Abstract: A method of purifying air via a pre-purification unit (PPU) of an air separation unit (ASU) system having a pre-PPU chiller that is upstream of the PPU to cool compressed air before the compressed air is fed to the PPU can include passing air through an adsorber of the PPU to pass the air through a bed of adsorbent material within a vessel of the adsorber. In response to the pre-PPU chiller being determined to have an issue resulting in the pre-PPU chiller being tripped or requiring the pre-PPU chiller to be taken off-line, continuing to operate the ASU system at a full capacity even though nitrous oxide (N2O) within the air output from the PPU exceeds a first pre-selected threshold and is below a second pre-selected threshold associated with carbon dioxide (CO2) breakthrough. An ASU and a PPU can be designed to implement an embodiment of the method.

Abstract: An apparatus for separation of air by cryogenic distillation comprising: a system of columns; a first turbine; a warm compressor coupled to the first turbine; a second turbine; a cold compressor coupled to the second turbine; a heat exchanger; means for sending air cooled in the heat exchanger at an intermediate temperature of the heat exchanger to the cold compressor; means for sending expanded air from the second turbine to the system of columns; means for sending air compressed in the cold compressor to an intermediate point of the heat exchanger and then at least in part to the system of columns via a first valve; means for sending air compressed in the cold compressor to the inlet of the first turbine via a second valve without passing through the heat exchanger, wherein the means for sending air compressed in the cold compressor to the inlet of the first turbine via the second valve without passing through the heat exchanger is also connected to the inlet of the first turbine; means for sending a fracti

Abstract: Hydrogen is liquefied through a process utilizing refrigeration from hydrogen at one, two, or three different pressures as well as a nitrogen refrigeration cycle. One or more stages of catalyst are used to convert ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen as the hydrogen is cooled and liquefied. Subcooled liquid hydrogen feeds the final stage of ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen conversion to reduce or eliminate vaporization of the hydrogen during the exothermic ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen conversion.

Abstract: A system and method for supplying a backup product in an air separation device, as well as a system and method for supplying a lower-pressure product to a user by means of pressurization of a cryogenic liquid pump during normal operation of an air separation device, i.e., when the cryogenic liquid pump is in the cold standby state. By means of the system and method, a cryogenic liquid product taken from a storage tank is pressurized by the cryogenic liquid pump to produce a lower-pressure product by taking full advantage of the low-speed operation of the cryogenic liquid pump in the cold standby state, and the lower-pressure product is transmitted to product supply lines of a user, to achieve the function of supplying the lower-pressure product to the user.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for pressurizing liquid hydrogen (LH2). The system has a pressure vessel for containing an initial quantity of LH2, with the pressure vessel containing an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice. A vaporizer is used which has an inlet and an outlet. A supply tube is used to couple the outlet orifice of the pressure vessel with the inlet of the vaporizer. A discharge tube couples the discharge outlet of the vaporizer with the inlet orifice of the pressure vessel. The vaporizer receives LH2 from the pressure vessel via the supply tube during a pressurization operation, warms the LH2 using an ambient environment, and discharges heated and pressurized H2 back to the pressure vessel through the supply tube.

Abstract: A process for recovering at least one fluid (e.g. xenon gas and/or krypton gas, etc.) from a feed gas can include utilization of a compression system, primary heat exchanger unit, a pre-purification unit (PPU), and other units to separate and recover at least one desired fluid. In some embodiments, fluid flows output from a first heat exchanger or separation system of the plant can be split so that a portion of a stream is output for downstream processing to purify xenon (Xe) and/or krypton (Kr) product flow(s) while another portion of the stream is recycled to a compression system or the PPU to undergo further purification and heat exchange so that the product output for downstream processing has a higher concentration of Xe or Kr. Some embodiments can be configured to provide an improved recovery of Xe and/or Kr as well as an improvement in operational efficiency.

Abstract: Plant and method for liquefying a flow of gas, having a cooling circuit that includes at least one exchanger (5) for cooling the gas, and at least one expansion turbine (6) which is mounted on a rotary axle which is supported by at least one bearing (7) of the gas-static type, the cooling circuit (2) also including a pressurized gas injection conduit that is configured to supply pressurized gas to the bearing (7) in order to provide support to the rotary axle, the plant (1) further includes a recovery conduit (9) that is configured to recycle at least a portion of the gas which has been used to support the rotary axle of the bearing (7) with a view to liquefying the gas.

Abstract: A cryopump includes a cryopump container, a pressure sensor that measures a pressure in the cryopump container and generates time-series pressure data indicating the measured pressure, a vent valve that is provided on the cryopump container, is electrically operable to open and close, and is capable of being mechanically opened by a differential pressure between inside and outside the cryopump container, and a controller that, during cryopump regeneration, detects stabilization of the measured pressure based on the time-series pressure data from the pressure sensor and controls the vent valve to open upon detection of the stabilization of the measured pressure.

Abstract: A method for liquefying a feed gas stream. A refrigerant stream is cooled and expanded to produce an expanded, cooled refrigerant stream. Part or all of the expanded, cooled refrigerant stream is mixed with a make-up refrigerant stream in a separator, thereby condensing heavy hydrocarbon components from the make-up refrigerant stream and forming a gaseous expanded, cooled refrigerant stream. The gaseous expanded, cooled refrigerant stream passes through a heat exchanger zone to form a warm refrigerant stream. The feed gas stream is passed through the heat exchanger zone to cool at least part of the feed gas stream by indirect heat exchange with the expanded, cooled refrigerant stream, thereby forming a liquefied gas stream. The warm refrigerant stream is compressed to produce the compressed refrigerant stream.

Abstract: A chiller can be configured as a chiller for a gasification system or other type of system or plant. In some embodiments, the chiller can be configured to utilize a single heat source, such as low grade waste heat in the form of hot water, and/or low pressure steam to drive one or more absorption-based chillers to cool inlet air to one or more adsorbers of a pre-purification unit (PPU). In the event of the detection of an undesired impurity spike (e.g. carbon dioxide spike, etc.) an additional amount of heat source can be withdrawn from the gasification system to increase the level of cooling the absorption chiller can provide to improve the removal of impurities. An automated control loop can be utilized in some embodiments. The control loop can be configured to check for an impurity concentration and adjust operations accordingly.

Abstract: A system and method for treating associated gas in which a stream of raw gas is passed through safety valving, an inlet pressure control mechanism, and an inlet scrubber. Pressure/temperature data is transmitted to a control system via pressure and temperature transducers. The raw gas is sent to a gas compressor to generate pressurized gas, which is sent to an aerial cooler and a chiller heat exchanger, in which a chilling media contacts the pressurized gas. The chilled pressurized gas is sent to a vapor liquid separator to generate processed gas, which is routed through either a system backpressure valve or a pressure reducing recycle valve that directs the processed gas to the inlet scrubber. The processed gas that has passed through the system backpressure valve is delivered as fuel or routed through a backpressure regulating recycle valve that directs the processed gas to a system inlet pressure reducing valve.

Abstract: A ship comprises: a liquefied gas storage tank; a multi-stage compressor for compressing a boil-off gas discharged from a storage tank and comprising a plurality of compression cylinders; a second heat exchanger for heat exchanging a fluid, which has been compressed by the multi-stage compressor, and thus cooling same; a first decompressing device for expanding a flow (“flow a1”) partially branched from the flow (“flow a”) that has been cooled by the second heat exchanger; a third heat exchanger for heat exchanging, by “flow a1” which has been expanded by the first decompressing device as a refrigerant, the remaining flow (“flow a2”) of “flow a” after excluding “flow a1” that has been branched and thus cooling same; and a second decompressing device for expanding “flow a2” which has been cooled by the third heat exchanger.

Abstract: A system and process that are configured to prepare incoming hydrocarbon feedstocks for storage. For incoming ethane gas, the embodiments can utilize a plurality of vessels to distill the incoming feedstock to vapor and liquid ethane that is suitable for storage. The embodiments can direct the vapor to a demethanizer column that is downstream of the vessels and other components. The process can include stages for distilling an incoming feedstock at a plurality of vessels to form a vapor and a liquid for storage; directing the vapor to a demethanizer column; and circulating liquid from the demethanizer column back to the plurality of vessels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing high-purity nitrogen and low-purity oxygen using three-column rectification are provided, in which: nitrogen and oxygen undergo rectification in different columns, with high-purity nitrogen and low-purity oxygen being separated out of air simultaneously, thereby overcoming the shortcomings of conventional low-purity oxygen production equipment, and also reducing equipment investment, lowering energy consumption, increasing product added value, and realizing a circular economy effect.

Abstract: Disclosed are a helium gas liquefier and a method for liquefying a helium gas. The disclosed helium gas liquefier includes: a first cooling part including a first cooling column; a first cold head installed on the first cooling column, and a first cylinder in which the first cooling column and the first cold head are built; a second cooling part including a second cooling column, a second cold head installed on the second cooling column, and a second cylinder in which the second cooling column and the second cold head are built; and a liquid helium storage disposed under the second cooling part.

Abstract: In a process of the separation of a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane, the mixture is sent to a scrubbing column, a bottom liquid withdrawn at the bottom of the scrubbing column is depleted in hydrogen with respect to the mixture and is sent to a stripping column, a bottom liquid from the stripping column is sent to a separation column and a liquid enriched in methane withdrawn from the bottom of the separation column is vaporized in order to form a final product.

Abstract: A system and method for producing two or more nitrogen product streams and a crude argon stream from a nitrogen and argon producing air separation unit is provided. The disclosed embodiments of the cryogenic-based nitrogen and argon producing air separation units and associated air separation cycles include the means for directing a first portion of a boil-off stream from an argon condenser of the air separation unit to a waste expansion refrigeration circuit and concurrently recycling a second portion of the boil-off stream from the argon condenser to the main air compression system of the air separation unit to be mixed or blended with the incoming feed air. Optionally, a third portion of the boil-off stream from the argon condenser may be further compressed in a cold compressor and returned to the lower pressure column.

Abstract: A system and method for improving the performance of an oxygen, nitrogen, and argon producing air separation unit configured to produce a gaseous nitrogen product stream is provided. By recycling the argon condenser boil-off vapor stream to the main air compression train, the argon recovery and oxygen recovery while maintaining the production level of a medium or high pressure gaseous nitrogen product stream. In addition, some operational cost savings in terms of lower power costs can also be realized compared to some prior art oxygen, nitrogen, and argon producing air separation units.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method for supplying refrigerants to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility includes: advancing a first refrigerant from a first storage device to a heat exchanger, the first refrigerant having a first temperature; advancing a second refrigerant from a second storage device to the heat exchanger, the second refrigerant having a second temperature different than the first temperature; flowing the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant through the heat exchanger; adjusting the second temperature based on at least a transfer of heat between the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant in the heat exchanger; and transferring the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant to the LNG facility.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing liquefied natural gas. A portion of a natural gas stream is cooled in a first heat exchanger and re-combined with the natural gas stream, and heavy hydrocarbons are removed therefrom to generate a separated natural gas stream and a separator bottom stream. Liquids are separated from the separator bottom stream to form an overhead stream, which is cooled and separated to form a recycle gas stream. The recycle gas stream is compressed. A first portion of the compressed recycle gas stream is directed through the first heat exchanger and directed to the separator as a column reflux stream. The separated to natural gas stream is used as a coolant in the first heat exchanger to thereby generate a pretreated natural gas stream, which is compressed and liquefied.