stage could also be termed a high-high-pressure compressor stage.
  • the highest-pressure compressor stage 22 is part of a compressor train A, which also comprises a third compressor stage 26 therewith.
  • a "compressor train” as used herein may comprise a single compressor stage, or two or more conjoined compressor stages. Typically in a compressor train, all of the compressed refrigerant from a lower-pressure stage passes straight into the next higher compression stage, and there is a single discharge from the highest-level compression stage in the compressor train.
  • a compression train comprises one compression stage in a single casing, or two, three or four conjoined compression stages in a single casing.
  • the compressed refrigerant from the lowest compressor stage passes through each subsequently higher compression stage, usually in combination with one or more higher pressure feeds from one or more intermediate inlets.
  • Figure 1 shows the compressor train A comprising a third compressor stage 26 for compressing the third evaporated refrigerant stream 60.
  • the third compressor stage 26 does not fully compress the third evaporated refrigerant stream 60 back to the refrigerant pressure of the original refrigerant stream 10, but provides a ⁇ part- compressed refrigerant stream' 60a.
  • the part-compressed refrigerant stream 60a from the third compressor stage 26 then passes directly into the highest-pressure compressor stage 22.
  • the highest- pressure compressor stage 22 is comprised in a single casing, either alone or, for instance, together with the other, lower pressure, stage of train A.
  • the second or high evaporated refrigerant stream 50 passes into a second or high pressure compressor stage 24.
  • the fourth or low evaporated refrigerant stream 70 passes into a fourth or low-pressure compression stage 28, the part-compressed refrigerant stream 70a from which passes directly into the second or high-pressure compressor stage 24 along with the second evaporated refrigerant stream 60.
  • the second and fourth compressor stages 24, 28 comprise a second compression train B, separate from the first compression train A.
  • at least two of the lower pressure compressor stages 24, 26, 28 are in at least two compressor trains A and B.
  • the second and fourth compressor stages 24, 28 are also parallel with the third compressor stage 26, such that there are at least two parallel lower pressure compressor stages shown in the general scheme 1 of Figure 1.
  • the lower pressure compressor stages are parallel in the sense that the lower compressor stages 24, 26, 28 are not in series, or aligned within one casing, and/or that the other evaporated refrigerant streams, being in Figure 1 the second, third and fourth evaporated refrigerant streams 50, 60, 70, are not compressed in series, and/or that the evaporated stream at the lowest pressure, being in Figure 1 the fourth evaporated refrigerant stream 70, is not passed through all the compressor stages.
  • the discharge from the second compressor stage 24 is still a part-compressed refrigerant stream 50a, which passes through an outlet 24a of the second compressor train B.
  • the part-compressed refrigerant stream 50a is combined by a combiner 34 with the first evaporated refrigerant stream 40 to pass through an inlet 32 of the first or high-high-pressure compressor stage 22 in the first compressor train A. In this way, all of the part-compressed refrigerant streams 50a, 60a and 70a commonly pass through the highest pressure compressor stage 22 of a single casing.
  • Figure 1 also shows an example of how the discharge (being line 50a in Figure 1) of the or each lower pressure compressor stage (being the second and fourth compressor stages 24, 28 in Figure 1) parallel with the highest pressure compressor stage (being the first compressor stage 22 in Figure 1) passes through the highest pressure compressor stage.
  • FIG 2 shows a second general scheme 2 for a hydrocarbon cooling process, generally involving cooling a hydrocarbon stream 20 such as natural gas.
  • the hydrocarbon stream 20 may pass through four heat exchange steps 12, 14, 16, 18 in the same manner as that described hereinabove in relation to the first general scheme 1 shown Figure 1.
  • the hydrocarbon stream may not pass through all the same heat exchange steps 12, 14, 16, 18 as the refrigerant stream 10.
  • Stream 20a in Figure 2 represents a hydrocarbon stream which is only cooled in the second, third and fourth heat exchange steps 14, 16, 18.
  • the first heat exchange step 12 could be used to cool one or more other streams, such as another refrigerant stream or another refrigerant circuit .
  • FIG 2 shows a second refrigerant circuit 4 similar to the first refrigerant circuit 3 shown in Figure 1, where a refrigerant stream 10 passes into a first heat exchange step 12, and successive fractions 10a, 10b, 10c of the refrigerant stream 10 pass into successive second, third and fourth heat exchange steps 14, 16, 18, whilst a fraction of the refrigerant stream 10 at each heat exchange step 12, 14, 16, 18 is expanded and evaporated to provide a first evaporated refrigerant stream 40, and similarly to provide second, third and fourth lower pressure evaporated streams 50, 60 and 70 as described hereinabove .
  • the first evaporated stream 40 passes into a highest- pressure compressor stage 22 to be compressed and provide a fraction of the original refrigerant stream 10 at the refrigerant pressure.
  • the highest-pressure compressor stage 22 is part of a third compressor train C, which also comprises second and fourth lower-pressure compressor stages 24, 28 therewith.
  • the second and fourth compressor stages 24 and 28 are parallel with a third compressor stage 26.
  • there are at least two of the lower pressure compressor stages 24, 26, 28 being in at least two compressor trains C and D.
  • the fourth evaporated stream 70 passes into the fourth compressor stage 28, and the part-compressed refrigerant stream 70a therefrom passes directly into the second compressor stage 24 along with the second evaporated stream 50.
  • the part-compressed refrigerant stream 50a from the second compressor stage 24 then passes directly into the highest-pressure stage 22.
  • the third evaporated refrigerant stream 60 passes into a parallel third compressor stage 26, which comprises a fourth compressor train D.
  • the fourth compressor train D thus comprises only one compressor stage 26, which is separate from the compressor stages 22, 24, 28 in the third compressor train C.
  • FIG. 1 shows two examples of the flexibility of the present invention to be arranged to receive at least three evaporated refrigerant streams at different evaporation pressures, and for such streams to be recompressed via a variety of arrangement or systems by three lower-pressure compressor stages 24, 26 and 28 in at least two separate compressor trains.
  • Table 1 lists a number of examples of arrangements for four compressor stages to recompress evaporated refrigerant streams from four different heat exchange steps according to the present invention, using the nomenclature of the compressor stages used in Figures 1 and 2 for ease of reference only.
  • Table 1 confirms how the discharge for each train not compressing a refrigerant stream up to the highest compressor, is transferred either straight to the highest pressure stage 22, or into an earlier compressor stage in the same train as the highest pressure stage 22, through which all such refrigerant will then pass.
  • Examples 4 and 5 in Table 1 illustrate that a part- compressed refrigerant stream discharged from either compressor stage 26 as compressor train H, or compressor stage 28 as compressor stage J, can be first passed into the second compressor stage 24 rather than directly into the highest pressure compressor stage 22.
  • the second compressor stage 24 is part of the same compressor train G, I as the highest-pressure compressor stage 22, the part-compressed refrigerant stream will still commonly pass through the highest-pressure compressor stage 22.
  • Table 1 also provides Example 8 comprising three compressor trains O, P and Q, of which compressor trains P and Q comprise only one compressor stage 24, 26 respectively.
  • the part-compressed discharge from each of the lower pressure compressor stages 24 and 26 can be commonly passed through the highest-compressor stage 22.
  • Table 1 relates to examples involving four compressor stages.
  • the present invention is not limited thereto, and arrangements involving 3 or 5+ compressor stages are also within the scope of the present invention.
  • the skilled man can see different combinations of compressor stages in different compressor trains, wherein the discharge from one or more lower pressure compressor stages can pass into the inlet or inlets of one or more higher- pressure compressor stages, as long as all the part- compressed streams commonly pass through the highest pressure compressor stage.
  • a first evaporated refrigerant stream (40) is compressed through a common highest-pressure compressor stage (22) to provide at least a fraction of a fully- compressed refrigerant stream (10) at a refrigerant cooling pressure;
  • the other evaporated refrigerant streams (50, 60, 70) are compressed through at least two parallel lower pressure compressor stages (24, 26, 28) to provide one or more part-compressed refrigerant streams (50a, 60a, 70a) ;
  • the present invention provides flexibility for better matching the compression required of the evaporated refrigerant streams either with the attendant compressor power requirement, or with the cooling duty requirement, or a combination of same, so as to make the arrangement or set-up more efficient.
  • the present invention may be modified in many ways without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)

Abstract

Un flux de réfrigérant (10) est alimenté à une pression de réfrigérant, et traverse au moins trois étages d'échange de chaleur (12, 14, 16, 18) fonctionnant à différents niveaux de pression. Un flux d'hydrocarbure (20) traverse au moins deux de ces étages d'échange de chaleur pour donner un flux d'hydrocarbure refroidi (30). Une fraction du flux de réfrigérant (10) est détendu et évaporée au niveau de chaque étage d'échange de chaleur (12, 14, 16, 18) à une pression différente, pour fournir un premier flux de réfrigérant évaporé (40) à une première pression d'évaporation, et au moins deux autres flux de réfrigérant évaporé (50, 60, 70) à des pressions d'évaporation plus faibles que la première pression d'évaporation. Le premier flux de réfrigérant évaporé (40) est comprimé par un étage de compression à la plus haute pression (22) pour fournir au moins une fraction du flux de réfrigérant (10) à la pression du réfrigérant, et les autres flux de réfrigérant évaporé (50, 60, 70) sont comprimés par l'intermédiaire de deux étages de compressions parallèles à pression plus faible (24, 265, 28) pour fournir deux flux de réfrigérant partiellement comprimé ou plus (50a, 60a, 70a), l'ensemble desdits flux de réfrigérant partiellement comprimé (50a, 60a, 70a) traversant l'étage de compression à la compression la plus élevée (22).
EP08856792A 2007-12-04 2008-12-02 Procédé et appareil de refroidissement d'un flux d'hydrocarbure Withdrawn EP2215414A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP08856792A EP2215414A2 (fr) 2007-12-04 2008-12-02 Procédé et appareil de refroidissement d'un flux d'hydrocarbure

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP07122288 2007-12-04
EP08856792A EP2215414A2 (fr) 2007-12-04 2008-12-02 Procédé et appareil de refroidissement d'un flux d'hydrocarbure
PCT/EP2008/066623 WO2009071538A2 (fr) 2007-12-04 2008-12-02 Procédé et appareil permettant de refroidir et/ou de liquéfier un flux d'hydrocarbure

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2215414A2 true EP2215414A2 (fr) 2010-08-11

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EP08856792A Withdrawn EP2215414A2 (fr) 2007-12-04 2008-12-02 Procédé et appareil de refroidissement d'un flux d'hydrocarbure

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US20100293997A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP2215414A2 (fr)
JP (1) JP5259727B2 (fr)
AU (1) AU2008333301B2 (fr)
RU (1) RU2499962C2 (fr)
WO (1) WO2009071538A2 (fr)

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EP2426451A1 (fr) 2010-09-06 2012-03-07 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Procédé et appareil de refroidissement d'un flux gazeux d'hydrocarbure
EP2426452A1 (fr) 2010-09-06 2012-03-07 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Procédé et appareil de refroidissement d'un flux gazeux d'hydrocarbure
US20160131422A1 (en) * 2013-07-26 2016-05-12 Chiyoda Corporation Refrigeration compression system using two compressors
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AU2008333301B2 (en) 2011-09-15
RU2010127331A (ru) 2012-01-10
JP2011506893A (ja) 2011-03-03
AU2008333301A1 (en) 2009-06-11
WO2009071538A3 (fr) 2010-03-11
RU2499962C2 (ru) 2013-11-27
US20100293997A1 (en) 2010-11-25
WO2009071538A2 (fr) 2009-06-11
JP5259727B2 (ja) 2013-08-07

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