A novel conceptual design of LNG-sourced natural gas peak-shaving with gas hydrates as the medium

As the demand for natural gas grows fast, efficient peak-shaving technology is of great necessity, especially in areas where natural gas resources are scarce. This paper aims to present a novel natural gas peak-shaving process with gas hydrates as the medium to address the imbalance between supply and demand in natural gas, especially for the LNG-sourced natural gas, where the cold energy from LNG gasification can be efficiently utilized. Firstly, the commercial process simulation software Aspen HYSYS V10 is adopted to design the whole process, including the production, storage, and dissociation of NGH; afterwards, energy consumption analysis and economic accounting are conducted; finally, a case study is carried out to show the efficiency of the LNG-sourced natural gas peak-shaving. The results of the case study show that the economic efficiency can be improved maximumly by 18.51% compared to the traditional operation model of LNG receiving terminal. This indicates the feasibility of providing a flexible natural gas peak-shaving process with gas hydrates as the medium, in order to meet the demand for long-term and short-term peak-shaving of natural gas.(c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd.