Main heat exchanger and a process for cooling a tube side stream

Abstract

A process for cooling a tube side stream in a main heat exchanger is described. The process comprises: a) supplying a first mass flow of a tube side stream to a first zone of individual tubes in the tube bundle; b) supplying a second mass flow of the tube side stream to a second zone of individual tubes in the tube bundle, the second zone being offset from the first zone; c) supplying a refrigerant stream on the shell side for cooling the first and second mass flows; d) removing the evaporated refrigerant stream from the warm end of the main heat exchanger; and, e) adjusting the first mass flow of the tube side stream relative to the second mass flow of the tube side stream to maximise the temperature of the removed evaporated refrigerant stream.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a process for cooling a tube side stream in a main heat exchanger. The present invention further relates to a main heat exchanger for thermally processing a tube side stream. The present invention relates particularly though not exclusively to a process and a main heat exchanger for liquefying a gaseous, methane-rich feed to obtain a liquefied product known as “liquefied natural gas” or “LNG”.Background to the Invention[0002]A typical liquefaction process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,882 in which the gaseous, methane-rich feed is supplied at elevated pressure to a first tube side of a main heat exchanger at its warm end. The gaseous, methane-rich feed is cooled, liquefied and sub-cooled against evaporating refrigerant to get a liquefied stream. The liquefied stream is removed from the main heat exchanger at its cold end and passed to storage as liquefied product. Evaporated refrigerant is removed from the shell side...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This approach enhances the efficiency of the heat exchanger by ensuring uniform exit temperatures of tube side streams, matching tube side duty to shell side duty, even when the shell side is imbalanced, thus preventing efficiency drops and maintaining optimal operation.

Problems solved by technology

As spiral-wound heat exchangers become larger to perform increased duties, it becomes increasingly difficult to distribute the shell side fluids evenly.

As a consequence, heat transfer between the shell side and each of the first, second and third tube sides may become uneven across the layers within the bundle.

This uneven distribution of temperature in the shell side fluids leads to unevenness in the temperature in portions of each of the tube side fluids at the cold ends of the bundle from each layer of tubes in the bundle, and for the shell-side fluid exiting at the warm end.

Such pinching causes a drop in efficiency of the main heat exchanger.

Any liquid present represents a significant loss of efficiency and must also be removed to avoid potential damage to the downstream refrigerant compression circuit.

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