System for supplying liquefied natural gas fuel with leak detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776702-B2
Application number	US-201314060832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2013
Priority date	Mar 6, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

The system heats glycol water using steam generated by a boiler and heating LNG using the glycol water, thereby increasing efficiently the LNG to temperature required for an engine. In addition, the system senses LNG flowing to a glycol tank using a pressure sensor, etc. when the LNG flows to the glycol tank due to pressure difference between a fuel supplying line and a glycol circulation line generated according as a heat exchanger is broken down, and outputs the flowed LNG to the outside. As a result, the glycol circulation line may be returned to original state and stability of the system may be enhanced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for supplying LNG fuel, the system comprising:
a fuel supplying line connected from an LNG storage tank to an engine;
a pump provided on the fuel supplying line and configured to pressurize LNG outputted from the LNG storage tank to high pressure;
a heat exchanger provided on the fuel supplying line between the engine and the pump, configured to heat-exchange the LNG supplied from the pump with glycol water and supply the exchanged LNG to the engine;
a glycol tank configured to store the glycol water;
a glycol heater configured to heat the glycol water outputted from the glycol tank and supply the heated glycol water to the heat exchanger;
one or more LNG inflow sensors configured to sense LNG leaked from the heat exchanger to the glycol tank along a glycol circulation line and set at the glycol tank; and
an LNG removal line connected to the glycol tank and configured to emit LNG flowed to the glycol tank when inflow of the LNG is sensed by the LNG inflow sensor,
wherein the heat exchanger stops a heat exchanger operation when the one or more LNG inflow sensors senses leakage of the LNG.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the LNG inflow sensors is a pressure sensor which is set at one side of the glycol tank and senses pressure of the glycol tank.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the LNG inflow sensors is a temperature sensor which is set at one side of the glycol tank and senses temperature of fluid flowed to the glycol tank.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein an LNG removal valve is connected to the glycol tank by the LNG removal line.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
an LNG removal tray provided on an end of the LNG removal line and configured to remove LNG from mixed fluid of the LNG outputted from the glycol tank and the glycol water.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a glycol water return line configured to return glycol water, remaining after the LNG is removed by the LNG removal tray, to the glycol tank, wherein one terminal of the glycol water return line is connected to the LNG removal tray, and another terminal of the glycol water return line is connected to the glycol tank.

7. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a cut off valve configured to cut off an outlet of the glycol tank when the LNG removal valve is opened.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a glycol pump configured to supply the glycol water stored in the glycol tank to the glycol heater.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the glycol pump includes a main glycol pump and an auxiliary glycol pump.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger heat-exchanges the LNG with the glycol water to heat the LNG and refrigerates the glycol water.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the glycol heater heats the glycol water by using steam generated by a boiler.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured to supply the LNG in a supercritical state.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured to supply the LNG at a temperature from 40° C. to 60° C.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured to maintain a pressure from 200 bar to 400 bar.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the LNG inflow sensors is positioned at an upstream portion of the glycol tank.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the LNG inflow sensors is positioned at a downstream portion of the glycol tank.

17. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a LNG removal tray connected to the LNG removal line to separate the LNG from fluid mixed with the LNG and the glycol water.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured to supply the LNG at a temperature equal or less than 60° C.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the glycol pump comprises a main glycol pump and an auxiliary glycol pump which are arranged parallel to each other.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the LNG inflow sensors comprise:
a pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure in the glycol tank and positioned at the glycol tank; and
a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of an upstream of the glycol tank and positioned at a upstream portion of the glycol tank.

Assignees

• Hyun Dai Heavy Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Min Ho
• Han Ju Seog
• Lee Jong Bum

Classifications

• B63H21/38 Primary

  Apparatus or methods specially adapted for use on marine vessels, for handling power plant or unit liquids, e.g. lubricants, coolants, fuels or the like ({in outboard drives B63H20/001; } lubricating or cooling machines or engines in general F01 - F04) · CPC title

• F17C2260/038

  Detecting leaked fluid · CPC title

• F17C2221/033

  Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG · CPC title

• F25B2500/22

  Preventing, detecting or repairing leaks of refrigeration fluids · CPC title

• F02M21/0293

  Safety devices; Fail-safe measures · CPC title