Abstract: A chiller can be configured as a chiller for a gasification system or other type of system or plant. In some embodiments, the chiller can be configured to utilize a single heat source, such as low grade waste heat in the form of hot water, and/or low pressure steam to drive one or more absorption-based chillers to cool inlet air to one or more adsorbers of a pre-purification unit (PPU). In the event of the detection of an undesired impurity spike (e.g. carbon dioxide spike, etc.) an additional amount of heat source can be withdrawn from the gasification system to increase the level of cooling the absorption chiller can provide to improve the removal of impurities. An automated control loop can be utilized in some embodiments. The control loop can be configured to check for an impurity concentration and adjust operations accordingly.

Abstract: A method for capturing carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxide feed stream in which the carbon dioxide feed stream is dehydrated, cooled, and partially condensed. The partially condensed carbon dioxide stream is separated to form the carbon dioxide product stream. The carbon dioxide feed stream is produced by combusting a fuel stream with an oxygen-enriched gas stream with less than 92% purity.

Abstract: A method and system for purifying a carbon dioxide feed stream in which the carbon dioxide feed stream is cooled and partially condensed to remove water upstream of an adsorber to produce a dry carbon dioxide stream. The dry carbon dioxide stream is further cooled and partially condensed in a carbon dioxide purification unit to form a carbon dioxide product stream. Excess refrigeration duty from the carbon dioxide purification unit is used to cool the carbon dioxide feed stream.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing the efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes by using a hybrid cooling system and method. More specifically, a system and method for converting a transcritical precooling refrigeration process to a subcritical process. In one embodiment, the refrigerant is cooled to sub-critical temperature using an economizer. In another embodiment, the refrigerant is cooled to a sub-critical temperature using an auxiliary heat exchanger. Optionally, the economizer or auxiliary heat exchanger can be bypassed when ambient temperatures are sufficiently low to cool the refrigerant to a sub-critical temperature. In another embodiment, the refrigerant is isentropically expanded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for purifying air via a pre-purification unit (PPU) of an air separation unit (ASU) system can include passing air through a first adsorber of the PPU to purify the air for operation of the ASU system while it is at or below a first pre-selected operational capacity. In response to the operational capacity of the ASU system needing to be increased to a level above the first pre-selected operational capacity threshold, a second adsorber can be brought on-line in parallel with the first adsorber or in series with the first adsorber to provide improved purification capacity to account for the increased demand for purification capacity resulting from the increased operational capacity of the ASU system. This second adsorber can be different from the first adsorber (e.g. different in size, adsorption capacity for impurities within air, and/or configuration, etc.).

Abstract: A radial adsorber can be configured to facilitate utilization of different layers of material. The radial adsorber, system using at least one radial adsorber, and methods of utilizing embodiments of the radial adsorber can help permit improved efficient operation of fluid purification processing while also being configured to minimize, if not fully avoid, being susceptible to the effect of fluidization.

Abstract: A method of purifying air via a pre-purification unit (PPU) of an air separation unit (ASU) system having a pre-PPU chiller that is upstream of the PPU to cool compressed air before the compressed air is fed to the PPU can include passing air through an adsorber of the PPU to pass the air through a bed of adsorbent material within a vessel of the adsorber. In response to the pre-PPU chiller being determined to have an issue resulting in the pre-PPU chiller being tripped or requiring the pre-PPU chiller to be taken off-line, continuing to operate the ASU system at a full capacity even though nitrous oxide (N2O) within the air output from the PPU exceeds a first pre-selected threshold and is below a second pre-selected threshold associated with carbon dioxide (CO2) breakthrough. An ASU and a PPU can be designed to implement an embodiment of the method.

Abstract: An adsorbent vessel for removing contaminants from a feed gas upstream from a cryogenic distillation process using pressure swing adsorption, temperature swing adsorption, or thermal-pressure swing adsorption. The adsorbent vessel having an adsorbent bed comprised of multiple layers of adsorbent material, including two layers of adsorbent material that selective adsorbs carbon dioxide. Each of the two layers is formed from an adsorbent material having a different capacity for adsorbing carbon dioxide.

Abstract: A chiller can be configured as a chiller for a gasification system or other type of system or plant. In some embodiments, the chiller can be configured to utilize a single heat source, such as low grade waste heat in the form of hot water, and/or low pressure steam to drive one or more absorption-based chillers to cool inlet air to one or more adsorbers of a pre-purification unit (PPU). In the event of the detection of an undesired impurity spike (e.g. carbon dioxide spike, etc.) an additional amount of heat source can be withdrawn from the gasification system to increase the level of cooling the absorption chiller can provide to improve the removal of impurities. An automated control loop can be utilized in some embodiments. The control loop can be configured to check for an impurity concentration and adjust operations accordingly.

Abstract: An adsorbent vessel for removing contaminants from a feed gas upstream from a cryogenic distillation process using pressure swing adsorption, temperature swing adsorption, or thermal-pressure swing adsorption. The adsorbent vessel having an adsorbent bed comprised of multiple layers of adsorbent material, including two layers of adsorbent material that selective adsorbs carbon dioxide. Each of the two layers is formed from an adsorbent material having a different capacity for adsorbing carbon dioxide.

Abstract: A radial adsorber can be configured to facilitate utilization of different layers of material. The radial adsorber, system using at least one radial adsorber, and methods of utilizing embodiments of the radial adsorber can help permit improved efficient operation of fluid purification processing while also being configured to minimize, if not fully avoid, being susceptible to the effect of fluidization.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for the liquefaction of a natural gas stream using a refrigerant comprising methane or a mixture of methane and nitrogen. The methods and systems use a refrigeration circuit and cycle that employs one or more turbo-expanders to expand one or more streams of gaseous refrigerant to provide one or more streams of at least predominantly gaseous refrigerant that are used to provide refrigeration for liquefying and/or precooling the natural gas, and a J-T valve to expand down to a lower pressure a stream of liquid or two-phase refrigerant to provide a vaporizing stream of refrigerant that provides refrigeration for sub-cooling.

Abstract: Systems and methods described for increasing capacity and efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes having a mixed refrigerant precooling system with multiple pressure levels comprising cooling the compressed mixed refrigerant stream and separating the cooled compressed mixed refrigerant stream into a vapor and liquid portion. The liquid portion provides refrigeration duty to a first precooling heat exchanger. The vapor portion is further compressed, cooled, and condensed, and used to provide refrigeration duty to a second precooling heat exchanger. A flash gas separated from the liquefied natural gas is warmed and combined with the natural gas feed stream.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for the liquefaction of a natural gas feed stream using a refrigerant comprising methane. The methods and systems use a refrigeration circuit and cycle that employs two or more turbo-expanders to expand two or more streams of gaseous refrigerant down to different pressures to provide cold streams of at least predominantly gaseous refrigerant at different pressures that are used to provide refrigeration for precooling and liquefying the natural gas. The resulting liquefied natural gas stream is then flashed to produce an LNG product and a flash gas, the flash gas being recycled to the natural gas feed stream.

Abstract: Described herein is a method of removing refrigerant from a natural gas liquefaction system in which vaporized mixed refrigerant is withdrawn from the closed-loop refrigeration circuit and introduced into a distillation column so as to be separated into an overhead vapor enriched in methane and a bottoms liquid enriched in heavier components. Overhead vapor is withdrawn from the distillation column to form a methane enriched stream that is removed from the liquefaction system, and bottoms liquid is reintroduced from the distillation column into the closed-loop refrigeration circuit. Also described are methods of altering the rate of production in a natural gas liquefaction system in which refrigerant is removed as described above, and a natural gas liquefaction systems in which such methods can be carried out.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for liquefying a natural gas feed stream and removing nitrogen therefrom to produce a nitrogen-depleted LNG product, in which a natural gas feed stream is fed into the warm end of a main heat exchanger, cooled and at least partially liquefied, withdrawn from an intermediate location of the main heat exchanger and separated to form a nitrogen-enriched natural gas vapor stream and a nitrogen-depleted natural gas liquid stream, the liquid and vapor streams being reintroduced into an intermediate location of the main heat exchanger and further cooled in parallel to form a first LNG stream and a first at least partially liquefied nitrogen-enriched natural gas stream, respectively.

Abstract: Systems and methods described for increasing capacity and efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes having a mixed refrigerant precooling system with multiple pressure levels comprising cooling the compressed mixed refrigerant stream and separating the cooled compressed mixed refrigerant stream into a vapor and liquid portion. The liquid portion provides refrigeration duty to a first precooling heat exchanger. The vapor portion is further compressed, cooled, and condensed, and used to provide refrigeration duty to a second precooling heat exchanger. A flash gas separated from the liquefied natural gas is warmed and combined with the natural gas feed stream.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing the efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes by using a hybrid cooling system and method. More specifically, a system and method for converting a transcritical precooling refrigeration process to a subcritical process. In one embodiment, the refrigerant is cooled to sub-critical temperature using an economizer. In another embodiment, the refrigerant is cooled to a sub-critical temperature using an auxiliary heat exchanger. Optionally, the economizer or auxiliary heat exchanger can be bypassed when ambient temperatures are sufficiently low to cool the refrigerant to a sub-critical temperature. In another embodiment, the refrigerant is isentropically expanded.

Abstract: Systems and methods described for increasing capacity and efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes having a mixed refrigerant precooling system with multiple pressure levels comprising cooling the compressed mixed refrigerant stream and separating the cooled compressed mixed refrigerant stream into a vapor and liquid portion. The liquid portion provides refrigeration duty to a first precooling heat exchanger. The vapor portion is further compressed, cooled, and condensed, and used to provide refrigeration duty to a second precooling heat exchanger. Optionally additional precooling heat exchangers, and/or phase separators may be used.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for increasing the capacity and efficiency of natural gas liquefaction processes by debottlenecking the refrigerant compression system. A secondary compression circuit comprising at least one double flow compressor is provided in parallel fluid flow communication with at least a portion of a primary compression circuit.