| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080202162 | Cryogenic Process Utilizing High Pressure Absorber Column - A gas processing plant has a de-ethanizer and a refluxed absorber, wherein the absorber operates at higher pressure than the de-ethanizer, and wherein at least a portion of the absorber bottoms product is expanded to provide cooling for the absorber reflux stream and/or the distillation column feed stream. Especially contemplated gas processing plants include propane and ethane recovery plants, and where the gas processing plant is an ethane recovery plant, it is contemplated that the ethane product comprises no more than 500 ppm carbon dioxide. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080264100 | Lng Regasification Configurations and Methods - LNG composition of LNG from a storage tank or other source is modified in a process in which the LNG is pumped to a first pressure and split into two portions. One portion of the pressurized LNG is then reduced in pressure and heavier components are separated from the reduced pressure LNG to thereby form a lean LNG. The lean LNG is then pumped to a higher pressure and combined with the other portion to form a leaner LNG. Preferably, separation is performed using a demethanizer, wherein part of the demethanizer overhead product is condensed to form the lean LNG, while another portion is used for column reflux. In further preferred configurations, ethane recovery is variable and in yet other configurations, propane or ethane can be delivered via a batching pipeline. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080271480 | Intergrated Ngl Recovery and Lng Liquefaction - Contemplated plants include a refluxed absorber and a distillation column, wherein the absorber is operated at a higher pressure than the distillation column to thereby produce a cryogenic pressurized lean gas. The lean gas is further compressed to a pressure suitable for liquefaction using energy from feed gas vapor expansion. Desired separation of C2 products is ensured by temperature control of the absorber and distillation column using flow ratios of various streams within the plant, and by dividing the separation process into two portions at different pressures. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080276617 | Configurations and Methods For Thermal Integration of Lng Regasification and Power Plants - Contemplated plants integrate regeneration of a freeze point depressant with LNG regasification and a power cycle. Most preferably, the plant is a combined cycle plant in which heat for reboiling the regenerator is provided by the steam cycle, and in which LNG refrigeration content is used to condense steam from the regenerator and to further subcool intake air for a combustion turbine. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080307789 | Integration of Lng Regasification with Refinery and Power Generation - Contemplated plants thermally integrate operation of a refinery component, and most preferably of a hydrocarbon splitter with LNG regasification to provide refrigeration duty and with a power cycle to provide the reboiler duty of the component. It should be noted that such configurations advantageously allow operation of the splitter at a reduced temperature and at reduced pressure, thereby increasing separation efficiency, while the power output is boosted using air intake chilling. Most notably, such process advantages are achieved by satisfying the heating duty of LNG regasification. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090087368 | Configurations And Methods For Removal Of Mercaptanes From Feed Gases - A sulfur species-containing feed gas is processed in a treatment plant in which COS is hydrolyzed, and in which so produced hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur species are absorbed in a lean hydrocarbon liquid. The sulfur species in the so formed rich hydrocarbon liquid are then subjected to catalytic conversion into disulfides, which are subsequently removed from the rich solvent. Most preferably, sulfur free lean solvent is regenerated in a distillation column and/or refinery unit, and light components are recycled from the rich hydrocarbon liquid to the absorber. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090165498 | Configurations and Methods for Rich Gas Conditioning for NGL Recovery - Contemplated gas treatment plants for recovery of NGL from rich feed gas include an upstream conditioning unit in which heavier hydrocarbons, and most typically C5 and heavier are removed prior to feeding the processed feed gas to an NGL recovery plant, thus avoiding the need to process the heavier hydrocarbons in the NGL recovery plant. Such conditioning units advantageously reduce energy demand for dehydration otherwise required and allow for production of C2-C4, and C5+ streams that can be sold as valuable products. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090173103 | Cryogenic Process Utilizing High Pressure Absorber Column - A gas processing plant has a de-ethanizer and a refluxed absorber, wherein the absorber operates at higher pressure than the de-ethanizer, and wherein at least a portion of the absorber bottoms product is expanded to provide cooling for the absorber reflux stream and/or the distillation column feed stream. Especially contemplated gas processing plants include propane and ethane recovery plants, and where the gas processing plant is an ethane recovery plant, it is contemplated that the ethane product comprises no more than 500 ppm carbon dioxide. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090217676 | LNG Vapor Handling Configurations And Methods - LNG from a carrier is unloaded to an LNG storage tank in configurations and methods in which expansion of compressed and condensed boil-off vapors from the LNG storage tank provide refrigeration to subcool the LNG that is being unloaded. Most advantageously, such configuration and methods reduce the amount of boil-off vapors and eliminate the need for a vapor return line and associated compressor. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090221864 | High Ethane Recovery Configurations And Methods In LNG Regasification Facility - LNG is processed in contemplated plants and methods such that refrigeration content of the LNG feed is used to provide reflux duty to the demethanizer and to further condense a vapor phase of the demethanizer overhead product. In such plants, the demethanizer provides a bottom product to a deethanizer, wherein a demethanizer side draw provides refrigeration to the deethanizer overhead product to thus form an ethane product and deethanizer reflux. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090277219 | Configurations and Methods for Offshore LNG Regasification and BTU Control - LNG is pumped to supercritical pressure and vaporized, preferably in an offshore location to thereby form a natural gas stream with an intermediate temperature. A first portion of that stream is then processed in an onshore location to remove at least some non-methane components to thereby form a lean LNG, which is then combined with a second portion of that stream to form a sales gas having desired chemical composition. The intermediate temperature and the split ratio of the gas stream in first and second portion are a function of the concentration of the non-methane components in the LNG. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090282836 | Configurations And Methods For LNG Fueled Power Plants - Contemplated configurations and methods use first and second precoolers, preferably in alternating operation, to provide a combustion turbine with air at a temperature of 50° F., and more typically less than 32° F. and most typically less than 0° F. In such configurations and methods it is generally preferred that a heat transfer fluid circuit provides both, heated and cooled heat transfer fluid to thereby allow cooling and deicing of the precoolers. Most preferably, refrigeration is provided from an LNG regasification unit to form the cooled heat transfer fluid while heat from a power cycle (e.g., from surface condenser) is used to form the heated heat transfer fluid. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090301133 | Ethane Recovery Methods and Configurations for High Carbon Dioxide Content Feed Gases - Ethane is separated from a carbon dioxide-containing feed gas in a demethanizer that receives a rich subcooled reflux stream at very low temperature. Freezing of carbon dioxide is prevented by feeding a temperature-controlled vapor portion of the feed gas to the column, wherein the temperature of the vapor portion is adjusted by routing a portion of the expander discharge through a heat exchanger in response to the tray temperature in the demethanizer. Thus, high separation efficiency is achieved at reduced, or even eliminated carbon dioxide freezing. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090308101 | Propane Recovery Methods and Configurations - High-pressure feed gas is chilled and expanded to condense a portion of the feed gas into a C2+ enriched liquid phase and a C2+ depleted vapor phase. The liquid phase is expanded to provide additional cooling for the feed gas and deethanizer reflux prior to being fed to the deethanizer while the vapor is combined with residue gas of a deethanizer. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100000255 | Configurations And Methods For Gas Condensate Separation From High-Pressure Hydrocarbon Mixtures - Contemplated configurations and methods for gas processing use a refluxed absorber that receives a liquid and a vapor hydrocarbon feed. The absorber further receives a stripping medium that is at least in part formed from a vapor portion of a stabilizer overhead and also receives a scrubbing medium that is at least in part formed from a liquid portion of the stabilizer overhead. Most preferably, the absorber overhead is maintained at a temperature near or even below the hydrate point of the feed. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100011809 | Ethane Recovery Methods And Configurations - Contemplated methods and configurations use a cooled ethane and CO2-containing feed gas that is expanded in a first turbo-expander and subsequently heat-exchanged to allow for relatively high expander inlet temperatures to a second turbo expander. Consequently, the relatively warm demethanizer feed from the second expander effectively removes CO2 from the ethane product and prevents carbon dioxide freezing in the demethanizer, while another portion of the heat-exchanged and expanded feed gas is further chilled and reduced in pressure to form a lean reflux for high ethane recovery. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100011810 | NGL Recovery Methods and Configurations - Contemplated plants and methods for NGL recovery from feed gases having a carbon dioxide content equal or greater than about 2% employ temperature control configurations that allow high-level and flexible recovery of ethane and heavier components while avoiding freezing of the carbon dioxide in the process. Where the feed gas has a significant fraction of C3+ components and moderate carbon dioxide content, a single column configuration with an intermediate reflux condenser may be used, while two-column configurations may be used for feed gases with high carbon dioxide content and relatively low C3+ component concentration. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100024473 | Configurations And Methods of RVP Control For C5+ Condensates - Controlled RVP C5+ products are produced from feed gas in configurations and methods in which a heavier portion of the feed gas is fractionated into several streams having distinct RVP and in which a C5+ stream is produced from the lighter portion of the feed gas. The so formed streams are then combined to produce C5+ products with controlled RVP. Thus, RVP control is achieved without the need for external products for blending process streams derived from the feed gas. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100030199 | Configurations And Methods For Power Generation In LNG Regasification Terminals - Disclosed are embodiments of a fluid delivery device ( | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100043453 | Ambient Air Vaporizer - Contemplated systems and methods employ a portion of vaporized and heated LNG as a defrosting medium in an LNG ambient air vaporizer. Most preferably, the LNG is heated to a temperature of about 100° F. to 400° F., and is after defrosting fed back to the LNG stream at a position that is upstream and/or downstream of the vaporizer or to the natural gas delivery pipeline. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100043488 | NGL Recovery Methods and Configurations - Contemplated NGL plants include a feed gas bypass circuit through which a portion of the feed gas is provided downstream to a vapor portion of the feed gas to thereby increase turbo expander inlet temperature and demethanizer temperature. Contemplated configurations are especially advantageous for feed gases with relatively high carbon dioxide content as they entirely avoid carbon dioxide freezing in the demethanizer, provide additional power production by the turboexpander, and recover C2+ components to levels of at least 80% while achieving a low carbon dioxide content in the NGL product. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100101240 | Configurations and Methods for Ambient Air Vaporizers - Cryogenic fluid is vaporized using two sections of an ambient air vaporizer where in the first section ambient air is dehydrated at a temperature at or above freezing point of water using refrigeration content of partially heated cryogenic fluid, wherein the dehydrated air is used in the second section to form the partially heated cryogenic fluid from a cryogenic fluid. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100111784 | Configurations And Methods For Carbon Dioxide And Hydrogen Production From Gasification Streams - A syngas treatment plant is configured to remove sulfurous compounds and carbon dioxide from shifted or un-shifted syngas in a configuration having a decarbonization section and a desulfurization section. Most preferably, the solvent in the decarbonization section is regenerated and cooled by flashing, while the solvent is regenerated in the desulfurization section via stripping using external heat, and it is still further preferred that carbonylsulfide is removed in the desulfurization section via hydrolysis, and that the so produced hydrogen sulfide is removed in a downstream absorber. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100126187 | Configurations And Methods For Offshore LNG Regasification And Heating Value Conditioning - Contemplated plant configurations and methods employ a vaporized and supercritical LNG stream at an intermediate temperature that is expanded, wherein refrigeration content of the expanded LNG is used to chill one or more recompressor feed streams and to condense a demethanizer reflux. One portion of the so warmed and expanded LNG is condensed and fed to the demethanizer as reflux, while the other portion is expanded and fed to the demethanizer as feed stream. Most preferably, the demethanizer overhead is combined with a portion of the vaporized and supercritical LNG stream to form a pipeline product. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100146971 | LNG Regasification And Power Generation - LNG is regasified with concurrent power production in systems and methods where the refrigeration content of the LNG condenses a low pressure working fluid vapor and in which the combined refrigeration content of the warmed LNG and low pressure working fluid condensate condenses an intermediate pressure working fluid vapor. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100206003 | Configurations And Methods For Improved Natural Gas Liquids Recovery - Contemplated plants for recovery of NGL from natural gas employ alternate reflux streams in a first column and a residue gas bypass stream, wherein expansion of various process streams provides substantially all of the refrigeration duty in the plant. Contemplated plants not only have flexible recovery of ethane between 2% and 90% while recovering at least 99% of propane, but also reduce and more typically eliminate the need for external refrigeration. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100293854 | Configurations And Methods For Fuel Gas Treatment With Total Sulfur Removal And Olefin Saturation - Refinery off gases are treated in a plant in two processing steps, wherein the off gases are first scrubbed in a wash column using lean oils for removal of heavy mercaptans and C5+ hydrocarbons, and wherein a hydrotreater is then used for saturating olefinic hydrocarbons and reducing sulfurous compounds. Most preferably, lean recycle oil is used for temperature control of the hydrotreater reactor(s) in configurations where the lean oil from a hydrotreater reactor outlet separator is mixed with the reactor feed to so cool the hydrotreater reactor via evaporation. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20110056238 | Methods and Configurations of Boil-off Gas Handling in LNG Regasification Terminals - A LNG storage and regasification plant includes a reliquefaction unit in which boil-off vapors from the storage tanks are re liquefied and recycled back to the LNG storage tanks for tank pressure and Wobbe index control. Preferably, LNG cold is used for reliquefaction and operational flexibility is achieved by feeding a portion of the pressurized boil-off gas to a fuel gas header and/or to be recondensed by the sendout LNG. | 03-10-2011 |
