A novel approach for optimizing the natural gas liquefaction process

The conversion of natural gas into liquefied natural gas (LNG) requires substantial energy consumption. This study proposes a deterministic mathematical model to find the optimal operation conditions for an LNG plant to minimize the energy consumption for turbomachinery and the total thermal conductance of the heat exchangers. General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) linked to a Dynamic Link Library was used to calculate the thermodynamic properties of the working fluids. A derivative-based optimization algorithm is used. Results indicate that the novel optimization approach allows the satisfactory management of the model nonlinearities associated, for example, with the bilinear terms involved in the energy balances and the mathematical functions used to calculate the thermodynamic properties. A preprocessing phase for initializing process variables is developed to facilitate model convergence. In comparison to an optimal design reported in the literature, which was obtained by integrating a well-established evolutionary optimization approach with the Aspen HYSYS simulator, the results indicated that the net electrical power could be reduced by up to 10% when the derivative-based optimization algorithm is used. The proposed deterministic approach, consisting of a mathematical model, an initialization phase, and an optimization algorithm, can help process engineers overcome the challenges associated with LNG process optimization.