US3535885A - Method of transporting natural gas - Google Patents

Method of transporting natural gas Download PDF

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Publication number
US3535885A
US3535885A US720797A US3535885DA US3535885A US 3535885 A US3535885 A US 3535885A US 720797 A US720797 A US 720797A US 3535885D A US3535885D A US 3535885DA US 3535885 A US3535885 A US 3535885A
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United States
Prior art keywords
cold
carrier
point
natural gas
gas
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Expired - Lifetime
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US720797A
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English (en)
Inventor
Willem Frijlink
Alfred L Van Kleef
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Shell USA Inc
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Shell Oil Co
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C9/00—Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied or solidified gases from vessels not under pressure
    • F17C9/02—Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied or solidified gases from vessels not under pressure with change of state, e.g. vaporisation
    • F17C9/04—Recovery of thermal energy
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2265/00—Effects achieved by gas storage or gas handling
    • F17C2265/05—Regasification

Definitions

  • the natural gas is liquefied at the production point by cooling and the liquefied material is passed into a reservoir.
  • the reservoir is transported to the consumption point where the liquefied material is converted back into natural gas by bringing it into heat exchange with a cold-carrier consisting essentially of water mixed with at least one freezing-point depressant, the coldecarrier having a condensation temperature approximately equal to the condensation temperature of the natural gas.
  • the cold-carrier is cooled down as a result of contact with the liquefied material and passed into a reservoir which is transported back to the production point where the cooled cold-carrier is brought into heat exchange with the natural gas at the production point.
  • the invention relates to a method of transporting normally gaseous material; in particular a natural gas such as methane, in the liquid state.
  • production point is meant the place where the gas is liquefied for dispatch
  • consumption point is meant the place where the liquefied gas in converted, on arrival, to the gaseous state for consumption.
  • the cold is thus passed back to the production point by means of a cold-carrier.
  • the cold-carrier It is desirable for the cold-carrier to be able to absorb a large amount of cold per unit of volume, so that the reservoir space required for transporting the cold-carrier will be as small as possible.
  • the cold-carrier should possess a relatively high specific heat and a relatively high specific gravity.
  • Other requirements which the cold-carrier must meet are that it must be easily manageable and transportable, be easily obtainable and low in price and have satisfactory freezing and boiling points.
  • the freezing point of water can be lowered by using a freezing-point depressant (brine and antifreeze are well-known examples).
  • a freezing-point depressant (brine and antifreeze are well-known examples).
  • the transport or peakshaving of gas wherein the gas is temporarily liquefied and thereafter regasified, to store the cold obtained during the regasification temporarily in a coldcarrier to be used again at a later stage for the liquefaction of a new batch of gas.
  • the cold-carriers used in this process which has been known for many years, have always been substances passing through a phase change, e.g., from the liquid to the gaseous phase and vice versa, these substances being oxygen, air, ammonia or, as in a U.S. Pat. No.
  • liquefying natural gas at a production point by cooling and passing the liquefied material into a reservoir.
  • the reservoir is transported to a consumption point where the liquefied material is converted back into natural gas by bringing it into heat exchange with a coldcarrier consisting essentially of water mixed with at least one freezing-point depressant and the cold-carrier having a condensation temperature approximately equal to the condensation temperature of the natural gas.
  • the cold-carrier is cooled down as a result of contact with the liquefied material and passed into a reservoir which is transported back to the production point where the cooled cold-carrier is brought into heat exchange with the natural gas at the production point.
  • Suitable cold-carriers are, by way of example, water mixed with ammonia (NH3); water mixed with at least one alcohol, for example, water mixed with methanol (CH3OH) or water mixed with ethanol (C2H5OH); or water mixed with two or more alcohols or other substances.
  • Water mixed with a glycol for example, diethylene glycol C2H4(OH)2, can also be used as a cold-carrier.
  • a suitable cold-carrier is a mixture of 66 mole percent NH3 having a freezing point of l00 C. This is approximately the condensation temperature of common, natural gases at 30-40 ata., such as those produced in Sahara, republic and Groningen.
  • the liquefied gas can be transported in the reservoir at a pressure of 1 atm., but in many cases it may be desirable to use higher pressures.
  • FIG. l is a diagrammatic view of an arrangement according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the arrangement of FIG. l showing another feature of the invention.
  • FIG. l it may be seen how natural gas may be transported in the liquid state between a production point and a consumption point.
  • the gas is introduced into a heat exchanger at the gas producing area where it is cooled by contact with a cooled cold-carrier consisting essentially of water mixed with at least one freezing point depressant (FPD) and having a condensation temperature approximately equal to the condensation temperature of the natural gas.
  • FPD freezing point depressant
  • Vapors may be given off and the liquefied gas is passed into a reservoir which is transported to the gas consuming area.
  • the liquefied gas is converted back to the gaseous state by bringing it into contact with a cold-carrier in a heat exchanger at the gas consumingr area.
  • the gas is removed from the heat exchanger.
  • the cold-carrier cooled down as a result of the foregoing, is passed into a reservoir for transportation back to the producing area where the cooled cold-carrier is brought into contact with the natural gas introduced into the heat exchanger at the producing area.
  • the arrangement is essentially the same as that of FIG. 1.
  • the cold-carrier at the producing area warmed as a result of contact with the gas introduced into the heat exchanger at the producing area, may be passed to a reservoir and transported back to the consuming area where it is used as the cold-carrier for the heat exchanger in the consuming area.
  • the cold-carrier is used at the production point to liquefy a quantity of gas by causing the cold from the cold-carrier to cool down the gas to be liquefied. As a result, therefore, the cold-carrier rises in temperature, or is warmed up, for example to the ambient temperature. If desired the cold-carrier can now be consumed at the production point, for example, in processes of the chemical industry carried out at the production point.
  • ammonia is used as the freezing point depressant, the mixture of water and ammonia can be used, for example, in the manufacture of fertilizers. It is also possible to separate the ammonia, the alcohols or any other freezing point depressants present, from the water at the production point.
  • These separated freezing point depressants can either be used up on the spot or passed back to the consumption point. In the latter case at the consumption point, these separated freezing point depressants are mixed again with an amount of water to make the necessary cold-carrier. Then, on arrival of a quantity of liquefied gas at the consumption point, the cold-carrier is used to gasify this liquefied gas, whereupon the cooled coldcarrier is transported to the production point.
  • the cold-carrier which has been cooled down at the consumption point can be advantageously transported to the production point in the same reservoir as used for transporting the liquefied gas from the production point to the consumption point as illustrated in FIG. 2. This has the advantage that the reservoir is invariably kept at a low temperature and therefore need not be cooled at the production point.
  • the reservoir space of the reservoir in which the liquefied gas has been transported from the production point to the consumption point is in many cases large enough for transporting the cold cold-carrier from the consumption point to the production point.
  • reservoirs for the transport of the liqueed gas and/or of the cold-carrier can be built into, or form a part of, a ship, railway wagon, lorry or other vehicle.
  • the temperature ranges contemplated for the coldcarries can best be defined as follows:
  • Tmm some degrees centigrade above the (eutectic) freezing point at a pressure of l atm. absolute.
  • Tmx about l0 degrees centigrade below the boiling point of the cold-carrier. In this case the pressure has considerable influence on this boiling point.
  • the cold-carrier will remain in the liquid phase.
  • water is removed from a cold-carrier comprising H2O and NH3.
  • the NH3 can then be sent back to the gas-consuming location in gaseous condition, if desired.
  • additional cold is supplied to the natural gas.
  • the additional cold can also be supplied to the cold-carrier, whereby it is sometimes preferred to do this in the gas-consuming location:
  • the liquefied gas is gasified by heat-exchange with the cold-carrier.
  • the cold-carrier is additionally cooled down in a scheme in which additional cold is produced in a nitrogen compression-expansion cycle.
  • natural gas is used to include those hydrocarbons which are the components of the combustible mixture which is withdrawn from the earth.
  • the method described herein can be used in the transport of liquefied natural gases,
  • cu. m. of liquefied natural gas will be supplied to the consumption point.
  • the quantity of cold cold-carrier which has to be transported to the production point is 17,300 cu. m., of which 13,000 cu. m. can be transported to the production point in the reservoir in which the liquefied natural gas has been supplied.
  • Extra reservoir space will be required for the difference of 4,300 cu. m. of cold cold-carrier, in order to transport the cold coldcarrier from the consumption point to the production point.
  • 21,700 cu. m. of reservoir space is needed for the warmed cold-carrier and 13,000 cu. m. for the liquefied natural gas.
  • the total reservoir space required is, therefore, 34,700 cu. m.; it should, however, be noted that no heat-insulated or pressure reservoir is necessary for the transport of the warmed cold-carrier.
  • case B is more favorable than case A and case C is more favorable than case B.
  • the cold-carriers mentioned may also be used in storage of methane or natural gas for economy purposes. During periods of small demand for natural gas, this can be liquefied by passing it in heat exchange with any one of the cold cold-carriers according to the invention. The natural gas thus liquefied can then be stored in suitable reservoirs and in periods of large demand for natural gas the latter is gasiiied by passing it in heat-exchange with the warmed cold-carrier. 'Ihe cooled down cold-carrier is then stored until a period of small demand for natural gas arrives again. Then the cold cold-carrier is used for liquefying a quantity of natural gas which is stored until the demand for natural gas rises again.
  • the following table shows the various freezing points that may be obtained where ammonia (NH3), methanol (CHgOH) and ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) are used as freezing point depressants in cold-carriers in accordance with the teachings of the invention.
  • NH3 ammonia
  • CHgOH methanol
  • C2H5OH ethyl alcohol
  • the main object of this invention is to transport (or store for peakshaving purposes) liquefied gas by means of a cold-carrier which is able to absorb a large quantity of cold per unit of volume.
  • the storage or transporting volume of the cold cold-carrier is as small as possible thus enabling substantial savings to be obtained on the investment in heat-insulated tanks for the cold cold-carrier.
  • a cold-carrier must be as inexpensive as possible and easily obtainable.
  • the cold-carrier must possess high specific gravity and heat, such as water.
  • a disadvantage of water is that its freezing point is relatively high.
  • the quantity ⁇ of such depressant to be used depends entirely on the gas which is to be liquefied or regasified.
  • the quantity of freezing point depressant added to the water depends entirely on the boiling point of the gas to be liquefied and regasified in the process. Thus, only so much freezingpoint depressant has to be added to the water so that it remains pumpable during the process. In each case, depending upon the gas to be liquefied and regasied, and on the pressures at which the liquefaction takes place, one skilled in the art is readily able to decide the right quantity of freezing-point depressant to be added to the water.
  • a method of transporting natural gas in the liquid state between a production point and a consumption point comprising the following steps:
  • step (e) passing the cold-carrier cooled down as a result of step (d) into a reservoir;
  • step (g) bringing the cooled cold-carrier into heat-exchange with the natural gas at the production point to cool the latter as described in step (a).
  • the method of claim 1 including the step of transporting said liquefied natural gas in the reservoir at a pressure greater than one atmosphere.
  • step (g) The method of claim 1 including the additional steps of passing the cold-carrier which has been warmed up as described in step (g) into a reservoir and transporting the reservoir to the consumption point where the warmed coldcarrier is utilized to convert the liquefied natural gas into the gaseous state.
  • the method of claim 1 including the step vof transporting the warmed cold-carrier to the consumption point under a pressure of at least one atmosphere.
  • the method of claim 1 including the step of transporting the cooled cold-carrier from the consumption point to the production point in the same reservoir in which the liquefied natural gas has been transported from the prdouction point to the consumption point.
  • step of bringing the liquefied gas into heat-exchange with a cold-carrier includes the step of bringing the liquefied gas into heatexchange with a cold-carrier at approximately atmospheric pressure.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
  • Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
US720797A 1965-02-05 1968-04-12 Method of transporting natural gas Expired - Lifetime US3535885A (en)

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NL6501473A NL6501473A (de) 1965-02-05 1965-02-05

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US (1) US3535885A (de)
DE (1) DE1501748A1 (de)
ES (1) ES322562A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1084622A (de)
NL (1) NL6501473A (de)

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3877240A (en) * 1973-04-27 1975-04-15 Lummus Co Process and apparatus for the storage and transportation of liquefied gases
US3883322A (en) * 1973-08-23 1975-05-13 Jr Henry W Bivins Blending apparatus for vaporizing propane
US4321795A (en) * 1980-09-22 1982-03-30 Helmut Brandt Process for the purification of gaseous chlorine
US5199266A (en) * 1991-02-21 1993-04-06 Ugland Engineering A/S Unprocessed petroleum gas transport
US6112528A (en) * 1998-12-18 2000-09-05 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Process for unloading pressurized liquefied natural gas from containers
US6202707B1 (en) 1998-12-18 2001-03-20 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Method for displacing pressurized liquefied gas from containers
US6257017B1 (en) 1998-12-18 2001-07-10 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Process for producing a displacement gas to unload pressurized liquefied gas from containers
US6298671B1 (en) * 2000-06-14 2001-10-09 Bp Amoco Corporation Method for producing, transporting, offloading, storing and distributing natural gas to a marketplace
US6598408B1 (en) 2002-03-29 2003-07-29 El Paso Corporation Method and apparatus for transporting LNG
US20030159800A1 (en) * 2002-02-27 2003-08-28 Nierenberg Alan B. Method and apparatus for the regasification of LNG onboard a carrier
US6688114B2 (en) 2002-03-29 2004-02-10 El Paso Corporation LNG carrier
US20050061002A1 (en) * 2003-08-12 2005-03-24 Alan Nierenberg Shipboard regasification for LNG carriers with alternate propulsion plants
US20090095019A1 (en) * 2006-05-15 2009-04-16 Marco Dick Jager Method and apparatus for liquefying a hydrocarbon stream
US20100263389A1 (en) * 2009-04-17 2010-10-21 Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership Dockside Ship-To-Ship Transfer of LNG
US20110297346A1 (en) * 2009-02-11 2011-12-08 Moses Minta Methods and Systems of Regenerative Heat Exchange
US9919774B2 (en) 2010-05-20 2018-03-20 Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership Systems and methods for treatment of LNG cargo tanks
US10539363B2 (en) 2008-02-14 2020-01-21 Shell Oil Company Method and apparatus for cooling a hydrocarbon stream
RU2790510C1 (ru) * 2022-06-14 2023-02-21 Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего образования "Саратовский государственный технический университет имени Гагарина Ю.А." (СГТУ имени Гагарина Ю.А.) Объединенный способ производства и транспортировки сжиженного природного газа

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2884763A (en) * 1956-11-20 1959-05-05 Cities Service Refining Corp Storage of liquified gases
FR1233474A (fr) * 1959-08-26 1960-10-12 Constock Int Methane Ltd Procédé de transport et d'utilisation de gaz naturel liquéfié
US2975604A (en) * 1956-05-07 1961-03-21 Little Inc A Method of distribution of condensable gases
US3018632A (en) * 1959-05-11 1962-01-30 Hydrocarbon Research Inc Cyclic process for transporting methane

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2975604A (en) * 1956-05-07 1961-03-21 Little Inc A Method of distribution of condensable gases
US2884763A (en) * 1956-11-20 1959-05-05 Cities Service Refining Corp Storage of liquified gases
US3018632A (en) * 1959-05-11 1962-01-30 Hydrocarbon Research Inc Cyclic process for transporting methane
FR1233474A (fr) * 1959-08-26 1960-10-12 Constock Int Methane Ltd Procédé de transport et d'utilisation de gaz naturel liquéfié

Cited By (24)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3877240A (en) * 1973-04-27 1975-04-15 Lummus Co Process and apparatus for the storage and transportation of liquefied gases
US3883322A (en) * 1973-08-23 1975-05-13 Jr Henry W Bivins Blending apparatus for vaporizing propane
US4321795A (en) * 1980-09-22 1982-03-30 Helmut Brandt Process for the purification of gaseous chlorine
US5199266A (en) * 1991-02-21 1993-04-06 Ugland Engineering A/S Unprocessed petroleum gas transport
US6257017B1 (en) 1998-12-18 2001-07-10 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Process for producing a displacement gas to unload pressurized liquefied gas from containers
US6202707B1 (en) 1998-12-18 2001-03-20 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Method for displacing pressurized liquefied gas from containers
US6112528A (en) * 1998-12-18 2000-09-05 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Process for unloading pressurized liquefied natural gas from containers
US6298671B1 (en) * 2000-06-14 2001-10-09 Bp Amoco Corporation Method for producing, transporting, offloading, storing and distributing natural gas to a marketplace
US20080148742A1 (en) * 2002-02-27 2008-06-26 Nierenberg Alan B Method and apparatus for the regasification of lng onboard a carrier
US20030159800A1 (en) * 2002-02-27 2003-08-28 Nierenberg Alan B. Method and apparatus for the regasification of LNG onboard a carrier
US20100192597A1 (en) * 2002-02-27 2010-08-05 Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership Method and Apparatus for the Regasification of LNG Onboard a Carrier
US7293600B2 (en) 2002-02-27 2007-11-13 Excelerate Energy Limited Parnership Apparatus for the regasification of LNG onboard a carrier
US6598408B1 (en) 2002-03-29 2003-07-29 El Paso Corporation Method and apparatus for transporting LNG
US6688114B2 (en) 2002-03-29 2004-02-10 El Paso Corporation LNG carrier
US7219502B2 (en) 2003-08-12 2007-05-22 Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership Shipboard regasification for LNG carriers with alternate propulsion plants
US7484371B2 (en) 2003-08-12 2009-02-03 Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership Shipboard regasification for LNG carriers with alternate propulsion plants
US20050061002A1 (en) * 2003-08-12 2005-03-24 Alan Nierenberg Shipboard regasification for LNG carriers with alternate propulsion plants
US20090095019A1 (en) * 2006-05-15 2009-04-16 Marco Dick Jager Method and apparatus for liquefying a hydrocarbon stream
US8578734B2 (en) * 2006-05-15 2013-11-12 Shell Oil Company Method and apparatus for liquefying a hydrocarbon stream
US10539363B2 (en) 2008-02-14 2020-01-21 Shell Oil Company Method and apparatus for cooling a hydrocarbon stream
US20110297346A1 (en) * 2009-02-11 2011-12-08 Moses Minta Methods and Systems of Regenerative Heat Exchange
US20100263389A1 (en) * 2009-04-17 2010-10-21 Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership Dockside Ship-To-Ship Transfer of LNG
US9919774B2 (en) 2010-05-20 2018-03-20 Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership Systems and methods for treatment of LNG cargo tanks
RU2790510C1 (ru) * 2022-06-14 2023-02-21 Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего образования "Саратовский государственный технический университет имени Гагарина Ю.А." (СГТУ имени Гагарина Ю.А.) Объединенный способ производства и транспортировки сжиженного природного газа

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Publication number Publication date
NL6501473A (de) 1966-08-08
GB1084622A (en) 1967-09-27
ES322562A1 (es) 1967-03-16
DE1501748A1 (de) 1970-01-15

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