L'air Liquide, Soci&#xe9;t&#xe9; Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Proc&#xe9;d&#xe9;s Georges Claude

Franck Delcayre

Fabien Durand

Jean-Marc Bernhardt

Pierre Barjhoux

Pierre Briend

Veronique Grabie

David Grillot

Eric Fauve

Gerald Aigouy

Cindy Deschildre

Frederic Andrieu

Gérald Aigouy

Véronique Grabie

Frédéric Andrieu

Disclosed is a facility for the refrigeration and/or liquefaction of a fluid, comprising a circuit of fluid to be cooled comprising an upstream end intended to be connected to a source of fluid to be cooled and a downstream end intended to be connected to a member for collecting the cooled and/or liquefied fluid; the facility comprising an assembly of heat exchanger(s) in thermal exchange with the circuit of fluid to be cooled; the facility comprising a cooling device in thermal exchange with the assembly of heat exchange(s); the cooling device comprising a refrigerator with a refrigeration cycle for a cycle gas in a working circuit; the working circuit of the refrigerator comprising, a mechanism for compressing the cycle gas, a system for cooling the cycle gas, a mechanism for expanding the cycle gas and a system for heating the cycle gas; the mechanism for expanding the cycle gas comprising several turbines secured to shafts mounted so as to be able to rotate on aerostatic bearings; the facility comprising mechanisms for braking the turbines, the braking mechanisms each comprising a braking compressor secured to a shaft of a turbine and a braking gas circuit incorporating the braking compressor; the braking gas circuits comprising a system for cooling the braking gas downstream of the braking compressor and a mechanism for expanding the braking gas; the facility being equipped with a compressed lifting gas circuit comprising an end connected to a compressed lifting gas source and a downstream end connected to the bearings, and wherein the compressed lifting gas source comprises at least one of the braking circuits.

Facility and method for refrigeration and/or liquefaction of a fluid

Plant and method for liquefying a flow of gas, having a cooling circuit that includes at least one exchanger () for cooling the gas, and at least one expansion turbine () which is mounted on a rotary axle which is supported by at least one bearing () of the gas-static type, the cooling circuit () also including a pressurized gas injection conduit that is configured to supply pressurized gas to the bearing () in order to provide support to the rotary axle, the plant () further includes a recovery conduit () that is configured to recycle at least a portion of the gas which has been used to support the rotary axle of the bearing () with a view to liquefying the gas.

Plant and method for liquefying gas

The invention relates to a method for low-temperature cooling/liquefaction of a working fluid, in particular a working fluid including helium or consisting of pure helium by means of a refrigerator/liquefier that includes a working circuit provided with a compressor station and a cold box. The refrigerator/liquefier subjects the working gas within the working circuit to a cycle that includes, in series: compressing the working fluid within the compressor station, cooling and decompressing the working fluid in the cold box, and heating the working fluid with a view to the return thereof to the compressor station. The compressor station includes one or more compression levels, each one using one or more compressors mounted on landings. The method is characterized in that the refrigerator includes a device for injecting a seal gas that is separate from the working fluid on at least one landing of the compressor(s) so as to form a gas seal that guides the working fluid leaks, coming from the working circuit, to an area for recirculating and returning the fluid into the working circuit.

Method and device for low-temperature cooling/liquefaction

A method for the pulsating load refrigeration of a component of a Tokamak using a refrigeration device subjecting a working fluid to a working cycle. At least one 'periodic and symmetrical' operating mode of the Tokamak includes an operating mode in which plasmas of preset duration Dp are generated periodically with intervals of duration Dnp between two successive plasmas. Dnp=Dp&#xb1;30%. The cooling device cooling power is increased to a relatively high level in a plasma generation phase and reduced to a relatively low level when the Tokamak is no longer in a plasma generation phase. The refrigerating power variation brings gradual increases and reductions in refrigerating power. The increase in the refrigeration device refrigerating power is triggered in advance, in response to a signal (S) generated during a plasma starting step before the thermal load on the component increases.

Refrigeration method and apparatus with a pulsating load

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Rives sur Fure, France

Franck Delcayre