Improved Configurations For Liquefied Natural Gas Cycles

Abstract

The most important challenge in a natural gas liquefaction plant is to improve the plant energy efficiency. A process topology should be implemented, which results in a considerable reduction of energy consumption as the natural gas liquefaction process consumes a large amount of energy. In particular, system design focusing on configuring cold part cycle is an attractive option. In this study, various energy recovery-oriented process configurations and the potential improvements of energy savings for small- & midscale liquefied natural gas plants were proposed and compared with almost exclusively commercial trademarks processes. These improved simulation based investigations were validated under the variation in feed gas pressure, mixed refrigerant cooling reference temperature and the pinch temperature of cryogenic plate fin heat exchanger. The simulation results exhibited considerable reduction of specific total energy consumption. Therefore, the proposed liquefaction cycles have a simple topology, hence lower capital cost and compacter plant layout, which is compatible for power-efficient, offshore, floating liquefied natural gas liquefaction plants.