Evaluation of LNG

Production Technologies
Ayema Aduku
Oluwaseun Harris
Valerie Rivera
Miguel Bagajewicz

University of Oklahoma
Outline
LNG Background
Objective
Simulation Specifications
Liquefaction Techniques
Heat Exchanger Types
Simulation Method
Results
 Flow Diagram for a Typical LNG Plant
NATURAL GAS CO22/H22S REMOVAL

DEHYDRATION

HEAVY COMPONENT REMOVAL NATURAL GAS LIQUEFACTION

TRANSPORTATION
LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) Basics
Combustible mixture of hydrocarbons
Dry VS. Wet
NGL Extraction
Dehydration/Scrubbing
Liquefied Natural Gas
Target
temperature for Natural gas:-260F
Reduces volume by a factor 600
Objective
Main Objectives
Simulate Processes
Optimize Processes
Minimize compressor work

Compare Processes based on

Capital cost

Energy cost

Total cost per capacity(Ton)

 Liquefaction Processes
Mixed Refrigerants Pure Refrigerants Both Other
BP Self refrigerated
Linde Process CoP Simple Cascade APCI C3 MR
process
CoP Enhanced ABB Randall Turbo-
Axens Liquefin Process APCI AP-X
Cascade Expander
Williams Field
Dual Mixed Refrigerant Linde 2006
Services co.
Mustang Group
Technip-TEALARC
ExxonMobil
Dual Multi-component
Black and Veatch Prico
Process

Technip- Snamprogetti

* Italicized processes signify Patent searched processes.

* Bolded processes signify processes not included in scope of project.
Flow diagrams
Black and
Veatchs PRICO
Process

Axens Liquefin Process

C3MR: Air Products and

Chemical Inc

ExxonMobil Dual Multi-Component Cycle

AP-X: Air Products
and Chemical Inc.

Technip- TEALARC System

BP- Self
Refrigerated
Process
DMR- Dual Mixed Refrigerant
 Linde- CO2 MFCP
Linde/Statoil -Mixed Fluid Cascade Process

ConocoPhilips
Simple
Cascade
Simulation Specifications
Natural Gas composition
Methane: 0.98
Ethane: 0.01
Propane: 0.01
Inlet conditions
Pressure: 750 psia
Temperature: 1000F
Outlet conditions
Pressure: 14.7 psia
Beihai City, China
Temperature: -260oF
Capacity: Common min. to max. capacity of process
Common min. Capacity: 200,000 lbs/hr
Liquefaction Techniques
Different Liquefaction techniques include :
Single Refrigeration cycle
Multiple Refrigeration cycles
Self Refrigerated cycles
Cascade Processes
The cooling of natural gas involves the use of
refrigerants which could either be pure component
refrigerants or mixed component refrigerants.
Liquefaction Techniques
Schematic of a Simple Refrigeration Cycle

COOLING WATER
LOW TEMPERATURE NO PRESSURE CHANGE HIGH TEMPERATURE

REFRIGERANT

HIGH TEMPERATURE
HIGH PRESSURE

Expander Compressor

LOW TEMPERATURE
LOW PRESSURE

Heat Exchanger

REFRIGERANT

HIGH TEMPERATURE
LOW TEMPERATURE GAS
NO PRESSURE CHANGE
Liquefaction Techniques
Mixed refrigerants are mainly composed of
hydrocarbons ranging from methane to pentane,
Nitrogen and CO2.
Pure component Refrigerants
Specific operating ranges for each component
Mixed Refrigerants
Modifiedto meet specific cooling demands.
Helps improve the process efficiency
Liquefaction Techniques
T-Q Diagrams

Natural gas cooling

curve THE MAIN GOAL IS TO REDUCE
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO
CURVES.

THIS WOULD SIGNIFY A

REDUCTION IN THE WORK
Area between curves
DURING THE COOLING represents work
PROCESS AND AN done by the system

INCREASE IN EFFICIENCY.
Liquefaction Techniques
Single Refrigeration Cycle
One refrigeration loop that cools the natural
gas to its required temperature range.
Usually requires fewer equipment and can
only handle small base loads.
Lower capital costs and a higher operating
efficiency
Black and Veatch:
PRICO Process
Compressor
Condenser

Inlet Gas
Single mixed refrigerant
loop and single
100oC
compression system
Cold Box Limited capacity (1.3
Residue MTPA)
-260oC
Expander LNG Low capital cost
Great Pilot Process
 Refrigeration Cycles and Natural
Gas Liquefaction
COOLING WATER
Compressor

Inlet Gas

Simple Refrigeration Cycle

Cold Box

GAS LNG

Black and Veatch- PRICO Process

LIQUEFACTION TECHNIQUES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MODIFIED REFRIGERATION CYCLES
Liquefaction Techniques
Multiple Refrigeration cycles
Contains two or more refrigeration cycles.
Refrigerants involved could be a combination
of mixed or pure component refrigerants.
Some cycles are setup primarily to
supplement cooling of the other refrigerants
before cooling the natural gas.
More equipment usually involved to handle
larger base loads.
 Air Products and Chemical Inc:
C3-MR
LNG

APCI processes are used

in almost 90% of the
industry
Inlet Gas
Good standard by which to
judge the other processes
Capacity of about 5 MTPA
Utilizes Propane (C3) and
Mixed Refrigerant
Mixed Refrigerants (MR)
Liquefaction Techniques
Self Refrigerated Cycles
Takes advantage of the cooling ability of
hydrocarbons available in the natural gas to
help in the liquefaction process.
Numerous expansion stages are required to
achieve desired temperatures.
Considered as a safer method because there
are no external refrigerants needing storage.
BP Self Refrigerated Process

Neither refrigerants,
compressor, nor expanders
Residue Gas
present in setup.
Cost include mainly capital
costs and electricity.
Low Production rate (51%)
Capacities of over 1.3MTPA
attainable .
Inlet gas
LNG
Liquefaction Techniques
Cascade Processes
A series of heat exchangers with each stage
using a different refrigerant.
Tailored to take advantage of different
thermodynamic properties of the refrigerants
to be used.
Usually have high capital costs and can
handle very large base loads.
 ConocoPhilips Simple Cascade

Methane
Ethylene

Propane
Residue Gas 3 stage pure refrigerant
Sub-Cooling
process
Propane
Inlet Gas
Ethylene
Pre- Cooling Liquefaction
Methane

5 MTPA Capacity
LNG
Equipment
Plate Fin Heat Exchanger

VERY COMPACT
DESIGN BUT LIMITED
IN OPERATING RANGE
Spiral Wound Heat Exchanger

LARGE OPERATING RANGE

BUT ROBUST DESIGN
Spiral Wound Heat Exchanger

TUBE BUNDLES WRAP AROUND CENTRAL

HOLLOW TUBE
Equipment Comparison
Plate-Fin-Heat-Exchangers Coil-Wound-Heat-Exchangers
Characteristics Extremely compact Compact
Multiple streams Multiple streams
Single and two-phase Single and two-phase streams
streams
Fluid Very clean Clean
Flow-types Counter-flow Cross counter-flow
Cross-flow
Heating-surface 300 - 1400 m/m 20 - 300 m/m
Materials Aluminum Aluminum
Stainless steel (SS)
Carbon steel (CS)
Special alloys
Temperatures -269C to +65 C (150 F) All
Pressures Up to 115 bar (1660 psi) Up to 250 bar (3625 psi)
Applications Cryogenic plants Also for corrosive fluids
Non-corrosive fluids Also for thermal shocks
Very limited installation space Also for higher temperatures
Our Evaluation Methods
Data on operating conditions (Temperatures,
Pressures, Flowrates, etc) for all these
processes is not widely available (Only
some is reported).
We decided to perform simulations using our
best estimates.
We used minimum compression work as
guide.
We identified non-improvable points
Details of methodology
Conditions after each stage of refrigeration were noted
After making simple simulations mimic real process,
variables were transferred to real process simulation
Optimization- Refrigerant composition
Optimization- Compressor work
Restriction needed- Heat transfer area
All cells in LNG HX must have equal area
Restriction needed- Second law of thermodynamics
Check temperature of streams
Utilities
Obtain cooling water flow rate
 CO2 Pre-cooled
Linde Process
Modification of the Mixed Fluid
Inlet Gas Cascade Process
100oC Three distinct stages using 3
mixed refrigerants with different
Pre- Cooling
compositions
Carbon dioxide is sole refrigerant
-70oC
in pre-cooling stage
Separate cycles and mixed
Liquefaction
refrigerants help in the flexibility
High
-140oC Pressure
and thermodynamic efficiency
Low
Pressure
Process is safer because
hydrocarbon inventory is less
Sub-Cooling
8 MTPA Capacity
-260oC

LNG
TQ DIAGRAMS FROM PRO II SIMULATION
Results
Cost Basis
Economic Life of 20 years
New train required at the documented
maximum capacity of each specific process.
Average cost of electricity and cooling water
throughout the US used in analysis.
Energy cost evaluated at a minimum capacity
of 1.2 MTPA
Results

10

SPIKES IN CHART REPRESENT POINTS AT WHICH NEW TRAIN OF PROCESS IS INSTALLED

Results

10

ENERGY COST INCLUDES ELECTRICITY AND COOLING WATER COST

Results
THE LIQUEFIN PROCESS IS
REPORTED AS FAST BECOMING
A POPULAR LNG TECHNIQUE.
THE PRICO PROCESS RESULTS
WERE EXPECTED.
NUMEROUS EQUIPMENT
USUALLY LEADS TO HIGHER
OVERALL COSTS.

Cost per ton Max capacity

Process ($) (MTPA)
Prico 5.12 1.20
Liquefin 3.41 6.00
ExxonMobil 4.83 4.80
DMR 12.58 4.80
APX 19.20 7.80
MFCP 31.73 7.20
MFCP(CO2) 24.77 7.20
TEALARC 25.35 6.00
C3MR 12.93 4.80
Conoco 20.15 5.00
Analysis
Our results may not match market trends
Operating temperature and pressure range
as well as flowrate information unavailable
Precedents to compare results unavailable
Information on cost to use process
unavailable (licensing, proprietary production
fees, etc.)
Analysis
We may be trapped in local minima and failed
to identify better conditions

Work

Local Minimum

Global Minimum

Temperature
Conclusions
We successfully simulated several LNG
production plants
We obtained capital and operating costs and
determined a ranking
Some connection with existing trends were
identified, but other results do not coincide with
market trends
We discussed why discrepancies may arise.
Questions?
References
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Gas. 3 Feb 2008. <http://www.lngfacts.org/About-LNG/Overview.asp>.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/tanker-lng-history.htm
www.fpweb.com/200/Issue/Article/False/67449/Issue
Fossil Energy Office of Communications. U.S. Department of Energy: Fossil Energy. 18 Dec
2007. U.S. Department of Energy. 3 Feb 2008.
.<http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/oilgas/storage/index.html>.
"Mustang receives U.S. patent for LNG liquefaction process." Scandanavian Oil and Gas
Magazine. 14 Dec 2007. 3 Feb 2008. <http://www.scandoil.com/moxie-bm2/news/mustang-
receives-us-patent-for-lng-liquefaction-pr.shtml>.
Spilsbury, Chris; Yu-Nan Liu; et al. "Evolution of Liquefaction Technology for today's LNG
business." Journees Scientifiques Et Techniques (2006)
Process Selection is Critical to onshore LNG economics. World-Oil Magazine. February 2006
com <http://www.worldoil.com/Magazine/MAGAZINE_DETAIL.asp?
ART_ID=2808&MONTH_YEAR=Feb-2006>
Flynn, Thomas N. Cryogenic Engineering. Second edition. Marcel Dekker. New York- NY.
2005