Abstract: A freezer that uses liquid cryogen as a refrigerant includes an inner vessel defining a storage chamber and an outer jacket generally surrounding the inner vessel so that an insulation space is defined there between. A heat exchanger is positioned in a top portion of the storage chamber and has an inlet in communication with a supply of the liquid cryogen refrigerant so that the liquid cryogen refrigerant selectively flows through the heat exchanger to cool the storage chamber while being vaporized. A purge line is in communication with the outlet of the heat exchanger and includes a purge outlet positioned over the exterior of the heat exchanger. A purge valve is positioned within the purge line so that the vaporized liquid cryogen from the heat exchanger is selectively directed to the exterior of the heat exchanger to reduce ice formation on the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for cooling superconducting devices. The system includes a cryogen cooling system configured to be coupled to the superconducting device and to supply cryogen to the device. The system also includes a cryogen storage system configured to supply cryogen to the device. The system further includes flow control valving configured to selectively isolate the cryogen cooling system from the device, thereby directing a flow of cryogen to the device from the cryogen storage system.

Abstract: Marine LNG carrier and method of operating the marine LNG carrier. The LNG carrier carries LNG in at least one tank. Gas composed of evaporated LNG within the at least one tank is removed. The gas is fed to at least one gas consuming prime mover of the LNG carrier. Power is provided with the at least one gas consuming prime mover. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of producing high purity oxygen in connection with low purity liquid oxygen produced by a plurality of cryogenic air separation plants. The low purity liquid oxygen from the air separation plants is introduced into a distillation column of an auxiliary cryogenic rectification plant that is reboiled by nitrogen also produced by the air separation plants. Nitrogen is separated from the low purity liquid oxygen to produce high purity liquid oxygen from residual liquid located in a bottom region of the distillation column that can be taken as a product. Optionally, an argon column can be connected to the distillation column to produce a liquid argon product stream.

Abstract: In a helium 3 refrigerator-utilizing magnetic property measurement system (MPMS) which enables magnetization measurement to be effected until 0.3 K, a main pipe, to enable magnetization measurement to be infallibly effected even when the upper limit of a magnetic field the MPMS can induce is applied, includes an upper supporting tube positioned in the uppermost part and allowing a bellows to be connected to the lateral part thereof, a condensing tube supported in the lower part of the upper supporting tube, an outer tube fixed in the lower part of the condensing tube and adapted to form an outer wall of an insulated vacuum chamber, and a lower inner tube forming an inner wall of the insulated vacuum chamber. In each of the tubes, the lower inner tube is formed of titanium. As a result, a background signal can be decreased and the measurement can be infallibly effected until the upper limit of the magnetic field of the MPMS.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream such as a natural gas stream, the method at least comprising the steps of: supplying a partly condensed feed stream (10) having a pressure above 60 bar to a first separator (2) wherein it is separated into a gaseous stream (20) and a liquid stream (30); expanding the liquid stream (30) and the gaseous stream (20) and subsequently feeding them into the distillation column (3); removing from the distillation column (3) a gaseous overhead stream (80), partially condensing it, feeding it (90) into a second separator (8) thereby obtaining a liquid stream (100) and a gaseous stream (110), feeding the liquid stream (100) into the distillation column (3) and liquefying the gaseous stream (110) thereby obtaining a liquefied stream (200); wherein the gaseous overhead stream (80) is partially condensed by heat exchanging against the expanded gaseous stream (60) before it (70) is fed into the distillation column (3); and wherein the gaseous stre

Abstract: A method of producing a liquid product stream, for example, a liquid nitrogen product stream, at a production rate that is selectively varied. This variation is produced in either a waste expansion or air expansion process by increasing the pressure and flow rate of the feed stream during periods in which a high rate of liquid production is desired without substantially increasing the pressure of the exhaust stream produced by a variable speed turboexpander. This increases the expansion ratio across the turboexpander and therefore the refrigeration supplied to increase liquid production. At the same time, the increase in flow rate prevents a decrease in the performance of the variable speed turboexpander.

Abstract: A method for selective extraction of natural gas liquids from “rich” natural gas. The method involves interacting a rich natural gas stream with Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) by mixing Liquid Natural Gas into the rich natural gas stream to lower the temperature of the rich natural gas stream to a selected hydrocarbon dew point, whereby a selected hydrocarbon liquid carried in the rich natural gas stream is condensed.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for providing reflux to a refluxed heavies removal column of a LNG facility. The system withdraws a fraction of a predominately methane refrigerant from a methane refrigeration cycle of the LNG facility. The withdrawn methane refrigerant is then cooled in an auxiliary heat exchange system by indirect heat exchange with a refrigerant that is also used to cool the natural gas feed stream upstream of the heavies removal column. The resulting cooled predominately methane steam is then employed as reflux to the heavies removal column.

Abstract: An object is to improve an assembly operability while enhancing disconnecting and connecting properties between a main body and a refrigerating unit of a refrigerating device, and there is disclosed a refrigerating device (showcase) which is provided with a refrigerating unit including a refrigerant circuit constituted of a compressor, a radiator as a high-pressure-side heat exchanger, an evaporator as a low-pressure-side heat exchanger and the like and which supplies, by a blower, cold air subjected to heat exchange with the evaporator to a storage chamber as a space to be cooled constituted in a main body by a blower to cool the chamber, wherein a mechanical chamber is constituted under a bottom surface of the main body, the compressor and the radiator are installed on a unit base on the bottom surface of the mechanical chamber, and a refrigerating box in which the evaporator and the blower are stored is attached to the bottom surface of the main body via hooks so as to communicate with the storage chamber.

Abstract: In apparatus to convert cryogenic fluid to gas, a vaporizer having passages to pass the cool or cold cryogenic fluid in heat transfer relation with warming gas flowing downwardly through the vaporizer, the vaporizer having surfaces on which ice collects and from which ice falls to the base of the vaporizer and collects in a pile, and removing fluid flow control means operating to direct flow of removing fluid at the ice pile with sufficient force to cause removal of such ice in the pile relative to the vaporizer base.

Abstract: A plate-fin heat exchanger having a plurality of layers for indirectly exchanging heat between two or more fluids. The heat exchanger is provided with two sections and inlets and outlets to the sections to cause streams of the fluids to flow within the two sections parallel to the length of the heat exchanger between central locations and the ends of the heat exchanger. In such manner, the cross-sectional flow area of such a heat exchanger is greater than the heat exchanger in which the flow is from one end to the other end of the heat exchanger. This increase in cross-sectional flow area reduces the pressure drop within the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A superconducting magnet system with a superconducting magnet coil system disposed in a cryogenic fluid tank (2) of a cryostat (1), and a refrigerator (6) for cooling the cryogenic fluid that cools the magnet, is characterized in that a radiation shield (5; 21; 31; 41; 51) is provided which separates a refrigerator space (4) from the cryogenic fluid tank (2), wherein the entire cooling region (9) of the refrigerator (6) is disposed in the refrigerator space (4), and wherein the radiation shield (5; 21; 31; 41; 51) has openings (11; 22; 44, 45; 53) for gas or fluid exchange between the refrigerator space (4) and the cryogenic fluid tank (2). Should the refrigerator fail, the thermal input into the cryostat is reduced, and the safety of the maintenance staff is improved in case of a quench.

Abstract: A cryopump and a regenerating method of the cryopump whereby temperatures of a first stage and a second stage can be securely increased to target temperatures and time required for regenerating can be shortened are provided. At the time of regenerating, the temperature of the second stage cooling stage is controlled based on the temperature detected by the second temperature detection part. In the case where the temperature of the first stage cooling stage reaches the limiting temperature, namely critical temperature, of the first stage displacer, the rotation in the reverse direction of the reversible motor is controlled or stopped and thereby the regenerating process is stopped for a while.

Abstract: A method for reliquefying boil-off gas generated in a cargo tank of a liquefied natural gas ship generally includes the steps of compressing boil-off gas generated in the cargo tank with a compressor, sub-cooling the compressed boil-off gas in a heat exchanger, feeding the liquefied gas to a gas phase separator, venting flash gas generated in the gas phase separator through a first pipe, feeding the vented flash gas from the gas phase separator to a gas combustion unit of the ship via the first pipe, oxidizing the vented flash gas in the gas combustion unit, diverting a portion of the compressed boil-off gas from the compressor through a second pipe, feeding the diverted portion of compressed boil-off gas from the compressor to an upper region of the gas-phase separator and returning liquefied gas from the gas-phase separator to the cargo tank.

Abstract: A hybrid system which utilizes high purity oxygen from a local pipeline, which is blended with low purity oxygen from an on-site or local cryogenic distillation system, thus resulting in a blend of intermediate quality which satisfies the needs of the customer. In order to offset the operating and energy costs associated with this fairly low profit margin intermediate purity oxygen, high purity nitrogen at high pressure is simultaneously exported to the local pipeline, thereby acting as a credit to the overall system.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting performance degradation in a refrigeration system. Specifically, the present invention provides systems and methods for detecting, at a very early stage, a low refrigerant charge and degradation in condenser performance of a refrigeration system.

Abstract: Disclosed is an air conditioning system for an aircraft which utilizes high pressure bleed air. The bleed air is pressure controlled and introduced into a vortex cooler which can be operated in two modes using a valve. In a first mode, the bleed air is divided into cold and hot streams. The cold stream is directed into the cabin for cooling purposes. The hot stream is released from the aircraft in a manner that it pulls ambient air across a heat exchanger. In a second mode, the bleed air is not divided, but passes through the vortex cooler as a common stream. The second mode is more commonly used in colder ambient air conditions.

Abstract: A compact cryocooler includes a gas compression piston (304) supported for reciprocal linear translation along a first longitudinal axis (308) and a gas displacing piston (362) supported for reciprocal linear translation along a second longitudinal axis (366). The first longitudinal axis (308) and second longitudinal axis (366) are substantially orthogonal. A rotary motor (302) rotates a rotor (324) and associated motor shaft (320) about a motor rotation axis (328) disposed substantially parallel with the second longitudinal axis (366). Motor shaft (320) first and second mounting features (336, 340) traverse first and second eccentric paths around the motor rotation axis. A first drive coupling couples the first mounting feature (336) with the gas compression piston (304) and delivers a reciprocal linear translation along the first longitudinal axis (308) thereto.

Abstract: Liquefied natural gas is regasified to form natural gas, including circulation of an intermediate fluid between a vaporizer and an ambient air heater, where the intermediate fluid is warmed by exchanging heat with the ambient air as the intermediate fluid passes through the ambient air heater, and the intermediate fluid is cooled by exchanging heat with LNG as the intermediate fluid passes through the vaporizer. The ambient air heater is subjected to a defrosting cycle by intermittently regulating the temperature of the intermediate fluid fed to the ambient air heater to a temperature greater than zero degrees Celsius using a source of supplemental heat.