Liquified Natural Gas Thermodynamics Part 3B (Online)

Description

Professional Engineers need some understanding of thermodynamics to better respond to anomalies during plant operation. The thermodynamics presented in this online PE PDH continuing education course are basic and based on application rather than theory. The cases studied are all steady-state (the properties of the fluid at any point do not change with time) and steady-flow (the flow rate does not change with time) type problems. All the PE PDH solutions are based on some simple calculations and on the use of the pressure-enthalpy chart or thermodynamic software. A large-size pressure enthalpy chart for methane or thermodynamic software should accompany this publication. This PE PDH Course section 3B is the last of a 3-part series (with section 3 being made of two parts 3A and 3B) on the thermodynamics of producing LNG. In earlier sections, vapor compression systems and open expansion systems were explained. In this section, nitrogen expansion systems will be explained.

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This online professional engineer PDH course is given in 3 parts. This is part 2.

• Part 1 was based on understanding thermodynamic concepts and the use of pressure enthalpy charts.
• Part 2 builds onto part 1 but uses thermodynamic software instead of pressure enthalpy charts for analysis and goes into additional depth.
• Part 3 builds on parts 1 and 2 to apply thermodynamics to understand air conditioning and refrigeration systems from ¼ hp size units to 300,000 hp size units. Part 3A focuses on pure substances and mixed refrigerant liquefaction systems.  Part 3B focuses on nitrogen expansion liquefaction systems.
• In the earlier PE PDH license renewal courses, the basics of thermodynamics were covered and applied to a single-component (pure substance) refrigerant system. The car air conditioner was used to understand the vapor compression, pressure let down, and evaporation cooling system.  Later, the same concepts were applied to zeotropic mixed refrigerants, which expanded the temperature range for which liquefied natural gas could be made.  It was shown that when the feed gas to an LNG plant was pretreated and cooled to -260 F, LNG could efficiently be produced and stored. 
• Another type of liquefaction system was explained in section 1 of 3.  This was the open expansion type of liquefaction system.  This system used high-pressure gas from the pipeline to power a liquefaction system by expanding the gas through expanders which produced work.  The work from the expanders was used to drive compressors which compressed the gas to be liquefied and expanded to even higher pressures.
• In this professional engineer PDH course section (3B), the focus will be solely on the conceptual evaluation of a nitrogen expansion system.  The nitrogen expansion LNG liquefier is not the most efficient liquefaction process, but it is considered the easiest to operate, and it lends itself well to making LNG near its tank saturation temperature, which greatly lessens boil-off management problems.  Many of the newer small-scale liquefiers, like those for peak shaving plants, use the nitrogen expansion process. 

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Course Objectives

The nitrogen expansion liquefaction process has increased in efficiency over recent decades as manufacturing processes have improved, making the expanders and compressors more efficient, thus making the operating cost of this process more cost-effective. 

The learning objectives of this online PE PDH course is to:

• Understand the thermodynamics of compression and the work required
• Understand the thermodynamics of expansion via expanders and the work delivered.
• Understand the temperature relationships that occur when nitrogen is compressed and expanded.
• Understand the methodologies used to drive expansion temperatures to low enough levels to make LNG
• Understand how to improve the efficiency of nitrogen expansion systems applied to LNG facilities.

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