An LNG plant comprises a cold box and a refrigeration unit fluidly coupled with a plurality of heat exchanger passes in the cold box. The refrigeration unit is configured to provide a first refrigerant stream to a first heat exchanger pass of the plurality of heat exchanger passes at a first pressure, a second refrigerant stream to a second heat exchanger pass at a second pressure, and a third refrigerant stream to a third heat exchanger pass at a third pressure. The second refrigerant stream comprises a first portion of the first refrigerant stream, and the third refrigerant stream comprises a second portion of the first refrigerant stream. The second pressure and the third pressure are both below the first pressure. The cold box is configured to produce LNG from a natural gas feed stream to the cold box using a refrigeration content from the refrigeration unit.

A system for natural gas cooling using nitrogen. The system can include a nitrogen liquefier and a natural gas cooler. The nitrogen liquefier can provide liquid nitrogen to the natural gas cooler. One or more heat exchangers of the natural gas cooler can include a gaseous nitrogen output that is in fluid communication with the nitrogen liquefier. In response to receiving gaseous nitrogen at the nitrogen liquefier, from the one or more heat exchangers, a production rate of the the nitrogen liquefier is adjusted.

A process for liquefying hydrogen gas including the following is disclosed: cooling the hydrogen gas to an intermediate temperature by heat exchange with a refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration loop provided with a higher temperature expander and a lower temperature expander, wherein the outlet stream from the lower temperature expander contains some condensed refrigerant; a means is provided of separating the condensate from the circulating refrigerant; and further cooling of the hydrogen gas by heat exchange with evaporation and reheating of the said condensate.

The fluid in the refrigeration loop is typically methane (such as natural gas after removal of carbon dioxide, water vapor and other impurities), or nitrogen, or a mixture thereof.

A technology liquefies natural gas. The natural gas liquefaction method pre-cools treated natural gas by ethane evaporation, sub-cools liquefied gas using cooled nitrogen as a refrigerant, reduces liquefied gas pressure, separates non-liquefied gas and diverts liquefied natural gas. Before pre-cooling the natural gas is compressed, ethane is evaporated during the multi-stage pre-cooling of liquefied gas with simultaneous evaporation of ethane using cooled ethane as a refrigerant. Ethane generated by evaporation is compressed, condensed and used as a refrigerant during the cooling of liquefied gas and nitrogen, with nitrogen being compressed, cooled, expanded and fed to the natural gas sub-cooling stage. The natural gas liquefaction unit contains a natural gas liquefaction circuit, an ethane circuit and a nitrogen circuit. The natural gas liquefaction circuit includes a natural gas compressor, a cooler unit, ethane vaporizers, a closed-end subcooling heat exchanger, and a separator, connected in series.

A drive system for liquefied natural gas (LNG) refrigeration compressors in a LNG liquefaction plant. Each of three refrigeration compression strings include refrigeration compressors and a multi-shaft gas turbine capable of non-synchronous operation. The multi-shaft gas turbine is operationally connected to the refrigeration compressors and is configured to drive the one or more refrigeration compressors. The multi-shaft gas turbine uses its inherent speed turndown range to start the one or more refrigeration compressors from rest, bring the one or more refrigeration compressors up to an operating rotational speed, and adjust compressor operating points to maximize efficiency of the one or more refrigeration compressors, without assistance from electrical motors with drive-through capability and variable frequency drives.

A cooling system includes a compressor configured to pressurize carbon dioxide to form pressurized carbon dioxide, a mixer configured to generate mixed refrigerant in which the pressurized carbon dioxide and solvent in a liquid state, a depressurization apparatus provided downstream from the mixer and configured to depressurize the mixed refrigerant, a separator configured to separate carbon dioxide in a gas state from the mixed refrigerant, a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the mixed refrigerant cooled through depressurization and a fluid to be cooled, and a second heat exchanger configured to cool the carbon dioxide or the mixed refrigerant using vaporized carbon dioxide or the mixed refrigerant.

A technology liquefies natural gas. The natural gas liquefaction method pre-cools treated natural gas by ethane evaporation, sub-cools liquefied gas using cooled nitrogen as a refrigerant, reduces liquefied gas pressure, separates non-liquefied gas and diverts liquefied natural gas. Before pre-cooling the natural gas is compressed, ethane is evaporated during the multi-stage pre-cooling of liquefied gas with simultaneous evaporation of ethane using cooled ethane as a refrigerant. Ethane generated by evaporation is compressed, condensed and used as a refrigerant during the cooling of liquefied gas and nitrogen, with nitrogen being compressed, cooled, expanded and fed to the natural gas sub-cooling stage. The natural gas liquefaction unit contains a natural gas liquefaction circuit, an ethane circuit and a nitrogen circuit. The natural gas liquefaction circuit includes a natural gas compressor, a cooler unit, ethane vaporizers, a closed-end subcooling heat exchanger, and a separator, connected in series.

A method including, compressing a first hydrogen stream, and expanding a portion to produce a hydrogen refrigeration stream, cooling a second hydrogen stream thereby producing a cool hydrogen stream, wherein at least a portion of the refrigeration is provided by a nitrogen refrigeration stream, further cooling at least a portion of the cool hydrogen stream thereby producing a cold hydrogen stream, and a warm hydrogen refrigeration stream wherein at least a portion of the refrigeration is provided by the hydrogen refrigeration stream, compressing the warm hydrogen refrigeration stream, mixing the balance of the compressed first hydrogen stream with a high-pressure gaseous nitrogen stream to form an ammonia synthesis gas stream, and wherein the first hydrogen stream and the warm hydrogen refrigeration stream are compressed in the same compressor.

A method and apparatus for producing liquefied natural gas. A portion of a natural gas stream is cooled in a first heat exchanger and re-combined with the natural gas stream, and heavy hydrocarbons are removed therefrom to generate a separated natural gas stream and a separator bottom stream. Liquids are separated from the separator bottom stream to form an overhead stream, which is cooled and separated to form a recycle gas stream. The recycle gas stream is compressed. A first portion of the compressed recycle gas stream is directed through the first heat exchanger and directed to the separator as a column reflux stream. The separated to natural gas stream is used as a coolant in the first heat exchanger to thereby generate a pretreated natural gas stream, which is compressed and liquefied.

A method and apparatus for producing liquefied natural gas. A portion of a natural gas stream is cooled in a heat exchanger and combined with the natural gas stream. Heavy hydrocarbons are removed from the combined natural gas stream, and the resulting separated natural gas stream is partially condensed in the first heat exchanger, with a liquid stream separated therefrom. The natural gas stream is warmed in the first heat exchanger and then is compressed and cooled. The resultant cooled compressed natural gas stream is expanded, thereby forming a chilled natural gas stream that is separated into a refrigerant stream and a non-refrigerant stream. The refrigerant stream recycled to the heat exchanger to be warmed through heat exchange with one or more process streams associated with pretreating the natural gas stream, thereby generating a warmed refrigerant stream. The warmed refrigerant stream and the non-refrigerant stream are liquefied.