LNGOperatorTrainingProgramme

Fuel Gas
System

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Unit Purpose

The purpose of the Fuel Gas Unit is to collect and distribute fuel gas, at the
correct pressure and temperature, to users in the LNG Process Train and
Common Facilities.

Process Introduction
A typical LNG Plant has two inter-connected Fuel Gas Systems which
supply high pressure (H.P) and low pressure (L.P) Fuel Gas to be used for:

driving gas turbines for power generation and

driving gas turbines for the liquefaction process.
flare systems support
firing furnaces,

Process Description

1. High Pressure Fuel Gas System (23.6 barg).

The LNG Train contains an HP Fuel Gas Header which collects gas from
within the train. Boil off gas from the LNG storage area is compressed into
this HP header via the End Flash Gas Compressor. During holding mode,
the total boil off production from the storage area is routed to the Fuel Gas
system in this way. During ship loading mode, the boil off rate exceeds the
capacity of the end flash compressors in the process train. In this case
excess boil off gas, including displacement gas from the ship being loaded,
is routed into the HP Fuel Gas header via the Boil-off Gas Compressor.

HP system pressure control in the train is achieved by regulating the flow of

gas from the inlet of the Sulfinol Unit. In the event of excess pressure
following an upset or transient condition, HP fuel gas may be vented to the
During ship loading mode, the boil off rate exceeds the capacity of the end
flash compressors in the process train. In this case excess boil off gas,
including displacement gas from the ship being loaded, is routed via the
Boil-off Gas Compressor into the HP fuel gas header.

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The HP fuel gas sources, except regeneration gas, are combined and
routed to an HP Knock Out (K.O) Drum and Fuel Gas Heater. The heater
ensures that in all operating cases, fuel gas being sent to the gas turbines
will have acceptable superheat i.e. a normal temperature of 40 0C.

Regeneration Gas from the Dehydration Unit can also be fed to the HP fuel
gas system. Due to the high water content, this gas is fed to the HP fuel
gas system via a Defrost Gas Heater, where sufficient superheat is
provided to prevent retrograde (downstream) water condensation. The gas
then joins the header downstream of the Fuel Gas Heater.

The HP header supplies the Propane and MR gas turbine drivers. The gas
turbines are very sensitive to rapid changes in gas quality; for example,
tripping the end flash gas compressor would cause a rapid increase in
calorific value and Wobbe index due to reducing the nitrogen content of the
fuel gas. A Mixing Drum, designed to ensure the rate of change of fuel gas
quality does not exceed acceptable limits, is installed in the line to these
turbines.

H.P Fuel Gas from the process train also supplies the Common Facility
Area. Major users of H.P Fuel Gas in this area are the gas turbine drivers
of the power generators.

HP fuel is also let down within the Train to provide the balance of the LP
Fuel Gas to the respective furnaces.

H.P Fuel Gas supply to Common Facilities

The Common Facilities HP Fuel Gas header supplies the gas turbine driven
power generators as well as minor users such as flare pilots, purges and
ignition packages. The power generation turbines are sensitive to changes
in fuel gas quality, and as for the LNG Train turbines, a mixing drum is
provided to mitigate the impact of upset conditions such as an end flash
compressor trip. The Mixing Drum is provided with a 100% capacity spare
drum installed in parallel.

In the event of more fuel gas being fed into the HP system than the fuel
requirement, which is possible during ship loading mode, excess Fuel Gas
will be recycled to the plant inlet, for re-liquefaction. A Fuel Gas Booster
Compressor is normally provided for this purpose. An air cooled Fuel Gas
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Booster Compressor Aftercooler, designed to prevent excessive heat being

transferred to the inlet area, is supplied to remove heat of compression
during recycle operation.

A fuel gas line is provided to supply the Common Facilities HP fuel header
from the inlet station. This enables pressurisation of the header prior to
commissioning of the LNG Train, and is also available as a back up in the
event of process upset conditions.

During Plant start-up, raw feed gas from the Gas Metering Area is used to
provide fuel gas to the various users. This gas passes through the HP Fuel
Gas K.O Drum, and is superheated by an electric Start-up HP Fuel Gas
Heater before entering the header in the Common Facilities area.

The HP fuel gas header pressure controller is configured to derive fuel gas
preferentially from the liquefaction train. Any additional gas demand will be
met by the makeup gas supply facility.

The High Pressure Fuel Gas System is supplied by the following streams:

Feed gas from the inlet of Sulfinol Unit is used to control the HP Fuel
Gas system pressure at 23.6 barg.
Nitrogen rich end flash gas from the LNG Stripper via End Flash Gas
Compressor. This is the largest supplier of HP Fuel Gas.
Boil-off Gas from the LNG storage Tanks via the discharge of the End
Flash Gas Compressor.
Off-gas from the NGL re injection drum in the Fractionation Unit.
Regeneration gas from the Defrost Header at 71 O C (normally no
flow)
Start-up and emergency make-up gas from the Sulfinol Unit
Start up gas from the Gas Metering Unit.
Vent gas from the HP MR separator.

The High Pressure Fuel Gas System supplies gas to:

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LNG Train Flare purges

Low Pressure Fuel Gas system at 3.2 barg.
Gas turbine drivers of the Propane and MR refrigerant compressors.
Common Facilities through the mixer drums

2. LP Fuel Gas System (3.2 barg)

The process train has an independent LP Fuel Gas System. There is no LP

fuel gas system in the Common Facilities area. The LP fuel gas system in
the process train serves and collects gas from various sources.

All of the gas supplies are combined in an LP Fuel Gas KO Drum. A vent
to flare under pressure control is provided from this drum to dispose of gas
in the event of high pressure caused by an upset condition.

CO2 off gas from the Sulfinol Unit is routed directly to the HTF Furnace
where it is disposed of by combustion in the furnace

The two LP fuel gas consumers are:

The Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) Furnace, which consumes gas from
the LP header as well as the CO 2 rich off gas from the Sulfinol
Unit.

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Heat Transfer Fluid and Regeneration Furnaces

The Regeneration Gas Heater, which consumes gas from the LP

header only.

The LP Fuel Gas System is supplied from:

Let Down from the HP Fuel Gas system

Flash gas from Sulfinol Unit Flash Vessel
Pentane from the Fractionation Unit Debutaniser Column
Inerts from the Propane Receiver (NNF).
In addition CO2 off-gas from the Sulfinol Unit, passes directly to the HTF
furnace

The LP Fuel Gas System supples:

The Heat Transfer Fluid Heater.

The Regeneration Gas Heater

Heating Value

Changes in the composition of Fuel Gas, due to operational activities, can

result in changes in, calorific value, and Wobbe Index of Fuel Gas which
can lead to major process upsets.

Typically Fuel Gas has the following composition:

Methane 85%
Ethane 5%
Propane 3%
Butane 1%
Nitrogen 5%
Others 1%

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The Fuel Gas mixing drums are designed to limit the rate of change of gas
quality to within 1% per second, this figure is the acceptable rate of change
of composition for fuel gas feeding the gas turbines.

The Heating Value of a gas is defined as the amount of heat liberated from
a gas during complete combustion of a standard volume of the gas.

Hydrogen in the fuel burns to water and when the fuel gases are cooled to
the datum temperature, 15 oC the physical state - either liquid or
vapour - must be assumed. So the latent heat of vaporisation of the
water may or may not be considered to be part of the heating value.

The result of this is that there are two definitions of heating value :

Higher Heating Value, HHV, includes the heat of condensation of the

water produced during combustion.

Lower Heating Value, LHV, excludes the heat of condensation of the

water produced during combustion.

A further measure of the quality of fuel gas is known as the Wobbe Index
(WI). The Wobbe Index, which is used in the design and control of the
gas turbine burners, is defined by:

W.I = Higher Heating Value

(ideal relative density)

where: the Ideal relative density = average molecular weight of mixture

molecular weight of air

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Typical LNG Fuel Gas System

PC FC

TO FLARE REGEN GAS

PURGES FROM E-1450
TC
FC HP FUEL
GAS
HTF
PC
E-4402

PC FWW
FWW

PC

V-4401 V-4403 V-4411

LC

DHC DHC
DHC

FEED GAS GAS FROM END FLASH PENTANE FLASH GAS INERTS LP TO LP TO HP TO HP TO
FROM V-1101 V-1506 GAS FROM FROM C-1504 FROM V-1102 FROM V-1408 F-4101 F-1301 KT-1420 KT-1440
K-1450

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