Refrigerant storage in LNG production

a technology of refrigerant and lng, which is applied in the direction of liquefaction, lighting and heating equipment, container discharge methods, etc., can solve the problems of flammability of refrigerant and a great danger to the crew, and achieve the effect of safe and convenient storag

Inactive Publication Date: 2008-08-07
SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS INC
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Benefits of technology

[0006]In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a floating structure with refrigeration equipment for producing LNG (liquefied natural gas) by cooling, and with LNG tanks for storing the LNG, has at least one refrigerant container that is safely and conveniently stored. The refrigerant container (often three of them for three refrigerants) holds a plurality of cubic meters of refrigerant used by the refrigeration equipment. The refrigerant container is stored within one of the tanks that holds LNG. This keeps the refrigerant away from the deck of the floating structure where leaking refrigerant would be very dangerous, and avoids the need for separate refrigeration equipment to keep the refrigerant cold.

Problems solved by technology

), the refrigerant is flammable and poses a great danger to the crew in the event of a leak.

Method used

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  • Refrigerant storage in LNG production
  • Refrigerant storage in LNG production
  • Refrigerant storage in LNG production

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Embodiment Construction

[0014]FIG. 1 illustrates a floating structure 10 of the invention which has a hull 12 that supports refrigeration equipment 14 that is used to cool produced natural gas to about −163° C. to turn it into LNG (liquefied natural gas). The hull holds LNG tanks 20 that hold the LNG until a shuttle tanker sails to the vicinity of the floating structure 10 and moors close by so LNG can be transferred to the tanker. The tanker then carries the LNG at least a few hundred kilometers to a location where the LNG is offloaded and heated to provide natural gas. Both the floating structure and tanker have LNG tanks that can store on the order of magnitude of 200,000 cubic meters of LNG. The floating structure of FIG. 1 has a turret 22 at its bow that allows the floating structure to weathervane while produced natural gas is received through a riser 24. The natural gas is usually cleaned of sand, water, and other impurities before it is liquefied by the refrigeration equipment.

[0015]The refrigerati...

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Abstract

A refrigerant tank (40) holds a hydrocarbon refrigerant (42) used by refrigeration equipment (14) to cool natural gas to about −163° C. to produce LNG (liquefied natural gas) (45). The refrigerant is stored on a floating structure (10) in a way that avoids dangers that would arise if the refrigerant were stored on deck with the refrigeration equipment. A refrigerant container (40) is stored in one of the LNG tanks (20) that holds LNG at about −163° C.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE[0001]Applicant claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 898,858 filed Feb. 1, 2007.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Natural gas is transported long distances by tankers that carry the natural gas cooled to about −163° C. so it is in a liquid state as LNG (liquefied natural gas) or as LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). The LNG has a volume that is less than 0.2% of the volume of natural gas in a gaseous state (at atmospheric pressure). A recent development in the LNG industry is to liquefy natural gas offshore on board a floating liquefaction structure such as a vessel or barge that is usually more than a kilometer from shore. The floating structure carries refrigeration equipment to cool the natural gas to a liquid state and carries insulated LNG tanks to store the LNG prior to offloading it to a tanker. The LNG tank or tanks lie in the vessel hull primarily below the deck of the vessel. Refrigeration equipment is generally located on the deck...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): F25J1/00
CPCB63B25/16F17C2270/0113F17C13/001F17C2201/0128F17C2201/0157F17C2201/035F17C2201/052F17C2201/054F17C2203/0617F17C2205/00F17C2205/013F17C2205/018F17C2221/032F17C2221/033F17C2221/035F17C2223/0153F17C2223/0161F17C2223/033F17C2223/046F17C2225/0153F17C2225/033F17C2225/043F17C2227/0135F17C2227/0192F17C2227/0355F17C2227/0388F17C2260/042F17C2265/061F17C2265/07F17C1/002
Inventor VAN WIJNGAARDEN, WIMJOYNSON, JEREMY DUNCAN STUART
Owner SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS INC
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