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US 5,836,173 AGranted
System for producing cryogenic liquid
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorsNancy Jean Lynch, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Paul Arthur Henry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for liquefying low boiling point gases wherein a mixture of feed gas and recirculating refrigerant gas is compressed, a first portion turboexpanded, a second portion compressed to a supercritical pressure, and the supercritical fluid cooled against the turboexpanded fluid to produce cryogenic liquid.
Claims10
A method for producing cryogenic liquid comprising:
- (A) compressing refrigerant gas to a first pressure;
- (B) adding feed gas to the compressed refrigerant gas to produce a working gas mixture;
- (C) compressing the working gas mixture to a second pressure which exceeds the first pressure to produce elevated pressure working gas mixture;
- (D) turboexpanding a first portion of the elevated pressure working gas mixture to produce cold refrigerant gas;
- (E) further compressing a second portion of the elevated pressure working gas mixture to a supercritical pressure to produce supercritical fluid;
- and
- (F) cooling the supercritical fluid by indirect heat exchange with the cold refrigerant gas and producing cryogenic liquid.
4 more elements
A method for producing cryogenic liquid comprising:
- (A) adding feed gas to refrigerant gas to produce a working gas mixture;
- (B) compressing the working gas mixture to a first pressure;
- (C) compressing the working gas mixture to a second pressure which exceeds the first pressure to produce elevated pressure working gas mixture;
- (D) turboexpanding a first portion of the elevated pressure working gas mixture to produce cold refrigerant gas;
- (E) further compressing a second portion of the elevated pressure working gas mixture to a supercritical pressure to produce supercritical fluid;
- and
- (F) cooling the supercritical fluid by indirect heat exchange with the cold refrigerant gas and producing cryogenic liquid.
4 more elements
Apparatus for producing cryogenic liquid comprising:
- (A) a recycle compressor, a booster compressor and means for passing refrigerant gas from the recycle compressor to the booster compressor;
- (B) means for passing feed gas to the booster compressor;
- (C) a turboexpander and means for passing fluid from the booster compressor to the turboexpander;
- (D) a positive displacement compressor and means for passing fluid from the booster compressor to the positive displacement compressor;
- (E) a heat exchanger, means for passing fluid from the turboexpander to the heat exchanger, and means for passing fluid from the positive displacement compressor to the heat exchanger;
- and
- (F) means for recovering product cryogenic liquid from fluid withdrawn from the heat exchanger.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.