Main Catalog Power, Metallurgic and Chemical Engineering Machines and Devices, Processes of Refrigeration and Cryogenic Engineering, Air Conditioning

Improving refrigeration equipment of the low-tonnage liquefied natural gas production plant

Authors: Salomakin D.A.
Published in issue: #3(98)/2025
DOI:
Category: Power, Metallurgic and Chemical Engineering \| Chapter: Machines and Devices, Processes of Refrigeration and Cryogenic Engineering, Air Conditioning
Keywords: refrigeration equipment, liquefied natural gas, refrigeration cycle, screw oil-flooded compressor, economizer, regenerator
Published: 29.06.2025

Increasing thermodynamic efficiency and reducing ecological impact of the low-tonnage liquefied natural gas (LNG) production plants is a key task solved by the gas industry of the Russian Federation. In regard to the refrigeration equipment used in the LNG production plant, the paper considers the issues of replacing the R22 refrigerant with the R290 refrigerant (propane) and substituting refrigeration cycle with the two-stage compression and a regulating valve behind the heat exchanger by a cycle with the single-stage screw oil-flooded compressor, regenerator and economizer. Their comparison reveals advantages of the improved version making it possible to assess feasibility of introducing the new refrigerant and refrigeration cycle.

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