A process for liquefying a natural gas comprising a mixture of hydrocarbons predominating in methane, the process comprising a first semi-open refrigerant cycle with natural gas in which any natural gas liquids that have condensed are separated from the natural gas feed stream, which stream then passes through a main cryogenic heat exchanger (4) in order to contribute by heat exchange to pre-cooling a main natural gas stream (F-P) and to cooling an initial refrigerant gas stream (G-0), a second semi-open refrigerant cycle with natural gas for contributing to pre-cooling the natural gas and the refrigerant and also to liquefying the natural gas, and a closed refrigerant cycle with refrigerant gas for subcooling the liquefied natural gas and for delivering refrigeration power in addition to the other two cycles. The invention also provides a natural gas liquefaction installation for performing such a process.

The device (100) for liquefying a natural gas comprises: a compressor (105) for a first vaporized coolant chemical mixture, a means (110) for fractionating the compressed mixture into a heavy fraction and a light fraction, a first heat exchange body (115) for heat exchange between the heavy fraction of the first mixture and the natural gas in order to cool at least the natural gas, a second heat exchange body (120) for heat exchange between the light fraction of the first mixture and the cooled natural gas in the first exchange body in order to liquefy the natural gas, and a return pipe (125) for return of the first vaporized coolant mixture in the heat exchange body to the compressor (105), upstream from an inlet (116) for the natural gas in the first exchange body (115) or downstream from an outlet (121) of liquefied natural gas from the second exchange body (120), a third heat exchange body (130, 135) for heat exchange between the natural gas and a second coolant chemical compound, and a means (140, 145) for compressing the second vaporized compound.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a natural gas liquefaction system (100) is provided. The system comprises an integrally-geared turbo-compressor (150) with a plurality of compressor stages; a prime mover (160) for driving the compressor; a pre-cooling loop (110), through which a first refrigerant is adapted to circulate, wherein one or more first compressor stages (151) of the plurality of compressor stages are adapted to pressurize the first refrigerant; a cooling loop (130), through which a second refrigerant is adapted to circulate, wherein one or more second compressor stages (155) of the plurality of compressor stages are adapted to pressurize the second refrigerant; a first heat exchanger device (170) for transferring heat from a natural gas and/or from the second refrigerant to the first refrigerant; and a second heat exchanger device (180) for transferring heat from the natural gas to the second refrigerant. A further aspect relates to a compressor arrangement for a natural gas liquefaction system. A yet further aspect relates to a method of liquefying natural gas.

A method is proposed for compressing a gas in stages in a compressor arrangement (100, 200, 300, 400) having a plurality of compression stages (I-VI) which are connected together sequentially by a main line (1) and in which the gas, guided through the main line (1), is respectively compressed from a suction-side pressure level to a pressure-side pressure level and is heated by this compression from a suction-side temperature level to a pressure-side temperature level, wherein a feedback amount of the gas, guided through the main line (1), is at least temporarily removed from the main line (1) downstream of one of the compression stages (V), is fed to an expansion process, and is fed back into the main line (1) upstream of the same compression stage (V). It is provided that the pressure-side pressure level of the compression stage (V) downstream of which the feedback amount is removed from the main line (1) is a supercritical pressure level, that the feedback amount is expanded to a subcritical pressure level, that the feedback amount is fed to the expansion process at the pressure-side temperature level of the compression stage (V) downstream of which it is removed from the main line (1), and that the feedback amount is cooled only after being expanded and before and/or after being fed back into the main line (1). The invention also relates to a compressor arrangement (100, 200, 300, 400).

An inlet air cooling system used in a gas turbine for supplying power to a refrigerant compressor for compressing refrigerant in a natural gas liquefaction plant includes: an inlet air cooler for cooling inlet air of the gas turbine; chiller motors used for a chiller for cooling coolant supplied to the inlet air cooler; a first variable speed driver for supplying electric power to each of the one or more chiller motors; and an electric generator driven by the gas turbine, wherein the electric generator is electrically connected to the first variable speed driver, and electric power generated by the electric generator can be supplied to each of the chiller motors from the first variable speed driver without using a main power line of an electric power system, which enables efficient electric power supply to the motors via the variable speed driver.

A drive system for liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. A standardized machinery string consisting of a multi-shaft gas turbine with no more than three compressor bodies, where the compressor bodies are applied to one or more refrigerant compressors employed in one or more refrigerant cycles (e.g., single mixed refrigerant, propane precooled mixed refrigerant, dual mixed refrigerant). The standardized machinery strings and associated standardized refrigerators are designed for a generic range of feed gas composition and ambient temperature conditions and are installed in opportunistic liquefaction plants without substantial reengineering and modifications. The approach captures D1BM (Design 1 Build Many) cost and schedule efficiencies by allowing for broader variability in liquefaction efficiency with location and feed gas composition.

A modular gas turbine system is disclosed. The system includes a base plate and a gas turbine engine mounted on the base plate. The gas turbine engine is drivingly coupled to a rotating load mounted on the base plate. A supporting frame extends above the base plate. A first bridge crane and a second bridge crane are movably supported on the supporting frame.

A natural gas liquefying apparatus is provided. At least a part of a cooling region, in which a precooling unit and a liquefaction unit are arranged, and at least a part of a compression region, in which first and second compressors compressing refrigerants to be used in the precooling unit and the liquefaction unit are arranged, are arranged to be opposed to each other across a long side of a second refrigerant cooler group arrangement region in which a liquefying refrigerant is cooled. A first refrigerant cooler group arrangement region, in which a precooling refrigerant is cooled, is arranged so that a long side of the first refrigerant cooler group arrangement region is opposed to one side of a rectangular region including the compression region, the one side being different from a side of the rectangular region opposed to a long side of the second refrigerant cooler group arrangement region.

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.

The gas turbine system comprises an aeroderivative gas turbine engine and a load having a shaft line drivingly coupled to the gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine comprises a high-pressure turbine section and a high-pressure compressor section, drivingly coupled to one another by a first turbine shaft. The gas turbine engine further comprises an intermediate-pressure turbine section and a low-pressure compressor section, drivingly coupled to one another by a second turbine shaft, coaxial to the first turbine shaft (91). Furthermore, a combustor section is provided, fluidly coupled to the high-pressure compressor section and to the high-pressure turbine section. A free power turbine, supported by a third turbine shaft which is mechanically uncoupled from the first turbine shaft and the second turbine shaft, and is directly coupled to the shaft line, such that the shaft line and the third turbine shaft rotate at the same rotational speed. The free power turbine is adapted to generate a mechanical power rating of at least 65 MW under ISO day conditions.