L'air Liquide,societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude

Air Liquide Advanced Technologies U.S. LLC

Gilles Flavien

Fabien Durand

Michael A Turney

Jean-Marc Bernhardt

Pierre Barjhoux

Vincent Heloin

Refrigeration device comprising a working circuit in a loop for the working gas and comprising, in series: a compression station, a cold box, a system for the exchange of heat between the cooled working gas and a point of use, a system for the additional pre-cooling of the working gas leaving the compression station comprising an auxiliary cryogenic fluid volume, the cold box comprising a first cooling stage for the working gas comprising a first and a second heat exchanger, these being connected both in series and in parallel to the working circuit at the outlet of the compression station, the first cooling stage also comprising a third heat exchanger selectively exchanging heat with the auxiliary fluid, characterized in that the third heat exchanger is connected both in series and in parallel to the first and to the second heat exchangers, the working circuit comprising a recuperation pipe fitted with at least one valve and which connects the outlet of the third heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.

Refrigeration and/or liquefaction device using selective pre-cooling, and corresponding method

A device for refrigerating and/or liquefying a working gas comprising helium, the device comprising a looped working circuit for the working gas includes, in series, a compression station, a cold box, a heat exchange system exchanging heat between the cooled working gas and a user, the device further comprising an additional pre-cooling system comprising at least one tank of auxiliary cryogenic fluid, such as liquid nitrogen, the cold box comprising a first cooling stage of the working gas comprising a first exchanger disposed at the output of the compression station as well as a second heat exchanger and a third heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger being of the aluminum plate-fin type, the second heat exchanger being of the tube or welded plate type, characterized in that the second and third heat exchangers are connected both serially and in parallel on the working circuit downstream of the first heat exchanger.

Refrigeration and/or liquefaction device, and associated method

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Grenoble, France

Gilles Flavien