7 231 784

7,231,784 Title:

Method for producing liquefied natural gas

Abstract:

A method for producing liquefied natural gas employing two separate adsorption steps for removing water and carbon dioxide from natural gas and employing a subambient expansion to produce regeneration gas for the regeneration of the dehydration adsorption step in addition to supplying refrigeration for the cooling or liquefaction of clean natural gas.

Claims:

The invention claim is:

1. A method for producing liquefied natural gas comprising: (A) removing water from a first natural gas stream in a first adsorption unit to produce dehydrated naturalgas, cooling the dehydrated natural gas to a temperature below the critical temperature of methane to produce cooled dehydrated natural gas, expanding the cooled dehydrated natural gas in a subambient expansion to produce depressurized natural gas,warming the depressurized natural gas, and using a portion of the warmed depressurized natural gas as regeneration gas in the first adsorption unit; and (B) removing carbon dioxide and water from a second natural gas stream in a second adsorption unitto produce clean natural gas, liquefying a portion of the clean natural gas to produce liquefied natural gas, and using another portion of the clean natural gas as regeneration gas in the second adsorption unit wherein the depressurized natural gas foruse as regeneration gas for the first adsorption unit is generated by a subambient Joule-Thomson valve expansion, a subsequent compression, and then a subambient turboexpansion.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing carbon dioxide from the first natural gas stream in the first adsorption unit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the warming of the depressurized natural gas is by indirect heat exchange with the cooling dehydrated natural gas.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the warming of the dehydrated natural gas is by indirect heat exchange with the liquefying clean natural gas.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquefied natural gas is subcooled.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the warmed depressurized natural gas is recovered as product.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the clean natural gas which is used as the regeneration gas in the second adsorption unit is then passed to the first adsorption unit.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the clean natural gas which is used as the regeneration gas in the second adsorption unit is then combined with the dehydrated natural gas.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein both the first adsorption unit and the second adsorption unit are temperature swing adsorption units.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the subambient expansion is a Joule-Thomson valve expansion.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the subambient expansion is a turboexpansion.