EXERGY ANALYSES APPLIED TO AN AP-X PROCESS FOR THE LIQUEFACTION OF NATURAL GAS

摘要

LNG technology has been in use since the 1960s and is constantly evolving. During the last 20 years the total cost of LNG technology has decreased by approximately 30% due to improvements of the liquefaction process and shipping. One of the last developed processes for the liquefaction of the natural gas is the so-called AP-X process that is patented by Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (US Patent No. 6308521), and is now used for industrial applications in the Middle East. The thermodynamic processes within the components of the AP-X process are complex because a mixture is used as a working fluid. This paper discusses the exergetic analysis of the AP-X process.