Apparatus to convert excess liquid oxygen into liquid nitrogen

An apparatus for converting excess liquid oxygen into liquid nitrogen, comprising:

• a main heat exchanger configured to indirectly 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, a warm oxygen vent stream, a warm nitrogen vent steam, and a warm gaseous nitrogen waste stream,
• a secondary heat exchanger configured to indirectly 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 configured to reduce the pressure of the cold liquid nitrogen stream;
• thereby producing a two-phase nitrogen stream,
• a nitrogen flash vessel configured to receive the two-phase nitrogen stream, and to generate a liquid phase nitrogen stream and a vapor phase nitrogen stream, and
• a means for introducing the gaseous nitrogen stream into the main heat exchanger, a means for introducing the waste liquid nitrogen stream into the main heat exchanger, a means for introducing the liquid oxygen stream into the secondary heat exchanger, a means for conveying the cold gaseous nitrogen stream from the main heat exchanger to the secondary heat exchanger, a means for conveying the vaporized oxygen stream from to the secondary heat exchanger to the main heat exchanger, a means for conveying the cold liquid nitrogen stream from the secondary heat exchanger to the nitrogen pressure reduction valve, a means for conveying the two-phase nitrogen stream from the nitrogen pressure reduction valve to the nitrogen flash vessel, a means to convey the vapor phase nitrogen steam from the nitrogen flash vessel to the main heat exchanger, a means for removing the warm oxygen vent stream from the main heat exchanger, a means for removing the warm nitrogen vent steam from the main heat exchanger, a means for removing the warm gaseous nitrogen waste stream from the main heat exchanger, and a means for removing the liquid phase nitrogen stream from the nitrogen flash vessel,
• wherein the apparatus does not include any refrigerant turbo-expanders, refrigerant expansion turbines, or refrigerant compressors.