US 2025/0060155 A1 · Apparatus and Process for Pre-Liquefaction Fluid Processing for Improved Liquefaction Operations

Abstract

An apparatus and process for pre-liquefaction processing of a fluid (e.g. hydrogen) can permit a reduction in capital costs and also an improvement in operational efficiency in flexibility. Embodiments can be configured to account for large variations in feed to be provided for liquefaction and also permit capital cost reductions associated with pre-liquefaction processing so the overall capital cost for liquefaction can be greatly reduced while also providing improved operational flexibility. For instance, embodiments can be configured to utilize one or more common pre-liquefaction processing elements to treat a fluid for pre-cooling of a fluid to a pre-selected liquefaction feed temperature.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for liquefaction of hydrogen, comprising:

a pre-liquefaction processing system positioned to receive at least one flow of feed comprising hydrogen gas to cool the at least one flow of feed to form at least one pre-cooled flow of feed at a temperature within a pre-selected liquefaction feed temperature range for feeding the at least one pre-cooled flow of feed to a plurality of liquefiers of a train of liquefiers;
the pre-liquefaction processing system including a cooling medium unit (CMU) positioned upstream of at least one heat exchanger to feed a cooling medium to the at least one heat exchanger for cooling of the at least one flow of feed to form the at least one pre-cooled flow of feed, the at least one heat exchanger positioned between the liquefiers and a source of the feed to receive the at least one flow of feed for cooling the at least one flow of feed via the cooling medium.

A process for pre-cooling at least one flow of feed comprising hydrogen gas for providing pre-cooled hydrogen gas for liquefaction of the hydrogen gas, the process comprising:

supplying a cooling medium from a common cooling medium unit (CMU) to at least one pre-liquefaction cooling device for cooling a feed comprising hydrogen gas via the at least one pre-liquefaction cooling device;
and
cooling the hydrogen gas via the at least one pre-liquefaction cooling device with the cooling medium supplied by the CMU to provide a pre-cooled feed comprising hydrogen gas at a pre-selected liquefier feed temperature.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and Process for Pre-Liquefaction Fluid Processing for Improved Liquefaction Operations

Life of this patent

Apparatus and Process for Pre-Liquefaction Fluid Processing for Improved Liquefaction Operations

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20