Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to at-shore liquefaction of natural gas. One exemplary aspect includes an apparatus comprising: (i) an air-cooled electric refrigeration module (“AER Module”) configured to input electricity and preprocessed feed gas from a source, convert the preprocessed feed gas into a liquefied natural gas (“LNG”), and output the LNG; and (ii) a plurality of LNG storage tanks configured to input the LNG from the AER Module and output the LNG to an LNG transport vessel. According to this aspect, the AER Module may be on an upper deck of a water-based apparatus, and the plurality of LNG tanks may be in a hull of the apparatus. Numerous additional exemplary aspects of the apparatus and related kits, methods, and systems are disclosed.

Abstract: An air separation unit and associated method for separating air by cryogenic distillation using a distillation column system including a higher pressure column, a lower pressure column, an intermediate pressure kettle column, and an argon column arrangement is provided. The disclosed air separation unit and method is particularly suited for production of high purity nitrogen for electronics applications and includes nitrogen recycle circuit necessary to attain the higher purity nitrogen products. In addition to the intermediate pressure kettle column, the present air separation unit and associated method employs a once-through argon condenser, preferably disposed within the lower pressure column as well as a once-through kettle column reboiler, a once-through kettle column condenser.

Abstract: This invention provides a means of loading, processing and conditioning raw production gas, production of CGL, storage, transport, and delivery of pipeline quality natural gas or fractionated products to market. The CGL transport vessel utilizes a pipe based containment system to hold more densely packed constituents of natural gas held within a light hydrocarbon solvent than it is possible to attain for natural gas alone under such conditions. The containment system is supported by process systems for loading and transporting the natural gas as a liquid and unloading the CGL from the containment system and then offloading it in the gaseous state. The system can also be utilized for the selective storage and transport of NGLs to provide a total service package for the movement of natural gas and associated gas production. The mode of storage is suited for both marine and land transportation and configured in modular form to suit a particular application and/or scale of operation.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for ultra or extreme-high vacuum are described. Such systems may comprise a vacuum chamber, a target within the vacuum chamber, two or more overlapping radiation shields arranged within an inner vacuum space of a vacuum chamber, and surrounding at least a portion of the target, a first and a second cooling element unit thermally coupled to a first and second radiation shield of the two or more overlapping radiation shields, wherein the first unit is configured to reduce the first radiation shield's temperature to at least <100K, and the second unit is configured to reduce the second radiation shield's temperature to at least <25K, and a third cooling element unit coupled to the target and isolated from the first and second radiation shield, wherein the third cooling element unit is configured to reduce the target's temperature to at least <4K.

Abstract: A combined plant for cryogenic separation and liquefaction of methane and carbon dioxide in a biogas stream, including a mixing means, a compressor, a first exchanger, a distillation column, a second exchanger, a separating means, an expanding means, and a separator vessel. Wherein, the mixing means is configured such that the recycle gas is the overhead vapour stream, and the first exchanger and the expanding means are combined.

Abstract: An improved ultra-fast cooling system is disclosed for cryopreservation of biomaterials. The ultra-fast cooling system is designed to uniformly vitrify or partially vitrify biomaterials, including but not limited to, human biomaterials, proteins, peptides, cells, stem cells, antibodies, neurons, human tissue, organs, cornea, skin, retina, eggs, sperm, embryos, body fluids, blood, serum, lymph fluid, animal tissue, plant biomaterials, plant tissue, germ plasma, pollen, plant sap, and bioengineered tissue, without cryoprotectants or with a low concentration of cryoprotectants. Cooling rates are sufficient to uniformly cryopreserve biomaterials, and can be used in diagnostic cytology and biological cryofixation applications. Other materials also can be cooled uniformly, such as inorganic materials for processing.

Abstract: Enhancements to a dual column, nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation unit are provided. Such enhancements include an improved air separation cycle that uses multiple condenser-reboilers and recycles a portion of the vapor from one or more of the condenser-reboilers to the incoming feed stream and or the compressed purified air streams to yield improvements in such dual column, nitrogen producing cryogenic air separation units. The multiple condenser-reboilers preferably include an integrated condenser-reboiler arrangement comprising a heat exchanger having a set of nitrogen condensing passages, a first set and second set of boiling passages, and a phase separator.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to reduce mechanical vibrations within a cryocooler/refrigeration system configured to provide cryogenic and/or general cooling of a device or sensor system. A cryocooler includes a motor driver controller configured to receive operational parameters and generate motor driver control signals and/or balancer system control signals based, at least in part, on the received operational parameters, and a motor driver configured to receive the control signals and generate drive signals to drive a motor and/or a balancer system of the cryocooler. The cryocooler includes a motorized and/or actively balanced expander configured to drive and/or balance motion of a displacer of the expander. The expander includes a magnet ring fixed to the displacer and a motor coil disposed within a cylinder head of the motorized and/or actively balanced expander.

Abstract: The installation (10) comprises: —at least one air-cooled heat exchanger (22), the air-cooled heat exchanger (22) comprising a tube bundle capable of accepting a flow (24) that is to be cooled, and a fan capable of causing a flow of air to circulate across the bundle of tubes; —a water spraying assembly (26). The desalination assembly (20) comprises a salt water pickup (100) in the expanse of water (12), the desalination assembly (20) being coupled downstream to the water-spraying assembly (26). The water spraying assembly (26) comprises at least one spray nozzle opening into the bundle of tubes, the or each spray nozzle being directed towards the tubes of the tube bundle so as to spray liquid demineralised water coming from the desalination assembly (20) into contact with the tubes of the tube bundle.

Abstract: A liquefaction apparatus that automatically adjusts the load on the liquefaction apparatus correspondingly with an upper limit value of contracted power in different time slots, and which is capable of maximizing the amount of liquefied product produced and of achieving optimum operating efficiency is provided.

Abstract: A natural gas liquefying apparatus includes: a precooling unit, which is a treatment unit configured to precool natural gas; a liquefying unit, which is a treatment unit configured to liquefy the natural gas; a refrigerant cooling unit, which is a treatment unit configured to cool a liquefying refrigerant; a compression unit configured to compress vaporized refrigerants; and a pipe rack including air-cooled coolers arrayed and arranged on an upper surface. The treatment units and the compression unit are separately arranged in a first arrangement region and a second arrangement region arranged opposed to each other across a long side of the pipe rack. The pipe rack interposed between the first and second arrangement regions has a region in which no air-cooled cooler is arranged in order to arrange a plurality of pipes, through which refrigerants are allowed to flow, in a direction of a short side of the pipe rack.

Abstract: A dilution refrigerator, such as for a quantum computing system, includes a cryostat having a plurality of temperature-controlled flanges inside a vacuum chamber. A dilution unit is disposed inside the cryostat and operable to cool a first group of the flanges. A continuous flow helium refrigerator is in heat transfer communication with a lowest temperature flange of a second group of flanges, disposed at progressively lower temperatures that are greater than those of the first group of flanges, to provide primary cooling thereto to a first temperature. The continuous flow helium refrigerator resides at least partially in the cryostat and includes a helium liquefier and a first closed-loop circuit thermally coupling the helium liquefier to the lowest temperature flange of the second group of flanges. The helium liquefier provides liquid helium to the lowest temperature flange of the second group of flanges via the first closed-loop circuit.

Abstract: A thermodynamic system containing a working fluid is disclosed. The thermodynamic system comprises at least a working fluid collection vessel (11) adapted to contain a liquid phase and a gaseous phase of the working fluid in thermodynamic equilibrium. A chilling arrangement (51) is functionally coupled to the fluid collection vessel (11) and adapted to remove heat from the working fluid collected in the working fluid collection vessel (11) and thereby reduce pressure in said thermodynamic system. Also disclosed are methods for depressurizing a thermodynamic system containing a working fluid in liquid/gas equilibrium.

Abstract: A ventilation unit for a freezer chamber, with a conduit and at least one heating element, wherein in the conduit, at least in sections, an air-permeable filler material is disposed, as well as a freezer chamber with such a ventilation unit as well as methods for operating such ventilation unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for the cryogenic storage of biological material. Devices of the invention are useful for storing material at a predetermined cryogenic temperature. An intermediate storage chamber (ITC) set within an adiabatic Dewar container includes a set, or multiple, heat transfer pipes that passively act to maintain a set temperature or temperature range. Some embodiments utilize an inner heat pipe to transfer heat out to a heat sink and an outer heat pipe to transfer heat into the ITC from a cool sink. The heat pipes may be arranged, designed, and/or tilled to conduct heat energy only when set parameters beyond the predetermined range are experienced within the ITC. The method of maintaining a predetermined temperature range by means of a heat sink and cool sink are taught herein.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a supercritical compressed air energy storage system. The supercritical compressed air energy storage system includes a supercritical liquefaction subsystem, an evaporation and expansion subsystem, a staged cryogenic storage subsystem, a heat storage and heat exchange subsystem, and a cryogenic energy compensation subsystem, the staged cryogenic storage subsystem being used for implementing the staged storage and release of cryogenic energy, improving efficiency of recovering cryogenic energy during energy release and energy storage, and thereby improving cycle efficiency of the system. The present disclosure does not need to provide any inputs of additional cryogenic energy and heat energy input externally, and has the advantages of high cycle efficiency, low cost, independent operation, environmental friendliness, and no limitation on terrain conditions, and it is suitable for large-scale commercial applications.

Abstract: A method and system for liquefying a methane-rich high-pressure feed gas stream using a first heat exchanger zone and a second heat exchanger zone. The feed gas stream is mixed with a refrigerant stream to form a second gas stream, which is compressed, cooled, and directed to a second heat exchanger zone to be additionally cooled below ambient temperature. It is then expanded to a pressure less than 2,000 psia and no greater than the pressure to which the second gas stream was compressed, and then separated into a first expanded refrigerant stream and a chilled gas stream. The first expanded refrigerant stream is expanded and then passed through the first heat exchanger zone such that it has a temperature that is cooler, by at least 5° F., than the highest fluid temperature within the first heat exchanger zone.

Abstract: A cooling unit comprising: an interior space; a door separating the interior space from air external to the cooling unit, wherein the door comprises a transparent window; an air curtain system having an air egress and an air-recovery ingress, wherein the air curtain system produces an air curtain between the air egress and the air-recovery ingress, the air curtain being within the interior space and spaced from the door; and an air curtain guide for guiding flow of air within the air curtain, wherein the air curtain guide is within the interior space. A method of reducing condensation on a transparent window in a door of a cooling unit is also provided.

Abstract: An acid gas purification system is described herein that includes a primary membrane system with a CO2- and H2S-enriched permeate stream effluent and a hydrocarbon stream effluent; a first compression stage arranged to receive the CO2- and H2S-enriched permeate stream and produce a compressed stream; and a cryogenic separation system to receive the compressed stream, the cryogenic separation system including a cooler followed by a fractionator, wherein the fractionator produces a CO2- and H2S liquid stream and a hydrocarbon gas stream.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and device, for a cryogenic storage system that stores and/or transports a liquid or gas at a temperature below ambient temperature. The cryogenic storage system has an enclosure and a cavity. The cryogenic storage system has a dewar that is positioned within the cavity of the enclosure. The dewar has a payload area that is configured to hold a liquid below ambient temperature. The dewar is configured to hold a liquid below ambient temperature and passively stabilize in an upright position. The dewar is formed with an inner wall and an outer wall and has an opening that allows access to the payload area.