US20170350647A1 - Process for liquefying natural gas and carbon dioxide - Google Patents
Process for liquefying natural gas and carbon dioxide Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20170350647A1 US20170350647A1 US15/611,260 US201715611260A US2017350647A1 US 20170350647 A1 US20170350647 A1 US 20170350647A1 US 201715611260 A US201715611260 A US 201715611260A US 2017350647 A1 US2017350647 A1 US 2017350647A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- natural gas
- unit
- liquefaction
- producing
- gas 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.)
- Abandoned
Links
- VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N methane Chemical compound C VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims abstract description 172
- CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon dioxide Chemical compound O=C=O CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims abstract description 116
- 239000001569 carbon dioxide Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 106
- 229910002092 carbon dioxide Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims abstract description 106
- 239000003345 natural gas Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 79
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 33
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 40
- 238000005057 refrigeration Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 39
- 229930195733 hydrocarbon Natural products 0.000 claims abstract description 18
- 150000002430 hydrocarbons Chemical class 0.000 claims abstract description 18
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 239000003949 liquefied natural gas Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 238000000746 purification Methods 0.000 claims description 28
- 239000003507 refrigerant Substances 0.000 claims description 19
- ATUOYWHBWRKTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Propane Chemical compound CCC ATUOYWHBWRKTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 16
- QGZKDVFQNNGYKY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ammonia Chemical compound N QGZKDVFQNNGYKY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 14
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- OFBQJSOFQDEBGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N n-pentane Natural products CCCCC OFBQJSOFQDEBGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 12
- 150000001412 amines Chemical class 0.000 claims description 9
- 238000005201 scrubbing Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000001294 propane Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 229910021529 ammonia Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000004821 distillation Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- OTMSDBZUPAUEDD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethane Chemical compound CC OTMSDBZUPAUEDD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000001273 butane Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- IJDNQMDRQITEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N n-butane Chemical compound CCCC IJDNQMDRQITEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- VGGSQFUCUMXWEO-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethene Chemical compound C=C VGGSQFUCUMXWEO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000005977 Ethylene Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000000470 constituent Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- NINIDFKCEFEMDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulfur Chemical class [S] NINIDFKCEFEMDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 6
- 229910001868 water Inorganic materials 0.000 description 6
- 230000010354 integration Effects 0.000 description 5
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 5
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N mercury Chemical compound [Hg] QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229910052753 mercury Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 239000004215 Carbon black (E152) Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000008030 elimination Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000003379 elimination reaction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000005864 Sulphur Substances 0.000 description 2
- 150000004945 aromatic hydrocarbons Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000007710 freezing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008014 freezing Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000001172 regenerating effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- PVXVWWANJIWJOO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-N-ethylpropan-2-amine Chemical compound CCNC(C)CC1=CC=C2OCOC2=C1 PVXVWWANJIWJOO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- QMMZSJPSPRTHGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N MDEA Natural products CC(C)CCCCC=CCC=CC(O)=O QMMZSJPSPRTHGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000002250 absorbent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000002745 absorbent Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003463 adsorbent Substances 0.000 description 1
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000003054 catalyst Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000012535 impurity Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- -1 natural gas Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000004172 nitrogen cycle Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000002203 pretreatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008016 vaporization Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
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
- F25J1/02—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
- F25J1/0228—Coupling of the liquefaction unit to other units or processes, so-called integrated processes
- F25J1/0235—Heat exchange integration
-
- 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
- F25J1/0002—Processes or apparatus for liquefying or solidifying gases or gaseous mixtures characterised by the fluid to be liquefied
- F25J1/0027—Oxides of carbon, e.g. CO2
-
- 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
- F25J1/005—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 expansion of a gaseous refrigerant stream with extraction of work
-
- 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
- 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
- F25J1/0055—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 originating from an incorporated cascade
-
- 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
- F25J1/007—Primary atmospheric gases, mixtures thereof
- F25J1/0072—Nitrogen
-
- 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
- F25J1/0203—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 using a single-component refrigerant [SCR] fluid in a closed vapor compression cycle
- F25J1/0204—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 using a single-component refrigerant [SCR] fluid in a closed vapor compression cycle as a single flow SCR cycle
-
- 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
- F25J1/0211—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 using a multi-component refrigerant [MCR] fluid in a closed vapor compression cycle
- F25J1/0212—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 using a multi-component refrigerant [MCR] fluid in a closed vapor compression cycle as a single flow MCR cycle
-
- 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
- F25J1/0225—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 using other external refrigeration means not provided before, e.g. heat driven absorption chillers
-
- 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
- F25J1/0228—Coupling of the liquefaction unit to other units or processes, so-called integrated processes
- F25J1/0235—Heat exchange integration
- F25J1/0236—Heat exchange integration providing refrigeration for different processes treating not the same feed 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
- 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
- F25J1/0228—Coupling of the liquefaction unit to other units or processes, so-called integrated processes
- F25J1/0235—Heat exchange integration
- F25J1/0237—Heat exchange integration integrating refrigeration provided for liquefaction and purification/treatment of the gas to be liquefied, e.g. heavy hydrocarbon removal from 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
- F25J1/02—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.
- F25J1/0285—Combination of different types of drivers mechanically coupled to the same refrigerant compressor, possibly split on multiple compressor casings
- F25J1/0288—Combination of different types of drivers mechanically coupled to the same refrigerant compressor, possibly split on multiple compressor casings using work extraction by mechanical coupling of compression and expansion of the refrigerant, so-called companders
-
- 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
- F25J2205/00—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means
- F25J2205/60—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means using adsorption on solid adsorbents, e.g. by temperature-swing adsorption [TSA] at the hot or cold end
-
- 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
- F25J2210/00—Processes characterised by the type or other details of the feed stream
- F25J2210/60—Natural gas or synthetic natural gas [SNG]
-
- 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
- F25J2215/00—Processes characterised by the type or other details of the product stream
- F25J2215/04—Recovery of liquid products
-
- 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
- F25J2220/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for the removal of impurities
- F25J2220/60—Separating impurities from natural gas, e.g. mercury, cyclic hydrocarbons
-
- 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
- F25J2220/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for the removal of impurities
- F25J2220/60—Separating impurities from natural gas, e.g. mercury, cyclic hydrocarbons
- F25J2220/64—Separating heavy hydrocarbons, e.g. NGL, LPG, C4+ hydrocarbons or heavy condensates in general
-
- 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
- F25J2220/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for the removal of impurities
- F25J2220/60—Separating impurities from natural gas, e.g. mercury, cyclic hydrocarbons
- F25J2220/66—Separating acid gases, e.g. CO2, SO2, H2S or RSH
-
- 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
- F25J2220/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for the removal of impurities
- F25J2220/80—Separating impurities from carbon dioxide, e.g. H2O or water-soluble contaminants
- F25J2220/82—Separating low boiling, i.e. more volatile components, e.g. He, H2, CO, Air gases, CH4
-
- 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
- F25J2260/00—Coupling of processes or apparatus to other units; Integrated schemes
- F25J2260/80—Integration in an installation using carbon dioxide, e.g. for EOR, sequestration, refrigeration etc.
-
- 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
- F25J2270/00—Refrigeration techniques used
- F25J2270/90—External refrigeration, e.g. conventional closed-loop mechanical refrigeration unit using Freon or NH3, unspecified external refrigeration
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a process for liquefying a stream of hydrocarbons, such as natural gas, in particular in a process for producing liquefied natural gas and liquid CO 2 .
- refrigerant streams are used to produce the refrigeration at various levels of a main heat exchanger by vaporizing against the stream of hydrocarbons to be liquefied (typically natural gas).
- natural gas may be stored and transported over long distances more easily in the liquid state than in the gas form, since it occupies a much smaller volume for a given mass and does not need to be stored at a high pressure.
- natural gas typically contains hydrocarbons and CO 2 ( 0 .5 mol % to 5 mol % approximately).
- CO 2 0 .5 mol % to 5 mol % approximately.
- One means for removing the CO 2 from the natural gas stream is for example amine scrubbing upstream of a liquefaction cycle.
- Amine scrubbing separates the CO 2 from the feed gas by scrubbing the natural gas stream with a solution of amines in an absorption column.
- the CO 2 -enriched amine solution is recovered at the bottom of this absorption column and is regenerated at low pressure in a (stripping) column for regenerating the amine.
- a CO 2 -rich acid gas is released.
- the amine scrubbing treatment of the natural gas stream releases a CO 2 -concentrated “acid gas” stream, usually emitted directly into the atmosphere.
- the CO 2 produced in order to be able to be sold, the CO 2 produced must meet strict specifications in terms of quality and purity.
- any trace of hydrocarbons or of sulphur derivatives must be eliminated (content typically less than 1 ppm by volume).
- This purification is carried out by means of a dedicated CO 2 purification unit requiring the installation of a dedicated refrigeration cycle (typically a refrigeration system operating with ammonia for example).
- a dedicated refrigeration cycle typically a refrigeration system operating with ammonia for example.
- the operation of the “refrigeration unit” refrigeration cycle consists in providing the refrigeration necessary for the CO 2 purification/liquefaction process.
- a standard CO 2 unit contains the following steps:
- Step 1 Compression of the impure CO 2 to a pressure between 15 and 50 bar abs.
- Step 2 Purification of the CO 2 for example by processes that use regenerative adsorbents, absorbents or catalyst to eliminate any presence of water, mercury, hydrocarbons and sulphur derivatives (non-exhaustive list of impurities).
- Step 3 Distillation of the noncondensable gases in order to separate in particular oxygen and nitrogen from the CO 2 produced.
- the condenser of the distillation column used in step 3 represents around 50% of the total of the refrigeration requirements.
- This refrigeration may be provided via a dedicated refrigeration cycle (typically an ammonia or propane refrigeration cycle) optionally coupled with a water cooling system.
- the system for producing frigories represents a high cost of the CO 2 purification and liquefaction unit and adds complexity of implementation to the site for implementing the process which represents a constraint.
- One existing solution consists in separating the two (natural gas liquefaction and CO 2 purification) units which requires the installation of two systems for producing frigories, one for the natural gas liquefaction unit and one for the CO 2 purification unit.
- the present invention relates in particular to a process of thermal integration between a natural gas liquefaction unit and CO 2 purification/liquefaction unit.
- the inventors of the present invention have then developed a solution that makes it possible to solve the problem raised above, namely to minimize the investment in a system for producing frigories in the CO 2 purification/liquefaction unit and therefore to optimize the investment expenditure while retaining an optimal efficiency for the liquefaction of the natural gas in the liquefaction unit.
- the subject of the present invention is a process for producing liquefied natural gas and liquid carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) comprising at least the following steps:
- all of the refrigeration necessary for the liquefaction of the CO 2 -enriched gas stream and for the liquefaction of the natural gas is supplied by said frigorie-producing system of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- the object of the present invention is to thermally couple a unit for liquefying a gas rich in hydrocarbons, typically natural gas, with a unit for purifying/liquefying CO 2 .
- Thermal coupling is understood to mean sharing the means for producing frigories in order to ensure the thermal balance of the two units, typically refrigeration cycle compressor, and optionally a turbine/booster system in the case of a nitrogen cycle.
- a turbine/booster system is understood to mean a turbine mechanically coupled (via a common shaft) to a single-stage compressor.
- the power generated through the turbine is directly transmitted to the single-stage compressor.
- This thermal integration is realized by the sharing of any column, heat exchanger, unit or other suitable arrangement (typically a heat exchanger) where streams linked to the natural gas liquefaction process and streams linked to the CO 2 purification/liquefaction process exchange thermally.
- the process that is the subject of the present invention makes it possible to do without the refrigeration unit initially necessary for liquefying the CO 2 and to extract the refrigeration directly from the natural gas liquefier.
- This thermal integration thus makes it possible to do without one piece of equipment in the CO 2 purification unit.
- the proposed integration makes it possible to provide refrigeration at the three temperature levels needed.
- the invention also relates to:
- step b the natural gas stream resulting from step a) is pretreated in a pretreatment unit.
- a process as defined above characterized in that the CO 2 -enriched gas stream resulting from step a) is purified prior to step c), the refrigeration necessary for this purification being provided by said frigorie-producing system of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- said natural gas liquefaction unit comprises at least one refrigeration cycle fed by a refrigerant stream containing at least one of the constituents selected from nitrogen, methane, ethylene, ethane, propane, ammonia, butane and pentane.
- a process as defined above characterized in that the refrigeration necessary for the liquefaction of the CO 2 -enriched gas stream originates from a refrigerant fluid precooled in the heat exchanger of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- Another subject of the present invention is a device for producing liquefied natural gas and liquefied CO 2 comprising a feed gas treatment unit, producing at least a CO 2 -enriched gas stream and a CO 2 -depleted natural gas stream, and a natural gas liquefaction unit, said natural gas liquefaction unit comprising at least a main heat exchanger and a system for producing frigories, characterized in that the system for producing frigories is capable of and designed for liquefying both the CO 2 -enriched stream resulting from the treatment unit and the natural gas stream circulating in the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- the invention also relates to:
- a device as defined above characterized in that said system for producing frigories comprises a refrigeration cycle, comprising a compressor driven by an electric or heat engine, a circuit for circulating a refrigerant fluid.
- a device as defined above characterized in that it comprises a CO 2 -enriched gas purification and liquefaction unit comprising at least one compression means, one purification means and at least one distillation column, characterized in that said device is designed so that the refrigeration necessary for the use of the CO 2 -enriched gas purification and liquefaction unit originates from a refrigerant fluid cooled in said main heat exchanger of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- the refrigeration requirement of a natural gas liquefaction unit is generally greater than the refrigeration requirement of a CO 2 purification/liquefaction unit, it is relevant to benefit from the available capacity of the machines (compressors and/or turbine/boosters) of the natural gas liquefaction unit in order to provide, fully or at least partially, the refrigeration requirement of the CO 2 purification/liquefaction unit and in particular to limit the investment in machinery of the CO 2 purification/liquefaction unit.
- the incremental investment for increasing the liquefaction capacity of a hydrocarbon liquefier is much lower than the incremental investment for increasing the liquid production capacity of a CO 2 purification/liquefaction unit.
- the stream of hydrocarbons to be liquefied is generally a stream of natural gas obtained from natural gas fields, oil reservoirs or a domestic gas network distributed via pipelines.
- the natural gas stream is essentially composed of methane.
- the feed stream comprises at least 80 mol % of methane.
- the natural gas contains quantities of hydrocarbons heavier than methane, such as for example ethane, propane, butane and pentane and also certain aromatic hydrocarbons.
- the natural gas stream also contains non-hydrocarbon products such as H 2 O, N 2 , CO 2 , H 2 S and other sulphur-containing compounds, mercury and others.
- the feed stream containing the natural gas is therefore pretreated before being introduced into the heat exchanger.
- This pretreatment comprises the reduction and/or the elimination of the undesirable components such as the CO 2 and the H 2 S, or other steps such as precooling and/or pressurization. Given that these measures are well known to a person skilled in the art, they are not described in further detail here.
- natural gas as used in the present application relates to any composition containing hydrocarbons including at least methane.
- the heat exchanger may be any heat exchanger, any unit or other arrangement suitable for allowing the passage of a certain number of streams, and thus enabling a direct or indirect heat exchange between one or more refrigerant fluid lines, and one or more feed streams.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of one embodiment of present invention.
- a natural gas feed stream 1 (for example at a considered flow rate of 500 000 tonnes per year, i.e. around 60 tonnes per hour) containing CO 2 is introduced into a treatment unit 2 in which said stream 1 is separated into at least two gas streams 3 and 4 .
- the natural gas feed stream 1 contains for example from 0.1 mol % to 5 mol % of CO 2 .
- the first stream 3 is a CO 2 -depleted natural gas stream.
- the second stream 4 is a CO 2 -enriched stream.
- the treatment unit 2 is a unit that separates the CO 2 from the natural gas stream, for example a chemical absorption unit, in particular an amine (of MDEA, MEA, etc. type) scrubbing unit that makes it possible to produce concentrated CO 2 at low pressure (typically slightly greater than atmospheric pressure).
- Concentrated (or purified) CO 2 is understood to mean a stream containing more than 95 mol % of CO 2 on a dry basis.
- the CO 2 -depleted natural gas stream 3 is introduced into the main exchanger 8 of a natural gas liquefaction unit 5 in order to be liquefied 14 .
- a stream 10 rich in heavy hydrocarbons is extracted from the liquefaction unit 5 in order to avoid any risk of freezing. Said stream 10 being extracted from the liquefaction unit 5 via a scrubbing column 11 .
- a refrigerant stream circulates in a closed cycle in the heat exchanger 8 in order to provide the refrigeration necessary for liquefying said natural gas stream 3 .
- the liquefaction cycle 9 uses a refrigerant that may be a mixture of refrigerants typically selected from nitrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, butane and pentane. It may be a cycle based on a refrigeration cycle consisting of a refrigerant or a mixture of several refrigerants.
- a refrigerant stream (not shown in FIG. 1 ) is introduced into the frigorie-producing system 9 of the liquefaction unit 5 via a compressor (and optionally via a compressor/booster system).
- the second CO 2 -enriched gas stream 4 resulting from the treatment unit 2 is compressed to medium pressure (typically 25 bar abs), cooled, purified (elimination of any trace of H 2 O, hydrocarbons, sulphur derivatives in particular) then sent back to a distillation column (stripping column) that separates the noncondensable gases at the top from the concentrated liquid CO 2 15 recovered at the bottom.
- medium pressure typically 25 bar abs
- purified separation of any trace of H 2 O, hydrocarbons, sulphur derivatives in particular
- a refrigerant fluid 13 (typically but not only ammonia or propane) circulates between the CO 2 purification/liquefaction unit 6 and the natural gas liquefaction unit 5 : it enters the heat exchanger 8 at ambient temperature, is condensed at a temperature between ⁇ 10° C. and ⁇ 40° C. (typically around ⁇ 20° C./ ⁇ 30° C.) in order to be sent back to the CO 2 purification/liquefaction unit 6 .
Landscapes
- 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)
- Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
- Carbon And Carbon Compounds (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 (a) and (b) to French Patent Application No. 1654992 filed Jun. 2, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- The present invention relates to a process for liquefying a stream of hydrocarbons, such as natural gas, in particular in a process for producing liquefied natural gas and liquid CO2.
- In typical natural gas liquefaction plants, refrigerant streams are used to produce the refrigeration at various levels of a main heat exchanger by vaporizing against the stream of hydrocarbons to be liquefied (typically natural gas).
- It is desirable to liquefy natural gas for a certain number of reasons. By way of example, natural gas may be stored and transported over long distances more easily in the liquid state than in the gas form, since it occupies a much smaller volume for a given mass and does not need to be stored at a high pressure.
- Typically, natural gas contains hydrocarbons and CO2 (0.5 mol % to 5 mol % approximately). In order to prevent the CO2 from freezing during the liquefaction of the natural gas, it is advisable to remove it. One means for removing the CO2 from the natural gas stream is for example amine scrubbing upstream of a liquefaction cycle.
- Amine scrubbing separates the CO2 from the feed gas by scrubbing the natural gas stream with a solution of amines in an absorption column. The CO2-enriched amine solution is recovered at the bottom of this absorption column and is regenerated at low pressure in a (stripping) column for regenerating the amine. At the top of this distillation column, a CO2-rich acid gas is released. Thus, the amine scrubbing treatment of the natural gas stream releases a CO2-concentrated “acid gas” stream, usually emitted directly into the atmosphere.
- In natural gas liquefiers (50 000 tonnes per year to 10 million tonnes per year), the amount of CO2 emitted is sufficient (amount of CO2 emitted possibly ranging up to 200 tonnes per day) and it is possible to purify this CO2-rich “acid gas” to give food grade CO2.
- Specifically, in the food field, in accordance with the current legislation, in order to be able to be sold, the CO2 produced must meet strict specifications in terms of quality and purity. Thus, for example, any trace of hydrocarbons or of sulphur derivatives must be eliminated (content typically less than 1 ppm by volume).
- This purification is carried out by means of a dedicated CO2 purification unit requiring the installation of a dedicated refrigeration cycle (typically a refrigeration system operating with ammonia for example).
- The operation of the “refrigeration unit” refrigeration cycle consists in providing the refrigeration necessary for the CO2 purification/liquefaction process.
- Typically, a standard CO2 unit contains the following steps:
- Step 1: Compression of the impure CO2 to a pressure between 15 and 50 bar abs.
- Step 2: Purification of the CO2 for example by processes that use regenerative adsorbents, absorbents or catalyst to eliminate any presence of water, mercury, hydrocarbons and sulphur derivatives (non-exhaustive list of impurities).
- Step 3: Distillation of the noncondensable gases in order to separate in particular oxygen and nitrogen from the CO2 produced.
- Thus, conventionally in a CO2 purification/liquefaction unit, it is necessary to provide refrigeration at three temperature levels:
- 1. Refrigeration at −20° C./−30° C. used for
step 3 described in the paragraph above. - 2. Refrigeration at 5° C. used for
step 2. - 3. Refrigeration at ambient temperature for cooling the impure CO2 in
step 1. - The condenser of the distillation column used in
step 3 represents around 50% of the total of the refrigeration requirements. This refrigeration may be provided via a dedicated refrigeration cycle (typically an ammonia or propane refrigeration cycle) optionally coupled with a water cooling system. - The system for producing frigories represents a high cost of the CO2 purification and liquefaction unit and adds complexity of implementation to the site for implementing the process which represents a constraint.
- One existing solution consists in separating the two (natural gas liquefaction and CO2 purification) units which requires the installation of two systems for producing frigories, one for the natural gas liquefaction unit and one for the CO2 purification unit.
- The present invention relates in particular to a process of thermal integration between a natural gas liquefaction unit and CO2 purification/liquefaction unit.
- The inventors of the present invention have then developed a solution that makes it possible to solve the problem raised above, namely to minimize the investment in a system for producing frigories in the CO2 purification/liquefaction unit and therefore to optimize the investment expenditure while retaining an optimal efficiency for the liquefaction of the natural gas in the liquefaction unit.
- The subject of the present invention is a process for producing liquefied natural gas and liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) comprising at least the following steps:
- Step a): separating a natural gas feed gas, containing hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide in a treatment unit, into a CO2-enriched gas stream and a CO2-depleted natural gas stream;
- Step b): liquefying the CO2-depleted natural gas stream resulting from step a) in a natural gas liquefaction unit comprising at least a main heat exchanger and a system for producing frigories;
- Step c): simultaneous liquefying of the CO2-enriched gas stream resulting from step a) in a CO2 liquefaction unit; characterized in that all or some of the refrigeration necessary for the liquefaction of the CO2-enriched gas stream and for the liquefaction of the natural gas is supplied by said frigorie-producing system of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- Preferably, all of the refrigeration necessary for the liquefaction of the CO2-enriched gas stream and for the liquefaction of the natural gas is supplied by said frigorie-producing system of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- The object of the present invention is to thermally couple a unit for liquefying a gas rich in hydrocarbons, typically natural gas, with a unit for purifying/liquefying CO2.
- Thermal coupling is understood to mean sharing the means for producing frigories in order to ensure the thermal balance of the two units, typically refrigeration cycle compressor, and optionally a turbine/booster system in the case of a nitrogen cycle.
- A turbine/booster system is understood to mean a turbine mechanically coupled (via a common shaft) to a single-stage compressor.
- The power generated through the turbine is directly transmitted to the single-stage compressor.
- This thermal integration is realized by the sharing of any column, heat exchanger, unit or other suitable arrangement (typically a heat exchanger) where streams linked to the natural gas liquefaction process and streams linked to the CO2 purification/liquefaction process exchange thermally.
- The process that is the subject of the present invention makes it possible to do without the refrigeration unit initially necessary for liquefying the CO2 and to extract the refrigeration directly from the natural gas liquefier. This thermal integration thus makes it possible to do without one piece of equipment in the CO2 purification unit.
- The proposed integration makes it possible to provide refrigeration at the three temperature levels needed.
- According to other embodiments, the invention also relates to:
- A process as defined above, characterized in that the feed gas comprises from 0.1 mol % to 5 mol % of CO2.
- A process as defined above, characterized in that the CO2-enriched gas stream resulting from step a) comprises at least 95 mol % of CO2.
- A process as defined above, characterized in that, prior to step b), the natural gas stream resulting from step a) is pretreated in a pretreatment unit.
- A process as defined above, characterized in that said treatment unit used in step a) is an amine scrubbing unit.
- A process as defined above, characterized in that the CO2-enriched gas stream resulting from step a) is purified prior to step c), the refrigeration necessary for this purification being provided by said frigorie-producing system of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- A process as defined above, characterized in that the CO2-enriched stream thus purified comprises at least 99.5 mol % of CO2.
- A process as defined above, characterized in that said system for producing frigories comprises at least one compressor and optionally a turbine-booster system.
- A process as defined above, characterized in that said natural gas liquefaction unit comprises at least one refrigeration cycle fed by a refrigerant stream containing at least one of the constituents selected from nitrogen, methane, ethylene, ethane, propane, ammonia, butane and pentane.
- A process as defined above, characterized in that the refrigeration necessary for the liquefaction of the CO2-enriched gas stream originates from a refrigerant fluid precooled in the heat exchanger of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- A process as defined above, characterized in that the refrigerant fluid is an ammonia and/or propane fluid.
- Another subject of the present invention is a device for producing liquefied natural gas and liquefied CO2 comprising a feed gas treatment unit, producing at least a CO2-enriched gas stream and a CO2-depleted natural gas stream, and a natural gas liquefaction unit, said natural gas liquefaction unit comprising at least a main heat exchanger and a system for producing frigories, characterized in that the system for producing frigories is capable of and designed for liquefying both the CO2-enriched stream resulting from the treatment unit and the natural gas stream circulating in the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- According to other embodiments, the invention also relates to:
- A device as defined above, characterized in that said system for producing frigories comprises at least one compressor and optionally a turbine-booster system.
- A device as defined above, characterized in that said system for producing frigories comprises a refrigeration cycle, comprising a compressor driven by an electric or heat engine, a circuit for circulating a refrigerant fluid.
- A device as defined above, characterized in that it comprises a CO2-enriched gas purification and liquefaction unit comprising at least one compression means, one purification means and at least one distillation column, characterized in that said device is designed so that the refrigeration necessary for the use of the CO2-enriched gas purification and liquefaction unit originates from a refrigerant fluid cooled in said main heat exchanger of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- Since the refrigeration requirement of a natural gas liquefaction unit is generally greater than the refrigeration requirement of a CO2 purification/liquefaction unit, it is relevant to benefit from the available capacity of the machines (compressors and/or turbine/boosters) of the natural gas liquefaction unit in order to provide, fully or at least partially, the refrigeration requirement of the CO2 purification/liquefaction unit and in particular to limit the investment in machinery of the CO2 purification/liquefaction unit.
- In particular, the incremental investment for increasing the liquefaction capacity of a hydrocarbon liquefier is much lower than the incremental investment for increasing the liquid production capacity of a CO2 purification/liquefaction unit.
- Moreover, other intermediate treatment steps between the hydrocarbon stream/CO2 separation and the liquefaction of the hydrocarbons may be carried out. The stream of hydrocarbons to be liquefied is generally a stream of natural gas obtained from natural gas fields, oil reservoirs or a domestic gas network distributed via pipelines.
- Customarily, the natural gas stream is essentially composed of methane. Preferably, the feed stream comprises at least 80 mol % of methane.
- Depending on the source, the natural gas contains quantities of hydrocarbons heavier than methane, such as for example ethane, propane, butane and pentane and also certain aromatic hydrocarbons. The natural gas stream also contains non-hydrocarbon products such as H2O, N2, CO2, H2S and other sulphur-containing compounds, mercury and others.
- The feed stream containing the natural gas is therefore pretreated before being introduced into the heat exchanger. This pretreatment comprises the reduction and/or the elimination of the undesirable components such as the CO2 and the H2S, or other steps such as precooling and/or pressurization. Given that these measures are well known to a person skilled in the art, they are not described in further detail here.
- In the process that is the subject of the present invention, it is essential to pretreat the natural gas stream in order to extract a CO2-enriched stream that will itself be liquefied by means of the frigorie-producing system of the natural gas liquefaction unit.
- The expression “natural gas” as used in the present application relates to any composition containing hydrocarbons including at least methane. This includes a “crude” composition (prior to any treatment or scrubbing), and also any composition that has been partially, substantially or completely treated for the reduction and/or elimination of one or more compounds, including, but without being limited thereto, sulphur, carbon dioxide, water, mercury and certain heavy and aromatic hydrocarbons.
- The heat exchanger may be any heat exchanger, any unit or other arrangement suitable for allowing the passage of a certain number of streams, and thus enabling a direct or indirect heat exchange between one or more refrigerant fluid lines, and one or more feed streams.
- For a further understanding of the nature and objects for the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which like elements are given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein:
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of one embodiment of present invention. - In
FIG. 1 , a natural gas feed stream 1 (for example at a considered flow rate of 500 000 tonnes per year, i.e. around 60 tonnes per hour) containing CO2 is introduced into atreatment unit 2 in which saidstream 1 is separated into at least twogas streams 3 and 4. The naturalgas feed stream 1 contains for example from 0.1 mol % to 5 mol % of CO2. - The
first stream 3 is a CO2-depleted natural gas stream. The second stream 4 is a CO2-enriched stream. - The
treatment unit 2 is a unit that separates the CO2 from the natural gas stream, for example a chemical absorption unit, in particular an amine (of MDEA, MEA, etc. type) scrubbing unit that makes it possible to produce concentrated CO2 at low pressure (typically slightly greater than atmospheric pressure). Concentrated (or purified) CO2 is understood to mean a stream containing more than 95 mol % of CO2 on a dry basis. - After possible pre-treatment steps to eliminate all traces of mercury, water or sulphur derivatives for example (unit 7), the CO2-depleted
natural gas stream 3 is introduced into themain exchanger 8 of a naturalgas liquefaction unit 5 in order to be liquefied 14. Astream 10 rich in heavy hydrocarbons is extracted from theliquefaction unit 5 in order to avoid any risk of freezing. Saidstream 10 being extracted from theliquefaction unit 5 via ascrubbing column 11. A refrigerant stream circulates in a closed cycle in theheat exchanger 8 in order to provide the refrigeration necessary for liquefying saidnatural gas stream 3. - In particular, the
liquefaction cycle 9 uses a refrigerant that may be a mixture of refrigerants typically selected from nitrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, butane and pentane. It may be a cycle based on a refrigeration cycle consisting of a refrigerant or a mixture of several refrigerants. - A refrigerant stream (not shown in
FIG. 1 ) is introduced into the frigorie-producingsystem 9 of theliquefaction unit 5 via a compressor (and optionally via a compressor/booster system). - The second CO2-enriched gas stream 4 resulting from the
treatment unit 2 is compressed to medium pressure (typically 25 bar abs), cooled, purified (elimination of any trace of H2O, hydrocarbons, sulphur derivatives in particular) then sent back to a distillation column (stripping column) that separates the noncondensable gases at the top from the concentratedliquid CO 2 15 recovered at the bottom. - In order to provide the refrigeration necessary for the correct operation of the purification/
liquefaction unit 6, a refrigerant fluid 13 (typically but not only ammonia or propane) circulates between the CO2 purification/liquefaction unit 6 and the natural gas liquefaction unit 5: it enters theheat exchanger 8 at ambient temperature, is condensed at a temperature between −10° C. and −40° C. (typically around −20° C./−30° C.) in order to be sent back to the CO2 purification/liquefaction unit 6. - Thus, owing to this thermal integration, a refrigeration cycle dedicated to the CO2 purification/
liquefaction unit 6 is avoided by increasing the power of the cycle dedicated to the natural gas liquefaction (typically by the order of 5%). - It will be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments in the examples given above.
Claims (13)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FR1654992A FR3052239B1 (en) | 2016-06-02 | 2016-06-02 | PROCESS FOR LIQUEFACTION OF NATURAL GAS AND CARBON DIOXIDE |
FR1654992 | 2016-06-02 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20170350647A1 true US20170350647A1 (en) | 2017-12-07 |
Family
ID=56787566
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US15/611,260 Abandoned US20170350647A1 (en) | 2016-06-02 | 2017-06-01 | Process for liquefying natural gas and carbon dioxide |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20170350647A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3252407A1 (en) |
FR (1) | FR3052239B1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR3138196A3 (en) | 2022-11-04 | 2024-01-26 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Apparatus and method for producing cooled natural gas and liquid CO2 |
FR3141758A1 (en) | 2022-11-04 | 2024-05-10 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Apparatus and method for producing cooled natural gas and liquid CO2 |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110126451A1 (en) * | 2009-11-30 | 2011-06-02 | Chevron U.S.A., Inc. | Integrated process for converting natural gas from an offshore field site to liquefied natural gas and liquid fuel |
US20130008204A1 (en) * | 2010-03-25 | 2013-01-10 | University Of Manchester | Refrigeration process |
US20150210936A1 (en) * | 2014-01-28 | 2015-07-30 | Kenneth L. Burgers | Method and system for treating a flow back fluid exiting a well site |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1999035455A1 (en) * | 1998-01-08 | 1999-07-15 | Satish Reddy | Autorefrigeration separation of carbon dioxide |
JP4138399B2 (en) * | 2002-08-21 | 2008-08-27 | 三菱重工業株式会社 | Method for producing liquefied natural gas |
RU2011106108A (en) * | 2008-07-18 | 2012-08-27 | Шелл Интернэшнл Рисерч Маатсхаппий Б.В. (NL) | TWO-STAGE METHOD FOR PRODUCING CLEANED GAS |
KR101666254B1 (en) * | 2010-06-03 | 2016-10-13 | 오르트로프 엔지니어스, 리미티드 | Hydrocarbon gas processing |
DE102014005936A1 (en) * | 2014-04-24 | 2015-10-29 | Linde Aktiengesellschaft | Process for liquefying a hydrocarbon-rich fraction |
-
2016
- 2016-06-02 FR FR1654992A patent/FR3052239B1/en active Active
-
2017
- 2017-05-18 EP EP17171777.0A patent/EP3252407A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2017-06-01 US US15/611,260 patent/US20170350647A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110126451A1 (en) * | 2009-11-30 | 2011-06-02 | Chevron U.S.A., Inc. | Integrated process for converting natural gas from an offshore field site to liquefied natural gas and liquid fuel |
US20130008204A1 (en) * | 2010-03-25 | 2013-01-10 | University Of Manchester | Refrigeration process |
US20150210936A1 (en) * | 2014-01-28 | 2015-07-30 | Kenneth L. Burgers | Method and system for treating a flow back fluid exiting a well site |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP3252407A1 (en) | 2017-12-06 |
FR3052239B1 (en) | 2020-02-21 |
FR3052239A1 (en) | 2017-12-08 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
JP6967582B2 (en) | Pretreatment of natural gas prior to liquefaction | |
US20210172677A1 (en) | Cryogenic process for removing nitrogen from a discharge gas | |
US7225636B2 (en) | Apparatus and methods for processing hydrocarbons to produce liquified natural gas | |
US20210055046A1 (en) | Facility For Producing Gaseous Methane By Purifying Biogas From Landfill, Combining Membranes And Cryogenic Distillation For Landfill Biogas Upgrading | |
EP1459023B1 (en) | Combined recovery of hydrogen and hydrocarbon liquids from hydrogen-containing gases | |
CN116710397A (en) | Enhanced hydrogen recovery using gas separation membranes integrated with pressure swing adsorption units and/or cryogenic separation systems | |
JP2000065469A (en) | Method and plant for generating carbon monoxide and hydrogen from gas mixture | |
EP3067315B1 (en) | Light gas separation process and system | |
US20170350647A1 (en) | Process for liquefying natural gas and carbon dioxide | |
US20170350648A1 (en) | Process for liquefying carbon dioxide resulting from a natural gas stream | |
US10415879B2 (en) | Process for purifying natural gas and liquefying carbon dioxide | |
US11097220B2 (en) | Method of preparing natural gas to produce liquid natural gas (LNG) | |
US20150308735A1 (en) | Methods and systems for separating hydrocarbons | |
US20210033337A1 (en) | System and method for producing liquefied natural gas | |
US11291946B2 (en) | Method for distilling a gas stream containing oxygen | |
US20180251373A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for producing a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen | |
AU2016304194B2 (en) | Method for separating carbon dioxide from a hydrocarbon-rich fraction | |
US20110209498A1 (en) | Process for separating off nitrogen | |
Guvelioglu et al. | H2S Removal from CO2 by Distillation | |
US20110126584A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for treating a hydrocarbon stream and method of cooling a hydrocarbon stream | |
US20230366620A1 (en) | System and Method for Cooling Fluids Containing Hydrogen or Helium | |
US20210087123A1 (en) | Method for limiting the concentration of oxygen contained in a biomethane stream |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'E Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:COSTA DE BEAUREGARD, PIERRE;MURINO, MICHELE;PICHOT, DELPHINE;REEL/FRAME:043142/0026 Effective date: 20170718 |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: NON FINAL ACTION MAILED |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: RESPONSE TO NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION ENTERED AND FORWARDED TO EXAMINER |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: FINAL REJECTION MAILED |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: RESPONSE AFTER FINAL ACTION FORWARDED TO EXAMINER |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: ADVISORY ACTION MAILED |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |