Abstract:
Systems and methods for removing heavy hydrocarbons are provided. Methods for liquefying a natural gas stream include: cooling at least a portion of the natural gas stream in an upstream refrigeration cycle of a liquefaction process to produce a cooled natural gas stream; separating via a first distillation column the cooled natural gas stream into a first top fraction and a first bottom fraction, wherein the first fraction does not freeze in a subsequent downstream step of the liquefaction process; separating via a second distillation column the first bottom fraction into a second top fraction and a second bottom fraction, wherein the second top fraction at least a portion of a reflux stream.
Abstract:
Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for processing liquefied natural gas (LNG). In one implementation, a dry feed gas is received. The dry feed gas is chilled with clean vapor from a heavies removal column to form a chilled feed gas. The chilled feed gas is partially condensed into a vapor phase and a liquid phase. The liquid phase retains freezing components. The freezing components are extracted using a reflux stream in the heavies removal column. The freezing components are removed as a condensate. The vapor phase is compressed into a clean feed gas. The clean feed gas is free of the freezing components for downstream liquefaction.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a system and method for liquefying natural gas. In another aspect, the invention concerns an improved liquefied natural gas facility employing a closed loop methane refrigeration cycle. In another aspect, the invention concerns the utilization of lean boil-off gas.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a system, method and apparatus for processing natural gas in an LNG facility. A natural gas feed is introduced into a heavies removal unit. The heavies removal system includes a heavies removal column and a distillation column. The heavies removal column and the distillation column are connected via a purge/recovery line. One or more components of the natural gas feed is purged from the heavies removal column to the distillation column via the purge/recovery line to obtain a specified concentration or concentration range of heavy components feeding into the distillation column.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for liquefying natural gas. In another aspect, the invention concerns a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility employing an ethylene independent heavies recovery system. In an embodiment of the present invention, a method for liquefaction of natural gas includes: cooling a portion of a natural gas feed stream to produce a cooled natural gas feed stream; combining the cooled natural gas feed stream with a compressed reflux stream to form a combined natural gas stream; separating the combined natural gas stream into a first lights stream and a first heavies stream; expanding the first lights stream to form an expanded first lights stream; and compressing the reflux stream into a compressed reflux stream.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a system and method for liquefying natural gas. In another aspect, the invention concerns an improved liquefied natural gas facility employing a closed loop methane refrigeration cycle. In another aspect, the invention concerns the utilization of lean boil-off gas.
Abstract:
A process and apparatus for liquefying natural gas includes a heavies recovery system. In another aspect, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility may employ an ethylene independent heavies recovery system. The recovery system may thus operate relying only on fluid input from upstream of an ethylene refrigeration cycle. A heavies-depleted stream recovered from a liquid withdrawn from a heavies removal column in the heavies recovery system may combine at a location downstream of the heavies removal column with an overhead withdrawn from the heavies removal column for further cooling of such combined stream into liquefied natural gas product.