US 12,607,399 B2Granted

Liquid nitrogen energy storage system

AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.

InventorNeil M. Prosser

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Abstract

A liquid nitrogen energy storage (LNES) system that includes a liquid charging mode and a power generating mode is provided. The disclosed liquid nitrogen energy storage system comprises a nitrogen liquefier designed to cool or liquefy a first portion of the gaseous nitrogen and a cold recovery heat exchanger designed to cool or liquefy a second portion of the gaseous nitrogen during a liquid charging mode and to warm a liquid nitrogen energy stream during a power generating mode. The liquid nitrogen energy storage system also includes a cold store configured to provide refrigeration for liquefaction of the second portion of the gaseous nitrogen in the cold recovery heat exchanger during the liquid charging mode and to warm a portion of the liquid nitrogen taken as a liquid nitrogen energy stream in the cold recovery heat exchanger during the power generating mode.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method of producing power and a liquid nitrogen product with a liquid nitrogen energy storage system comprising the steps of:

(i) providing a gaseous nitrogen feed stream to the liquid nitrogen energy storage system;
(ii) liquefying a first portion of the gaseous feed nitrogen stream in a nitrogen liquefier configured to produce a liquid nitrogen;
(iii) directing the liquid nitrogen to one or more liquid nitrogen storage tanks;
(iv) cooling a second portion of the gaseous nitrogen feed stream in a cold recovery heat exchanger via indirect heat exchange with one or more cold store refrigerants to yield a cold nitrogen stream while operating the liquid nitrogen energy storage system in a liquid charging mode;
(v) directing a portion of the liquid nitrogen from the one or more liquid nitrogen storage tanks to the cold recovery heat exchanger as a liquid nitrogen energy stream;
(vi) warming the liquid nitrogen energy stream in the cold recovery heat exchanger via indirect heat exchange with the one or more cold store refrigerants to yield a nitrogen energy stream while operating the liquid nitrogen energy storage system in a power generating mode;
and
(vii) expanding the nitrogen energy stream in a nitrogen expander and converting the work from the expansion of the nitrogen energy stream into power;
(viii) optionally withdrawing a liquid nitrogen product stream;
and
(ix) wherein the liquid nitrogen energy storage system switches between operating in the liquid charging mode and operating in the power generating mode.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/307,452Filed 26 Apr 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 16 Jun 2022
Published: US 2023/0408188 A121 Dec 2023
Granted: 21 Apr 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification23 codes

F25J 1/0035
Using the feed stream itself or separated fractions from it, i.e. "internal refrigeration": by gas expansion with extraction of work
F25J 1/0015
Primary atmospheric gases, e.g. air: nitrogen
F25J 1/0037
By gas expansion with extraction of work: of a return stream
F25J 1/0042
Using the feed stream itself or separated fractions from it, i.e. "internal refrigeration": by liquid expansion with extraction of work