Energy consumption in the conversion of liquid natural gas in gaseous state on LNG carriers

摘要

The aim of this study has been to determine the energy consumption required to liquefied natural gas from liquid into a gas at high pressure evaporators at different installments of discharging cargo. This research was conducted for the gas terminal Mina Al Ahmadi Gas Port in Kuwait, and the results were monitored during the discharge in May 2011. The paper describes the functioning of the regasification system. The basic principle of the system for gasification of tankers to transport liquefied natural gas has been described too. Two ways of discharging the compressed gas (discharge through a high splitter and unloading through the landing buoy) and three different options for vaporization of liquefied natural gas into high-pressure evaporator (open, combined and closed cycle). The results of this study can be used to compare the energy consumption in the conversion of gas from a liquid to a gaseous state to the other terminals that use the services of ships for transporting liquefied natural gas plant with integrated gasification, and to analyze the energy consumption of conventional unloading of liquefied natural gas terminal. The measured data on energy consumption is influenced, or formed by the cost of gas in a designated area. During this research, the consumed energy obtained data were only measured in the open cycle because the system was limited by sea temperature of around 25°C during May 2011. Future research could be conducted at other terminals, where they compared the amount of energy consumed for gasification in other areas in other weather conditions during different seasons.