Modular CGL System for Remote Natural Gas Transport and Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current natural gas transportation and processing systems, such as LNG and CNG, are inefficient for remote or stranded gas reserves, requiring high capital investment and energy consumption, and fail to provide economic development opportunities for smaller reserves due to design limitations and energy-intensive processes.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of modularized storage and process equipment on floating service vessels and platforms that utilize the Compressed Gas Liquid (CGL) system, which processes, transports, and delivers pipeline-quality natural gas or fractionated products with improved energy efficiency and cargo-to-containment mass ratios, enabling scalable and cost-effective solutions for remote reserves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If LNG systems are used for natural gas transportation, then gas can be transported over long distances, but the capital investment and energy consumption become prohibitively high for small or remote reserves
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the natural gas handling process into separate functional modules: a processing module for gas treatment and a storage module for liquid natural gas storage. This segmentation allows the system to be scaled according to reserve size, making it economically viable for small or remote reserves while maintaining the capability for long-distance transportation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic configuration where the processing module can be selectively activated or deactivated based on operational needs. The modular design allows the system to adapt its capacity and complexity level, enabling efficient operation for both small remote reserves and larger gas fields without requiring a complete system redesign.
2Quantity of substance
If cryogenic temperature storage facilities are used for LNG storage, then gas density increases 600 times, but the infrastructure requirements and energy consumption for maintaining cryogenic temperatures become excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cooling and liquefaction of natural gas in the processing module before transfer to storage. By pre-conditioning the gas to a liquid state with appropriate temperature and pressure, the storage module requires minimal energy input to maintain the liquid state, significantly reducing the energy consumption associated with cryogenic temperature maintenance compared to traditional LNG storage facilities.
3Ease of operation
If CNG systems are used for natural gas storage, then transportation flexibility is improved, but the cargo-to-containment mass ratio decreases due to pressure limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the physical state parameter of natural gas from gaseous (CNG) to liquid phase through controlled cooling and pressure adjustment in the processing module. This parameter change enables the storage system to achieve a cargo-to-containment mass ratio comparable to LNG while maintaining the transportation flexibility of CNG, as the liquid can be easily vaporized and transported when needed.
4Productivity
If land-based LNG processing plants are used, then large-scale gas processing is efficient, but the environmental and safety issues increase for remote locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from land-based processing to offshore floating processing by deploying the processing module on a floating platform in proximity to remote gas reserves. This dimensional change from land to sea eliminates many environmental and safety concerns associated with land-based facilities in remote areas, such as land use conflicts, population exposure risks, and terrestrial environmental impacts, while maintaining efficient gas processing capabilities through the modular design.
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
The CGL system provides a more efficient and cost-effective means of processing and transporting natural gas, achieving higher cargo-to-containment mass ratios and reducing energy consumption compared to traditional LNG and CNG systems, thereby facilitating the economic development of remote gas reserves.
Implementation Method 1
cooling the natural gas stream to a temperature below its dew point to a first temperature, thereby condensing a portion of the hydrocarbons in the natural gas stream and forming liquid droplets
Implementation Method 2
the liquid droplets are separated from the natural gas stream in a separator
Implementation Method 3
The natural gas stream is then compressed by a compressor to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure
Implementation Method 4
heating the cooled natural gas stream to a second temperature above its dew point in a heat exchanger, thereby vaporizing the condensed hydrocarbons
Data Source
AI summary
This invention provides a means of loading, processing and conditioning raw production gas, production of CGL, storage, transport, and delivery of pipeline quality natural gas or fractionated products to market. The CGL transport vessel utilizes a pipe based containment system to hold more densely packed constituents of natural gas held within a light hydrocarbon solvent than it is possible to attain for natural gas alone under such conditions. The containment system is supported by process systems for loading and transporting the natural gas as a liquid and unloading the CGL from the containment system and then offloading it in the gaseous state. The system can also be utilized for the selective storage and transport of NGLs to provide a total service package for the movement of natural gas and associated gas production. The mode of storage is suited for both marine and land transportation and configured in modular form to suit a particular application and/or scale of operation.