Evaluating crystallization risks in liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) production

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is anticipated to dominate world energy trade and fill the gap between production and energy demands in a few years, especially in the US. LNG is the liquefied version of dry natural gases at ultralow temperatures (approximately -160°C or -260°F at atmospheric pressure), which aims at minimizing storage volume requirements needed for overseas transportation. Within this context, it is clear that technology must continue to be developed to optimize the thermodynamic processes involved in the compression, liquefaction, and revaporization of LNG and associated operational challenges. One key challenge during the production of LNG is the presence of trace amounts of heavy components in the gas feed composition is known to induce the precipitation of a solid phase during the cooling process, which presents the risk of equipment plugging and associated hazards. However, there are very few general thermodynamic tools available for the prediction of solid-liquid equilibrium for very low-temperature conditions (