Development of natural gas liquefaction processes using mixed refrigerants: a review of featured process configurations and performance

It is preferable to transport or store natural gas (NG) in a liquid state, as liquefied natural gas (LNG). In recent decades, a variety of natural gas liquefaction processes (NGLPs) using mixed refrigerants (MRs) with different configurations have been developed, which have greatly enriched the family of NGLPs. In this review, we introduce the configurations of featured commercial processes or patented designs chronologically in each category based on a modified classification framework. The corresponding refrigerant combinations and operating parameters such as operating pressures, the refrigeration temperature in each stage, and the number of evaporating pressure levels are also discussed. Specific power consumption (SPC) was considered as the major performance indicator. This review aims to clarify the development of NGLPs using MRs (MR-NGLPs) from a configurative perspective, and to provide a reference for the future improvement of their thermodynamic performance.