LPG

Liquefied Petroleum
Gas
 Methods used for chilling natural gas
Refrigeration:
This method uses an external refrigeration system to chill the gas stream. Typical
refrigeration systems use either propane or Freon as the refrigerant.

Pressure Reduction:
With this method the pressure of the gas stream is reduced with a pressure reducing valve
called a J-T valve. The reduction in pressure causes a reduction in temperature.

Expansion:
Gas at a given temperature and pressure contains energy which is in the form of heat,
pressure or velocity.
Expansion method utilizes this energy. In this method the gas stream passes through an
expander-compressor.
As gas flows into the expander side of the expander-compressor, the pressure drops.
The flowing gas also turns a wheel in the expander.
Energy to turn the wheel is removed from the inlet gas and is transferred to the outlet gas
being compressed in the compressor. The combination of gas expansion and removal of
energy produces very low (cryogenic) gas temperatures.
Methods used for chilling natural gas
Method Typical Percent Recovery

Refrigeration 0 to 20F Ethane 25

(18 to 29C) Propane 55
Butanes 93
Heavier 97

Pressure Reduction 50 to 70F Ethane 70

(J-T Process) ( 46 to 57C) Propane 80
Butanes 97
Heavier 99

Expander Process 125 to 150F Ethane 80

( 87 to 101C) Propane 96
Butanes 99
Heavier 100
 Refrigeration
Refrigeration cools the
natural gas stream by
passing the stream
through a chiller.
Chilling causes the
heavier hydrocarbons
to liquefy and these
can then be separated
from the gas Propane liquid
Cryogenics
Cryogenics can
separate and recover
similar quantities of
propane and heavier
hydrocarbons as lean oil
absorption.
However, cryogenics,
unlike the other
methods, can recover
very high quantities of
ethane (80 95 %).
 Refrigeration .

Refrigeration, by definition, is
the process of moving heat
from one temperature level
to a higher temperature
level.
 7MW
11bara
Ethane
10.5bara
-90C -110C 30bara
12C
62bara
40C 9.6MW
1.5MW 1.5MW
17.5bara
59.6bara 50C
Sweetening -17C
Dehydration Propane
Residue
165psia
11.0bara
-7C
1.5MW 1.5MW Butane
31.2bara
103C 5.6bara
50C

62 bar a Feed, 2 Expanders

90% Ethane Recovery 19.0bara
121C

Condensate
7.1bara
115C
 E-2 GSales
F-2 E-1
D-1 as
D-1 D-1
F-1 A B C E-6

E-3 C-1
V-3
FEED
GAS A-1
V-1 C-2
E-4 E-8
C-4
H-1

V-4 V-13
Enterm. V-12
C-3
Feed Gas V-5

E-6
E-5 LPG to
A-3 Pumping
V-9 V-10

V-6
T-1 T-2 P-3
P-2 Cond. to
E-7
ST-1/2/3/4 Pumping
R-1 R-2

A-4
Typical LPG plant
 Storage , Loading and
Chemical injection .

Spherical tanks used to

minimize force against the
tank wall .

Mercaptan injected into

LPG loading line as an
odorant