LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM

• US 20160268874A1
• Filed: 03/04/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Klaus Schmidt, Japan Superconductor Technology Inc. (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Original Assignee: Klaus Schmidt, Japan Superconductor Technology Inc. (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Inventors: SAITOU, Kazuyoshi, ZAITSU, Kyoji, ITO, Satoshi, INOUE, Kenichi, INOUE, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 10,097,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 5/00 Plants characterised by use of means for storing steam in an alkali to increase steam pressure, e.g. of Honigmann or Koenemann type
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0022 Hydrocarbons, e.g. natural gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0025 Boil-off gases "BOG" from storages
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0035 by gas expansion with extraction of work
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/004 by flash gas recovery F25J1/0267 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0202 in a quasi-closed internal refrigeration loop F25J1/0208, F25J1/0219, F25J1/0224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0236 providing refrigeration for different processes treating not the same feed stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0257 Construction and layout of liquefaction equipments, e.g. valves, machines F25J1/0279 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0261 Details of cold box insulation, housing and internal structure buildings forming parts of cooling plants E04H5/10
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0284 Electrical motor as the prime mechanical driver
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0288 using work extraction by mechanical coupling of compression and expansion of the refrigerant, so-called companders
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0292 Refrigerant compression by cold or cryogenic suction of the refrigerant gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/22 Compressor driver arrangement, e.g. power supply by motor, gas or steam turbine
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2270/12 External refrigeration with liquid vaporising loop
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2270/42 Quasi-closed internal or closed external nitrogen refrigeration cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2290/62 Details of storing a fluid in a tank
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 55/02 of the synchronous type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/20 wherein the cooling medium vaporises within the machine casing

Abstract

Liquefier includes first compression section which is driven by a superconducting motor and which compresses a substance in a gaseous state. Cooling circuit includes: second compression section which is driven by the motor when first compression section is being driven by the motor and which compresses a refrigerant; first heat exchange section which cools the refrigerant by causing heat exchange between a substance in a tank and the compressed refrigerant; second expansion section which brings the refrigerant down to or below a critical temperature of a superconducting material by expanding the cooled refrigerant; and second heat exchange section which imparts cold heat of the refrigerant to the substance by causing heat exchange between the substance in the tank and the refrigerant after cooling a superconducting magnet, and supplies the refrigerant brought down to or below the critical temperature by second expansion section to the motor and cools the superconducting magnet.

Claims

1. A liquefaction system comprising:

a storage section which stores a substance, whose boiling point is equal to or lower than room temperature, in a liquid state;

a superconducting motor which includes a superconducting magnet constituted by a prescribed superconducting material;

a liquefier which includes a first compression section that is driven by the superconducting motor and that compresses the substance in a gaseous states and a first expansion section that changes the substance from a gaseous state to a liquid state by expanding the substance compressed by the first compression section, and which generates the substance in a liquid state to be stored in the storage section; and

a cooling circuit which includes a second compression section that is driven by the superconducting motor when the first compression section is being driven by the superconducting motor and that compresses a refrigerant, a first heat exchange section that cools the refrigerant by causing a heat exchange between the substance stored in the storage section and the refrigerant compressed by the second compression section, a second expansion section that brings the refrigerant down to or below a critical temperature of the superconducting material by expanding the refrigerant cooled by the first heat exchange section, and a second heat exchange section that imparts cold heat of the refrigerant to the substance by causing a heat exchange between the substance stored in the storage section and the refrigerant after cooling the superconducting magnet, and which supplies the refrigerant brought down to or below the critical temperature by the second expansion section to the superconducting motor and cools the superconducting magnet down to or below the critical temperature.

2. The liquefaction system according to claim 1, wherein the storage section includes:

a first space section in which the substance is stored and in which the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section are arranged; and

a second space section in which the superconducting motor, the second compression section, and the second expansion section are arranged and which is isolated from the first space section.

3. The liquefaction system according to claim 1, further comprising

a heat-insulating airtight container which is mounted to the storage section on the outside of the storage section and which houses the superconducting motor, the second compression section, and the second expansion section, wherein

the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section are arranged in the storage section.

4. The liquefaction system according to claim 1, wherein

the second compression section is a screw compressor including a compression female rotor which is a screw rotor and a compression male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the compression female rotor,

the second expansion section is a screw expander including an expansion female rotor which is a screw rotor and an expansion male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the expansion female rotor,

the compression female rotor and the expansion female rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft,

the compression male rotor and the expansion male rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft, and

the superconducting motor rotates at least one of a rotating body which includes the expansion female rotor and the compression female rotor coupled thereto and another rotating body which includes the expansion male rotor and the compression male rotor coupled thereto.

5. The liquefaction system according to claim 2, wherein

the second compression section is a screw compressor including a compression female rotor which is a screw rotor and a compression male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the compression female rotor,

the second expansion section is a screw expander including an expansion female rotor which is a screw rotor and an expansion male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the expansion female rotor,

the compression female rotor and the expansion female rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft,

the compression male rotor and the expansion male rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft, and

the superconducting motor rotates at least one of a rotating body which includes the expansion female rotor and the compression female rotor coupled thereto and another rotating body which includes the expansion male rotor and the compression male rotor coupled thereto.

6. The liquefaction system according to claim 3, wherein

the second compression section is a screw compressor including a compression female rotor which is a screw rotor and a compression male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the compression female rotor,

the second expansion section is a screw expander including an expansion female rotor which is a screw rotor and an expansion male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the expansion female rotor,

the compression female rotor and the expansion female rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft,

the compression male rotor and the expansion male rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft, and

the superconducting motor rotates at least one of a rotating body which includes the expansion female rotor and the compression female rotor coupled thereto and another rotating body which includes the expansion male rotor and the compression male rotor coupled thereto.

7. A power generation system comprising:

a storage section which stores a substance, whose boiling point is equal to or lower than room temperature, in a liquid state;

a turbine which rotates using energy created by burning the substance supplied from the storage section;

a superconducting generator which includes a rotary shaft and a superconducting magnet constituted by a prescribed superconducting material and which generates power as the rotary shaft is rotated by a rotation of the turbine; and

a cooling circuit which includes a compression section that is driven by a rotation of the rotary shaft and that compresses a refrigerant, a first heat exchange section that cools the refrigerant by causing a heat exchange between the substance stored in the storage section and the refrigerant compressed by the compression section, an expansion section that brings the refrigerant down to or below a critical temperature of the superconducting material by expanding the refrigerant cooled by the first heat exchange section, and a second heat exchange section that imparts cold heat of the refrigerant to the substance by causing a heat exchange between the substance stored in the storage section and the refrigerant after cooling the superconducting magnet, and which supplies the refrigerant brought down to or below the critical temperature by the expansion section to the superconducting generator and cools the superconducting magnet down to or below the critical temperature.

8. The power generation system according to claim 7, wherein

the storage section includes:

a first space section in which the substance is stored and in which the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section are arranged; and

a second space section in which the superconducting motor, the compression section, and the expansion section are arranged and which is isolated from the first space section.

9. The power generation system according to claim 7, further comprising

a heat-insulating airtight container which is mounted to the storage section on the outside of the storage section and which houses the superconducting generator, the compression section, and the expansion section, wherein

the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section are arranged in the storage section.

10. The power generation system according to claim 7, wherein

the compression section is a screw compressor including a compression female rotor which is a screw rotor and a compression male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the compression female rotor,

the expansion section is a screw expander including an expansion female rotor which is a screw rotor and an expansion male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the expansion female rotor,

the compression female rotor and the expansion female rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft,

the compression male rotor and the expansion male rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft, and

at least one of a rotating body which includes the expansion female rotor and the compression female rotor coupled thereto and another rotating body which includes the expansion male rotor and the compression male rotor coupled thereto rotates as the rotary shaft rotates due to a rotation of the turbine.

11. The power generation system according to claim 8, wherein

the compression section is a screw compressor including a compression female rotor which is a screw rotor and a compression male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the compression female rotor,

the expansion section is a screw expander including an expansion female rotor which is a screw rotor and an expansion male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the expansion female rotor,

the compression female rotor and the expansion female rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft,

the compression male rotor and the expansion male rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft, and

at least one of a rotating body which includes the expansion female rotor and the compression female rotor coupled thereto and another rotating body which includes the expansion male rotor and the compression male rotor coupled thereto rotates as the rotary shaft rotates due to a rotation of the turbine.

12. The power generation system according to claim 9, wherein

the compression section is a screw compressor including a compression female rotor which is a screw rotor and a compression male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the compression female rotor,

the expansion section is a screw expander including an expansion female rotor which is a screw rotor and an expansion male rotor which is a screw rotor meshing with the expansion female rotor,

the compression female rotor and the expansion female rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft,

the compression male rotor and the expansion male rotor are coupled to each other so as to be integrally rotatable around a same shaft, and

at least one of a rotating body which includes the expansion female rotor and the compression female rotor coupled thereto and another rotating body which includes the expansion male rotor and the compression male rotor coupled thereto rotates as the rotary shaft rotates due to a rotation of the turbine.