SYSTEM FOR TREATING A GAS DERIVING FROM THE EVAPORATION OF A CRYOGENIC LIQUID AND SUPPLYING PRESSURIZED GAS TO A GAS ENGINE

Abstract

The system for treating a gas deriving from the evaporation of a cryogenic liquid and supplying pressurized gas to a gas engine according to the invention comprises, on the one hand, from upstream to downstream, a reliquefaction unit (10) with compression means (11, 12, 13), a first heat exchanger (17) and expansion means (30), and, on the other hand, a pressurized gas supply line comprising, from upstream to downstream, a pump (48) for pressurizing the liquid and high-pressure vaporization means (61).

The pressurized gas supply line has, upstream of the vaporization means (61), a bypass (57) for supplying a second heat exchanger (60) between, on the one hand, pressurized liquid of the supply line (56) and, on the other hand, a line (22) of the reliquefaction unit (10) downstream of the first exchanger and upstream of the expansion means (30).

Claims

1. A system for treating a gas deriving from the evaporation of a cryogenic liquid and supplying pressurized gas to a gas engine, said system comprising, on the one hand, from upstream to downstream, a reliquefaction unit (10) with compression means (11, 12, 13), a first heat exchanger (17) and expansion means (30), and, on the other hand, a pressurized gas supply line comprising, from upstream to downstream, a pump (48) for pressurizing the liquid and high-pressure vaporization means (61), characterized in that the pressurized gas supply line has, upstream of the vaporization means (61), a bypass (57) for supplying a second heat exchanger (60) between, on the one hand, pressurized liquid of the supply line (56) and, on the other hand, a line (22) of the reliquefaction unit (10) downstream of the first heat exchanger (17) and upstream of the expansion means (30).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bypass (57) supplies, downstream of the second exchanger (60), a cooling system.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a third exchanger (70) mounted in series with and downstream of the second exchanger (60).

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a heat exchanger (70) mounted in parallel with the second exchanger (60).

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bypass (56) supplies, in addition to the second exchanger (60), one or more exchangers for cooling gas before its reliquefaction.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, downstream of the expansion means (30), a drum (40) separating the gaseous phase from the liquid phase in the expanded fluid, in that a line conducts the gaseous phase to a collecting vessel to mix it with the gas deriving from the evaporation of the cryogenic liquid, and in that the bypass (56) supplies a heat exchanger (80dd) to cool the gaseous phase before its introduction into the collecting vessel (2).

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the reliquefaction unit comprises, downstream of the compression means (11, 12, 13), a bypass to a loop comprising second expansion means (14), and in that the loop rejoins the circuit upstream of the compression means (11, 12, 13) after having passed through the first heat exchanger (17) in the opposite direction to the fraction of gas in the circuit not diverted by the loop.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the compression means comprise several compression stages (11, 12, 13) each with a compression wheel, in that the second expansion means comprise an expansion turbine (14), and in that each compression wheel and the expansion turbine (14) are associated with one and the same mechanical transmission (15).

9. The system as claimed in claim 3, and as claimed in one of claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it further comprises a third heat exchanger (70) between pressurized liquid diverted from the supply line (56) and gas between the compression means (11, 12, 13) and the second expansion means (14).

10. A ship, in particular methane tanker, propelled by a gas engine, characterized in that it comprises a system for treating a gas deriving from the evaporation of a cryogenic liquid and supplying pressurized gas to a gas engine as claimed in claim 1.

11. A method for treating a flow of gas deriving from the evaporation of a cryogenic liquid and supplying a gas engine at high pressure, said flow of gas being first of all compressed then cooled and condensed at last partially in a first heat exchanger (17) before being expanded, and the supply of gas at high pressure being provided by pressurizing cryogenic liquid then vaporizing it, characterized in that, after its compression, the pressurized liquid flow is separated into a first part of the liquid flow and a second part of the liquid flow, in that the first part of the liquid flow is used to cool compressed and condensed gas in a second exchanger (60) before expansion of the condensed gas, and in that the second part of the liquid flow receives the first part of the liquid flow after the latter has cooled compressed gas, all of the liquid flow being then vaporized.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that more than half, and preferably at least 90% by weight, of the compressed gas is condensed before being cooled in the second exchanger (60).

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the pressurized liquid flow is also used to cool gas before it is condensed.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that a part of the compressed gas is tapped in the first exchanger to be expanded in an expansion turbine (14), and in that the expanded gas is introduced into the first exchanger (17) in counter-current to cool the compressed gas and provoke the condensation thereof.

Description

[0025] Details and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, given with reference to the attached schematic drawing in which:

[0026] FIGS. 1 to 8 are each a schematic view, according to several variants, of a tank of cryogenic liquid associated with a system for recovering evaporating gas from said tank, with a system for treating a part of the recovered gas to liquefy it and with a high pressure gas supply line to a gas engine.

[0027] In each of the attached figures, a tank 1 is illustrated. Throughout the following description, it will be assumed that it is a tank of liquefied natural gas (or LNG) among several other similar tanks onboard an ocean-going ship of methane tanker type.

[0028] The numeric values in the following description are given by way of purely illustrative and nonlimiting numerical examples. They are matched to the treatment of LNG onboard a ship but may vary, particularly if the nature of the gas changes.

[0029] The tank 1 stores LNG at a temperature of the order of 163 C. which corresponds to the usual storage temperature of LNG at a pressure close to atmospheric pressure. This temperature does of course depend on the composition of the natural gas and on the storage conditions. Since the atmosphere around the tank 1 is at a very much higher temperature than that of the LNG, even though the tank 1 is very well thermally insulated, calories are added to the liquid which heats up and vaporizes. Since the volume of the gas being evaporated is very much greater than that of the corresponding liquid, the pressure in the tank 1 therefore tends to increase over time and as calories are added to the liquid.

[0030] To avoid reaching excessively high pressures, the gas which is evaporated is withdrawn as it is evaporated from the tank 1 (and from the other tanks of the ship) and is located in a collecting vessel 2 linked to several tanks. Hereinafter in the description, the gas which is evaporated is called gas even when, hereinafter, it is reliquefied. It is thus distinguished from LNG which is taken in liquid form from the tanks to supply an engine.

[0031] Provision is made in the systems illustrated in the drawing to use the gas which is evaporated as energy source onboard the ship (for example to produce electricity) and to reliquefy the surplus gas. The aim here is to avoid losing the evaporated gas and therefore either to use it onboard the ship, or to recover it and return it, in liquid phase, into the tank 1. Furthermore, there is provided a line supplying high-pressure gas to a gas engine of MEGI engine type from liquid LNG drawn from the tanks of the ship.

[0032] To be used onboard the ship, the gas evaporated from the tanks must first of all be compressed. This compression is then done in a first compression unit 3 which can be, as illustrated in the drawing, multi-staged. This unit, by way of illustrative and nonlimiting numerical example, raises the pressure of the gas collected in the collecting vessel 2 from a pressure substantially equal to atmospheric pressure to a pressure of the order of 15 to 20 bar (1 bar=10.sup.5 Pa).

[0033] After this first compression stage, the gas passes into an intermediate cooler 4 in which it is cooled without significantly modifying its pressure. The gas which has been heated up in its compression is at a temperature of the order of 40 to 45 C. at the output of the intermediate cooler (these values are given in an illustrative manner and apply in particular for natural gas). The duly compressed and cooled gas can then be sent in gaseous phase by a duct 5 to a generator onboard the ship.

[0034] The gas needs at the generator(s) of the ship are often lower than the production of gas by evaporation in all the tanks which are onboard the ship. The gas not used in the generator(s) is then sent to a reliquefaction unit 10.

[0035] The reliquefaction unit 10 comprises, at its input, a valve 6 intended in particular to control the pressure of the gas in the duct 5, then a main circuit and a loop which will be described hereinbelow.

[0036] The main circuit makes it possible, from the gas (in gaseous phase and which is at a pressure of the order of from a few bar to approximately 50 barnonlimiting values), to obtain gas in liquid phase that can return into the tank 1.

[0037] The method for obtaining this gas in liquid phase to be replaced in the tank is conventional. It involves compressing the gas, cooling it to condense it then expanding it to return it to the pressure prevailing in the tanks. This way of doing things is classic in the field of cryogenics.

[0038] There is thus, in the main circuit, first of all a multi-staged compressor here comprising three successive stages with the references 11, 12 and 13. Each stage is formed by a compression wheel and the three compression wheels are driven by one and the same transmission 15 with shafts and pinions. The line between the compression stages in the figures symbolizes the mechanical link between them. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the gas arriving in the multi-staged compressor arrives in the second stage 12 of this compressor. Depending on the system, it may perfectly well equally arrive at the firstas illustrated in the other figures of the drawingor at the third (or more generally nth stage) of this compressor.

[0039] After this second compression, the gas passes into an intermediate cooler 16. Its pressure is then a few tens of bar, for example approximately 50 bar, and its temperature is once again of the order of 40 to 45 C.

[0040] The duly compressed gas is then cooled and condensed in a first multiflow exchanger 17. The gas circulates in this first exchanger 17 in a first direction. The fluids circulating in the opposite direction (relative to this first direction) and used to cool it will be described later.

[0041] At the output of the first exchanger 17, the compressed gas cooled to a temperature of the order of 110 to 120 C. is mostly (almost all) in liquid phase and is sent, still at a pressure of the order of a few tens of bar (for example approximately 50 bar) by an insulated duct 22 to an expansion valve 30.

[0042] The expansion through the expansion valve 30 of the condensed gas provides both methane-rich gas in liquid phase and a nitrogen-rich gas in gaseous phase. The separation of this liquid phase and of this gaseous phase is done in a drum 40 in which the pressure is of the order of a few bar, for example between 3 and 5 bar.

[0043] The gas in gaseous phase of the drum 40 is preferably returned to the collecting vessel 2. In this way, it can either be used as fuel in a generator, or go back into the reliquefaction unit 10. Since this gas is cold, it can be used to cool and condense the compressed gas in the first exchanger 17. Provision is therefore made to circulate it in the opposite direction in the first exchanger 17 before making it return to the collecting vessel 2.

[0044] If the gas in gaseous phase of the drum 40 for various reasons, in particular in transition phases, cannot be recycled to the collecting vessel 2, provision is made to send it to a flare or a combustion unit. A set of valves 31, 32 controls the sending of the gas in gaseous phase from the drum 40 respectively to the collecting vessel 2 by a link duct 35 or to a combustion unit (not represented).

[0045] The gas in liquid phase recovered at the bottom of the drum 40 is, for its part, intended to be returned to the tank 1. Depending on the operating conditions, the gas in liquid phase can be sent directly into the tank 1 (passage controlled by a valve 33), or using a pump 41 (passage controlled by a valve 34).

[0046] The return of the gas in liquid phase originating from the drum 40, directly or via the pump 41, to the tank 1 is done via an insulated duct 36 here provided with a valve 54, for example a stop valve.

[0047] In the reliquefaction unit 10, it is important to ensure the cooling of the gas compressed in the multi-staged compressor (stages 11, 12 and 13). This cooling is usually done using a distinct thermodynamic machine, operating for example according to a Brayton cycle, and using nitrogen as refrigerant. It is possible to use, in the reliquefaction unit 10, such a refrigeration machine which then cools and condenses the gas in the first exchanger 17. However, it is proposed here, as mentioned above, to provide this reliquefaction unit with a cooling loop using the natural gas as refrigerant. This loop begins with a bypassed duct 18 which separates the flow of gas downstream of the multi-staged compressor (stages 11, 12, 13) into a first flow, or main flow, which corresponds to the main circuit described previously, and into a second flow, or diverted flow.

[0048] The bypass duct 18 is preferably linked to the main circuit at the first exchanger 17. The gas in gaseous phase which therefore enters into the bypass duct 18 is at high pressure (approximately 50 bar in the numeric example given) and at an intermediate temperature between 40 C. and 110 C.

[0049] The gas taken via the bypass duct 18 is expanded in expansion means formed by an expansion turbine 14. This expansion turbine 14 is, in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, linked mechanically to the three compression wheels corresponding to the stages 11, 12 and 13 of the multi-staged compressor of the reliquefaction unit 10. The transmission 15 by shafts and pinions links the expansion turbine 14 and the compression wheels of the multi-staged compressor. This transmission 15 is symbolized by a line linking, in the figures, the expansion turbine 14 to the stages 11, 12 and 13.

[0050] The gas is expanded for example to a pressure level which corresponded to its pressure level on entering into the reliquefaction unit 10, i.e. approximately 15 to 20 bar. Its temperature drops below 120 C. This flow of gas (gaseous phase) is then sent into the first exchanger 17 in the opposite direction to cool and condense the pressurized gas of the main circuit, first of all in a portion 19 located downstream of the bypass duct 18 then in a portion of this main circuit in the first exchanger 17 upstream of this bypass duct 18. At the output of the first exchanger 17, the expanded gas returns to temperatures of the order of 40 C. and can be reinjected in gaseous phase into the main circuit of the reliquefaction unit, upstream of the multi-staged compressor by a return duct 21.

[0051] Thus, an open cooling loop is produced which uses, as gas for the cooling, the same gas as that which has to be liquefied.

[0052] As indicated above, the system illustrated also has a line supplying gas at (high) pressure to a gas engine, for example an engine of MEGI type (not illustrated). This supply line starts from a tank 1. It is first of all fed by a submerged pump 50 which supplies cryogenic liquid (LNG) to a duct 51 to conduct it to a high-pressure pump 48. The high-pressure liquid is then brought by a duct 56 into a vaporizer 61, for example producing a thermal exchange with steam, to produce vapor (natural gas in gaseous phase) at high pressure that can then supply an engine of MEGI type by a supply duct 62.

[0053] The presence of a bypass 57 on the duct 56 will be noted in the figures. This bypass 57 will supply pressurized liquid, still in liquid phase, to a second exchanger 60 intended to aftercool condensate leaving the first exchanger 17 in the main circuit of the reliquefaction unit 10. This second exchanger 60, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, is here provided to produce an exchange of heat between, on one side, the pressurized liquid in the duct 56 supplying the MEGI engine (or the like) and diverted by the bypass 57 and, on the other side, the condensate located in the insulated duct 22 between the first exchanger 17 and the expansion valve 30.

[0054] As a purely illustrative and nonlimiting numeric example, the liquid diverted in the bypass 57 is at approximately 150 C. upstream of the second exchanger 60 and reemerges therefrom for example at 140 C. (still in liquid phase). In the insulated duct 22, the condensed gas leaving the first exchanger 17 goes, for its part, for example from 120 C. to 135 C.

[0055] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the regulation of the flows in the duct 56 and the bypass 57 is provided using a valve 55 placed on the duct 56 upstream of the bypass 57 and another valve 59 incorporated in the bypass 57 (illustrated downstream of the second exchanger 60 but the person skilled in the art will understand that this valve 59 could, equivalently, be disposed upstream of the second exchanger 60). A valve 58, with manual or automatic control, is also provided between the two points linking the bypass 57 with the duct 56.

[0056] Finally, note in FIG. 1 (and the subsequent figures) the presence of a junction 52 provided with a valve 53 between the insulated duct 36 and the duct 51. This junction 52 makes it possible to directly pass liquid from the reliquefaction unit 10 directly to the duct 51 and therefore to the high-pressure pump 48 without going back through a tank 1. It is thus clearly possible to limit the head losses and the thermal losses.

[0057] FIG. 2 illustrates a variant embodiment of the system of FIG. 1 with two modifications totally independent of one another. Provision is made here, first of all, as already explained above, to inject the gas compressed in the first compression unit 3 into the first stage 11 of the multi-staged compressor of the reliquefaction unit. Then, provision is made to perform the regulation at the second heat exchanger 60 a little differently. Instead of adjusting the exchanges in the exchanger by varying the flow rates in the bypass 57 (FIG. 1), provision is made here to vary the flow rates passing through the exchanger in the insulated duct 22. Provision is thus made in the embodiment of FIG. 2 for between 0% and 100% of the flow (mixture between gaseous phase and liquid phase but mostly in liquid phase) circulating in the insulated duct 22 to be passed into the second exchanger 60. In order to do this, a bypass duct 66 short-circuits the second exchanger 60. A three-way valve 65 is provided upstream of the second exchanger 60 to regulate the flow of the insulated duct 22 passing through the second exchanger 60 and that passing through the bypass duct 66. Other regulation means could be envisaged (such as, for example, in the bypass 57, with a valve upstream of the bypass duct and a valve in the bypass duct and/or in the branch of circuit containing the second exchanger). In this embodiment, provision is made to be able to also isolate the second exchanger 60 from the MEGI motor supply line (duct 56). To this end, the embodiment of FIG. 2 simply provides for each branch of the bypass 57, a branch upstream and a branch downstream of the second exchanger 60, to be provided with a valve, respectively 64a and 64b, with manual or controlled control.

[0058] In the variant embodiment of FIG. 3, provision is made to simplify the structure of the first exchanger 17 (this simplification could also be proposed in the other variant embodiments of the invention). Here the link duct 35 between the drum 40 and the collecting vessel 2 no longer passes through the first exchanger 17 whose structure is thus simplified. By virtue of the exchanges produced in the second exchanger 60, it is possible to obtain a good reliquefaction of the evaporated gases in the reliquefaction unit 10 with a first exchanger 17 of simpler structure and therefore lower cost price.

[0059] In the embodiment of this FIG. 3, another regulation of the flows in the bypass 57 is proposed. In this variant, a valve 63 is disposed between the two points linking the bypass 57 with the duct 56 of the engine supply line (not represented).

[0060] In FIG. 4, provision is made to pass all the evaporated gas recovered from the tanks 1 by the collecting vessel 2 first of all into the first compression unit 3 then into the reliquefaction unit 10.

[0061] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate embodiments implementing a third heat exchanger 70 for cooling the gas in gaseous phase entering into the open refrigeration loop of the reliquefaction unit 10. The exchange is done here between the liquid of the line 56 and the compressed gas in gaseous phase and already partially cooled in the bypassed duct 18.

[0062] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the third exchanger 70 is mounted in parallel with the second exchanger 60 whereas, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the third exchanger 70 is mounted in series with (and downstream of) the second exchanger 60.

[0063] FIG. 7 proposes an embodiment in which four heat exchangers 80a-d are provided at various points of the main circuit of the reliquefaction unit 10 to cool the gas still in gaseous phase before liquefying it. The exchanger 80a is intended here to cool the gas compressed in the first stage 11 of the multi-staged compressor before it enters into the second stage 12 of this compressor. The exchanger 80b is disposed similarly between the second stage 12 and the third stage 13. Another exchanger 80c is disposed downstream of the multi-staged compressor, before or after the intermediate cooler 16 and before the first exchanger 17. Finally, it is proposed here to also dispose a heat exchanger 80d on the link duct 35 to cool the gas returning to the collecting vessel 2.

[0064] This embodiment is supposed to be illustrative (and nonlimiting) of the various possibilities or positioning of exchangers supplied with cryogenic liquid at high pressure. There can be four, or even more, or even less, exchangers. They are preferably mounted in parallel as illustrated, the exchangers 80n forming an exchange system mounted in series with the second exchanger 60. Other assemblies (series or parallel) can be envisaged. It is also possible to provide exchangers on the open loop cooling circuit.

[0065] Finally, FIG. 8 is attached to illustrate that the pressurized liquid (still in liquid phase) in the duct 56 can also be used, partially, to cool other elements in a cooling system 90 onboard the ship. The liquid used for the cooling system 90 is preferably disposed downstream of the second exchanger 60 such that the liquid from the duct 56 taken into the bypass 57 is used mostly for cooling at the reliquefaction unit 10.The cooling system can for example be an air-conditioning or, industrial cold, or other such unit.

[0066] The variants proposed in the various embodiments can be combined in various ways to produce other embodiments according to the present invention but not illustrated.

[0067] The system proposed here provides cooperation between a liquefaction unit and a high-pressure gas supply, for example for supplying an engine of MEGI type. A synergy is created between these two subsystems, one having cold needs to liquefy a gas and the other requiring energy to vaporize liquid at high pressure. The system as proposed makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the reliquefaction unit, that is to say increase the proportion of evaporated gas which is reliquefied, to limit the needs in terms of cold to be supplied to produce the reliquefaction of the evaporated gas and at the same time to limit the energy needs to obtain a gas at high pressure to supply an engine (MEGI engine or other system operating with gas at high pressure).

[0068] The system proposed here is particularly well suited to a reliquefaction unit having an open loop of refrigerating gas corresponding to the gas refrigerated with a production of cold at two different temperatures, a temperature of approximately 120 C. at the output of the expansion turbine and a temperature of approximately 160 C. at the output of the expansion valve.

[0069] The system is independent of the engines located onboard the ship and which are supplied with the evaporated gas. It is possible to have two different types of engines with different gases, one being supplied by a high-pressure supply line and the other being supplied by the evaporated gas compressed by the first compression unit. The system also makes it possible, from the evaporated gas, independently of any other external cold source, to produce a liquefaction.

[0070] In the bypass created on the high pressure gas supply line, the cold production can be adapted to the load of the reliquefaction unit and can be regulated over a wide range.

[0071] The proposed system does not require any nitrogen treatment unit or the like. Its structure is simplified by the use of a refrigerating gas of the same kind as the gas to be refrigerated and to be liquefied and which also serves as fuel for an engine (or the like).

[0072] Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments of the systems and methods described above by way of nonlimiting examples, but it relates also to all the variant embodiments within the reach of the person skilled in the art within the scope of the claims hereinbelow.