IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,788,259
Granted Patent B1
US 10,788,259 · App. 15/367,804 · Granted Sep 29, 2020

Modular, mobile and scalable LNG plant

Inventors: Neville A. Tomlinson (Mitchellville, MD); Andrew H. Stern (Greensburg, PA); Jerry L. Penland (Ambridge, PA)
Assignee: CHESTER LNG, LLC
F25J1/0022F25J1/0204F25J1/0225F25J1/0262F25J1/0275F25J2205/02F25J2205/64F25J2205/84F25J2210/60F25J2220/64F25J2220/66F25J2220/68F25J2240/40F25J2245/02F25J2245/90F25J2270/60F25J2270/906F25J2290/12F25J2290/70
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,788,259
App. No.
15/367,804
Granted
Sep 29, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system for the production of liquefied natural gas from raw natural gas. The system includes a pre-treatment module to remove impurities from a raw natural gas input, a gas compression module to compress gas received from the pre-treatment module, an absorption chiller for providing gas equipment cooling in the compression module, and a gas liquefaction module including a gas pre-cooler configured to pre-cool gas received from the compression module using a closed-loop refrigeration cycle and a six-stream heat exchanger unit configured to cool gas received from the gas pre-cooler. A power module is provided that powers the pre-treatment module, gas compression module, and gas liquefaction module.

Claims (25)

1. A system for the production of liquefied natural gas from raw natural gas comprising:

a pre-treatment module comprising a molecular sieve configured to remove impurities from a raw natural gas input;

a gas compression module comprising an absorption chiller, and a multi-stage compressor including a primary gas compressor and a recycle gas compressor configured to compress gas received from the pre-treatment module;

a gas liquefaction module comprising a gas pre-cooler configured to pre-cool gas received from the compression module using a closed-loop refrigeration cycle and a six-stream heat exchanger unit configured to cool gas received from the gas pre-cooler; and

a power module comprising a gas engine configured to provide power to the gas compression module, and the gas liquefaction module,

wherein the six-stream heat exchanger unit configured to cool gas received from the gas pre-cooler comprises a six-stream plate and fin heat exchanger, and

wherein the six-stream plate and fin heat exchanger comprises a primary section and a secondary section,

wherein the primary section is configured to receive first and second streams of gas from the gas pre-cooler, further comprising a turbo expander configured to receive the first stream of gas from the primary section of the six-stream plate and fin heat exchanger to reduce the pressure and temperature of the gas,

wherein the secondary section is configured to receive a third stream of gas from the primary section, further comprising a first Joule Thompson valve configured to receive a first portion of the third stream of gas stream from the secondary section,

wherein the primary section is configured to receive a fourth stream of gas from the secondary section,

wherein the primary section is configured to receive a fifth stream of gas from the turbo expander, and

wherein the secondary section is configured to receive a sixth stream of gas from the first Joule Thompson valve.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the absorption chiller is configured to provide chilled water cooling to the compressed gas from the multi-stage compressor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the absorption chiller is a closed-cycle cooled lithium bromide solution chiller.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the closed-cycle cooled lithium bromide solution chiller comprises:

an evaporator configured to cool return hot water received from the gas pre-cooler, wherein the evaporator is further configured to cool hot oil received from the primary and recycle gas compressors;

an absorber configured to cool water vapor received from the evaporator to form a low pressure cooled liquid which is reabsorbed into lithium bromide solution to form a cooled, low pressure liquid; and

a solution pump configured for pumping the cooled, low pressure liquid through a generator to repeat the closed cycle.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the compression module compresses the gas received from the pre-treatment module to a pressure of 800 psig to 934.7 psig.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas pre-cooler of the gas liquefaction module comprises a propane or propylene chiller.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the gas pre-cooler includes a flooded-bath and tube heat exchanger.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second Joule Thompson valve configured to receive a second portion of the third stream of gas.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second portion of the third stream of gas from the second Joule Thompson valve has a pressure between 14.7 to 17.5 psia and a temperature between −259.1° F. to −255° F.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a gas-liquid separator configured to receive the second portion of the third stream of gas from the second Joule Thompson valve.

11. The system of claim 10 , comprising a liquefied natural gas storage module configured to store liquefied natural gas received from the gas-liquid separator.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 17, 2017
From: TOMLINSON, NEVILLE A.; PENLAND, JERRY L.; STERN, ANDREW H.
To: CHESTER LNG, LLC
Reel/Frame 043879/0938 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 62262970 · Dec 4, 2015
Cited By (1)
US 12,638,237