Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing argon recovery in which an impure argon stream is separated from air within a cryogenic air separation unit and purified within an integrated, multi-stage pressure swing adsorption system to produce product grade argon with high argon recovery levels.

Abstract: A system and method for providing supplemental refrigeration to an air separation plant is provided. A closed loop supplemental refrigeration circuit that can be easily retrofitted or added onto an air separation plant that increases the liquid product production capability of the air separation plant. The supplemental refrigeration capacity of the supplemental refrigeration circuit is controlled by removing or adding a portion of the refrigerant in the supplemental refrigeration circuit to adjust the inlet pressure while maintaining a substantially constant volumetric flow rate and substantially constant pressure ratio across the compressor. Removing the refrigerant from the supplemental refrigeration circuit decreases the refrigeration imparted by the supplemental refrigeration circuit and thus provides the capacity to turn-down liquid product make without shutting down the compressors and turbo-expanders in the supplemental refrigeration circuit.

Abstract: A method for the production of low pressure gaseous oxygen includes providing a system of distillation columns and a heat exchanger, wherein the system of columns comprises a lower pressure column, a higher pressure column, an auxiliary column, the auxiliary column having a distillation section, a first reboiler, and a second reboiler, wherein the LP column and the HP column are thermally integrated via a top reboiler/condenser disposed on top of the HP column. A cooled air stream is rectified within the system of columns such that the auxiliary column produces a cold oxygen fluid that is then warmed in the heat exchanger to produce a low pressure oxygen product. The cooled air stream provides reboiling duty for the first reboiler prior to rectification within the system of columns, and a compressed nitrogen stream received from a cold end of the heat exchanger provides reboiling duty for the second reboiler.

Abstract: A mixed refrigerant stream (10) comprising a first mixed refrigerant is passed through one or more heat exchangers (12) to provide a cooled mixed refrigerant stream (20). At least a fraction of a cooling stream (30) comprising a second mixed refrigerant is expanded (14) to provide one or more expanded cooling streams (40a), at least one of which may be passed through one or more of the heat exchangers (12), to cool the mixed refrigerant stream (10) thereby providing the cooled mixed refrigerant stream (20) which is used to cool (22) a hydrocarbon stream (70). The temperature (T1) and the flow (F1) of at least part of the cooled mixed refrigerant stream (20) is monitored, and the flow (F2) of the cooling stream (30) is controlled using the flow F1 and the temperature T1.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for argon recovery in which an impure argon stream is separated from air within a cryogenic air separation unit having a divided wall argon rejection/rectification column. The resulting argon stream is subsequently recovered and purified within an integrated pressure swing adsorption system to produce product grade argon.

Abstract: In a method for producing a first pressurized gas and a second gas on a one-off basis by cryogenic distillation of air, according to a first step, no fluid heats up or cools down in a second heat exchanger, and according to a second step, a flow of pressurized liquid from the double column heats up and vaporizes in the second exchanger to form a gas required on a one-off basis, a flow of air at the second pressure cools in the second exchanger.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating and feeding natural gas from a tank for storing liquefied gas storage to an apparatus for generating power, and to a burner of an apparatus for generating power in a ship, said method comprising the following consecutive steps: supplying power to the apparatus for generating power, during which step natural gas is fed through a phase separator that returns a heavy fraction of the natural gas containing the hydrocarbons having the longest carbon chains to the tank as condensate and feeding a light fraction of the natural gas containing the hydrocarbons having the shortest carbon chains to the apparatus for generating power; and then recovering the heavy fraction of the natural gas, during which step natural gas is carried from the tank to the burner, bypassing said phase separator.

Abstract: An air-cooler assembly comprising a plurality of air-coolers (1), wherein the air-coolers (1) are arranged on a duct (15), the duct having the shape of a straight prism having a polygonal cross section, and wherein the duct has one air inlet (14) for taking in cooling air to be distributed to all air-coolers (1), is described. A floater (10) for LNG production and a method for LNG production using the air-cooler assembly is also described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for argon recovery in which an impure argon stream is separated from air within a cryogenic air separation unit having a divided wall argon rejection/rectification column. The resulting argon stream is subsequently recovered and purified within an integrated pressure swing adsorption system to produce product grade argon.

Abstract: The process for liquefying a gaseous stream received from a pipeline that is comprised predominantly of ethane and a relatively small amount of other components by using a mixed refrigerant loop incorporating heavy hydrocarbons, as well as a distillation column to remove constituents lighter than ethane.

Abstract: In a cryostat, in particular for use in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, and a method for reducing heat input into such a cryostat, an insert is provided that is adapted to be inserted into an opening of the cryostat. The insert is adapted to provide one or more passageways for a cryogen through the opening by defining at least one space between the outer surface of the insert and at least one part of the inner surface of the opening. This space allows the cryogen to pass over the part of the inner surface of the opening.

Abstract: A heat pump includes a magnet assembly which creates a magnetic field, and a regenerator housing which includes a body defining a plurality of chambers, each of the plurality of chambers extending along a transverse direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. The heat pump further includes a plurality of stages, each of the plurality of stages including a magnetocaloric material disposed within one of the plurality of chambers and extending along the transverse direction between a first end and a second end.

Abstract: A process that is configured for treating natural gas mixed with carbon dioxide (CO2) in high concentrations of 30% mole by volume or more. In one embodiment, the process comprises contacting a first feedstream comprising liquid natural gas (LNG) with a feedstock comprising methane to form an overhead product comprising methane vapor and a bottom product comprising carbon dioxide (CO2). The embodiment can also comprise liquefying the methane vapor to form a LNG product and using the LNG product as the liquid natural gas (LNG) in the first feedstream.

Abstract: The disclosure includes techniques associated with a collector tray assembly for a cryogenic distillation tower disposed below a slurry mix zone and above a lower distillation zone, wherein the collector tray assembly comprises a deck at a lower end of the slurry mix zone, and wherein the deck comprises at least one vapor riser configured to pass the vapor from the lower distillation zone into the slurry mix zone, wherein the vapor riser comprises a substantially vertical heat transfer section configured to pass the vapor substantially upwards through the slurry mix zone, and a vapor outlet section comprising at least one vapor outlet, wherein the vapor outlet section is below the heat transfer section.

Abstract: A method for operating a natural gas liquids processing (NGL) system, the system being selectively configured in either an ethane rejection configuration or an ethane recovery configuration, the method comprising, when the NGL system is in the ethane rejection configuration, collecting a reboiler bottom stream that, in the ethane rejection configuration, includes ethane in an amount of less than 5% by volume, and when the NGL system is in the ethane recovery configuration, collecting a reboiler bottom stream that, in the ethane recovery configuration, includes ethane in an amount of at least about 30% by volume.

Abstract: A heat pump includes a magnet assembly which creates a magnetic field, and a regenerator housing which includes a body defining a plurality of chambers, each of the plurality of chambers extending along a transverse direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. The heat pump further includes a plurality of stages, each of the plurality of stages including a magnetocaloric material disposed within one of the plurality of chambers and extending along the transverse direction between a first end and a second end.

Abstract: A heat pump includes a magnet assembly which creates a magnetic field, and a regenerator housing which includes a body defining a plurality of chambers, each of the plurality of chambers extending along a transverse direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. The heat pump further includes a plurality of stages, each of the plurality of stages including a magnetocaloric material disposed within one of the plurality of chambers and extending along the transverse direction between a first end and a second end.

Abstract: A method for storage and transport of LPG on LPG carriers, in particular two cargoes of different LPG types on same shipment, having reliquefaction units in which vaporized gases are condensed and then returned into at least one cargo tank for the respective LPG cargo type. The method is further comprising: using the reliquefaction units, at a minimum one running, as to condense vapor from the first cargo type; passing the condensed vapor through a heat exchanger; simultaneously flowing vapor from the second cargo type through the heat exchanger as to condense vapor by means of heat exchanging with the condensed vapor; and returning the condensed vapors leaving the heat exchanger back into the respective cargo types. The present invention is also disclosing a system for storage and transport of LPG on LPG carriers.

Abstract: Embodiments for a cryohead heat transfer coupling as well as methods for extracting heat from an article using these couplings are provided. Couplings employ a component made from a material having a greater mean thermal coefficient of expansion than the mean thermal coefficient of expansion of other coupling components and of the article. As a result, differential contraction during cryocooling contributes a shrink fitting of a portion of the coupling resulting in enhanced thermal conduction when cooling and a releasing of the coupling when ambient temperature is restored.

Abstract: A method for condensing argon can include two flow streams interacting with each other in a heat exchanger found within a cold box: a stream of gaseous argon enters the heat exchanger to be cooled down below its liquefaction point by a stream of pressurized liquid nitrogen entering the heat exchanger. While passing through the heat exchanger, gaseous argon is gradually cooled down until it is condensed into liquid, flowing by gravity to the nearby liquid argon storage tank.