Kelvion Thermal Solutions
HEAT RECOVERY
LIQUEFACTION
Once natural gas has been treated to remove unwanted hydrocarbons and other substances, it is ready for the liquefaction process. This involves cooling it down to -162 °C. In its liquid state, the gas takes up 600 times less space, making it easier and safer to transport.
The stream of treated gas, which has a methane content of approximately 98 %, dispenses its thermal energy first to a precooling cycle and then the main cycle, where it is cooled in cryogenic conditions to achieve the phase change to LNG.
Both the precooling and main cycles work on the principle of a large-scale refrigerator, involving compression, cooling and condensing at high pressure and evaporation at lower pressure.
Liquefaction is a complex process, requiring large-scale facilities with many kilometers of pipes, countless apparatus and several different heat exchanger units.
APCI C3/MR PROCESS
This process is named after the cooling media propane (C3H8) and mixed refrigerant (MR), consisting of nitrogen, methane, ethane and propane. In the precooling cycle, propane cools down the treated natural gas, as well as the MR from the main cycle. In both cycles the compressor can be driven by a gas or steam turbine or even by an electrical drive.
In the precooling loop propane passes two parallel rows of heat exchangers, consisting of either 3 or 4 steps in pressure.
Natural Gas
Propane
Mixed Refrigerant
Fuel gas for turbine
INNOVATIVE AIR FIN COOLER TECHNOLOGIES
Effasy
Fans
Groovy
Tubes
DIESTA
Finned Tubes
Air Fin
Cooler
DIESTA TUBE TECHNOLOGY
THE CORE OF EFFICIENCY
Our DIESTA tube technology helps to boost LNG production in existing liquefaction plants as well as reduce CAPEX for newly built LNG trains. DIESTA is the heart of leading Air Fin Cooler performance and the core of efficiency for LNG trains.
SHELL DMR PROCESS
PRECOOLING AND MAIN CYCLES
The Shell DMR (dual mixed refrigerant) Process uses MR for both the precooling and the main cycles, both of which are driven by a compressor. This process can be applied offshore on floating LNG facilities (FLNG). In doing so Air Fin Coolers can be replaced by K°Bond allowing enormous footprint savings.
The cooling medium in K°Bond units can be either water or water glycol, which is cooled in Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers by sea water.
ONSHORE
LNG Plant
Natural Gas
Mixed Refrigerant
Precooled Mixed Refrigerant
OFFSHORE
FLNG
