Dockside LNG Regasification Vessel for Continuous Ship-to-Ship Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for delivering liquefied natural gas (LNG) to market areas are inefficient and costly, requiring extensive subsea or offshore infrastructure, which is time-consuming and expensive to construct, and often disrupt natural gas supply due to the need for conventional LNG carriers to leave offloading locations for reloading.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for dockside ship-to-ship transfer of LNG, where a LNG carrier transfers LNG to a regasification vessel moored at a dock, which regasifies the LNG and discharges it to a high-pressure arm for direct delivery into a pipeline on the dock, eliminating the need for extensive subsea infrastructure and allowing continuous, uninterrupted delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional LNG carriers are used for long-haul transportation and offloading, then natural gas can be delivered to distant locations, but the offloading process is disturbed when carriers leave to reload, reducing supply continuity
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the LNG delivery function into two separate vessels: an LNG carrier that transports liquefied natural gas and a regasification vessel that handles vaporization and onshore delivery. This segmentation allows the LNG carrier to continuously supply the regasification vessel while maintaining its own cargo, eliminating the need for the offloading carrier to leave and reload, thus ensuring continuous supply to onshore facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The regasification vessel acts as an intermediary between the LNG carrier and onshore receiving terminals. It receives LNG from the carrier, performs regasification onboard, and delivers natural gas to shore via high-pressure arms connected to pipelines. This intermediary role decouples the LNG supply function from the regasification and onshore delivery function, allowing continuous operation without interruption.
2Ease of manufacture
If extensive subsea or offshore infrastructure is constructed for LNG regasification, then natural gas can be delivered directly to onshore facilities, but construction time and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces extensive fixed subsea and offshore mechanical infrastructure with mobile regasification vessels equipped with onboard regasification equipment. Instead of building permanent offshore facilities with complex subsea pipelines, the regasification function is transferred to self-contained vessels that can dock at existing onshore terminals and perform regasification using their own equipment, dramatically simplifying infrastructure requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters from fixed offshore location to mobile onshore docking location. By using high-pressure arms that can extend from the dock to the vessel and connect to existing onshore pipelines, the system eliminates the need for complex subsea infrastructure while maintaining direct onshore delivery capability. This parameter change from offshore to onshore operation reduces construction complexity and time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces construction time and costs by up to 90% compared to conventional land-based terminals, enables rapid deployment, and creates new natural gas receiving locations, ensuring safe and efficient delivery with minimal disruption, while allowing for quick reimplementation if infrastructure is damaged.
Implementation Method 1
heat from at least one heat source, such as seawater, air, or steam from the ship's auxiliary boilers, is transferred to the LNG through heat exchangers which allows the LNG to be vaporized
Implementation Method 2
heat from at least one heat source, such as seawater, air, or steam from the ship's auxiliary boilers, is transferred to the LNG through heat exchangers
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for dockside regasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are described herein. The methods include providing LNG from a LNG carrier to a regasification vessel. The LNG may be regasified on the regasification vessel. The regasified natural gas may be discharged with a high pressure arm to a dock and delivered onshore. The regasification vessel may be moored to the dock. The LNG carrier may be moored to the regasification vessel or the dock.