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Introduction exchangers cannot be purchased on a which have been built and operated until
competitive basis. today:
The formation of the Statoil-Linde LNG The installation of the LNG plant on a ● the classical cascade
Technology alliance reflects the LNG purpose-built barge will shorten the ● the single flow mixed refrigerant
industry’s desire for reduced costs and construction time under the specific process and
schedules for baseload plants. conditions set by remote locations. ● the propane-precooled mixed
refrigerant process.
The evaluation of existing liquefaction
processes led to the development of a
new LNG baseload process. LNG Process Design
The capability of manufacturing large
cryogenic heat exchangers is necessary Historically, we can distinguish between
for building LNG plants, since such heat three different liquefaction processes
The single flow mixed refrigerant process has also been used three times:
Process Year of
startup
The three latter processes may have of the entire LNG value chain. The Alliance Heavy hydrocarbon removal and N2
remarkable differences in their designs, but therefore scrutinized and compared the rejection were not considered in this
they have in common that one mixed existing processes in order to find a evaluation. It was assumed that their
refrigerant stream is compressed by one benchmark for further improvements. influence on each process would be
single compressor. similar, which means they would not affect
The conditions for the comparison were the process comparison.
The most successful process so far, set as follows:
however, has been the propane precooled Natural gas composition (mol-%): N2 2.0; Figure 1 shows the classical cascade
mixed refrigerant process of APCI, which C1 89.0; C2 5.5; C3 2.5; C4 1.0. process (CCP). A three-stage propane
has been used with start-up dates from precooling cycle is followed by a three-
1972 to 1999 in eight different countries [8]. Natural gas inlet temperature: 13 °C; inlet stage ethylene liquefaction cycle and a
pressure 60 bar; gross flow rate: 4 million three-stage methane subcooling cycle.
The liquefaction plant represents tons per annum of LNG; cooling water While propane is compressed leaving the
approximately 50% of the investment cost temperature: 6 °C. different suction drums at its dewpoint,
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Figure 2 — Single flow mixed refrigerant process Figure 3 —Propane precooled mixed refrigerant process
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To avoid a by-pass at the shell side the The upper part is added, and the closing Processing plant on purpose-
bundle is wrapped into a shroud (2.4). After seams and nozzles are welded to the shell
the tubes have been welded to the tube (3.4). Figure 10 shows the SWHE in its final built barge
sheets, bonnets are welded to the tube upright position.
sheets (2.5). During the work of the Statoil-Linde LNG
Figure 11 shows on the left-hand side a Technology Alliance, it was assumed that
Parallel to the manufacturing of the bundle mandrel equipped with tube sheets, future LNG baseload plants are to be
the lower (3.1) and the upper part (3.2) of support arms and liquid distribution tray. In installed in remote locations without the
the shell are being fabricated. During the foreground and in the background two availability of infrastructure and subjected
assembly the completed bundle is bundles during different phases of the to extreme weather conditions. It was
inserted into the lower part of the shell and winding process can be seen. envisaged at an early stage that for this
the shroud is connected to the shell (3.3). purpose a conventional construction
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Conclusion
Literature
[1] Operating Experience of the Arzew
Plant; Pierot, M.
LNG 1, Chicago, Illinois, USA, April 7-12,
1968; Session No. 2, Paper 10b
[2] Phillips Optimized Cascade LNG
Process
Houser, C. G.; Krusen, L. C. (Phillips
Petroleum Co.)
Gastech ‘96, 17th Int. LNG/LPG Conf.,
Vienna, Dec. 3-6, 1996, Conf. Papers
[3] The LNG Industry 1996; GIIGNL;
page 9
[4] Esso Libya Venture; Latimer, D. M.
LNG 1, Chicago, Illinois, USA, April 7-12,
1968; Session No. 3, Paper 15
[5] The Design, Fabrication and Operation
of Large Cryogenic Heat Exchangers
Gaumer, L. S.; Geist, J. M.; Harnett, G.
J.; Pfannenstiel, L. L.
LNG 3, Washington D. C., Sept. 24-28,
Figure 8 — Manufacturing procedure for spiral wound heat exchangers 1972; Session II, Paper 15
[6] Experience of Arzew and its Effect on
the Design of the Skikda Natural Gas
approach would not be cost and time both during construction and plant Liquefaction Plant; Bourget, J. M.
effective. Therefore, one of the most operation. Likewise the barge is also used LNG 3, Washington D. C., Sept. 24-28,
fundamental process decisions was to as a transportation vessel, when the fully 1972; Session V, Paper 6
install the major part of the LNG process tested, mechanically completed and [7] PRICO - A Simple, Flexible Proven
plant in a most compact format on a precommissioned plant is towed from the Approach to Natural Gas Liquefaction
purpose built barge (Figure 15), thereby construction/assembly yard to the Price, B. C.; Mortko, R. A. (Pritchard
minimizing construction work on site. The production site. Here the barge is brought Corp.)
installation takes place within a into a prepared dock and settled down on Gastech ‘96, 17th Int. LNG/LPG Conf.,
strategically well located shipyard making ground. The dock will then be closed to Vienna, Dec. 3-6, 1996, Conf. Papers
use of local skilled labor force and weather seaside, filled with gravel and hooked up
protected dock facilities. This in turn meant with other site systems. [8] The Air Products Propane Precooled/
that basic engineering, design methods Mixed Refrigerant LNG Process
and project execution strategies had to be It was also realized during the work that an Bronfenbrenner, James C. (Air Pro-
tailored to meet the specific constraints of alliance type of project execution and ducts and Chemicals, Inc.)
this barge-mounted concept. contract strategy is a necessity to LNG Journal, Nov./Dec. 1996,
accomplish construction and scheduling page 25-27
The barge serves as a permanent base flexibility, which is required to achieve the [9] The Design of Optimal Air Separation
and foundation for the LNG process plant, reduced cost and schedule of the plant. and Liquefaction Processes with the
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Figure 11 — Three coiled heat exchangers during manufacturing Figure 12 — Subcooler on a winding bench during production
on winding benches
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