2719results about "Liquefaction" patented technology

One ozone concentrating chamber is provided therein with a part of a cooling temperature range where ozone can be selectively condensed or an oxygen gas can be selectively removed by transmission from an ozonized oxygen gas, and a part of a temperature range where condensed ozone can be vaporized, and condensed ozone is vaporized by moving condensed ozone with flow of a fluid or by gravitation to the part where condensed ozone can be vaporized, whereby the ozonized oxygen gas can be increased in concentration. Such a constitution is provided that a particle material 13 for condensation and vaporization filled in the ozone concentrating chambers 11 and 12 has a spherical shape of a special shape with multifaceted planes on side surfaces, or an oxygen transmission membrane 130 capable of selectively transmitting an oxygen gas in an ozone gas is provided.

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is cooled and is thereafter expanded to the fractionation tower pressure and supplied to the fractionation tower at a lower mid-column feed position. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the column below the feed point of the stream and is then directed into heat exchange relation with the tower overhead vapor stream to cool the distillation stream and condense at least a part of it, forming a condensed stream. At least a portion of the condensed stream is directed to the fractionation tower at an upper mid-column feed position. A recycle stream is withdrawn from the tower overhead after it has been warmed and compressed. The compressed recycle stream is cooled sufficiently to substantially condense it, and is then expanded to the pressure of the fractionation tower and supplied to the tower at a top column feed position. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the fractionation tower are effective to maintain the overhead temperature of the fractionation tower at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered.

The present invention relates to methods for separating and recovering ethane, propane and heavier components from a feed gas, e.g. raw natural gas or a refinery or petroleum plant gas stream or a petrochemical plant gas stream. These methods employ a common new concept which is the use of the turbo-expander shaft compressor to generate the reflux requirement for the cryogenic absorber or distillation columns. The power of the turbo-expander which is absorbed by the shaft compressor is always high enough so that reflux generation by a specific gas compression through the expander shaft compressor and subsequent cooling, condensation and sub-cooling can always be easily maintained. The present invention allows for higher cryogenic absorber pressure and a lower demethanizer/de-ethanizer column pressure thus eliminating the common cryogenic pump at absorber bottom. The present invention ultimately results in a lower residue compression and utilities consumption. The present invention as such allows for a higher 99+% recovery of NGL from the feed gas stream.

An oxy-combustor is provided to combust oxygen with gaseous low heating value fuel. A compressor upstream of the combustor compresses the fuel. The combustor produces a drive gas including steam and carbon dioxide as well as other non-condensable gases in many cases, which pass through a turbine to output power. The drive gas can be recirculated to the combustor, either through the compressor, the oxygen inlet or directly to the combustor. Recirculation can occur before or after a condenser for separation of a portion of the water from the carbon dioxide. Excess carbon dioxide and steam is collected from the system. The turbine, combustor and compressor can be derived from an existing gas turbine with fuel and air/oxidizer lines swapped.

A power plant including an air separation unit (ASU) arranged to separate nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and argon from air and produce a stream of substantially pure liquid oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and argon; a steam generator, fired or unfired, arranged to combust a fuel, e.g., natural gas, liquefied natural gas, synthesis gas, coal, petroleum coke, biomass, municipal solid waste or any other gaseous, liquid or solid fuel in the presence of air and a quantity of substantially pure oxygen gas to produce an exhaust gas comprising water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, nitrogen, sulfur oxides and other trace gases, and a steam-turbine-generator to produce electricity, a primary gas heat exchanger unit for particulate/acid gas/moisture removal and a secondary heat exchanger arranged to cool the remainder of the exhaust gases from the steam generator. Exhaust gases are liquefied in the ASU thereby recovering carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, nitrogen, sulfur oxides, oxygen, and all other trace gases from the steam generator exhaust gas stream. The cooled gases are liquefied in the ASU and separated for sale or re-use in the power plant. Carbon dioxide liquid is transported from the plant for use in enhanced oil recovery or for other commercial use. Carbon dioxide removal is accomplished in the ASU by cryogenic separation of the gases, after directing the stream of liquid nitrogen from the air separation unit to the exhaust gas heat exchanger units to cool all of the exhaust gases including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur oxides, and other trace gases.

A process for liquefying natural gas in conjunction with processing natural gas to recover natural gas liquids (NGL) is disclosed. In the process, the natural gas stream to be liquefied is taken from one of the streams in the NGL recovery plant and cooled under pressure to condense it. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the NGL recovery plant to provide some of the cooling required to condense the natural gas stream. The condensed natural gas stream is expanded to an intermediate pressure and supplied to a mid-column feed point on a distillation column. The bottom product from this distillation column preferentially contains the majority of any hydrocarbons heavier than methane that would otherwise reduce the purity of the liquefied natural gas, and is routed to the NGL recovery plant so that these heavier hydrocarbons can be recovered in the NGL product. The overhead vapor from the distillation column is cooled and condensed, and a portion of the condensed stream is supplied to a top feed point on the distillation column to serve as reflux. A second portion of the condensed stream is expanded to low pressure to form the liquefied natural gas stream.

The present invention relates to an enhanced oil recovery process that is integrated with a synthesis gas generation process, such as gasification or methane reforming, involving combined capture and recycle of carbon dioxide from both processes.

Marine LNG carrier and method of operating the marine LNG carrier. The LNG carrier carries LNG in at least one tank. Gas composed of evaporated LNG within the at least one tank is removed. The gas is fed to at least one gas consuming prime mover of the LNG carrier. Power is provided with the at least one gas consuming prime mover. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Impure carbon dioxide (“CO₂”) comprising a first contaminant selected from the group consisting of oxygen (“O₂”) and carbon monoxide (“CO”) is purified by separating expanded impure carbon dioxide liquid in a mass transfer separation column system. The impure carbon dioxide may be derived from, for example, flue gas from an oxyfuel combustion process or waste gas from a hydrogen (“H₂”) PSA system.

The invention is directed to a method of fueling gas turbines from natural gas reserves with relatively low methane concentrations. The invention uses such reserves to generate electric power. The invention permits the use of these reserves at significantly lower cost than by producing pipeline natural gas to fuel gas turbines to generate electric power. These reserves currently generally are used only after the removal of impurities to produce pipeline natural gas quality turbine fuel. The latter current technology is capital intensive, and at current natural gas prices, economically unattractive. The process of the invention can remove the impurities from the gas from the natural gas reserve necessary for protection of the environment, and leaves inert gasses in the fuel in an amount which will increase the output of a gas turbine for the generation of power by about 5 to about 20%.

A process for the recovery of propane, propylene and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is cooled and/or expanded to partially condense it, then separated to provide a first vapor stream. The first vapor stream is directed into a contacting device whereby vapors and liquids are formed. The liquids are directed to a distillation column operating at lower pressure wherein a second vapor stream is separated to recover a product containing the major portion of the C3 components and heavier hydrocarbon components. The second vapor stream is directed into heat exchange relation with the vapors to cool the second vapor stream and condense at least a part of it, forming a condensed stream. At least a portion of the condensed stream is directed to the contacting device to intimately contact the first vapor stream; the remaining portion (if any) of the condensed stream can be supplied to the distillation column as its top feed. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the contacting device and the distillation column are effective to maintain the overhead temperatures of the contacting device and the distillation column at temperatures whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered.

A method for the separation of a feed gas mixture comprising oxygen and nitrogen in which an oxidant gas and fuel are combusted in a combustion engine to generate shaft work and a hot exhaust gas, the feed gas mixture comprising oxygen and nitrogen is compressed, and the resulting compressed feed gas mixture is separated into two or more product gas streams with differing compositions. The shaft work of the combustion engine is utilized to provide at least a portion of the work required for compressing the feed gas mixture, one of the product gas streams by is heated by indirect heat exchange with the hot exhaust gas from the combustion engine, and the resulting heated product gas is work expanded to generate shaft work and yield an expanded product gas stream. The combustion engine may be a gas turbine combustion engine.

A method for the production of liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) and nitrogen is provided. The method may include the steps of: a) providing a nitrogen production facility, wherein nitrogen production facility comprises: a main heat exchanger, an air separation unit, a nitrogen recycle compressor, a first nitrogen refrigeration supply configured to provide refrigeration to the main heat exchanger for cooling a main air feed, b) providing a secondary refrigeration supply; c) liquefying a natural gas stream using refrigeration from the secondary refrigeration supply to form an LNG product stream; wherein the secondary refrigeration supply is configured to compress and expand a refrigerant to produce refrigeration, wherein the refrigerant of the secondary refrigeration supply is shared with refrigerant of the first nitrogen refrigeration supply

The present invention relates to an enhanced oil recovery process that is integrated with a synthesis gas generation process, such as gasification or reforming, and an air separation process for generating (i) an oxygen stream for use, for example, in the syngas process or a combustion process, and (ii) a nitrogen stream for EOR use.

A method and a system capable of removing carbon dioxide directly from ambient air, and obtaining relatively pure CO₂. The method comprises the steps of generating usable and process heat from a primary production process;

• • applying the process heat from said primary process to water to co-generate substantially saturated steam, alternately repeatedly exposing a sorbent to removal and to capture and regeneration system phases, wherein said sorbent is alternately exposed to a flow of ambient air during said removal phase, thereby enabling said sorbent to sorb, and therefore remove, carbon dioxide from said ambient air, and to a flow of the co-generated steam during the regeneration and capture phase, after the sorbent has adsorbed the carbon dioxide, thereby enabling regeneration of such sorbent, and the resultant capture in relatively pure form of the adsorbed carbon dioxide. This process can also be carried out in more efficient form by admixing with the air a minor amount of a flue gas or an effluent gas containing a higher concentration of carbon dioxide than exists in the atmosphere, most preferably following a pre-treatment. The carbon dioxide can be stored for further use, or sequestered permanently following the capture: The adsorbent is exposed to air at substantially ambient conditions and the adsorbent is exposed to the co-generated steam at a temperature in the range of not greater than about 130° C. The system provides the sorbent substrate and equipment for carrying out the above method, and provides for obtaining purified carbon dioxide for further use in agriculture and chemical processes, including manufacturing hydrocarbon fuels, or for permanent sequestration, as needed.

A cryogenic distillation tower is provided for the separation of a fluid stream containing at least methane and carbon dioxide. The cryogenic distillation tower has a lower stripping section, an upper rectification section, and an intermediate spray section. The intermediate spray section includes a plurality of spray nozzles that inject a liquid freeze zone stream. The nozzles are configured such that substantial liquid coverage is provided across the inner diameter of the intermediate spray section. The liquid freeze zone stream generally includes methane at a temperature and pressure whereby both solid carbon dioxide particles and a methane-enriched vapor stream are formed. The tower may further include one or more baffles below the nozzles to create frictional resistance to the gravitational flow of the liquid freeze zone stream. This aids in the breakout and recovery of methane gas. Additional internal components are provided to improve heat transfer and to facilitate the breakout of methane gas.

Carbon dioxide-containing gas such as flue gas and a carbon dioxide-rich stream are compressed and the combined streams are then treated to desorb moisture onto adsorbent beds and then subjected to subambient-temperature processing to produce a carbon dioxide product stream and a vent stream. The vent stream is treated to produce a carbon dioxide-depleted stream which can be used to desorb moisture from the beds, and a carbon dioxide-rich stream which is combined with the carbon dioxide-containing gas.

A power plant and method of operation is provided. The power plant comprises at least one main air compressor, an oxidizer unit configured to deliver a compressed oxygen-rich gas flow to at least one gas turbine assembly. Each assembly comprises a turbine combustor for mixing the compressed oxygen-rich gas flow with a recirculated gas flow and a fuel stream to burn a combustible mixture and form the recirculated gas flow. The assembly also comprises a recirculation loop for recirculating the recirculated gas flow from a turbine to a turbine compressor. The assembly further comprises a recirculated gas flow extraction path for extracting a portion of the recirculated gas flow from the assembly and delivering this to a gas separation system. The gas separation system separates the portion of the recirculated gas flow into a nitrogen portion and a carbon dioxide portion.

A process for liquefying natural gas in conjunction with producing a liquid stream containing predominantly hydrocarbons heavier than methane is disclosed. In the process, the natural gas stream to be liquefied is partially cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled to condense substantially all of it, expanded to an intermediate pressure, and then supplied to a distillation column at a first mid-column feed position. The second stream is also expanded to intermediate pressure and is then supplied to the column at a second lower mid-column feed position. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the column below the feed point of the second stream and is cooled to condense at least a part of it, forming a reflux stream. At least a portion of the reflux stream is directed to the distillation column as its top feed. The bottom product from this distillation column preferentially contains the majority of any hydrocarbons heavier than methane that would otherwise reduce the purity of the liquefied natural gas. The residual gas stream from the distillation column is compressed to a higher intermediate pressure, cooled under pressure to condense it, and then expanded to low pressure to form the liquefied natural gas stream.

Method of purifying a feed stream containing carbon dioxide wherein the feed stream after having been compressed and dried is partly cooled and then used to reboil a stripping column. Thereafter, the feed stream is further cooled and expanded to a lower operational temperature of the stripping column. A carbon dioxide product stream composed of the liquid column bottoms of the stripping column is expanded at one or more pressures to generate refrigeration, then fully vaporized within the main heat exchanger and compressed by a compressor to produce a compressed carbon dioxide product. Refrigeration is recovered in the main heat exchanger from a column overhead stream extracted from the stripping column within the main heat exchanger either directly or indirectly by auxiliary processing in which carbon dioxide is further separated and optionally recycled back to the main compressor used in compressing the feed stream.

Systems and methods for storing and releasing energy comprising directing inlet air into a vertical cold flue assembly having an air inlet at or near its top into which inlet air is directed and an exit at or near its bottom. The air is cooled within the cold flue assembly and a portion of moisture is removed from the air within the cold flue assembly. The air is directed out the exit of the cold flue assembly and compressed. The remaining moisture is substantially removed and the carbon dioxide is removed from the air by adsorption. The air is cooled in a main heat exchanger such that it is substantially liquefied using refrigerant loop air, the refrigerant loop air generated by a refrigerant loop process. The substantially liquefied air is directed to a storage apparatus. The refrigerant loop air is cooled by a mechanical chiller and by a plurality of refrigerant loop air expanders. In energy release mode, working loop air warms the released liquid air such that the released liquid air is substantially vaporized, and the released liquid air cools the working loop air such that the working loop air is substantially liquefied. A portion of the released liquid air is directed to the at least one generator and used as bearing air for the at least one generator. The substantially vaporized air is directed to a combustion chamber and combusted with a fuel stream. Combustion gas may be directed from the combustion chamber to at least one expander and expanded in the expander, the expanded combustion gas split into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being relatively larger than the second portion. The first portion may be directed to a first heat exchanger, and the second portion may be directed to a second heat exchanger such that the second portion heats and substantially vaporizes the released liquid air.

A first contaminant selected from oxygen and carbon monoxide is removed from impure liquid carbon dioxide using a mass transfer separation column system which is reboiled by indirect heat exchange against crude carbon dioxide fluid, the impure liquid carbon dioxide having a greater concentration of carbon dioxide than the crude carbon dioxide fluid. The invention has particular application in the recovery of carbon dioxide from flue gas generated in an oxyfuel combustion process or waste gas from a hydrogen PSA process. Advantages include reducing the level of the first contaminant to not more than 1000 ppm.

A process and apparatus for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbons from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) stream is disclosed. The LNG feed stream is divided into two portions. The first portion is supplied to a fractionation column at an upper mid-column feed point. The second portion is directed in heat exchange relation with a warmer distillation stream rising from the fractionation stages of the column, whereby this portion of the LNG feed stream is partially vaporized and the distillation stream is totally condensed. The condensed distillation stream is divided into a “lean” LNG product stream and a reflux stream, whereupon the reflux stream is supplied to the column at a top column feed position. The partially vaporized portion of the LNG feed stream is separated into vapor and liquid streams which are thereafter supplied to the column at lower mid-column feed positions. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the column are effective to maintain the column overhead temperature at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered in the bottom liquid product from the column.

Method for gas liquefaction comprising cooling a feed gas by a first refrigeration system in a first heat exchange zone and withdrawing a substantially liquefied stream therefrom, further cooling the substantially liquefied stream by indirect heat exchange with one or more work-expanded refrigerant streams in a second heat exchange zone, and withdrawing therefrom a further cooled, substantially liquefied stream. At least one of the one or more work-expanded refrigerant streams is provided by compressing one or more refrigerant gases to provide a compressed refrigerant stream, cooling all or a portion of the compressed refrigerant stream in a third heat exchange zone to provide a cooled, compressed refrigerant stream, and work expanding the cooled, compressed refrigerant stream to provide one of the one or more work-expanded refrigerant streams. The flow rate of a work-expanded refrigerant stream in the second heat exchange zone typically is less than the total flow rate of one or more work-expanded refrigerant streams in the third heat exchange zone.

A combustor apparatus is provided, comprising a mixing arrangement for mixing a carbonaceous fuel with enriched oxygen and a working fluid to form a fuel mixture. A combustion chamber is at least partially defined by a transpiration member. The transpiration member is at least partially surrounded by a pressure containment member. The combustion chamber has opposed inlet and outlet portions. The inlet portion of the combustion chamber is configured to receive the fuel mixture for the fuel mixture to be combusted at a combustion temperature. The combustion chamber is further configured to direct the resulting combustion product toward the outlet portion. The transpiration member directs a transpiration substance therethrough toward the combustion chamber for buffering interaction between the combustion product and the transpiration member. Associated systems, apparatuses, and methods are also provided.

A vertical support rigidly mounted to a planar base positions and supports a cryocooler expander unit off axis and away from a sample to be examined. The sample support is likewise rigidly mounted to the planar base with a rigidly mounted sample housing therein. The cryocooler expander unit is suspended in the vertical support by spring dampening bearings. A pair of opposing flexible vacuum bellows connects the cryocooler expander unit to the sample housing and vertical support. This configuration isolates the sample from vibration. Flexible thermal links associated with an predictive electronic closed loop control sequence maintains sample temperature.

Fire prevention and suppression systems and breathable fire-extinguishing compositions are provided for rooms, houses and buildings, transportation tunnels and vehicles, underground and underwater facilities, marine vessels, aircraft, space stations and vehicles, military installations and vehicles, and other human occupied objects and facilities. The system provides a low-oxygen (hypoxic) fire-preventive atmosphere at standard atmospheric or slightly increased pressure. The system employs an oxygen-extraction apparatus supplying oxygen-depleted air inside a human-occupied area or storing it in a high-pressure container for use in case of fire. A breathable fire-extinguishing composition, being mostly a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen and having oxygen content ranging from 12% to 17% for fire-preventive environments. The fire-suppression system is provided having fire-extinguishing composition with oxygen concentration under 16%, so when released it creates a breathable fire-suppressive atmosphere having oxygen content from 10 to 16%. A technology for automatically maintaining a breathable fire-preventive composition on board a human-occupied hermetic object is provided.

The present invention provides methods and systems for managing a bulk electric power market. A set of inter-related automated process streams relating to the bulk electric power market are implemented. A plurality of automated processes for each process stream may also be implemented. At least one process of each process stream serves as an input to, or output from, at least one other process stream. Each process may comprise: (i) automated inputs; (ii) automated activities; (iii) and automated outputs. The process streams may be used to manage a bulk electric power market and to control an electric power grid. For example, the process streams may be used for determining market-based wholesale electric rates; scheduling transmission outages; creating a day-ahead market schedule; and calculating monetary positions of customers involved in settlement of the day-ahead market.

System and method for chemical manufacture utilizing a dynamic optimizer for a chemical process including upstream and downstream processes. The dynamic optimizer includes a maximum feed calculator, operable to receive one or more local constraints on the downstream processes and one or more model offsets, and execute steady state models for the downstream processes in accordance with the local constraints and the offsets to determine maximum feed capacities of the downstream processes; and a feed coordinator, operable to receive the maximum feed capacities, and execute steady state models for the upstream processes in accordance with the maximum feed capacities and a specified objective function, subject to global constraints, to determine upstream production parameters for the upstream processes, which are usable to control the upstream processes to provide feeds to the downstream processes in accordance with the determined maximum feeds and the objective function subject to the global constraints.

Process for the liquefaction of natural gas and the recovery of components heavier than methane wherein natural gas is cooled and separated in a first distillation column into an overhead vapor enriched in methane and a bottoms stream enriched in components heavier than methane, wherein the first distillation column utilizes a liquefied methane-containing reflux stream. This reflux stream may be provided by a condensed portion of the overhead vapor or a portion of totally condensed overhead vapor that is subsequently warmed. The bottoms stream may be separated in one or more additional distillation columns to provide one or more product streams, any of which are partially or totally withdrawn as recovered hydrocarbons. A stream of unrecovered liquid hydrocarbons may be combined with either the condensed portion of the overhead vapor or a portion of totally condensed overhead vapor that is subsequently warmed.