The market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is booming. In fact, forecasts call for a doubling of LNG capacity worldwide by 2020. Demand for the product is positioning the U.S. - with its abundant natural gas - nicely for building an LNG export market. Over the next five years the U.S. is expected to rise to become among the top three countries for LNG production, much of it centered along the Gulf Coast.
Liquefaction plants can cost well in excess of $1 billion to site, develop and build. So efforts are underway to make these new plants as efficient and cost effective as possible – which is why the LNG industry has been using Turbine Inlet Air Chilling (TIAC) technology.
Traditionally used in power generation, turbine inlet air chilling is a proven technology that mechanically chills the inlet air before it enters the compressor in order to increase electrical output. Alternatively, the TIAC system supports LNG production by maintaining optimum intake air temperatures for the gas turbines which are used as compressor drivers in the liquefaction process. In warm, humid climates like the Gulf Coast, output of the gas combustion turbine can deteriorate. TIAC can ensure a constant output by increasing the density of the intake air and, therefore, help stabilize LNG production.