Table of Contents

1. Abstract

2. Introduction

A. Problem Statement

B. Related Work and Market Analysis

3. Process Design/Methodology/Approach

4. Components Description and Process

5. Cost Analysis

6. Results

7. Summary/Conclusion

8. Future Work

9. References

10. Appendix

Abstract

As the population of the world continues to increase, there is an increase in energy demand. Though there are many ways to produce energy, it is important that the energy can be easily obtained and produce less pollution than methods used in the past. One solution that has emerged and is currently continuing to grow today is natural gas. Burning natural gas for energy produces less pollution than other methods and can be easily extracted from underground. However, natural gas directly extracted from the earth has impurities such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and water that needs to be removed. Thus, to remove carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, a process called amine sweetening is performed. Natural gas will also go through a process called glycol dehydration to remove water contaminates out of the stream. If the natural gas is shipped overseas then the natural gas will also go through a process called natural gas liquefaction. Our goal is to purify natural gas and sell it for a lower price than our competitors by burning some of our natural gas and using water and a steam turbine to capture the energy in a steam power cycle. Our process will not include the liquefication of natural gas as we will be shipping natural gas only nationally and countries nearby but not overseas.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) processes started in the 1960s; the product can be used as a fuel for vehicles or residential needs and some industrial consumption. basically the liquified natural gas process is essentially is a natural gas mixture that has been cooled down to a liquid for several purposes like storage and transport. Liquified natural gas can be profitable for energy consumption and transportation over other methods. One of the reasons liquifying would be beneficial to companies is that when gases are liquified, they take only a fraction of the volume that it would require to transport gases, making it possible to transport a larger volume after the gases have been liquified.

Introduction

When drilling for petroleum or crude oil, there is a release of natural gases from the ground. These gases are a mixture of hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane and propane, hydrogen sulfide, water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

Previously, these gases were burned off or flared during the drilling process because there was no marketable uses for them. Additionally, since they could not be stored or transported very far, the only way that natural gas could be utilized was if it was used near where it was collected and pumped and used as it was pumped. Since this was not previously economically feasible, these gases would be released and not a viable energy source. However, due to advancements in the processing of gases, the market for natural gas improved and the use of it worldwide increased. The next issue facing the reliability of natural gas as an energy source was the volume it occupies when in its gaseous state. The large volumes at atmospheric pressure are not practical to store or transport, however, when the purified gases are liquified, they take up a fraction of the volume (1/600th) and are easier to transport and store. When the gas is taken where it is to be sold or it is needed for energy peaks, it can be regasified and sent through pipes as natural gas to meet energy needs without having to be close to the source of where it was collected or used when immediately when it is pumped. Based on the information, liquified natural gas is a profitable market that is feasible as long as the gases can be purified and then liquified for storage and transportation.