Abstract: An apparatus for converting excess liquid oxygen into liquid nitrogen, including a main heat exchanger to exchange heat between a gaseous nitrogen stream, a vaporized oxygen stream, a vapor phase nitrogen steam, and a waste liquid nitrogen stream; thereby producing a cold gaseous nitrogen stream, an oxygen vent stream, a nitrogen vent steam, and a gaseous nitrogen waste stream, a secondary heat exchanger to exchange heat between a liquid oxygen stream and the cold gaseous nitrogen stream; thereby producing the vaporized oxygen stream and a cold liquid nitrogen stream, a nitrogen pressure reduction valve to reduce the pressure of the cold liquid nitrogen stream; thereby producing a two-phase nitrogen stream, a nitrogen flash vessel to receive the two-phase nitrogen stream, and to generate a liquid phase nitrogen stream and a vapor phase nitrogen stream, wherein the apparatus does not include any refrigerant turbo-expanders, refrigerant expansion turbines, or refrigerant compressors.

Abstract: A method for converting excess liquid oxygen into liquid nitrogen, including introducing a gaseous nitrogen stream into a main heat exchanger, therein exchanging heat with a vaporized oxygen stream, a vapor phase nitrogen steam, and a waste liquid nitrogen stream; thereby producing a cold gaseous nitrogen stream, an oxygen vent stream, a nitrogen vent steam, and a gaseous nitrogen waste stream, introducing the cold gaseous nitrogen stream into a secondary heat exchanger, therein exchanging heat with a liquid oxygen stream; thereby producing the vaporized oxygen stream and a cold liquid nitrogen stream, introducing the cold liquid nitrogen stream into a nitrogen pressure reduction valve thereby producing a two-phase nitrogen stream, introducing the two-phase nitrogen stream into a nitrogen flash vessel thereby producing a liquid phase nitrogen stream and the vapor phase nitrogen stream, wherein the method is performed in the absence of refrigerant turbo-expanders, refrigerant expansion turbines, or refrigerant