Sensitivity Analysis of the Proposed Liquefaction

Processes for LNG FPSO.

Abstract
The four liquefaction processes proposed as a good candidate for LNG FPSO
are simulated and evaluated. These processes include a single mixed
refrigerant
(SMR), dual mixed refrigerant (DMR), Niche LNG ( CH4 and N2 process) and
dual
nitrogen expander. The steady state hysys simulation of the processes were
undertaken to ensure that each simulated liquefaction process was
compared
on the identical parameters. An in-depth optimization has not been
conducted
but the simulation was aimed at obtaining an optimal efficient processes
based
on the simulated constraints.
This thesis presents the analysis of the effects of natural gas pressure,
temperature and composition on the proposed liquefaction processes for
LNG
FPSO. During the simulations the effects were analyzed by examining
specific
power, power consumption and refrigerant flow rate of the proposed
processes.
To meet the demand of greater efficiency and large capacity for liquefaction
processes, thermodynamic analysis on the liquefaction processes for LNG
FPSO
also has been evaluated.
The analysis of specific powers, power consumptions and refrigerant flow
rates
on the proposed processes shows that DMR specific power is lower than
that of
dual nitrogen expander by 50%, Niche LNG by 41.6% and SMR by 9.6%. The
power consumption of DMR is lower that of dual nitrogen expander by 54%,
Niche LNG by 47.8% and SMR by 9.6%. Also DMR has lowest refrigerant
flow rate
than that of dual nitrogen expander by 157.6%, Niche LNG DMR by 96.4%
and
SMR by 30.9%
The production capacity of simulated processes shows that DMR has higher
production capacity per train of (0.91MTPA/Train) and dual nitrogen
expander
has the lowest which is (0.61MTPA/Train) based on maximum duty of one
LM6000
gas turbine. DMR production capacity exceeded that of dual nitrogen
expander by 33%, Niche LNG by 29.7% and SMR by 8.8%.

The analysis of effect of natural gas supply temperature on the proposed

processes shows that the change of natural gas supply temperature has
major
effect of SMR process compared to other process. The analysis shows that
when
natural gas supply temperature decreases from 15 to 50C SMR specific
power
and power consumption decrease by 14.99% and 15.10% respectively and
when it is increases from 15 to 250C its specific power and power
consumption
increases by 39.27% and 39.19 respectively.
The analysis of the effect of natural gas supply pressure on the proposed
processes shows that when natural gas supply pressure decrease dual
nitrogen
expander has the highest effect with specific power and power consumption
increases by 22.41% and 23.25% respectively and when natural gas supply
pressure increases DMR has highest effect on specific power and power
consumption which are 13.06% and 13.67% respectively.
The effect of natural gas composition on the proposed natural gas
liquefaction
processes for LNG FPSO shows that for all proposed processes the change in
natural gas composition may lead to increase or decrease of processes
specific
power, power consumptions or refrigerant flow rates.
Energy efficiency is important to LNG production as feed gas is consumed in
order to carry out the liquefaction process .The exergy analysis of the
proposed
process shows that shows that DMR process has highest useful exergy
about 31%
compared to the other processes. Niche LNG and dual nitrogen expander
has
almost same useful exergy.