WO2014079590A2 - Procédé de traitement d'un courant d'hydrocarbure comprenant du méthane et appareil associé - Google Patents

Procédé de traitement d'un courant d'hydrocarbure comprenant du méthane et appareil associé Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2014079590A2
WO2014079590A2 PCT/EP2013/050021 EP2013050021W WO2014079590A2 WO 2014079590 A2 WO2014079590 A2 WO 2014079590A2 EP 2013050021 W EP2013050021 W EP 2013050021W WO 2014079590 A2 WO2014079590 A2 WO 2014079590A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
stream
refrigerant
heat exchanger
wet
temperature
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2013/050021
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2014079590A3 (fr
Inventor
Lava AGARWAL
Mohan Balasundar
Original Assignee
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V.
Shell Oil Company
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 B.V., Shell Oil Company filed Critical Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V.
Priority to US14/443,921 priority Critical patent/US20150300731A1/en
Priority to NZ707810A priority patent/NZ707810A/en
Publication of WO2014079590A2 publication Critical patent/WO2014079590A2/fr
Publication of WO2014079590A3 publication Critical patent/WO2014079590A3/fr

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
    • F25J1/0002—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
    • F25J1/003—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
    • F25J1/02—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
    • 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
    • F25J1/0211—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
    • F25J1/0214—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 dual level refrigeration cascade with at least one 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
    • F25J1/0237—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
    • F25J1/0238—Purification or treatment step is integrated within one refrigeration cycle only, i.e. the same or single refrigeration cycle provides feed gas cooling (if present) and overhead gas cooling
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • F25J1/0296—Removal of the heat of compression, e.g. within an inter- or afterstage-cooler against an ambient heat sink
    • 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
    • F25J2205/90—Mixing of components
    • 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
    • F25J2220/68—Separating water or hydrates
    • 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
    • F25J2230/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for increasing the pressure of gaseous process streams
    • F25J2230/04—Compressor cooling arrangement, e.g. inter- or after-stage cooling or condensate removal
    • 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
    • F25J2290/00—Other details not covered by groups F25J2200/00 - F25J2280/00
    • F25J2290/12—Particular process parameters like pressure, temperature, ratios

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and
  • Hydrocarbon streams comprising methane can be derived from a number of sources, such as natural gas or
  • the hydrocarbon stream preferably comprises, or essentially consists of, natural gas. It is useful to treat and cool such streams for a number of reasons. It is particularly useful to liquefy the hydrocarbon stream.
  • Natural gas is a useful fuel source, as well as a source of various hydrocarbon compounds. It is often desirable to liquefy natural gas in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at or near the source of a natural gas stream for a number of reasons. As an example, 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 high pressure.
  • LNG liquefied natural gas
  • WO2012/000998 discloses a method and apparatus for treating a methane-containing hydrocarbon stream, wherein a wet hydrocarbon stream, before it is de-hydrated in a water removal device, is cooled by indirect heat
  • the effluent stream is passed to a further heat exchanger where it is cooled against an evaporating refrigerant fraction which is obtained from a part of a source refrigerant stream.
  • the auxiliary stream and the part of the source refrigerant stream are obtained by splitting a source refrigerant stream, obtained from a refrigerant compressor and an ambient heat exchanger, into the auxiliary refrigerant stream and said part of the source refrigerant stream.
  • Spent refrigerant discharged from the further heat exchanger is conveyed back to the refrigerant compressor, optionally via a suction drum, and a discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream, resulting from the auxiliary refrigerant stream after cooling the wet hydrocarbon stream, is passed to a second suction inlet in the same refrigerant compressor, optionally via another suction drum.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating a hydrocarbon stream comprising methane, the method
  • said wet hydrocarbon stream comprising at least methane and water
  • cooling of the wet hydrocarbon stream thereby lowering the temperature from the first temperature to a second temperature, wherein said cooling of the wet hydrocarbon stream comprises indirectly heat exchanging against an effluent stream followed by indirectly heat exchanging against an auxiliary refrigerant stream;
  • the present invention provides an apparatus for treating a hydrocarbon stream comprising methane, the apparatus comprising:
  • a supply conduit for providing a wet hydrocarbon stream that comprises at least methane and water
  • a wet feed heat exchanger connected to the supply conduit, and arranged to receive the wet hydrocarbon stream from the supply conduit, and to lower the temperature of the wet hydrocarbon stream by indirect heat exchanging against an effluent stream;
  • an auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement arranged to further lower the temperature of the wet hydrocarbon stream discharged from the wet feed heat exchanger by indirect heat exchanging against an auxiliary refrigerant stream;
  • a water removal device arranged to receive the wet hydrocarbon stream downstream of the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement, and comprising a wet disposal stream outlet for discharging a wet disposal stream comprising water from the wet hydrocarbon stream, and a vapour outlet for discharging an effluent stream
  • a further heat exchanger provided with a first tube bundle inlet for receiving the effluent stream from the water removal device, and a first tube bundle outlet for discharging a cooled hydrocarbon stream, wherein the first tube bundle outlet is internally in the further heat exchanger connected with the first tube bundle inlet via a first tube bundle, and wherein said first tube bundle is arranged in a heat exchanging relationship with an evaporating refrigerant fraction inside the further heat exchanger;
  • first connecting means connecting the vapour outlet of the water removal device with the first tube bundle inlet of the further heat exchanger, which first connecting means passes through the wet feed heat exchanger in indirect heat exchanging interaction with the wet
  • a refrigerant circuit arranged to cycle a refrigerant in repetitive cycles, said refrigerant circuit, when being considered following the flow of the refrigerant during a single pass through the refrigerant circuit starting from a discharge outlet of a refrigerant
  • a condenser arranged to receive a refrigerant stream in a compressed condition and to extract heat from the refrigerant stream in said compressed condition whereby at least partially condensing the refrigerant stream in said compressed condition thereby forming a source refrigerant stream comprising a refrigerant stream in a compressed condition and comprising a liquid phase;
  • a first expansion device arranged to receive and expand at least a part of a part of the source
  • the further heat exchanger arranged to receive the evaporating refrigerant fraction from the first expansion device, in which further heat exchanger a cooling zone is provided wherein the evaporating refrigerant fraction is arranged in indirect heat exchanging contact with at least the effluent stream in the first tube bundle whereby the evaporating refrigerant fraction is
  • said further heat exchanger comprising a shell outlet to discharge the spent refrigerant from the cooling zone;
  • auxiliary refrigerant stream into the auxiliary refrigerant stream and the part of the source refrigerant stream, wherein said auxiliary refrigerant stream comprises at least a part of said liquid phase;
  • auxiliary heat exchanging arranged to bring the spent refrigerant and a discharged auxiliary refrigerant consisting of the auxiliary refrigerant discharged from the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement together in direct heat exchanging contact, whereby the auxiliary heat exchanging
  • Fig. 1 schematically represents a first process flow scheme representing a method and apparatus according to embodiments of the invention
  • FIG. 2 schematically represents a second process flow scheme representing a method and apparatus according to other embodiments of the invention
  • FIG. 3 schematically represents a part of a third process flow scheme representing a method and apparatus according to still other embodiments of the invention.
  • the present description concerns removal of a wet disposal stream from a wet hydrocarbon stream in a water removal device, yielding an effluent stream comprising the wet hydrocarbon stream from which the wet disposal stream has been removed.
  • the effluent stream is intended to be cooled in a further heat exchanger against an evaporating refrigerant stream obtained from a source refrigerant stream. After evaporating, the evaporating refrigerant stream is discharged from the further heat exchanger as a spent refrigerant stream and passed to a refrigerant
  • An auxiliary refrigerant stream split-off from the same source refrigerant stream in the same refrigerant circuit as used to further the effluent stream, is used to cool the wet hydrocarbon stream before the wet hydrocarbon stream enters the water removal device.
  • a discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream is obtained from the auxiliary refrigerant stream following said cooling of the wet hydrocarbon stream with the auxiliary refrigerant stream.
  • the source refrigerant stream is formed from a refrigerant stream in compressed condition.
  • refrigerant stream in compressed condition is formed by compressing the spent refrigerant and the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream whereby the auxiliary refrigerant is brought in direct heat exchanging contact with the spent refrigerant as it is being passed to the refrigerant compressor.
  • refrigerant stream flow rate is less than 10 % of the spent refrigerant stream flow rate.
  • a benefit of this proposed method and apparatus is that the liquid loading on the suction drums is lower due to the direct heat exchanging. Furthermore, that no separate suction drum is needed for the auxiliary refrigerant. By omitting the separate suction drum for the auxiliary refrigerant associated capital expenditure may be avoided.
  • FIGS. 1 to 3 schematically show process flow schemes for treating a hydrocarbon stream.
  • First will be described some of the basic features common to the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. Most of these features are not shown in Fig. 3.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative implementation of the compressor 270 which can be applied in either embodiment of Figs 1 and 2.
  • FIGS 1 to 3 generally illustrate various aspects
  • a supply conduit provides a wet hydrocarbon stream 510, which comprises at least methane and water.
  • a wet feed heat exchanger 545 is connected to the supply conduit and arranged to receive the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 from the supply conduit, and to lower the temperature of the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 by indirect heat exchanging against an effluent stream 560 from a water removal device 525.
  • An auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575 is arranged to further lower the temperature of the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 discharged from the wet feed heat exchanger 545, by indirect heat exchanging of the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 discharged from the wet feed heat exchanger 545 against an auxiliary refrigerant stream 250.
  • the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575 may be provided in the form of a water removal heat exchanger.
  • the water removal device 525 is arranged to receive the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 downstream of the
  • the water removal device comprises a first water removal device inlet 551 to receive the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 through.
  • the water removal device 525 further comprises a wet disposal stream outlet 589 for
  • a further heat exchanger 535 is provided, arranged with a first tube bundle inlet 531 for receiving the effluent stream 560 from the water removal device 525.
  • the further heat exchanger 535 is also provided with a first tube bundle outlet 539 for discharging a cooled hydrocarbon stream 540.
  • the first tube bundle outlet 539 is within the further heat exchanger internally connected with the first tube bundle inlet 531 via a first tube bundle 532.
  • the first tube bundle 532 is arranged in a cooling zone within the further heat exchanger 535 in a heat exchanging relationship with an evaporating refrigerant fraction inside the further heat exchanger 535.
  • the vapour outlet 559 of the water removal device 525 is connected with the first tube bundle inlet 531 of the further heat exchanger 535 via first connecting means
  • the first connecting means 565 passes through the wet feed heat exchanger 545 in indirect heat exchanging interaction with the wet hydrocarbon stream 510.
  • a refrigerant circuit 200 provides cooling to the further heat exchanger 535.
  • the refrigerant circuit 200 is arranged to cycle a refrigerant in repetitive cycles. When being considered following the flow of the
  • refrigerant circuit 200 starting from a discharge outlet 279 of a refrigerant compressor 270, the refrigerant encounters: a condenser 285, a splitter 245, a first expansion device 225, and the cooling zone in the further heat exchanger 535.
  • the condenser 285 is arranged to receive a
  • refrigerant stream 280 comprising a refrigerant stream in a compressed condition and comprising a liquid phase.
  • the first expansion device 225 is arranged to receive and expand at least a part 220 of a part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280, thereby obtaining the evaporating refrigerant fraction.
  • the further heat exchanger 535 is arranged to receive the evaporating refrigerant fraction from the first expansion device 225.
  • the evaporating refrigerant fraction is arranged in indirect heat exchanging contact with at least the effluent stream in the first tube bundle 532 in the cooling zone within the further heat exchanger 535, whereby the evaporating refrigerant fraction is transformed into spent refrigerant.
  • the further heat exchanger comprises a shell outlet 239 to discharge the spent refrigerant from the cooling zone.
  • a spent refrigerant line 240 connects the shell outlet 239 to the refrigerant compressor 270.
  • the refrigerant compressor 270 comprises at least a first suction inlet 271, and a discharge outlet 279.
  • suction inlets may be available to allow feeding into another stage of compression.
  • the splitter 245 is provided to split the source refrigerant stream 280 into the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 and the part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280.
  • the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 comprises at least a part of the liquid phase from the source refrigerant stream 280.
  • This apparatus can be operated in accordance with a method wherein a wet hydrocarbon stream 510 comprising at least methane and water is provided at a temperature equal to a first temperature.
  • the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 is cooled, thereby lowering the temperature from the first temperature to a second temperature.
  • the cooling of the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 comprises indirectly heat exchanging against the effluent stream 560, followed by indirectly heat exchanging in the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement against the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250.
  • a discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265 consisting of the auxiliary refrigerant containing heat from the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 is discharged from the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575.
  • the cooled wet hydrocarbon stream is then fed to the water removal device 525 though the first water removal device inlet 551.
  • a wet disposal stream 590 comprising water, and optionally comprising mercury, is removed from the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 at the second temperature, resulting in the effluent stream 560, which comprises the wet hydrocarbon stream from which the wet disposal stream 590 has been removed.
  • the wet disposal stream 590 is discharged from the water removal device 525 via wet disposal stream outlet 589, for further treatment (not shown) and
  • hydrocarbon stream from which components including water and optionally mercury have been removed is discharged from the water removal device 525 through the vapour outlet 559, and passed to the further heat exchanger 535 via the first connecting means 565. While passing the effluent stream to the further heat exchanger 535, the effluent stream is heated in the wet feed heat exchanger 545, by indirect heat exchange between the effluent stream 560 and the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 prior to admission of the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 into the water removal device 525. Subsequently, the effluent stream 560 is cooled in the further heat exchanger 535 by indirect heat exchanging against the evaporating
  • a refrigerant is cycled in repetitive cycles, wherein a single pass of the refrigerant through the cycle comprises the following consecutive steps:
  • the source refrigerant stream 280 comprises a liquid phase at a refrigerant temperature and a refrigerant pressure.
  • a part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280 is passed to the further heat exchanger 535 as well.
  • the evaporating refrigerant fraction is obtained by at least expanding at least a part 220 of the part 210 of the source
  • refrigerant stream 280 to a pressure lower than the refrigerant pressure.
  • the evaporating refrigerant fraction then is passed to the further heat exchanger 535, where the spent refrigerant is formed from the evaporating refrigerant fraction by absorbing heat from at least the effluent stream in the further heat
  • the spent refrigerant is discharged from the further heat exchanger 535 and passed to the
  • the refrigerant compressor 270 discharges said refrigerant stream in compressed condition from the discharge outlet 279 of the
  • the cycle further comprises the following consecutive steps: splitting the source refrigerant stream 280 into said auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 and said part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280; and indirectly heat exchanging the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 against the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 in the auxiliary heat exchanger arrangement 575.
  • the splitting is such that the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 comprises at least a part of the liquid phase from the source refrigerant stream 280.
  • auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 A discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265, which contains heat from the wet hydrocarbon stream 510, is discharged from the auxiliary heat exchanger arrangement 575.
  • a combiner 266 may be provided, to bring the spent refrigerant 240 and the discharged auxiliary refrigerant 265 together in direct heat exchanging contact, such that the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575 is arranged in the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 between the splitter 245 and the combiner 266.
  • the combiner 266 is arranged between the auxiliary heat exchanger arrangement 575 and the
  • refrigerant compressor 270 This allows for directly heat exchanging the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265 with the spent refrigerant 240 being passed to the refrigerant compressor 270, and forming of the refrigerant stream in compressed condition by compressing the spent refrigerant 240 and the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265.
  • refrigerant stream in compressed condition is formed by compressing both the (discharged) auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 (265) and the spent refrigerant stream 240.
  • Direct heat exchanging as opposed to indirect heat exchanging, involves bringing the two stream in physical contact with each other whereby the two streams are mixed to form a single combined stream.
  • the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 is also passed through a wet feed ambient heat exchanger 585, before being fed to the wet feed heat exchanger 545.
  • the wet feed ambient heat exchanger 585 is suitably provided in the supply conduit.
  • wet hydrocarbon stream 510 may be heat exchanged against ambient. If the optional wet feed ambient heat exchanger 585 is employed, the first
  • ambient temperature is controlled by heat exchanging against an ambient stream, such as for instance an air stream or a water stream.
  • the first temperature may be within 10 °C from ambient temperature.
  • ambient temperature is the temperature of the air stream or the water stream against which the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 is heat exchanged.
  • Ambient temperature may for instance lie in the range of from 0 to 50 °C.
  • the first temperature which is the temperature of the wet hydrocarbon stream as it is discharged from the wet feed heat exchanger 585.
  • the temperature of the wet hydrocarbon stream as it passes into the wet feed heat exchanger 545 is less than 5 °C different, preferably less than 2 °C different, from the first temperature.
  • the refrigerant condenser 285 is provided in the form of an ambient heat exchanger. This allows for condensing of the refrigerant stream in compressed condition by heat exchanging the refrigerant stream in compressed condition that is discharged from the
  • the source refrigerant stream 280 is conveniently provided at a refrigerant temperature equal to a third temperature, which is within 10 °C from the first temperature.
  • further heat exchanger 535 is further provided with at least one second tube bundle inlet 211, for receiving the part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280, and at least one second tube bundle outlet 219.
  • the optional at least one second tube bundle outlet 219 is internally in the further heat exchanger 535 connected with the second tube bundle inlet 211 via a second tube bundle 212 arranged in and passing through the cooling zone.
  • the second tube bundle 212 is arranged in a heat exchanging relationship with the evaporating refrigerant fraction inside the further heat exchanger 535 in a similar way as the first tube bundle 532.
  • At least one cooled refrigerant stream 220 can thus be discharged from the at least one second tube bundle outlet 219.
  • second connecting means may be provided connecting the condenser 285 with the second tube bundle inlet 211.
  • the second connecting means is essentially free from any separate heat exchanger.
  • both the effluent stream 560 and the part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280 can be cooled in the further heat exchanger 535 by indirect heat
  • the temperature of the effluent stream 560 is matched to the first
  • hydrocarbon feed gas and the refrigerant stream is substantially the same, such as the same within the approach temperature of the wet feed heat exchanger 545 - for instance within 10 °C or preferably within 5 °C - as the temperature difference between the original wet hydrocarbon stream and the source refrigerant stream 280, regardless of the temperature conditions in the water removal device 525.
  • the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 and the source refrigerant stream 280 may have substantially the same temperature, for instance within 10 °C from each other, preferably within 5 °C from each other. This can for instance be achieved by heat exchanging both the wet hydrocarbon stream and the refrigerant stream against ambient .
  • the resulting cooled wet hydrocarbon stream is indirectly heat exchanged against the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 in the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575. Since the temperature of the wet hydrocarbon stream entering the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575 is lower than the first temperature, due to the heat
  • the temperature of the auxiliary refrigerant stream as it is discharged from the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575 will also be lower than the first temperature.
  • the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 may be expanded in a second expansion device 255.
  • auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 is expanded after the splitting in splitter 245 and before the indirectly heat exchanging of the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 against the wet hydrocarbon stream in the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575.
  • Figs. 1 and 2 show a Joule- Thomson valve in line 250 as the second expansion device 255.
  • More heat may be extracted from at least one of:
  • the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 contains methane.
  • the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 contains methane.
  • hydrocarbon stream 510 may be obtained from natural gas or petroleum reservoirs or coal beds.
  • the hydrocarbon stream may also be obtained from another source, including as an example a synthetic source such as a Fischer-Tropsch process.
  • the hydrocarbon stream comprises at least 50 mol% methane, more
  • the wet hydrocarbon stream may contain varying amounts of other components,
  • non-hydrocarbon components other than water such as N 2 , CO 2 , Hg, H 2 S and other sulphur compounds
  • hydrocarbons heavier than methane such as in particular ethane, propane and
  • Hydrocarbons with a molecular mass of at least that of propane may herein be referred to as C3+ hydrocarbons
  • hydrocarbons with a molecular mass of at least that of ethane may herein be referred to as C2+ hydrocarbons.
  • the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 may have been pre-treated to reduce and/or remove one or more of undesired components such as CO 2 and H 2 S, or have
  • composition of the wet hydrocarbon stream thus varies depending upon the type and location of the gas and the applied pre-treatment ( s ) .
  • the wet feed heat exchanger 545 may be provided in the form of a tube in shell type heat exchanger or pipe in pipe heat exchanger, but preferred is a plate-type heat exchanger such as a plate-fin heat exchanger and/or a printed circuit heat exchanger, optionally in a cold box.
  • the wet feed heat exchanger 545 may be installed in a counter current operating mode.
  • the second outlet 569 may be located on the same heat exchanging side of the wet feed heat exchanger 545 as the first inlet 541 while the second inlet 561 may be located on the same heat exchanging side of the wet feed heat exchanger 545 as the first outlet 549.
  • the second outlet discharges to the first inlet 531 of the further heat exchanger 535.
  • the further heat exchanger 535 is preferably embodied in the form of a coil-wound heat exchanger.
  • the further heat exchanger 535 is provided with a shell inlet 231 to provide access to the cooling zone.
  • the second tube bundle outlet 219 may be connected to the shell inlet 231 via lines 220 and 230 which are connected to each other via the first expansion device 225, which is here shown in the form of a Joule- Thomson valve.
  • the refrigerant may be a single-component refrigerant such as propane, but is preferably a multicomponent refrigerant.
  • the multicomponent refrigerant may contain a mixture of hydrocarbon components including one or more of pentanes, butanes, propane, propylene, ethane, and ethylene.
  • the refrigerant condenser 285 may for example be provided in the form of an air cooler or a water cooler.
  • the wet feed ambient heat exchanger 585 is preferably provided in the same form as the refrigerant condenser 285.
  • the refrigerant compressor 270 together with the refrigerant condenser 285 provides the refrigerant source stream 280 in the form of a compressed and ambient cooled refrigerant stream in line 280.
  • the temperature of the source refrigerant stream 280 is equal to a third
  • the temperature preferably at a value within 10 °C from the first temperature, which is the temperature at which the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 is discharged from the wet feed ambient heat exchanger 585.
  • Spent refrigerant in line 240 is preferably conveyed back to the refrigerant compressor 270 via a suction drum
  • the suction drum 263 may be provided in the form of a phase separator to remove any remaining liquids 269 from the refrigerant compressor feed stream 268 which is fully vaporous.
  • the wet feed heat exchanger 545 may comprise:
  • the water removal device 525 may be of any suitable known type. It may typically comprise a separator vessel for separating precipitated components from the wet hydrocarbon stream 510, and downstream thereof a water sorbing device for absorbing or adsorbing remaining water components from the residue vapour from which the
  • solid bed dehydration units also referred to as dry desiccant dehydration units.
  • multiple beds are in use in a cyclic mode of operation involving drying (absorbing or adsorbing) and regeneration
  • the water sorbing device is also capable of removing mercury from the wet hydrocarbon stream, which can be facilitated by an appropriate selection of the sorbent employed in the solid bed.
  • the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575 is embodied in the form of a water removal heat exchanger arranged between the first outlet 549 from the wet feed heat exchanger 545 and the first water removal device inlet 551 into the water removal device 525.
  • heat can be extracted from the wet hydrocarbon stream 510 between the first outlet 549 from the wet feed heat exchanger 545 and the first water removal device inlet 551 into the water removal device 525.
  • the part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280 is passed to the further heat exchanger 535 while maintaining its temperature essentially equal to the third temperature. To this end, it will not be passed through a deliberate heat exchanger and no heat exchanging with another medium will be taking place other than de-minimis unavoidable heat exchanging with the environment via the piping used for line 210.
  • this may mean that the temperature of the part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280 that passes through the second tube bundle inlet 211 is less than
  • the temperature of the effluent stream 560 in the first tube bundle inlet 531 is essentially the same as the
  • the first connecting means is
  • the effluent stream 560 that is discharged from the wet feed heat exchanger 545 is thus preferably not passed through any deliberate heat exchanger, and no heat exchanging with another medium will be taking place other than de-minimis unavoidable heat exchanging with the environment via the piping used for the connection between the wet feed heat exchanger 545 and the first tube bundle inlet 531 of the further heat exchanger 535.
  • the temperature of the effluent stream 560 that passes through the first tube bundle inlet 531 is less than 5 °C different, preferably less than 2 °C different, from the temperature of the effluent stream 560 as it is discharged from the wet feed heat exchanger 545.
  • Both the effluent stream 560 and the part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280 that is passed to the further heat exchanger 535 are cooled in the further heat exchanger 535, by indirect heat exchanging against an evaporating refrigerant fraction 230.
  • the evaporating refrigerant fraction is passed into the shell side of the further heat exchanger 535 via the shell inlet 231.
  • the evaporating refrigerant may be a separate refrigerant from the part of the source refrigerant in line 210 that is being cooled. However, as shown in Fig. 1, it may be a part or all of the cooled refrigerant 220 that exits the further heat exchanger 535 via the second tube bundle outlet 219 into line 220. In the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 2, the evaporating refrigerant fraction 230 is obtained by expanding at least a part of the cooled refrigerant 220 with the first expansion device 225.
  • a remaining part of the cooled refrigerant is passed to another heat exchanger (not shown) in the form of continuing refrigerant stream 235 to be evaporated at a lower pressure than the evaporating refrigerant
  • the temperature of the effluent stream 560 as admitted into the further heat exchanger 535 via the first tube bundle inlet 531 is within less than 10 °C, preferably within less than 5 °C, different from the temperature of the part 210 of the source refrigerant stream 280 as it is admitted into the further heat exchanger 535 via the second tube bundle inlet 211.
  • the expanded auxiliary refrigerant stream 260 is passed into the auxiliary heat exchanging arrangement 575 and discharged from the same after it has extracted heat from the wet hydrocarbon stream 510.
  • the discharged auxiliary refrigerant 265 is recompressed .
  • the spent refrigerant 240 may be discharged from the further heat exchanger at a fourth temperature.
  • the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265 immediately after indirectly heat exchanging the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265 against the wet hydrocarbon stream may be at a fifth temperature.
  • the fifth temperature may be lower than the forth temperature.
  • the direct heat exchanging of the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265 will then cause vaporization of remaining liquid that might be present in the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265 before the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265 reaches the refrigerant compressor 270 for the first time after having been discharged from the
  • the auxiliary refrigerant stream flow rate with which the auxiliary refrigerant stream 250 flows is less than 10 % of the spent refrigerant stream flow rate with which the spent refrigerant stream 240 flows.
  • the excess of the spent refrigerant stream 240 compared to the auxiliary refrigerant stream helps with the evaporation of remaining liquid that might be present in the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream 265.
  • refrigerant 265 passes through the same optional suction drum 263 as the spent refrigerant in line 240. This way only a single suction drum 263 can handle both streams. Direct heat exchanging between the discharged auxiliary refrigerant 265 and the spent refrigerant 240 can take place either in a combined connection line 267 spanning between the combiner 266 and the suction drum 263 or in the suction drum 263, or both.
  • compressor vapour feed stream 268 drawn from the suction drum 263 would thus contain all vapour from both the discharged auxiliary refrigerant 265 and the spent refrigerant 240.
  • the refrigerant compressor vapour feed stream is fed into the refrigerant compressor 270 via a suction inlet 271 without condensing any part of the refrigerant compressor vapour feed stream 268 during any single pass from the suction drum 263 to the refrigerant compressor 270.
  • the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 2 are most suitable if the pressures of the spent refrigerant 240 and the discharged auxiliary refrigerant 265 are equal or substantially equal to each other.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative, suitable in case the discharged auxiliary refrigerant 265 is at a higher pressure than the spent refrigerant 240.
  • the refrigerant compressor 270 should be a multi-stage compressor.
  • the spent refrigerant 240 may be fed, optionally via the suction drum (not shown) , to a second suction inlet 272 of the refrigerant compressor 270 after which it is compressed in two or more stages.
  • the spent refrigerant is discharged from the refrigerant compressor 270 via an inter-compressed outlet 278 and led to combiner 266 wherein the spent refrigerant is combined with the discharged auxiliary refrigerant 265.
  • refrigerant 265 and the spent refrigerant 240 can take place either in the combined connection line 267, which in this embodiment spans between the combiner 266 and the suction inlet 271 of a subsequent compression stage in the refrigerant compressor 270.
  • the vapour consisting of both the discharged auxiliary refrigerant 265 and the spent refrigerant 240 can thus further compressed and discharged from the refrigerant compressor 270 via the discharge outlet 279.
  • the temperature of the spent refrigerant stream 240 in the combiner 266 is higher than in the case of the
  • refrigerant stream 240 will have picked up heat of compression. This will be extra heat that can be added to the discharged auxiliary refrigerant 265 to vaporize more residual liquid phase, which may be present in the discharged auxiliary refrigerant, than in the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 2.
  • the direct heat exchanging taking place in the combined connection line 267 acts as an "intercooler" cooling the intermediately compressed spent refrigerant 240 between two successive stages of compression.
  • the pressure in the second suction inlet 272 is between the suction pressure at the suction inlet 271 and the discharge pressure in discharge outlet 279.
  • the discharge outlet 279 is fluidly connected to the source refrigerant line 280.
  • a further optional feature illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is that more than one refrigerant stream may be fed into the further heat exchanger 535. As can be seen in
  • the further heat exchanger 535 may
  • the third tube bundle inlet 311 is, via an optional third tube bundle 312 which may optionally be disposed inside the further heat exchanger 535, connected to a third tube bundle outlet 319 via which the cooled other refrigerant stream is discharged into line 320.
  • the cooled other refrigerant stream 320 may be partially or fully condensed in the further heat
  • the cooled other refrigerant stream 320 may for instance be passed to another heat exchanger (not shown) to perform cooling duty therein. In performing said cooling duty, part of the condensed other refrigerant stream 320 may be evaporated in the other heat exchanger.
  • the other refrigerant stream 310 may form part of the same refrigerant circuit 200 as the source refrigerant stream 280.
  • the refrigerant circuit in this group of embodiments may comprise a pre-cooling refrigerant gas/liquid separator 275 of which the overhead vapour outlet discharges into third tube bundle inlet 311 and of which pre-cooling refrigerant gas/liquid separator 275 the bottom liquid outlet discharges to the splitter 245.
  • the other refrigerant stream 310 after having been condensed to from the condensed other refrigerant stream 320 and evaporated in the other heat exchanger, may be returned to the
  • refrigerant stream 310 may be circulated in another refrigerant circuit (not shown) that is separate from the discussed refrigerant circuit 200.
  • the refrigerant circuit 200 may be a pre-cooling refrigerant circuit used to produce the cooled hydrocarbon stream 540 and the cooled other refrigerant stream 320 in the form of a pre-cooled main refrigerant stream.
  • the main refrigerant of the main refrigerant stream may be cycled in main refrigerant circuit that is distinct from the pre-cooling refrigerant circuit, such as described in for instance US Pat. 6,370,910.
  • each of the pre-cooling refrigerant and the main refrigerant may be composed of a mixed refrigerant.
  • any mixed refrigerant comprises two or more of the group consisting of: methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, butanes and pentanes.
  • the pre-cooling refrigerant has a higher average molecular weight than main refrigerant.
  • the pre-cooling refrigerant in the pre- cooling refrigerant circuit may be formed of a mixture of two or more components within the following composition:
  • the main cooling refrigerant in the main refrigerant circuit may be formed of a mixture of two or more components within the
  • the pre-cooling refrigerant and the main refrigerant may both be drawn from the pre-cooling refrigerant
  • the refrigerant being cycled in the refrigerant circuit may be formed of a mixture of two or more components within the following composition: ⁇ 20 mol% 2, 20-60 mol% methane, 20-60 mol% ethane and/or ethylene, ⁇ 30 mol% propane and/or propylene, ⁇ 15% butanes and ⁇ 5% pentanes; having a total of 100%.
  • the source refrigerant stream 280 is partially, not fully, condensed (for instance in refrigerant condenser 285) , and subsequently separated in a pre-cooling refrigerant gas/liquid
  • the vapour light refrigerant stream is discharged at the top of the pre- cooling refrigerant gas/liquid separator 275 into line 310 to be fed to the further heat exchanger 535 via the third tube bundle inlet 311 as the other refrigerant stream.
  • the liquid refrigerant is discharged at the bottom of the pre-cooling refrigerant gas/liquid
  • a part of the condensed other refrigerant stream 320 may be injected into the evaporating refrigerant fraction 230 via
  • optional line 352 optional third expansion device 353 (which may be provided in the form of a Joule-Thomson valve) and an optional combiner 357 provided in line 230.
  • optional third expansion device 353 which may be provided in the form of a Joule-Thomson valve
  • optional combiner 357 provided in line 230.
  • the cooled hydrocarbon stream 540 that is discharged from the further heat exchanger 535 may be further treated in a variety of manners. In one group of embodiments, it may be cooled in one or more other heat exchangers against one or both of at least a part of the continuing refrigerant stream 235 being evaporated in another heat exchanger at a lower pressure than the evaporating refrigerant fraction 230 and at least a part of the cooled other refrigerant stream 320.
  • at least part of the cooled hydrocarbon stream 540 is cooled to a temperature low enough, such as below -125 °C or preferably below -150 °C, to form liquefied natural gas.
  • Such liquefied natural gas be depressurized in an end-flash system or depressurization stage as known in the art, and subsequently stored in a cryogenic liquid storage tank at a pressure of between 1 and 2 bar absolute and a temperature of approximately -162 °C.
  • hydrocarbon stream 540 may be subjected to one or more extraction steps wherein C2+ hydrocarbons, preferably C3+ hydrocarbons, are extracted from the cooled
  • hydrocarbon stream 540 thereby generating a residue in the form of a methane-enriched hydrocarbon stream.
  • This methane-enriched hydrocarbon stream may be sold as pipe line gas, or subjected to more cooling in the way described in the preceding paragraph, to produce
  • the extracted C2+ hydrocarbons may be sold and/or further processed, for instance by fractionation into single- component streams including ethane and/or propane and/or butane .

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un courant d'hydrocarbure en phase liquide (510) comprenant au moins du méthane et de l'eau séché pour former un courant effluent (560) et un courant d'élimination en phase liquide (590). Avant séchage, le courant d'hydrocarbure en phase liquide (510) est refroidi par un échange de chaleur indirect contre le courant effluent (560) suivi par un échange de chaleur indirect contre un courant réfrigérant auxiliaire (250). Le courant effluent (560) passe par la suite dans un autre échangeur de chaleur (535) où le courant effluent (560) est refroidi contre un courant réfrigérant d'évaporation qui est par la suite évacué de l'autre échangeur de chaleur (535) sous forme de courant réfrigérant épuisé (240). Un courant réfrigérant à l'état comprimé est formé par compression du réfrigérant épuisé (240) et le courant réfrigérant auxiliaire qui est évacué de l'échange de chaleur indirect avec le courant d'hydrocarbure en phase liquide (510), ce qui permet un échange de chaleur direct entre le courant réfrigérant auxiliaire évacué (265) et le courant réfrigérant épuisé (240) avant ladite compression.
PCT/EP2013/050021 2012-11-21 2013-01-02 Procédé de traitement d'un courant d'hydrocarbure comprenant du méthane et appareil associé WO2014079590A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14/443,921 US20150300731A1 (en) 2012-11-21 2013-01-02 Method of treating a hydrocarbon stream comprising methane, and an apparatus therefor
NZ707810A NZ707810A (en) 2012-11-21 2013-01-02 Method of treating a hydrocarbon stream comprising methane, and an apparatus therefor

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IN4866CH2012 2012-11-21
IN4866/CHE/2012 2012-11-21

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2014079590A2 true WO2014079590A2 (fr) 2014-05-30
WO2014079590A3 WO2014079590A3 (fr) 2015-09-24

Family

ID=47522651

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2013/050021 WO2014079590A2 (fr) 2012-11-21 2013-01-02 Procédé de traitement d'un courant d'hydrocarbure comprenant du méthane et appareil associé

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20150300731A1 (fr)
NZ (1) NZ707810A (fr)
WO (1) WO2014079590A2 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2016138978A1 (fr) * 2015-03-05 2016-09-09 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Procédé de liquéfaction d'une fraction riche en hydrocarbures

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11112173B2 (en) * 2016-07-01 2021-09-07 Fluor Technologies Corporation Configurations and methods for small scale LNG production
WO2019110770A1 (fr) 2017-12-07 2019-06-13 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Procédé de fonctionnement d'une installation de production de gaz naturel liquéfié
AU2018380882B2 (en) 2017-12-07 2022-02-03 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Compact lng production train and method

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5832745A (en) 1995-04-18 1998-11-10 Shell Oil Company Cooling a fluid stream
US6370910B1 (en) 1998-05-21 2002-04-16 Shell Oil Company Liquefying a stream enriched in methane
WO2012000998A2 (fr) 2010-06-30 2012-01-05 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Procédé de traitement d'un flux d'hydrocarbure contenant du méthane et appareil à cet effet

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1572900A (en) * 1976-04-21 1980-08-06 Shell Int Research Process of the liquefaction of natural gas
WO2009050178A2 (fr) * 2007-10-17 2009-04-23 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Procédés et appareils de refroidissement et/ou de liquéfaction d'un flux d'hydrocarbures

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5832745A (en) 1995-04-18 1998-11-10 Shell Oil Company Cooling a fluid stream
US6370910B1 (en) 1998-05-21 2002-04-16 Shell Oil Company Liquefying a stream enriched in methane
WO2012000998A2 (fr) 2010-06-30 2012-01-05 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Procédé de traitement d'un flux d'hydrocarbure contenant du méthane et appareil à cet effet

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2016138978A1 (fr) * 2015-03-05 2016-09-09 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Procédé de liquéfaction d'une fraction riche en hydrocarbures
RU2705130C2 (ru) * 2015-03-05 2019-11-05 Линде Акциенгезельшафт Способ сжижения богатой углеводородами фракции

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2014079590A3 (fr) 2015-09-24
US20150300731A1 (en) 2015-10-22
NZ707810A (en) 2016-05-27

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CA2767369C (fr) Procede pour le traitement d'un courant d'hydrocarbure a plusieurs phases et appareil correspondant
RU2607708C2 (ru) Способ и устройство для удаления азота из криогенной углеводородной композиции
CN111656115B (zh) 用于天然气凝液回收的过程集成
US20120240600A1 (en) Method of handling a boil off gas stream and an apparatus therefor
US8931306B2 (en) Method of treating a hydrocarbon stream comprising methane, and an apparatus therefor
JP2012514050A (ja) 炭化水素流から窒素を排除して燃料ガス流を提供する方法およびそのための装置
WO2017067908A1 (fr) Procédé et système de préparation d'un flux de gaz pauvre en méthane
US20150300731A1 (en) Method of treating a hydrocarbon stream comprising methane, and an apparatus therefor
RU2607198C2 (ru) Способ и устройство для удаления азота из криогенной углеводородной композиции
RU2684621C2 (ru) Способ и система для получения сжатой и, по меньшей мере, частично сконденсированной смеси углеводородов
US10215485B2 (en) Method of treating a hydrocarbon stream comprising methane, and an apparatus therefor
US20100307193A1 (en) Method and apparatus for cooling and separating a hydrocarbon stream
US20170153057A1 (en) Methods and apparatus for liquefaction of natural gas
Bulkatov Low-temperature condensation technology in fractionating oil-associated gas

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 14443921

Country of ref document: US

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 13700060

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A2