• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.38-43
• /
• 2011

Natural gas liquefaction process runs under cryogenic condition, and it spends large amount of energy. Minimizing energy consumption of natural gas liquefaction process is an important issue because of its physical characteristics. Among many kinds of natural gas liquefaction processes, C3-MR(Propane Pre-cooled Mixed Refrigerant) process uses two kind of refrigerants. One is the propane as the pure refrigerant(PR) and the other is the mixed refrigerant(MR). In this study, to find the optimal compressing level, propane cycle is simulated on different pressure level. The case study result shows relationship between energy consumption and pressure level. As a result, the conclusion is that at a higher pressure level, process consumes lower energy. At 5 pressure-levels, energy consumption is 23.7% lower than 3 pressure-levels.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.27-32
• /
• 2013

Natural gas liquefaction process which is operated under cryogenic condition spends large amount of energy. Most of energy in the natural gas liquefaction process is consumed by compressors. Therefore, minimizing energy consumption of compressors is an important issue in process design and operation. Among various natural gas liquefaction processes, propane pre-cooled mixed refrigerant (C3MR) process consists of mixed refrigerant system and pure refrigerant system. In this study, to find the optimal design of pure refrigerant system, pure refrigerant cycle is simulated on different number of pressure levels and the necessary energy of each design is compared. After that, the driver selection model is applied to analyse each processes, which has different number of equipments, in terms of cost. As the result, the design using many equipments spends lower energy. Using this result, this study suggests standard of process design selection by the cost term.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.51-57
• /
• 2013

The process of liquefied natural gas is less then $-160^{\circ}C$ to natural gas by cooling at atmospheric pressure. When control strategy was made, one of the most significant is analysis of process. It is important to understand the control variable change according to manipulated variable change. In this study, we experiment natural gas liquefied process using C3MR(Propane Pre-cooled Mixed Refrigerant) process by BSU(Bench Scale Unit). We analyzed the change of refrigerant temperature and natural gas temperature according to the change of refrigerant flow rate so as to search an influence flow rate according to adjust each manipulated variables. One of the manipulated variable affected a number of control variables, but were able to confirm a control variable with a large response.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.314-320
• /
• 2014

The purpose of this work is to optimize composition of mixture refrigerants used in the C3MR (Propane & Mixed Refrigerants) process by a statistical optimization technique. C3MR studied in this work is one of widely used commercial natural gas liquefaction processes with high efficiency. Process simulation was performed in a commercial process simulator and methane ($C_1$), ethane ($C_2$), propane ($C_3$), and nitrogen ($N_2$) were selected as mixed refrigerants. Using the process model, optimum composition of refrigerants mixture was determined via mixture design and central composite design to produce minimum energy consumption. As a result, it was confirmed that energy consumption is reduced down to 11.3% comparing to existing design. It was also compared with heat effectiveness through temperature profile of MCHE (main cryogenic heat exchanger).

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.67-72
• /
• 2013

The LNG liquefaction plant which have a higher value-added business in the LNG value chain takes about 35% of total cost. Liquefaction process is core technology of liquefaction plant. Almost all of cost which was consumed from the liquefaction plant, using for operation energy of liquefaction process. The cost can be reduced by increasing efficiency of liquefaction cycle. C3MR(propane pre-cooled, mixed refrigerant cycle) which liquefies NG using propane and MR cycle has the high efficiency, so C3MR is mostly used liquefaction process in LNG industry. In this study, process simulation and analysis were performed for C3MR process. C3MR process variables were found through this simulation and analysis, and then the process optimization was performed. It is considered that the results of process analysis, process variables and process optimization study can be utilized to develope new liquefaction process.