Method and system for avoiding freezing of at least one component of a cryogenic fluid inside a cryogenic heat exchanger
AssigneeCryostar SAS
InventorsGuillaume PAGES, Nicolas BRUNNER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method and to a system for avoiding freezing of at least one component of a cryogenic fluid inside a cryogenic heat exchanger by measuring a physical property allowing to indirectly determine the risk of freezing of the least one component of the cryogenic fluid inside the cryogenic heat exchanger.
Claims15
A method for avoiding freezing of at least one component of a cryogenic fluid stream inside a cryogenic heat exchanger indirectly exchanging heat with a first refrigerant stream circulating inside a closed refrigeration cycle and entering the cryogenic heat exchanger after expansion through at least one expansion means of the closed refrigeration loop to indirectly exchange heat with the cryogenic fluid, the cryogenic fluid stream being different from the first refrigerant stream, and comprising the steps of:
- withdrawing and vaporizing a partial stream of the cryogenic fluid stream which is to be fed into the cryogenic heat exchanger;
- measuring at least one physical property of a vaporized partial stream of the cryogenic fluid stream, the at least one physical property measured being an indirect indicator of the risk of freezing of the at least one component of the cryogenic fluid stream inside the cryogenic heat exchanger;
- Transmitting a measurement of the at least one physical property to computing means;
- determining by the computing means if there is a risk of freezing of the at least one component of the cryogenic fluid stream inside the cryogenic heat exchanger based on the transmitted measurement;
- if the risk of freezing is confirmed, increasing the temperature of the first refrigerant stream entering the heat exchanger to indirectly exchange heat with the cryogenic fluid stream.
A system comprising a cryogenic heat exchanger, a compressor and computing means for avoiding freezing of at least one component of a cryogenic fluid stream inside the cryogenic heat exchanger indirectly exchanging heat with a first refrigerant stream entering the cryogenic heat exchanger to indirectly exchange heat with the cryogenic fluid, comprising:
- a gas conditioning system for vaporizing a partial stream being withdrawn from the cryogenic fluid stream upstream of the heat exchanger
- a gas properties transmitter configured to measure at least one physical property of the cryogenic fluid, the at least one physical property being an indirect indicator of the risk of freezing of at least one component of the cryogenic fluid stream inside the cryogenic heat exchanger;
- means for transmitting a measurement of the at least one physical property measured by the gas properties transmitter to the computing means configured to determine the risk of freezing of the at least one component of the cryogenic fluid stream inside the cryogenic heat exchanger from the transmitted measurement of the at least one physical property of the cryogenic fluid steam;
- means for increasing the temperature of the first refrigerant stream entering the cryogenic heat exchanger to indirectly exchange heat with the cryogenic fluid stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.