Described herein is a method of removing refrigerant from a natural gas liquefaction system in which vaporized mixed refrigerant is withdrawn from the closed-loop refrigeration circuit and introduced into a distillation column so as to be separated into an overhead vapor enriched in methane and a bottoms liquid enriched in heavier components. Overhead vapor is withdrawn from the distillation column to form a methane enriched stream that is removed from the liquefaction system, and bottoms liquid is reintroduced from the distillation column into the closed-loop refrigeration circuit. Also described are methods of altering the rate of production in a natural gas liquefaction system in which refrigerant is removed as described above, and a natural gas liquefaction systems in which such methods can be carried out.

A main heat exchanger receives and partially condenses an effluent fluid stream so that a mixed phase effluent stream is formed. A primary separation device receives and separates the mixed phase effluent stream into a primary vapor stream including hydrogen and a primary liquid stream including an olefinic hydrocarbon. The main heat exchanger receives and warms at least a portion of the primary vapor stream to provide refrigeration for partially condensing the effluent fluid stream. The main heat exchanger also receives, warms and partially vaporizes the primary liquid stream. A mixed refrigerant compression system also provides refrigeration in the main heat exchanger.

The present invention pertains to a cooling method for liquefying a feed gas, comprising the steps of providing a cooling cycle with a refrigerant stream; dividing the refrigerant stream into a first partial stream and a second partial stream; expanding the first partial stream in a first expansion device; and transferring cooling energy from the expanded first partial stream to a feed gas stream to be cooled, particularly comprising hydrogen and/or helium. Further the method comprises the steps of guiding the expanded first partial stream to a suction inlet of an ejector; and guiding the second partial stream to a propellant inlet of the ejector such that, upon expanding the second partial stream in the ejector, the expanded first partial stream is compressed and merged with the expanded second partial stream.

A method for removing natural gas liquids from raw natural gas involving the steps of: passing untreated gas through a scrubber to remove liquid droplets and contaminants; delivering the untreated gas to a compressor, which pressurizes the untreated gas to create pressurized gas; passing the pressurized gas through a first aerial cooler to discharge heat to atmosphere; providing a chilled air exchanger and an air chilling unit; chilling air by passing the air through the air chilling unit to create chilled air; delivering the chilled air to the chilled air exchanger; passing the pressurized gas through the chilled air exchanger to cool the pressurized gas to a setpoint to create cooled pressurized gas; and delivering the cooled pressurized gas to a separator to remove liquids from the cooled pressurized gas, thereby creating processed gas. A system having the components listed above.

Embodiments provide a method for preventing shutdowns in LNG facilities by removing heavy hydrocarbons from the inlet gas supply. According to an embodiment, there is provided an LNG facility treating pipeline quality natural gas that is contaminated with lubrication oil and low concentrations of heavy hydrocarbons. Due to contamination, the behavior of the pipeline quality natural gas is not properly predicted by thermodynamic modeling. In an embodiment, heavy hydrocarbons are removed by a drain system in a heat exchanger. In an embodiment, heavy hydrocarbons are removed by a treatment bed.

A method and a system for separating a feed flow which contains at least hydrogen and a hydrocarbon with three or four carbon atoms per molecule, in particular propane, propylene, propadiene, butane, 1-butene, 2-butene, and/or 1,3-butadiene. The condensed feed flow is cooled over multiple cooling steps in at least two heat exchangers and is then separated into a condensate and a residual gas flow after each cooling step. The at least two heat exchangers are operated at least two different temperature levels, wherein a hot heat exchanger is operated at an average temperature level, and a cold heat exchanger is operated at a lower temperature level. An internal refrigerant which is made of a part of one of the condensate flows and a part of one of the residual gas flows, is used to dispense a part of the heat from the cold heat exchanger.

Embodiments relate generally to systems and methods for pre-cooling a natural gas stream to a liquefaction plant. A system may include a compressor configured to receive a first natural gas stream at a first pressure and produce a second natural gas stream at a second pressure; an exchanger, wherein the exchanger is configured to receive the second natural gas stream as the second pressure and cool the second natural gas stream to produce a cooled natural gas stream; and an expander, wherein the expander is configured to receive the cooled natural gas stream and expand the cooled natural gas stream to produce a chilled natural gas stream from the second pressure to a third pressure.

An LNG liquefaction plant system, wherein the refrigeration content of the external or internal refrigerant is used to liquefy and sub-cool a natural gas stream to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a cold box or cryogenic exchanger. The refrigerant may be an external gas (N.sub.2) or an internal (CH.sub.4—BOG) refrigerant working fluid expanded and compressed in a twin compander arrangement and compressed by a refrigerant compressor, or an external single mixed refrigerant (SMR) working fluid compressed by a refrigerant compressor and expanded thru a JT valve.

One or more specific embodiments disclosed herein includes a method for separating hydrogen from an olefin hydrocarbon rich compressed effluent vapor stream, employing a integrated heat exchanger, multiple gas-liquid separators, external refrigeration systems, and a rectifier attached to a liquid product drum.

A process that includes pre-cooling a H.sub.2 gas feedstock with a compressed liquid natural gas via a heat exchanger, introducing the pre-cooled H.sub.2 gas feedstock into an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H.sub.2 liquefier module, and delivering liquid H.sub.2 from the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H.sub.2 liquefier module to a liquid H.sub.2 vehicle dispenser.

One or more specific embodiments disclosed herein includes a method for separating hydrogen from an olefin hydrocarbon rich compressed effluent vapor stream, employing an integrated heat exchanger, multiple gas-liquid separators, external refrigeration systems, and a rectifier attached to a liquid product drum.