Cryogenic LNG Production

LNG is natural gas that is cooled to about -162°C into a liquid form, shrinking it to roughly 1/600 of its gaseous formfor easier storage and transport over long distances. For LNG producers, transport operators using LNG fuel, and other industrial or research organizations seeking reliable on-site liquefaction, this is what cryogenic lng means in practice: efficient production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) close to where it will be used. With the development since 2015 to use LNG as an automotive fuel (for heavy duty long haulage trucking), the supply and production of LNG has considerably changed from a mass production at the gas well to small, mini and even micro scale production nearer to the point of consumption to support transportation needs, power generation, and rising demand for cleaner energy that can also help generate electricity. Stirling is active in this market with a micro scale production capacity from minimum 1 ton/day of LNG to maximum 30 ton/day of LNG.

Cryogenic technology also makes remote gas resources accessible and enables long-distance transport where pipeline construction is impractical, which is why LNG remains important across the wider global energy and industrial landscape.

lng is natural gas with two origins: fossil natural gas and biogas.

Fossil Natural gas can be generated directly from a gas well or can be associated gas from oil drilling. The gas can take many different compositions. The methane (CH4) content is the gas that is needed for LNG production. Other traces of gas need to be removed as much as possible. In general, the well gas and associated gas will be purified to a certain standard of pipeline gas which in most countries contains approximately 97% of CH4. The liquefaction process then reduces volume at extremely low temperatures, keeping the gas in a liquid state at very low temperatures below -150°C and providing the industry with efficient, reliable capability for modern cryogenic lng production. LNG is then stored and transported in specially designed lng carriers and other systems that use a cryogenic tank or cryogenic storage tanks to keep it cold during transport. These lng storage tanks and storage tanks typically use double-wall construction with insulation to minimize heat ingress, maintain the required temperature of around -162°C, operate at near-atmospheric pressure below 10 kPa, and allow LNG to be safely stored in tanks up to 30,000 m³, which is critical for stability and safety. Stirling has developed an integrated gas purification & liquefaction plant together with sister company Hysytech who specializes in gas purification technologies. The plant can be made suitable for natural gas liquefaction of all types of natural gas using efficient****technology for cryogenic lng production. After transport or storage, LNG can be returned by regasification to its gaseous state or gaseous form for pipeline distribution and industrial use.

Biogas is defined as gas that is generated by anaerobic digestion of organic material and can have several origins: agricultural waste, municipal waste (including waste water treatment) or landfills. Apart from landfill gas, biogas is fairly consistent in composition. It contains 50-60% of Methane (CH4), 35-45% of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and some other traces (such as H2S, H2, N2, O2). The purification of biogas to make it suitable for liquefaction is usually done in two stages: biogas upgrading to bring the CH4 content to 97-98%. This would make it suitable for pipeline injection. The second stage of purification is typically done downstream of the upgrading plant and is integrated with the liquefaction plant. This part of purification is generally referred to as polishing. Stirling has developed a standardised integrated gas polishing & liquefaction plant together with sister company Hysytech who specializes in gas purification technologies. The plant is ready made for biomethane liquefaction.

Products

References

For more information contact us.