Representing and constructing liquefaction cycle alternatives for FLNG FEED using system entity structure concepts

Abstract

To support the procedure for determining an optimal liquefaction cycle for FLNG FEED, an ontological modeling method which can automatically generate various alternative liquefaction cycles were carried out in this paper. General rules in combining equipment are extracted from existing onshore liquefaction cycles like C3MR and DMR cycle. A generic relational model which represents whole relations of the plant elements has all these rules, and it is expressed by using the system entity structure (SES), an ontological framework that hierarchically represents the elements of a system and their relationships. By using a process called pruning which reduces the SES to a candidate, various alternative relational models of the liquefaction cycles can be automatically generated. These alternatives were provided by XML-based formats, and they can be used for choosing an optimal liquefaction cycle on the basis of the assessments such as process simulation and reliability analysis.