LPG COMPRESSOR

RELIQUEFACTION PROCESS
TOPICS TO COVER
● Basic Thermodynamic Theory
● Mollier Diagram
● Common Reliquefaction Process
● Ship Specific Process

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Basic Thermo Dynamics
● Thermodynamics concerns behaviour of material when they are heated or cooled.

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Basic Thermo Dynamics

● Specific Heat- The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit
quantity of Substance is called Specific Heat of that substance.
● Vapour Pressure – The pressure exerted by the vapour of a liquid at the
surface of it.
● Saturation – When molecules of both liquid and vapour are in equilibrium the
liquid surface is said to be saturated. If the heating of liquid is done in close
container or like on our ship closed tanks the Saturated vapour pressure is
dependent on Liquid temperature. So the boiling point will change for that liquid
at the temperature where saturation occurs. SO IF THE HEAT IS NOT ADDED OR
REMOVED FROM THIS SYSTEM THEN THE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE
ARE CO RELATED TO EACH OTHER.
● Critical temperature- The vapour will liquefy if applied pressure as it reach its
saturation, but above certain temperature no matter how much pressure is
applied the vapour will not liquefy this temperature is called critical temperature.
● Enthalpy- The total heat content of a substance depends on its temperature
(internal energy), its volume and its pressure this quantity is known as enthalpy
● Entropy- Q/T

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FIRST LAW OF
THERMODYNAMICS
● THE HEAT LOST FROM A SOURCE IS EQUAL TO HEAT GAINED AND
WORK DONE ON THAT SUBSTANCE
● On ship – Sum of the heat and work put into the Reliquefaction of cargo
vapours must be equal to the heat dissipated into the sea to maintain
cargo temperature and pressure

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SECOND LAW OF
THERMODYNAMICS
● HEAT ALWAYS FLOW FROM THE HOT BODY TO A COOLER ONE
● The LPG temperature is far below the ambient temperature. Thus as per
law it is likely hood the heat will flow from outside to cargo. To prevent that
we have Insulations all around cargo tanks and pipelines

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GAS LAWS
● BOYLE’S LAW- P1V1=P2V2 (const. temp)
● CHARLE’S LAW - V1/T1= V2/T2 (const. press)
● GENERAL GAS EQUATION-P1V1 / T1= P2V2 / T2
● OR PV= mRT, (PV= nRT)
● DALTON’S LAW- total pressure of mixture of different gases in a
space will be sum of each gas partial pressure or sum of the
pressure each gas would exert if it occupied the space alone at
the temperature of mixture. Thus the presence of small quantity of
ethane in propane cargo will increase the saturation pressure
quite considerably. (also the discharge pressure of compressor).
● Joule’s Law- internal energy of substance depends only on
temperature and is independent of pressure and volume.

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JOULE THOMSON EFFECT
● Non perfect gases deviate from Joule’s law
● In theory if a gas is allowed to expand freely without doing
work , there should be no change in temperature.
● In practice the gas temperature falls by an amount inversely
proportional to the initial absolute temperature.
● This effect is used in Reliqefaction plant to produce low
temperature after Expansion Valve

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MOLLIER DIAGRAM

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 ● AT 1
– TEMP(T1) = -33oC
– PRESS(P1) =1.031 bar
– ENTHALPY(H1) =1636kj/kg
– VAPOUR DENSITY =0.905kg/m3
● GAS IS COMPRESSED ADIABATICALLY ALONG THE CONSTANT
ENTROPY LINE
● AT 2
– T2=140oC
– P2=11.7 bars
– H2=1999kj/kg
● AFTER THE GAS PASSES THROUGH CONDENSOR AND COOLS
DOWN TO CONDENSE IT AT 30oC
● AT 3
– T3=30oC
– P3=11.7bars
– H3= 560kj/kg
● H3-H2=Q3 THE HEAT REMOVED BY CONDENSOR
– 560-1999 = -1439kj/kg
● THE CONDENSATE LIQUID IS EXPANDED THROUGH EXPANSION
VALVE AT CONSTANT ENTHALPY
● AT 4
– T4= -33oC
– P4= 1.031 bar
– H4= 560kj/kg
– Dryness Fraction (X)= 22%
● AS IT CAN BE SEEN THAT TO BRING THE TEMP. OF LIQUID DOWN
FROM 30OC TO -33OC A FRACTION OF LIQUID 22%BY VOLUME HAS
EVAPORATED TO ABSORB HEAT NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THIS
COOLING EFFECT.
● THE Q1 IS THE REFRIGERATING EFFECT THAT IS
– Q1=H1-H4
– =1636-560
– =1076kj/kg
● Q2 ENERGY ABORB BY COMPRESSOR
– Q2=H2-H1
– =1999-1636
– =363kj/kg
● AS PER FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
– Q3=Q1+Q2
– =1076+363
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– =1439kj/kg 10
GAS RELUIFICATION CYCLE

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LPG COMPRESSOR

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FROM TANK
● VAPOURS COMING FROM
 TK VAPOUR
PRESS & TEMP TANK FIRST PASSES
THROUGH KNOCKOUT
DRUM
– IT SEPERATES IF ANY
LIQUID COMING WITH
RELEIF V/V VAPOUR BY SIMPLE
GRAVITY PRINCIPLE
– THUS PREVENTING ANY
TO
EXHAUST LIQUID TO GO TO
VENT
COMPRESSOR AND AVOID
KNOCKOUT
DRUM DAMAGE TO IT AS LIQUID
CANNOT BE COMPRESSED
– IT IS ALSO FEATURED
WITH RELIEF VALVE

BY-PASS
LINE

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 ● FIRST STAGE
COMPRESSION
– IT CONSITS OF 6 SET OF
SUCTION AND
DISCHARGE VALVE
– 3 ON EACH SIDE OF
PISTON
– ON 0% ALL 6 SUCTION
VALVE ARE LIFTED AND
STAGE 1 HENCE NO
COMPRESSION
• CORRESPONDING
VALVES LIFTS UP IN
STAGE TWO AT THE
SAME TIME
– ON 50% 3 SUCTION
VALVE ON ONE SIDE OF
PISTON LIFTS UP
HENCE HALF OF THE
COMPRESSION
• CORRESPONDING
VALVES LIFTS UP IN
STAGE TWO AT THE
SAME TIME
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 ● INTERMEDIATE
CHAMBER
SERVES AS A
SAFETY
FEATURE TO
COMPENSATE
ANY HIGH
RELEIF V/V PRESS AFTER
STAGE ONE
● IT IS ALSO
ACCOMPNIED
INTERMEDIATE
CHAMBER BY RELIEF
VALVE
HIGH PRESS
HIGH TEMP

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 ● STAGE 2
TO
CONDENSOR – THE COMPRESSION
HOT GAS
LINE
TAKE PLACE BY SET OF
STBD
4 SUCTION AND
HOT GAS
DISCHARGE V/V
– THE GAS COMING OUT
IS AT HIGH TEMP AND
RELEIF V/V
HIGH PRESS
– THE SAME GAS IS USED
FOR HOT GASING TANK
HIGH PRESS
HIGH TEMP
OR SPARGING BY
BY-PASSING THE
CONDENSOR AND
EXPANSION V/V
STAGE 2
– THE DISCHARGE LINE IS
FEATURED WITH RELIEF
V/V

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 ● CONDENSOR
COOLS
DOWN THE
HOT GAS BY
HOT GAS MEANS OF
LINE PORT
SEA WATER

SEA WATER
IN

CONDENSOR

SEA WATER
OUT

RECIEVER
HIGH PRESS
LOW TEMP

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 ● ETHANE VENT IS USED TO
VENT ANY UNWANTED
ETHANE CONTENT IN
CARGO AFTER LOADING
OR TO VENT NITROGEN

RECIEVER

HIGH PRESS
LOW TEMP

ETHANE VENT

LOW PRESS
LOW TEMP

METHANOL
TO TANK
INJECTION

EXPANSION VALVE

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 ● AFTER EXPANSION
VALVE FURTHER
COOLING TAKES
PLACE AFTER
EXAPANSION
THROUGH SPRAY
NOZZLES IN THE TANK

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 OTHER FEATURES

LO FILTER

LO PUMP

LO COOLER

● JACKET COOLING WATER SYSTEM

● LUB OIL SYSTEM
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THANK FOR BEING PATIENT
● REFERENCE
– TANKER SAFTEY GUIDE FOR LIQUIFIED
GASES

– 27 year of Sea Experience, 25 Years on

Tankers.

C/E-RAJESH D PATIL

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