US 12,281,845 B2
Heat recovery steam generation integration with high pressure feed gas processes for the production of liquefied natural gas
Jorge Vincentelli, Spring, TX (US); Yijun Liu, Spring, TX (US); Ananda K Nagavarapu, Houston, TX (US); and Xiaoli Y. Wright, Sugar Land, TX (US)
Assigned to ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, Spring, TX (US)
Appl. No. 18/005,478
Filed by ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, Spring, TX (US)
PCT Filed May 20, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/070585
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 13, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/016164, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 20, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/053,050, filed on Jul. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0258401 A1, Aug. 17, 2023
Int. Cl. F01K 15/00 (2006.01); F25J 1/02 (2006.01); F25J 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC F25J 1/0242 (2013.01) [F01K 15/00 (2013.01); F25J 1/0022 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of producing liquefied natural gas (LNG), the method comprising:
providing a natural gas stream at a pressure of less than 8.27 MPa (1,200 psia) from a supply of natural gas;
compressing the natural gas stream to a pressure of at least 10.34 MPa (1,500 psia), wherein the compressing is performed using a first compressor and a second compressor;
between the first compressor and the second compressor, cooling the natural gas stream so that the second compressor produces a cooled, compressed natural gas stream;
liquefying the cooled, compressed natural gas stream in a liquefaction process, the liquefaction process using a refrigerant compressor configured to compress a stream of refrigerant used to chill, condense, or liquefy the cooled, compressed natural gas stream;
using a heat recovery steam generation (HRSG) system, recovering heat from a power source of the refrigerant compressor and generating a stream of pressurized steam from the recovered heat; and
powering at least one of the first and second compressors using at least part of the stream of pressurized steam.