Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) has transformed the global energy landscape by providing an efficient and

versatile means of transporting natural gas across distances. This presentation focuses on LNG production and
storage specifically through the APCI-C3MR process. This technology features two main refrigerant cycles: a
pre-cooling cycle using pure propane and a mixed refrigerant cycle consisting of nitrogen, methane, ethane, and
propane.

The process begins with the pre-treatment unit, which removes impurities and adjusts the gas composition
before proceeding with the actual liquefaction. The core component, which is the main cryogenic heat exchanger,
then cools the natural gas to around -160°C, converting it to a liquid state. Additionally, recycle streams undergo
separation, compression, and condensation to optimize efficiency. This process not only ensures the high quality and
purity of LNG but also supports the increasing global demand for a cleaner energy future.

● Above -162°C at Atmospheric Pressure:

● At or Below -162°C at Atmospheric Pressure:

[https://www.scribd.com/doc/237389530/c3mr-4]

● The Propane Precooled Mixed Refrigerant (C3-MR) process, developed by Air Products & ChemicalsInc.
(APCI), is the most widely used liquefaction process to date? This process has dominated the base load
LNG technology since the late 1970s with about 75% of the natural gas liquefaction market. The C3-MR
process, as shown in Figure 3-3, is composed of a multistage propane precooling system followed by
liquefaction using a mixed refrigerant system (made up of nitrogen, methane, ethane, and propane). The
natural gas feed is initially cooled by a separate propane chiller package to an intermediate temperature,
approximately -35 C.

● The natural gas is then liquefied and subcooled in the main cryogenic heat exchanger (MCHE), composed
of a large number of small diameter spiral-wound tube bundles (i.e., spiral-wound or spool-wound
heat exchanger). The mixed refrigerant is partially condensed by the propane chiller before entering the
heat exchanger. The separate liquid and vapor streams are then chilled further before being flashed
across Joule-Thomson valves, which provide the cooling for the final gas liquefaction. The heart of the
APCI C3-MR process is its proprietary spiral wound heat exchangers (SWHE). Large capacity trains over 5
MTPA can be designed using the split MR compressor/driver arrangement, where the available power of
each gas turbine driver and its helper motor/turbine is fully utilized for LNG production with a minimum
number of refrigerant compressor casings.

[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366204413_C3MR_LNG_PROCESS_OPTIMIZATION_AN_ENVIRO-ECO
NOMIC_STUDY]

● The APCI C3MR LNG Process stands for Air Products and Chemicals‘ propane pre-cooled mixed-refrigerant
natural gas liquefaction process. The process consists of two cycles – the propane cycle and the
mixed-refrigerant cycle. The pre-treated natural gas (NG) which enters the system at approximately 25°C
and 60 bar is first precooled in the propane cycle to approximately -33 °C. It then enters the
mixed-refrigerant (MR) cycle where it is liquefied at approximately -139°C and its pressure is drastically
decreased to 2 bar which causes the natural gas to subcool to approximately -160°C. A more detailed layout
of the process is displayed in Figure 3.
● Propane in the precooling cycle is compressed in a four-stage compressor and condensed in an air-cooler.
Then, it is sequentially expanded and partially evaporated thus cooling the NG and MR. Compressed MR,
after partial condensation in the precooling section, passes through a flash drum and enters the
coil-wound heat exchanger. Here, its liquid part is subcooled to approximately -127°C and expanded in a
throttling valve. The vapor is cooled to -139 °C liquefied, and subsequently expanded in a throttling valve.
Finally, MR vapors are collected and compressed in a two -stage compressor.
[https://folk.ntnu.no/skoge/diplom/prosjekt09/helgestad/Helgestad_project.pdf]
[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unveil-mystery-air-products-apci-c3mr-lng-process-guofu-chen-pes]
● After being compressed in a three-stage compressor, the mixed refrigerant is also cooled down to about -27
F by the propane refrigeration loop. Then it goes to a two-phase separator, where the gas is cooled in the
mixed refrigerant chiller 1 and then finally subcooled in the mixed refrigerant chiller 2. The subcooled liquid
of stream 207 is then flashed to a lower pressure of about 70 psia, where it has the lowest temperature of
about -254.4 F in the system. The coldest gas is used to liquefy the natural gas and the high-pressure mixed
refrigerant stream of 206. As mentioned earlier, the liquid outlet of the two-phase separator is further
subcooled in the mixed refrigerant chiller 1 and then drops the pressure and combines with the stream of
209. Together the mixed stream of 214 is used to chill the natural gas stream of 4, mixed refrigerant vapor of
205, and mixed refrigerant liquid of 211. The heated gas of 215 at a temperature of about -31 F is then sent
to the mixed refrigerant compressor, thus it forms a completely closed mixed refrigerant loop.

[https://www.gulfoilandgas.com/webpro1/prod1/services.asp?id=243]
● The C3MR process consists of two refrigeration cycles: a propane-refrigeration cycle to cool from ambient
conditions to 235° C., and an MR cycle to liquefy the natural gas stream and subcool it to 2160° C. With an
end-flash system, the degree of subcooling is reduced to 2150° C. With extended end flash, subcooling is
reduced to 2145° C.
● The propane cycle has four pressure levels for precooling the natural gas and MR streams. The MR stream
is separated into a light stream and a heavy liquid stream after it is cooled to the low-pressure propane
temperature level. The heavy MR stream is subcooled in the warm and middle bundles of the main
cryogenic heat exchanger (MCHE). The stream is then let down in pressure in a liquid expander and routed
to the MCHE's shell side.
● The light MR stream is liquefied and subcooled in the MCHE's warm, middle, and cold bundles. The stream
is then let down in pressure and routed to the MCHE's shell side. NGLs are separated from relatively rich
gas in the scrub column. Low-pressure propane and the warm MCHE bundle provide overhead cooling.
NGLs are then routed to the fractionation unit. In the base case, the C2- -cut is used as high-pressure fuel
gas. In the extended end-flash cases, it combines with the main natural gas stream.
● Propane, butane, and condensate from the fractionation unit proceed to the storage and loading area for
export. A liquid expander reduces the pressure of subcooled natural gas from the MCHE. The natural gas
stream is flashed to atmospheric pressure in the extended end-flash cases. The process recovers cold from
the generated vapor and compresses the gas to a high-pressure fuel level.