Straightforward method and once-through apparatus for gas liquefaction
First Claim
1. Once-Through-Apparatus for Gas Liquefaction comprising:
- a device for thermodynamic conditioning of the gas to be liquefied to achieve the gas supercritical pressure and minimal temperature consistent with ambient conditions;
an inlet line to supply the gas to the device for thermodynamic conditioning of the gas;
external refrigerator means generating distributed variable temperature heat sinks in heat absorbing means, to cool the supercritical pressure gas to a final temperature that is lower than the saturation temperature of the liquefied gas;
a throttling device to expand the cooled supercritical pressure gas without work performance to the prescribed subcritical pressure of the liquefied gas;
a low temperature heat transfer unit comprising said heat absorbing means of said refrigerator means and main heat transfer means, connected by a line to said device for thermodynamic conditioning of the gas and by another line to said throttling device;
said heat absorbing means being in thermal contact with said main heat transfer means thereby ensuring transfer of heat from the gas to said heat absorbing means;
an outlet line to supply the liquefied gas to the consumer;
means for transferring the liquefied gas from said throttling device to said outlet line.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to methods and systems for liquefaction of gases whose critical temperature is lower than the ambient temperature, such as, for instance, natural gas, air, nitrogen, oxygen, etc. Compressed to supercritical pressure gas to be liquefied is cooled by external refrigerator means to a predetermined final temperature that is lower than the saturation temperature of the liquefied gas, and then is throttled to a subcritical pressure. As a result, all gas supplied to the apparatus is liquefied without generating any flash gas, and controlled rate of liquefied gas subcooling is achieved. Three modifications of the apparatus for gas liquefaction employing refrigerator means, based on reversed gas cycles, are introduced. Another modification of the apparatus with refrigerator means applying open air cycle and Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) is also developed.
-
Citations
11 Claims
-
1. Once-Through-Apparatus for Gas Liquefaction comprising:
-
a device for thermodynamic conditioning of the gas to be liquefied to achieve the gas supercritical pressure and minimal temperature consistent with ambient conditions; an inlet line to supply the gas to the device for thermodynamic conditioning of the gas; external refrigerator means generating distributed variable temperature heat sinks in heat absorbing means, to cool the supercritical pressure gas to a final temperature that is lower than the saturation temperature of the liquefied gas; a throttling device to expand the cooled supercritical pressure gas without work performance to the prescribed subcritical pressure of the liquefied gas; a low temperature heat transfer unit comprising said heat absorbing means of said refrigerator means and main heat transfer means, connected by a line to said device for thermodynamic conditioning of the gas and by another line to said throttling device;
said heat absorbing means being in thermal contact with said main heat transfer means thereby ensuring transfer of heat from the gas to said heat absorbing means;an outlet line to supply the liquefied gas to the consumer;
means for transferring the liquefied gas from said throttling device to said outlet line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. Straightforward Method of Gas Liquefaction comprising the following steps:
-
thermodynamic conditioning of a gas to be liquefied that comprises compressing said gas to a supercritical pressure and cooling the gas by ambient heat sinks; refrigerating said supercritical pressure gas by external refrigerator means to a final temperature which is lower than the saturation temperature of the liquefied gas; throttling said refrigerated supercritical pressure gas to the prescribed subcritical pressure of the liquefied gas. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
-
Specification