System for treating and cooling a hydrocarbon stream
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Solution Overview
Problem
LNG plants are heavily dependent on ambient temperature for heat rejection, limiting their throughput and efficiency, as existing solutions either require complex integration or additional chilling capacity that is not universally applicable.
Innovation Solution
A system that splits cooling water into two parts, where one part is chilled using a mechanical or absorption chiller and passed through key heat exchangers to lower the temperature, while the other part is not chilled, allowing for selective addition of chilling duty to optimize cooling without complex modifications or additional equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If additional chilling capacity is applied to increase throughput, then productivity increases, but device complexity and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling water stream is segmented into multiple parallel streams, where only a portion is directed through the chilling unit while the remainder bypasses it. This segmentation allows the system to achieve cooling enhancement without requiring complete system reconfiguration, thereby increasing throughput while limiting integration complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of chilling the entire cooling water stream (excessive action), the system applies chilling to only a partial portion of the stream. This partial action is sufficient to achieve the desired throughput increase while avoiding the complexity and energy costs associated with chilling the full stream.
2Temperature
If chilling unit is applied to cooling water stream, then temperature control improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies chilling action to only a partial portion of the cooling water stream rather than the entire stream. This partial application of chilling energy achieves improved temperature control where needed while minimizing overall energy consumption by avoiding unnecessary cooling of the full stream.
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 increases LNG plant throughput by reducing dependence on ambient temperature fluctuations, allowing for efficient operation across varying conditions without significant process or safety complexities, and can be retrofitted to existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a pre-cooler to cool at least part of the hydrocarbon feed against cooling water
Implementation Method 2
one or more first water coolers to cool the first refrigerant against cooling water
Implementation Method 3
one or more second water coolers to cool the second refrigerant against cooling water
Implementation Method 4
pass a first part of the stream of cooling water to a chilling unit to obtain a stream of chilled cooling water
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for treating and cooling a hydrocarbon stream, comprising—a gas treatment stage comprising a pre-cooler to cool at least part of the hydrocarbon feed against cooling water, —a first cooling stage comprising one or more first water coolers, —a second cooling stage comprising one or more second water coolers. The system comprises a cooling water unit arranged to receive a stream of cooling water and supply a first part of the stream of cooling water to a chilling unit to obtain a stream of chilled cooling water and pass the stream of chilled cooling water to a selection of the at least one pre-cooler, the one or more first water coolers and the one or more second water coolers.