Granted Patent B2

US 12,638,237 · App. 18/493,626 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventors: Ravi Sudhakar Vemulapalli (Katy, TX); Robert Meredith Harman, Jr. (Sugar Grove, WV)

Assignee: NuBlu Innovations, LLC

F25J1/0022F25J1/0055F25J1/0057F25J1/0218F25J1/0275

Abstract

Claims (43)

1 . A mobile natural gas liquefaction system comprising:

one or more first mobile unit housing gas liquefaction equipment and a refrigeration system comprising primary, secondary, and tertiary refrigeration streams;

one or more second mobile unit housing gas cleanup equipment; and

one or more third mobile unit housing electrical power equipment;

wherein the one or more second mobile unit is capable of fluid communication with the one or more first mobile unit in a manner to provide an incoming gas stream for the one or more first mobile unit and optionally capable of fluid communication with the one or more third mobile unit which allows transfer of gas supply thereto and wherein the one or more first mobile unit is capable of fluid communication with the one or more third mobile unit which allows transfer of fuel gas from the one or more first mobile unit to the one or more third mobile unit;

wherein the one or more first mobile unit is configured to deliver the incoming gas stream to a single compressor inlet chosen from one of multiple compressor inlets depending on the pressure of the incoming gas stream;

wherein the multiple compressor inlets comprise:

at least one first compressor inlet configured to receive the incoming gas stream at a first inlet pressure and configured to receive the primary refrigeration stream;

at least one second gas input compressor inlet configured to receive the incoming gas stream at a second inlet pressure that is different from the first inlet pressure and configured to receive the secondary refrigeration stream;

at least one third compressor inlet configured to receive the incoming gas stream at a third inlet pressure that is different from the second inlet pressure and configured to receive the tertiary refrigeration stream; and

at least one fourth compressor inlet configured to receive the incoming gas stream at a fourth inlet pressure that is different from the third inlet pressure and configured to receive the primary refrigeration stream, the secondary refrigeration stream and the tertiary refrigeration stream;

wherein the one or more first mobile unit comprises one or more compressors in a flowpath downstream of the at least one first and second compressor inlets and one or more heat exchanger in the flowpath downstream of the one or more compressors; and

wherein the one or more first mobile unit comprises an output for delivering liquefied natural gas to cryogenic liquid storage.

2 . The system of claim 1 , the gas liquefaction equipment of the one or more first mobile unit comprises:

one or more recycle loops configured to recycle the primary, secondary and tertiary refrigeration streams through the refrigeration system.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas liquefaction equipment of the one or more first mobile unit is capable of liquefaction of the incoming gas stream from the one or more second mobile unit and a gas supply from second source.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas liquefaction equipment of the one or more first mobile unit is configured such that downstream of at least one of the one or more compressors, the flowpath is split into i) the primary refrigeration stream and/or ii) a product stream which is split into the secondary and/or the tertiary refrigeration stream and/or an LNG to storage stream.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the gas liquefaction equipment of the one or more first mobile unit is configured such that the product stream:

mixes with boil off gas from storage to form the tertiary refrigeration stream; and/or

the secondary refrigeration stream is split into a stream that contributes to the tertiary refrigeration stream.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas liquefaction equipment of the one or more first mobile unit comprises as the one or more compressors: wherein the one or more compressors comprises:

a 3-stage compressor with three compressors sharing the same shaft, or

three standalone compressors, or

a first compressor comprising a first compression stage on a first shaft and a second compressor comprising second and third compression stages sharing a second shaft, or

a first compressor comprising first and second compression stages sharing a first shaft, and a second compressor comprising a third compression stage on a second shaft.

7 . The mobile natural gas liquefaction system of claim 6 , wherein the three standalone compressors include a first stage compressor, a second stage compressor, and a third stage compressor, wherein:

the first stage compressor comprises the first compressor inlet configured to accept the incoming gas at the first inlet pressure;

the second stage compressor comprises the second compressor inlet configured to accept the incoming gas at the second inlet pressure; and

the third stage compressor comprises a third compressor inlet configured to accept the incoming gas at a third inlet pressure;

wherein the first inlet pressure is less than the second inlet pressure and the second inlet pressure is less than the third inlet pressure.

8 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising one or more mixer(s) disposed upstream of and/or downstream of and in a manner to combine one or more feed gas with gas streams entering or exiting, respectively, the first, second, and/or third stage compressor(s).

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more third mobile unit is capable of an operative electrical connection with the one or more first mobile unit and/or the one or more second mobile unit which allows transfer of an electrical power supply thereto, wherein the electrical power supply is capable of powering the gas liquefaction equipment and/or the gas cleanup equipment; and

the electrical power equipment of the one or more third mobile unit comprises an electrical generator capable of using as fuel any one or more of i) gas supplied from the one or more second mobile unit, ii) feed gas, iii) gas from the one or more first mobile unit; and/or any other as fuel gas.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas cleanup equipment of the one or more second mobile unit is designed to remove from feed gas one or more of: water, heavy hydrocarbons, BTEX, H 2 S, Hg, Mercaptans and/or carbon dioxide.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first mobile unit, the one or more second mobile unit, and the one or more third mobile unit are each independently chosen from trailers, skids, sea containers, a portable or transportable housing or container, an ISO container, housings or containers with or without wheels, open or closed housings or containers without or with walls, a flatbed, housings or containers that are portable or transportable in whole or part and/or temporarily or permanently fixed at a location for use and/or portable or transportable before, during and/or after use.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas liquefaction equipment of the one or more first mobile unit comprises a turbo expander/compressor.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein:

the turbo expander/compressor is disposed on a common shaft and is disposed in a manner to produce the primary refrigeration stream;

such that a turbo expander of the turbo expander/compressor is capable of rapidly letting down gas pressure, while a turbo compressor of the turbo expander/compressor is driven by the turbo expander of the turbo expander/compressor and is capable of increasing gas pressure.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein:

the gas liquefaction equipment of the one or more first mobile unit further comprises a heat exchanger disposed in a manner to receive the primary refrigeration stream from the turbo expander of the turbo expander/compressor and deliver the primary refrigeration stream to the turbo compressor of the turbo expander/compressor.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas liquefaction equipment of the one or more first mobile unit comprises methane (CH4) as refrigeration gas.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (343)