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

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

Jean-Marc Bernhardt

Fabien Durand

David Grillot

Eric Fauve

Cindy Deschildre

Veronique Grabie

Pierre Briend

Pierre Barjhoux

Vincent Heloin

Gerald Aigouy

Franck Delcayre

Cecile Gondrand

Gilles Flavien

Jean-Marc Peyron

Antoine Hernandez

Golo Zick

Jean-Marc Tsevery

Elise Renou

Bertrand Demolliens

Remi Nicolas

Delphine Pichot

François Lagoutte

Michel Bonneton

Simon Saulquin

Olivier Weitten

Frederic Andrieu

Gérald Aigouy

Véronique Grabie

Rawia Ali Said

Rémi Nicolas

Romain Loeb

Cécile Gondrand

Frédéric Andrieu

The invention relates to a method for cooling and/or liquefying a user fluid flow, the method using a cooling and/or liquefying system comprising a low-temperature refrigeration device, the refrigeration device comprising a working circuit forming a loop and containing a working fluid, the refrigeration device comprising a cooling exchanger intended to extract heat from the user fluid flow by heat exchange with the working fluid circulating in the working circuit, the working circuit forming a cycle comprising, in a series: a compression mechanism a cooling mechanism, an expansion mechanism, and a reheating mechanism, the system comprising a pipe for circulation of the user fluid flow to be cooled in heat exchange with the cooling exchanger of the refrigeration device, the method comprising a step of cooling a user fluid flow in the cooling exchanger and after this cooling step, a step of cleaning impurities solidified in the cooling exchanger, the cleaning step comprising stopping of the refrigeration device and simultaneously, circulation of a user fluid flow in the cooling exchanger.

Cooling and/or liquefying method and system

A tank for storing liquefied gas, having a shell delimiting a storage volume extending in a main direction which is horizontal in the use configuration of the tank, the tank comprising multiple deflecting walls in the storage volume which extend in an offset manner in the main direction configured to force the fluid to perform at least one back-and-forth movement in the main direction as the fluid passes between the lower end and the upper end of the storage volume, wherein a plurality of these deflecting walls are located in the lower half of the storage volume.

Liquefied gas storage tank

An installation and method for purifying and liquefying natural gas having, arranged in series, an adsorption purification unit, a unit for separating hydrocarbons by refrigeration, and a liquefier. The installation has a gas power plant for combined production of heat and electricity by hydrocarbon combustion. The installation has at least one electrical member, with the power plant being electrically connected to at least one of the electrical members in order to supply them with electrical energy.

Installation and method for purifying and liquefying natural gas

Plant and method for storing and distributing pressurized liquefied cryogenic fluid, comprising a liquefied gas source and a distribution member, comprising a first fluid inlet connected to the liquefied gas source and a second end intended to be connected to a user of the pressurized liquefied gas supplied by the distribution member, the source comprising a first liquefied gas store configured to store and supply the liquefied gas to the distribution member at a first determined pressure, the source comprising a second liquefied gas store configured to store the liquefied gas at a second determined pressure which is lower than the first pressure, the plant comprising a connecting pipe having a valve assembly connecting the first and second liquefied gas stores, the plant comprising a filling pipe having a valve assembly and having a first end connected to the second liquefied gas store and a second end intended to be connected to a mobile store for supplying liquefied gas to fill the source.

Installation and a method for storing and dispensing cryogenic fluid

Device for storing and transferring cryogenic fluid, comprising at least one elementary container comprising a liquefied gas tank, the tank being provided with a first pipe for transferring fluid, which pipe has a first end connected to an upper end of the tank, the tank being provided with a second pipe for transferring fluid, which pipe has a first end connected to a lower end of the tank, the first and the second transfer pipes each comprising an assembly of respective valves, characterized in that the first transfer pipe comprises two arms forming two second ends connected in parallel to the first end of the first transfer pipe, the two second ends of the first transfer pipe each being provided with a respective fluidic connection coupling, and in that the second transfer pipe comprises two arms forming two second ends connected in parallel to the first end of the second transfer pipe, the two second ends of the second transfer pipe each being provided with a respective fluidic connection coupling.

Device and method for storing and transferring cryogenic fluid

The invention primarily concerns a facility for storing and cooling a liquefied gas, for example a liquefied natural gas, the facility comprising at least one tank configured to contain the liquefied gas, a closed cooling circuit configured to be supplied with liquefied gas in the liquid state coming from the tank, at least one injection member configured for reinjecting cooled liquefied gas into the tank, the facility being characterized in that it comprises at least one connection line configured to recover a cooled gas from at least one remote container that is separate and independent from the facility.

Facility, method for storing and liquefying a liquefied gas and associated transport vehicle

Installation and method for storing and dispensing liquefied hydrogen involving a source of gaseous hydrogen, a liquefier, and two storage reservoirs for liquid hydrogen at determined respective storage pressures, wherein the liquefier includes an inlet connected to the source and an outlet connected in parallel, via a set of valves, to a respective inlet of each storage reservoir.

Method and installation for storing and dispensing liquefied hydrogen

The invention relates to a facility for producing liquid helium from a source gas mixture substantially comprising nitrogen and helium. The facility includes a cryogenic purifier including a system for separating the nitrogen from the source gas mixture with a view to producing helium at a temperature lower than the temperature of the source gas. The facility also includes a helium liquefier that subjects the helium to a work cycle including, in series: compressing the helium, cooling and decompressing the compressed helium, and reheating the cooled, decompressed helium. The facility includes a helium transfer pipe connecting an outlet of the purifier to an inlet of the liquefier in order to transfer helium produced by the purifier into the work cycle of the liquefier. The facility is characterized in that the cryogenic purifier includes a decompression system that includes an inlet to be connected to a source of pressurized nitrogen gas. Said system for decompressing the nitrogen gas exchanges heat with the separation system in order to transfer cold from the decompressed nitrogen gas to said separation system.

Facility and method for producing liquid helium

The invention relates to a method for adjusting a cryogenic refrigeration apparatus including a plurality of liquefiers/refrigerators arranged in parallel in order to cool a single device. The method includes a step of calculating in real time the dynamic mean value of at least one operating parameter for all the liquefiers/refrigerators. The apparatus controlling in real time the at least one valve for controlling the stream of working gas of at least one liquefier/refrigerator in accordance with the difference between the instantaneous values of the parameter relative to said dynamic converge toward said dynamic mean value.

Method for adjusting a Cryogenic refrigeration apparatus and corresponding apparatus

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

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

The invention relates to a device for cooling and/or liquefying, at a low-temperature, a working fluid containing helium or consisting of pure helium. The device includes a working circuit provided with a compressor station and a cold box. The compressor station includes one or more compression stages, each using one or more compressors that include a compressor wheel rigidly connected to an axle that is rotatably mounted on bearings. The axle of each compressor is rotated by an output shaft of a motor via a gear mechanism placed in a mechanical housing including lubricating oil. Said device is characterized in that the inner space of the mechanical housing contains a gaseous atmosphere consisting of a gaseous mixture having a mean molar mass that smaller than the molar mass of the air.

Device and method for cooling and/or low-temperature liquefaction

Method and installation for refrigerating the same application by means of several refrigerators/liquefiers disposed in parallel, the refrigerators/liquefiers in parallel using a working gas of the same nature having a low molar mass, that is to say having a mean total molar mass of less than 10 g/mol such as pure gaseous helium, each refrigerator/liquefier comprising a station for compressing the working gas, a cold box intended to cool the working gas at the output from the compression station, the working gas cooled by each of the respective cold boxes of the refrigerators/liquefiers being put in thermal exchange with the application with a view to supplying cold to the latter, in which a single compression station compresses the working gas for each of the respective separate cold boxes of the refrigerators/liquefiers disposed in parallel, the single compression station comprising only compression machines of the lubricated-screw type and systems for removing oil from the working fluid output from the compression machines, so that the compression machines and the oil-removal systems are shared by the refrigerators/liquefiers disposed in parallel.

Refrigeration method and installation

An installation for refrigerating a same application by means of a single refrigerator/liquefier or several refrigerators/liquefiers arranged in parallel, the refrigerator(s)/liquefier(s) using a working gas of the same type having a low molar mass, each refrigerator/liquefier comprising a compression station to compress the working gas, a cold box intended for cooling the working gas at the outlet of the compression station, the compression station comprising only compression machines of the lubricated screw type and systems for removing the oil from the working fluid at the outlet of the compression machines, and the compression station comprises a plurality of compression machines defining several levels of pressure for the working fluid, the compression station comprising at least two compression machines defining at least two levels of pressure increasing above the level of pressure of the fluid at the inlet of the compression station, two main compression machines being arranged in series and defining, at their respective fluid outlet, levels of pressure respectively called 'low' and 'high', another secondary compression machine being supplied at the inlet with a fluid coming from the cold boxes at an intermediate level of pressure called &#x201c;medium&#x201d; between the low and high levels, this secondary compression machine also defining, at its fluid outlet, a &#x201c;high&#x201d; level of pressure.

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La Buisse, France

Jean-Marc Bernhardt