REFRIGERANT AND CRYOGENIC LIQUEFACTION CYCLES

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 1

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES

Main Heat Exchanger

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 2

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
DISCUSSION OUTLINE
- THE INTENT OF LIQUEFACTION - FEED PREPARATION PROCESSES - TYPICAL LIQUEFACTIONS - MECHANISM OF APCI LIQUEFACTIONS - THE LICENSED LIQUEFACTION PROCESSES

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 3

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
I. THE INTENT OF LIQUEFACTION
- To liquefy natural gas - To decrease the volume - To make transportation easier

600

3 m

GAS

1 m3 LIQUID
Liquefaction Cycles
Yemen LNG Technical Training Slide No: 4

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
LNG LIQUEFACTION - Works at cryogenic temperature (very low temperature) - Built with special metal - The most costly operation in LNG processing

LNG Cost Chain

(2002)

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 5

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
II. FEED PREPARATION PROCESSES PRIOR TO LIQUEFACTION
ACID GAS REMOVAL DEHYDRATION PRECOOLING (REFRIGERATION) FRACTIONATION

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 6

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
III. TYPICAL LIQUEFACTION CYCLE
1. CASCADE CYCLE Uses three different gases as refrigerant in three different refrigeration loops EXPANDER CYCLE Uses a centrifugal or axial flow turbine through which high pressure gas is expanded to decrease temperature and give out energy that is typically used to drive compressor or electric generator MIX COMPONENT REFRIGERANT CYCLE Uses mixed gases together as refrigerant in one refrigeration loop (stream)

2.

3.

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 7

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
CASCADE LIQUEFACTION CYCLE
EVAPORATOR EVAPORATOR EVAPORATOR EVAPORATOR

FEEDGAS

LNG

EVAPORATOR

REFRIG 1 CYCLE

REFRIG 2 CYCLE
CONDENSOR

REFRIG 3 CYCLE

REFRIG 4 CYCLE

CONDENSOR

CONDENSOR

CONDENSOR

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Liquefaction Cycles
Yemen LNG Technical Training Slide No: 8

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
CASCADE LIQUEFACTION CYCLE
The process gas flows through a series of evaporators for each refrigeration cycle Each refrigerant cycle uses a single component of refrigerant Each refrigeration cycle has one dedicated complete set of equipment

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES (+) Very low temperature (-) Very complex, large volume of equipment required (-) High initial cost

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 9

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
PHILLIPS CASCADE LIQUEFACTION CYCLE
-36 F
EVAPORATOR

(CH4) -156 C

Nat. Gas

-100 C
EVAPORATOR

COMPRESSOR

COMPRESSOR

COMPRESSOR

LNG METHANE CYCLE

PROPANE CYCLE

ETHYLENE CYCLE

EVAPORATOR

CONDENSOR

CONDENSOR

CONDENSOR

- Propane refrigerant cools the feed gas and the ethylene refrigerant - The cooled ethylene is expanded to cool feed gas (2nd cooling)

- The LNG vapor from flash drum is used to cool feed gas from the ethylene evaporator
Liquefaction Cycles
Yemen LNG Technical Training

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Slide No: 10

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
MAIN HEAT EXCHANGER (PLATE-FIN COLD BOX)

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Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 11

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
EXPANDER LIQUEFACTION CYCLE
AFTERCOOLER
1 2

Q1

W1

COMPRESSOR

TURBOCOMPRESSOR

W2
SHAFT

TURBO EXPANDER

Q2
4

AFTERCOOLER
7 FEED GAS 8

PRODUCT LNG

MAIN RECUPERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGER

Advantage & disavantage

Very simple cycle Lower inherent efficiency for simple cycles (single-expander)

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Liquefaction Cycles
Yemen LNG Technical Training Slide No: 12

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
EXPANDER LIQUEFACTION CYCLE
The refrigerant, typically N2 or natural gas, is compressed in the main compressor with stream (1) as its discharge Heat is released from the cycle to the environment as the heat of compression in the after-cooler (2) prior to a second stage of compression in the turbo-compressor Stream (3) has the highest pressure developed in the cycle. Stream (3) then flows through a second after-cooler to transfer additional heat to the environment Next, stream (4) enters the recuperative heat exchanger where the refrigerant is cooled to well below ambient temperature. After leaving heat exchanger (5), the cooled refrigerant undergoes an isentropic expansion in the turbo-expander, which causes a large temperature drop in the refrigerant and produces shaft work

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 13

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
EXPANDER LIQUEFACTION CYCLE (continued)
The lower pressure cold refrigerant in stream (6) is used for cooling and liquefying natural gas in the recuperative heat exchanger to produce LNG The warm, low-pressure refrigerant in stream (7) is then recompressed in the primary compressor to complete the refrigeration cycle The feed gas enters the main heat exchanger and is cooled to a liquefying temperature (about -155 C)

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 14

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
MIXED COMPONENT REFRIGERATION (PRICO)
Fuel Gas Nat. Gas

MAIN HEAT EXCHANGER

Compressor

MCR (N2, C1, C2, C3, C4) CYCLE

LNG
Expansion valve

C/W CONDENSER

C/W CONDENSER

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Liquefaction Cycles
Yemen LNG Technical Training Slide No: 15

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
MIXED COMPONENT REFRIGERATION CYCLE ( APCI Process )
Natural Gas
MAIN HEAT EXCHANGER

Fuel Gas

EVAPORATOR

C C
PROPANE CYCLE
C/W

LNG

MCR (N2, C1, C2, C3) CYCLE

C/W

CONDENSER
C/W

EVAPORATOR

- High efficiency - Less equipment - Refrigerant from feed gas

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 16

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
MAIN HEAT EXCHANGER (APCI)
LNG to Storage -155C -150C
COLD BUNDLE JT-Valve

MCR Vapor

JT-Valve

-110C
Multi Component Refrigerant (MCR) - 36 C

- 36 C
WARM BUNDLE

MCR Liquid

Feed Gas 34 C From Scrub Column

Slide No: 17

-45C L/P MCR Vapor to Compressor

Liquefaction Cycles
Yemen LNG Technical Training

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
THE LICENSED LIQUEFACTION PROCESSES
APCI (AIR PRODUCTS CHEMICAL INDUSTRY) PHILLIPS OPTIMIZED CASCADE MIXED FLUID CASCADE LINDE LIQUEFIN - AXENS

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 18

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
APCI PROCESS
MCHE
JT-2 LNG product JT-1

Cold bundle

4 8

5 7 6 C

Warm bundle

LNG product

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 19

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
FEED GAS CIRCUIT OF APCI PROCESS
After sweetening in the acid gas removal units, the feed gas is cooled down by cooling water and propane vaporisation in the evaporator HP C3 (1) This chilling reduces the amount of water to be removed in the drying unit (2) The feed gas then flows to the mercury removal unit (3) The clean feed gas is now further cooled against vaporising propane in the evaporators MP C3 and LP C3 (4), where heavier hydrocarbons will condense Then, both condensed HC and gas enter the scrub column (5) for further separation Gas from the top of scrub column is routed to the warm bundle of the Main Cryogenic Heat Exchanger (MCHE) (6) where it partially condenses. The mixed flow is then separated into liquid and vapour in the reflux drum (7) of the scrubber column

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 20

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
FEED GAS CIRCUIT OF APCI PROCESS (continued)
Gas from the top of scrub column is routed to the warm bundle of the Main Cryogenic Heat Exchanger (MCHE) (6) where it partially condenses. The mixed flow is then separated into liquid and vapour in the reflux drum (7) of the scrubber column The vapour phase of the scrubber columns reflux drum enters the tube side of the MCHE. It condenses at a temperature in the range of 110 to 120 C in the warm bundle, and it is sub-cooled in the cold bundle of the MCHE down to typically 145 to 155C. Gas liquefied at such conditions is called LNG The hydrocarbon liquid from the bottom of the scrubber column is routed into the fractionation unit where it is separated into ethane, propane, butane and condensate products (8)

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 21

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
MR CIRCUIT OF APCI PROCESS
The mixed refrigerant (MR) (all in vapour form) is compressed in a two-stage compressor (A) with a water-cooled intercooler to raise its pressure When it comes out of the second compressor (B), the refrigerant goes through a second cooler, also water-cooled From the second cooler, the MR is then further cooled respectively in the HP, MP and LP propane (C3) evaporators. The mixture then moves to the high pressure (HP) MR separator (C). In this separator, liquid refrigerant goes to the bottom and vapour goes to the top The MR liquid leaving the bottom of the separator, and the MR vapor leaving through the top of the separator, enter the warm bundle MCHE. Here, they are cooled down by a returning stream of the same mixture The MR liquid leaves the warm bundle, and is cooled further by going through an expansion valve (JT-1)

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 22

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
MR CIRCUIT OF APCI PROCESS (continued)
The expanded MR liquid now enters the warm bundle separator, then it is sprayed down to cool the MR liquid, the MR vapor and the feedgas coils in the warm bundle The MR vapor from HP MR separator (C) goes to the warm bundle, then is further cooled in the cold bundle of MCHE. The liquefied part of the refrigerant goes through an expansion valve (JT-2). Here it is cooled further by expansion and then enters the cold bundle separator. From the separator the cooled MR is sprayed down to cool MR vapor and feed gas coils in the cold bundle The MR vapor from the cold bundle (shell) then joins with MR vapor of the warm bundle (shell) to cool MR liquid, MR vapor and feed-gas coils and then goes to compressor suction

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 23

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
PHILLIPS OPTIMIZED CASCADE PROCESS

Scrubber Column

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 24

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
PHILLIPS OPTIMIZED CASCADE PROCESS
This liquefaction process is based on the use of three pure-component refrigeration cycles Each refrigerant works at the appropriate level of temperature and the cooling is successively achieved from the warm to the cold end by propane, ethylene and methane cycles The natural gas is successively cooled step-by-step by the propane, ethylene and finally methane cycle The scrub column inlet is located at the outlet of the lowest propane chiller and the reflux of it is ensured by high pressure ethylene level For energy saving reasons, each cycle consists of three to four vaporisation steps, the intermediate pressure vapour being fed to the inter-stage of the compressors

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 25

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
MIXED FLUID CASCADE PROCESS

Reflux

SC

To Fractionation

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 26

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
MIXED FLUID CASCADE PROCESS
The Mixed Fluid Cascade is a further development of the classical cascade where the pure components are replaced by Mixed Component Refrigerant The natural gas from the purification and drying units enters the precooling heat exchangers (E1A & E1B) where it is cooled down to typically 50C At an intermediate temperature in the pre-cooling heat exchanger, the natural gas is withdrawn and enters the scrub column (SC) The gas from the top of scrub column, which is free from the heavy hydrocarbons and aromatics, enters the pre-cooling heat exchanger (E2) for further cooling to the cold end of the pre-cooling cycle The natural gas is liquefied from about 80 and finally sub-cooled C in the sub-cooling heat exchanger (E3) to 155C

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 27

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
LIQUEFIN PROCESS
MR-2 MR-1

Feed Gas MR-1 MR-2

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 28

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
LIQUEFIN PROCESS
Liquefin process is basically a Dual Mixed Refrigerant (DMR) process in cascade The natural gas, after pre-treatment, is fed with the MR2 to the heat exchangers The cold duty in the top exchanger is performed by vaporization of the pre-cooling cycle (MR 1) through three expansion valves MR1 is compressed in the MR1 compressor and fully condensed against cooling water before being fed back to the heat exchangers In the course of pre-cooling, the natural gas is withdrawn and fed to the the scrub column The overhead gas from the scrub columns re-enters the pre-cooling heat exchanger to be further cooled and partly condensed. The condensed liquid is separated from the vapour phase and is used as reflux in the scrub column

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 29

LIQUEFACTION CYCLES
LIQUEFIN PROCESS (continued)
The vapour is then routed to the second cryogenic heat exchanger for liquefaction The cryogenic MR 2 cycle leaves the pre-cooling heat exchanger fully liquefied. It leaves the cold exchanger at the same temperature as the LNG, is expanded in a valve and vaporises to provide the duty for its own sub-cooling and the LNG liquefaction and sub-cooling. After it vaporises, the MR2 is compressed in the MR2 compressor. The MR2 is too light a mixture to be condensed against cooling water and it enters the pre-cooling heat exchanger at ambient temperature but in the vapour phase. It is condensed in the pre-cooling heat exchanger

Liquefaction Cycles

Yemen LNG Technical Training

Slide No: 30