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

Guillaume Delautre

Fabien Durand

Martin Staempflin

Remi Nicolas

Loic Jeunesse

Loic Brunet Manquat

Baptiste Zimmermann

Mathieu Roig

Loîc Brunet Manquat

Disclosed is a device for refrigerating or liquefying a fluid such as natural gas or hydrogen, comprising a fluid circuit that is to be cooled and has an upstream end for connection to a source of gaseous fluid as well as a downstream end for connection to a member for collecting the cooled or liquefied fluid, the device comprising a heat exchanger assembly in heat exchange with the fluid circuit to be cooled, the device comprising a refrigerator in heat exchange with at least a portion of the exchanger assembly, the refrigerator being of the type that has a cycle for refrigerating a cycle gas containing at least one of: helium, hydrogen, nitrogen or neon; said refrigerator comprising in series in a cycle circuit: a mechanism for compressing the cycle gas, at least one member for cooling the cycle gas, a mechanism for expanding the cycle gas, and at least one member for reheating the expanded cycle gas, wherein the compression mechanism comprises a plurality of compression stages in series composed of a centrifugal compressor assembly, the compression stages being mounted on a set of shafts that are rotationally driven by a motor assembly, the at least one member for cooling the cycle gas comprising at least one heat exchanger at the outlet of at least one compression stage in heat exchange with the cycle circuit, said heat exchanger being cooled by a heat transfer fluid, characterized in that the compression mechanism comprises at least two compression stages that are arranged successively in series and do not include any member for cooling the cycle gas such as a heat exchanger therebetween.

Device and method for refrigerating or liquefying a fluid

A framed, low-temperature refrigeration device is provided, which includes a working circuit that forms a loop and contains a working fluid, the working circuit forming a cycle that includes in series: a compression mechanism, a cooling mechanism, an expansion mechanism and a heating mechanism, wherein the mechanisms for cooling and heating the working fluid include a common heat exchanger in which the working fluid flows in opposite directions in two separate transit portions of the working circuit. The device may also include a refrigeration heat exchanger for extracting heat from at least one member by exchanging heat with the working fluid flowing in the working circuit, wherein the compression mechanism includes two separate compressors, wherein the mechanism for cooling the working fluid includes two cooling heat exchangers which are arranged respectively at the outlet of the two compressors and ensure heat exchange between the working fluid and a cooling fluid, wherein the frame extends in a longitudinal direction and includes a lower base intended to be mounted on a support, the cooling heat exchangers are located in the frame about the common heat exchanger, i.e. the cooling heat exchangers are not located below the common heat exchanger between the common heat exchanger and the lower base of the frame.

Refrigeration device and system

Electric machine, in particular an electric motor for driving at least one compressor or circulator, comprising a stator and a rotor that are disposed in a casing, the machine comprising a cooling device disposed around the stator and comprising a circulation circuit for a cooling fluid, characterized in that the cooling device comprises a circulation pipe for the cooling fluid, comprising a portion embedded in a mass of material with high thermal conductivity such as metal or a metal alloy.

Electric machine and manufacturing method

Disclosed is a drive device, in particular for a flying vehicle such as an aircraft or a spacecraft, comprising at least one engine and a device for cooling the engine, the device for cooling the engine comprising a cryogenic refrigerator, i.e. refrigerating to a temperature between −100° C. and −273° C., the refrigerator comprising a working circuit forming a loop and containing a working fluid, the working circuit forming a cycle comprising, in series: a mechanism for compressing the working fluid, a mechanism for cooling the working fluid, a mechanism for expanding the working fluid and a mechanism for heating the working fluid, the refrigerator comprising a portion for heat exchange between the working fluid expanded in the expansion mechanism and the engine, the refrigerator being configured to produce a first determined maximum refrigeration power, characterized in that the device for cooling the engine further comprises an additional refrigeration system comprising a cryogenic fluid store that can be brought into heat exchange with the refrigerator and/or the engine, the additional refrigeration system being configured to supply a second determined maximum refrigeration power to the refrigerator and/or to the engine when the cryogenic fluid is brought into heat exchange with the refrigerator and/or the engine.

Drive device, flying vehicle and method for cooling a motor

Disclosed is a low-temperature refrigeration device comprising a working circuit that forms a loop and contains a working fluid the working circuit forming a cycle which includes, connected in series: a compression mechanism, a cooling mechanism, an expansion mechanism and a heating mechanism, the device further comprising a refrigeration heat exchanger for extracting heat from at least one member by exchanging heat with the working fluid flowing in the working circuit, the compression mechanism comprising two separate compressors, the mechanism for cooling the working fluid comprising two cooling heat exchangers which are arranged respectively at the outlet of the two compressors and ensure heat exchange between the working fluid and a cooling fluid, each cooling heat exchanger comprising a cooling fluid inlet and a cooling fluid outlet, characterized in that the cooling fluid outlet of one of the two cooling heat exchangers is connected to the cooling fluid inlet of the other cooling heat exchanger.

Low-temperature refrigeration device arranged in a frame and comprising a working circuit forming a loop and containing a working fluid, the working circuit forming a cycle comprising in series: a compression mechanism, a cooling mechanism, an expansion mechanism and a heating mechanism, the device comprising a refrigeration heat exchanger intended to extract heat from at least one member by exchanging heat with the working fluid, the mechanisms for cooling and reheating the working fluid comprising a common heat exchanger in which the working fluid transits in counter-flow in two separate transit portions of the working circuit, the compression mechanism comprising at least two compressors and at least one motor for driving the compressors, the working fluid expansion mechanism comprising at least one rotary turbine, the device comprising at least one drive motor comprising a drive shaft, one end of which drives a compressor and the other end of which is coupled to a turbine, the motor being attached to the frame at at least one fixed point, the common heat exchanger being attached to the frame at at least one fixed point, the two counter-flow transit portions of the common heat exchanger being orientated in a longitudinal direction of the frame, the drive shaft of the drive motor being orientated in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction and the turbine and the compressor being arranged relatively longitudinally such that the turbine is located longitudinally on the side corresponding to the relatively cold end of the common heat exchanger when the device is being operated and the compressor is located longitudinally on the side corresponding to the relatively hot end of the common heat exchanger when the device is being operated.

Growing community of inventors

Sassenage, France

Guillaume Delautre