US20180045459A1 - Method for liquefying a hydrocarbon-rich fraction - Google Patents

Method for liquefying a hydrocarbon-rich fraction Download PDF

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Publication number
US20180045459A1
US20180045459A1 US15/555,745 US201615555745A US2018045459A1 US 20180045459 A1 US20180045459 A1 US 20180045459A1 US 201615555745 A US201615555745 A US 201615555745A US 2018045459 A1 US2018045459 A1 US 2018045459A1
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United States
Prior art keywords
hydrocarbon
fraction
rich fraction
liquefied
heat exchanger
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Abandoned
Application number
US15/555,745
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English (en)
Inventor
Heinz Bauer
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Linde GmbH
Original Assignee
Linde GmbH
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Filing date
Publication date
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Assigned to LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT reassignment LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: BAUER, HEINZ
Publication of US20180045459A1 publication Critical patent/US20180045459A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • 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
    • 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
    • F25J1/0228—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.
    • F25J1/0291—Refrigerant compression by combined gas compression and liquid pumping
    • 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

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a process for liquefying a hydrocarbon-rich fraction, in particular natural gas, where
  • the natural gas Before liquefaction, the natural gas is generally freed of acidic gas components, such as CO 2 and H 2 S, by means of a chemical scrub, for example an amine scrub. As a result, the natural gas is saturated with water (vapor).
  • a chemical scrub for example an amine scrub.
  • the natural gas is saturated with water (vapor).
  • the natural gas In order to achieve an economical design of the subsequent drying, which is generally based on adsorption on a zeolitic molecular sieve, the natural gas is cooled as far as possible and the water concentration is reduced by partial water condensation and subsequent water separation to such an extent that a limit is imposed on the threshold formation of hydrates or water ice. This limit is, depending on the gas composition, attained at a temperature of up to 20° C.
  • the hydrocarbon-rich fraction should be precooled to a temperature of not more than 10° C. above, preferably not more than 5° C. above, the hydrate temperature without the moist hydrocarbon-rich fraction coming into thermal contact with temperatures below the hydrate point.
  • a process of the type in question for liquefying a hydrocarbon-rich fraction which is characterized in that a substream of the liquid fraction serves for precooling the hydrocarbon-rich fraction to be liquefied before the latter fraction is fed to the water separation, where heat exchange between the liquid fraction and the hydrocarbon-rich fraction to be liquefied is effected by means of at least one heat exchanger system, is proposed.
  • a substream of the liquid fraction of the refrigerant be depressurized to a pressure of at least 0.3 bar above, preferably at least 0.7 bar above, the suction pressure of the second or last compressor stage and only the liquid fraction formed here be used for precooling the hydrocarbon-rich fraction to be liquefied before the latter is fed to the water separation.
  • the precooling of the hydrocarbon-rich fraction to be liquefied before this fraction is fed to the water separation is effected against a substream of the liquid fraction formed in the partial condensation of the compressed refrigerant.
  • the heat exchange between this liquid fraction and the hydrocarbon-rich fraction to be liquefied is achieved by means of a heat exchanger system.
  • the heat exchanger system serves to effect indirect heat transfer between the hydrocarbon-rich fraction to be liquefied and the gradually evaporating refrigerant.
  • heat exchanger system refers to any system in which indirect heat transfer occurs between at least two media by means of a heat transfer fluid.
  • a heat exchanger system is known, for example, from the U.S. Pat. No. 2,119,091.
  • Such heat exchanger systems preferably use a boiling pure material which is present in liquid form in the temperature range from 0 to 30° C., which can be, for example, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, butane, carbon dioxide or ammonia, as heat transfer fluid.
  • the heat exchanger system is preferably made up of two bundles of straight tubes, two helically coiled heat exchangers, two plate exchangers or any combination of these construction types, where the aforementioned heat exchanger components have preferably been installed in a pressure vessel which contains the boiling heat transfer fluid.
  • Suitable selection of the pure material heat transfer fluid and regulation of the operating pressure thereof and thus the boiling point thereof enable the hydrocarbon-rich fraction to be cooled to very close to the hydrate temperature without coming directly into thermal contact with an unacceptably cold refrigerant stream.
  • the heat transfer fluid brings about the desired heat transfer comparatively efficiently by continual condensation on the refrigerant side and evaporation on the side of the hydrocarbon-rich fraction.
  • the heat transfer fluid operates at constant boiling point and thus dew point.
  • the procedure according to the invention makes it possible for the load on the drying process to be optimally reduced by cooling of the hydrocarbon-rich fraction to be liquefied or of the natural gas to be liquefied down to close to the hydrate point, and also enables water separation.
  • the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 1 to be liquefied which normally has a temperature in the range from 40 to 80° C., is cooled to a temperature in the range from 30 to 60° C. against cooling air and/or cooling water in the heat exchanger E 3 .
  • the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 2 to be liquefied is subsequently fed to a heat exchanger system E 4 and precooled in this to a temperature of not more than 10° C. above, preferably not more than 5° C. above, its hydrate temperature.
  • the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 3 which has been pre-cooled in this way is fed to a separator D 4 at the bottom of which the condensed-out water 4 is obtained.
  • the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 5 taken off at the top of the separator D 4 is then fed to a drying process T which is depicted merely as a black box.
  • This is normally an adsorption process in which a zeolitic molecular sieve is normally used as adsorbent.
  • the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 6 which is to be liquefied and has been pretreated in this way is subsequently cooled, liquefied and optionally supercooled in the heat exchanger E against the refrigeration circuit yet to be explained, so that, in the case of natural gas liquefaction, an LNG product stream can be taken off via conduit 7 .
  • the liquefaction of the hydrocarbon-rich fraction occurs against a mixed refrigerant circuit in the working examples depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
  • Such mixed refrigerant circuits usually have nitrogen and at least one C 1+ -hydrocarbon as refrigerant.
  • the refrigerant 10 to be compressed is compressed to an intermediate pressure in the first compressor stage C 1 .
  • the compressed refrigerant 11 is subsequently partially condensed in the after-cooler E 1 and separated in the separator D 2 into a relatively low-boiling gas fraction 12 and a relatively high-boiling liquid fraction 15 . Only the lower-boiling gas fraction 12 is compressed to the maximum circuit pressure in the second compressor stage C 2 .
  • the compressed refrigerant 13 is again partially condensed in the after-cooler E 2 and separated in the separator D 3 into a gas fraction 14 and a liquid fraction 17 / 17 ′.
  • the gas fraction 14 and the abovementioned, relatively high-boiling refrigerant liquid fraction 15 which is pumped by means of the pump P to the pressure of the refrigerant gas fraction 14 , are together cooled against themselves in the heat exchanger E and subsequently depressurized in the depressurization valve V 4 in order to provide refrigeration.
  • the refrigeration-providing depressurized refrigerant 16 is then completely vaporized in the heat exchanger E against the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 6 to be liquefied and is again fed to the separator D 1 located upstream of the first compressor stage C 1 ; this serves to secure the compressor stage C 1 since liquid fractions which may be entrained therein are separated off.
  • the refrigerant liquid fraction 17 ′ taken off from the separator D 3 is entirely recirculated via the depressurization valve V 1 to a point upstream of the separator D 2 in the methods of the prior art, a substream 17 of this liquid fraction is now employed for precooling the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 1 / 2 to be liquefied.
  • the above-described substream 17 of the liquid fraction is depressurized in the valve V 2 , preferably to a pressure of at least 0.3 bar above, in particular at least 0.7 bar above, the suction pressure of the second compressor stage C 2 , and the resulting two-phase stream is fed to the separator D 5 .
  • the gas fraction 19 present therein is recirculated via the regulating valve V 3 to a point upstream of the separator D 2 , while the liquid fraction 18 obtained in the separator D 5 is employed for precooling the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 1 / 2 to be liquefied and the liquid fraction 18 is subsequently likewise recirculated to a point upstream of the separator D 2 .
  • Heat exchange between the liquid fraction 17 or the liquid fraction 18 obtained after depressurization in the valve V 2 and the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 1 / 2 to be liquefied is effected by means of the heat exchanger system E 4 .
  • the relatively high-boiling liquid fraction 50 of the refrigerant which has been taken off from the separator D 2 and the refrigerant gas fraction 40 which has been taken off from the separator D 3 are cooled separately in the precooling zone a of the heat exchanger E′. While the relatively high-boiling liquid fraction 50 is depressurized in the valve V 5 to provide refrigeration and subsequently vaporized in countercurrent to the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 6 to be liquefied, the abovementioned gas fraction 40 is partially condensed and separated in the separator D 6 into a further gas fraction 41 and a further liquid fraction 42 .
  • the gas fraction 41 is cooled and partially condensed in the liquefaction and supercooling zones b and c of the heat exchanger E′. It is subsequently depressurized in the depressurization valve V 7 to provide refrigeration and completely vaporized in countercurrent to the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 6 which is to be liquefied and optionally to be supercooled.
  • the liquid fraction 42 obtained in the separator D 6 is cooled further in the liquefaction zone b of the heat exchanger E′, depressurized in the depressurization valve V 6 to provide refrigeration and completely vaporized in countercurrent to the hydrocarbon-rich fraction 6 to be liquefied. If the heat exchanger E′ depicted in FIG.
  • the refrigerant streams 41 , 42 and 50 which have been combined in the heat exchanger E′ and completely vaporized therein are fed via conduit 43 to the separator D 1 located upstream of the first compressor stage C 1 .

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
US15/555,745 2015-03-05 2016-02-11 Method for liquefying a hydrocarbon-rich fraction Abandoned US20180045459A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102015002822.7A DE102015002822A1 (de) 2015-03-05 2015-03-05 Verfahren zum Verflüssigen einer Kohlenwasserstoff-reichen Fraktion
DE102015002822.7 2015-03-05
PCT/EP2016/000231 WO2016138978A1 (de) 2015-03-05 2016-02-11 Verfahren zum verflüssigen einer kohlenwasserstoff-reichen fraktion

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20180045459A1 true US20180045459A1 (en) 2018-02-15

Family

ID=55349784

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US15/555,745 Abandoned US20180045459A1 (en) 2015-03-05 2016-02-11 Method for liquefying a hydrocarbon-rich fraction

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US20180045459A1 (de)
CN (1) CN107407519A (de)
AU (1) AU2016227946A1 (de)
DE (1) DE102015002822A1 (de)
RU (1) RU2705130C2 (de)
WO (1) WO2016138978A1 (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3951297A4 (de) * 2019-04-01 2022-11-16 Samsung Heavy Ind. Co., Ltd. Kühlsystem

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2024096757A1 (en) * 2022-11-02 2024-05-10 Gasanova Olesya Igorevna Natural gas liquefaction method

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2119091A (en) 1935-11-29 1938-05-31 Standard Oil Dev Co Process and apparatus for indirect heat transfer between two liquid materials
FR2471566B1 (fr) * 1979-12-12 1986-09-05 Technip Cie Procede et systeme de liquefaction d'un gaz a bas point d'ebullition
US4970867A (en) * 1989-08-21 1990-11-20 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Liquefaction of natural gas using process-loaded expanders
DE19722490C1 (de) 1997-05-28 1998-07-02 Linde Ag Verfahren zum Verflüssigen eines Kohlenwasserstoff-reichen Stromes
DE102006021620B4 (de) * 2006-05-09 2019-04-11 Linde Ag Vorbehandlung eines zu verflüssigenden Erdgasstromes
DE102009018248A1 (de) * 2009-04-21 2010-10-28 Linde Aktiengesellschaft Verfahren zum Verflüssigen einer Kohlenwasserstoff-reichen Fraktion
US20100281915A1 (en) * 2009-05-05 2010-11-11 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Pre-Cooled Liquefaction Process
WO2014079590A2 (en) * 2012-11-21 2014-05-30 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Method of treating a hydrocarbon stream comprising methane, and an apparatus therefor
RU2538192C1 (ru) * 2013-11-07 2015-01-10 Открытое акционерное общество "Газпром" Способ сжижения природного газа и установка для его осуществления

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3951297A4 (de) * 2019-04-01 2022-11-16 Samsung Heavy Ind. Co., Ltd. Kühlsystem

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE102015002822A1 (de) 2016-09-08
CN107407519A (zh) 2017-11-28
RU2017132312A (ru) 2019-04-08
RU2705130C2 (ru) 2019-11-05
WO2016138978A1 (de) 2016-09-09
RU2017132312A3 (de) 2019-04-08
AU2016227946A1 (en) 2017-09-28

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