System and method for storing gases at low temperature using a cold recovery system

A system for liquefaction of natural gas, the system comprising:

• a compressor configured to receive a gas stream and produce a compressed gas stream;
• a heat exchanger configured to receive the compressed gas stream and produce a cooled gas stream;
• and
• an insulated cold recovery system configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the heat exchanger, the insulated cold recovery system comprising:
• a plurality of cold recovery vessels, each of the plurality of cold recovery vessels comprising a cold recovery material configured to cool the cooled gas stream, wherein the cooled gas stream is fed through the cold recovery vessel in a pipe immersed in the cold recovery material;
• a first expansion valve positioned and configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the plurality of cold recovery vessels;
• a final cold recovery vessel positioned and configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the first expansion valve and liquefy the cooled gas stream into a liquid state;
• a second expansion valve positioned and configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the final cold recovery vessel;
• and
• at least one storage tank configured to receive the liquefied gas and store the liquefied gas in the liquid state, wherein the liquefied gas stream vaporizes through the second expansion valve and passes through the pipe and cools the cold recovery material of each of the plurality of cold recovery vessels.

A system for liquefaction of gases, the system comprising:

• a compressor configured to receive a gas stream and produce a compressed gas stream;
• a heat exchanger configured to receive the compressed gas stream and produce a cooled gas stream;
• and
• an insulated cold recovery system configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the heat exchanger, the insulated cold recovery system comprising:
• a plurality of cold recovery vessels, each of the plurality of cold recovery vessels comprising a cold recovery material configured to cool the cooled gas stream, wherein the cooled gas stream is fed through the cold recovery vessel in a pipe immersed in the cold recovery material to produce a liquefied gas;
• at least one by-pass valve configured to route the cooled gas stream through or around a selected cold recovery vessel;
• at least one turbine configured to expand and cool the cooled gas stream during the vaporization of the gas stream, the at least one turbine positioned between the plurality of cold recovery vessels;
• an independent stationary liquefaction unit positioned between the plurality of cold recovery vessels and at least one storage tank, wherein the liquefaction unit is configured to liquefy the cooled gas stream into a liquefied gas stream;
• and
• at least one storage tank configured to receive the liquefied gas stream from the independent liquefaction unit and store the liquefied gas stream in a liquid state, and wherein the liquefied gas stream vaporizes through a pipe and cools the cold recovery material of the cold recovery vessel before expanding in the at least one turbine and cooling the cold recovery material of the plurality of cold recovery vessels.

A process for storing gases at low temperatures using a cold recovery system comprising:

• compressing a gas stream in a compressor to form a compressed gas;
• passing the compressed gas stream through a heat exchanger to form a cooled gas stream;
• cooling the cooled gas stream in an insulated cold recovery system, the insulated cold recovery system comprising:
• at least one cold recovery vessel configured to receive the cooled gas stream, the cold recovery vessel comprising a cold recovery material configured to liquefy the cooled gas stream, wherein the cooled gas stream is fed through the cold recovery vessel in a pipe immersed in the cold recovery material to produce a liquefied gas;
• at least one expansion valve, the at least one expansion valve configured to reduce a pressure of the cooled gas stream;
• and
• at least one storage tank configured to receive and store the liquefied gas;
• storing the liquefied gas in a liquid state in the at least one storage tank;
• and
• vaporizing the liquefied gas from the storage tank of the cold recovery system through the at least one cold recovery vessel, wherein the vaporization of the gas stream cools the cold recovery material.

An insulated cold recovery system used to recover the refrigeration existing when a gas is stored at low temperature comprising:

• at least one cold recovery vessel configured to receive a gas stream from a gas source, the cold recovery vessel comprising a cold recovery material configured to reduce the temperature of the gas stream, wherein the gas stream is fed through the cold recovery vessel in a pipe immersed in the cold recovery material to produce a liquefied or low temperature gas;
• an expansion valve configured to receive the gas stream and reduce a pressure of the gas stream to a storage pressure;
• and
• at least one storage tank configured to receive the liquefied or low temperature gas from the expansion valve and store the liquefied or low temperature gas in a liquid or low temperature state, wherein when the liquefied or low temperature gas is released from the insulated cold recovery system, the liquefied or low temperature gas vaporizes or expands through the pipe and cools the cold recovery material.

A system for liquefaction of natural gas, the system comprising:

• a compressor configured to receive a gas stream and produce a compressed gas stream;
• a heat exchanger configured to receive the compressed gas stream and produce a cooled gas stream;
• and
• an insulated cold recovery system configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the heat exchanger, the insulated cold recovery system comprising:
• a plurality of cold recovery vessels, each of the plurality of cold recovery vessels comprising a cold recovery material configured to cool the cooled gas stream, wherein the cooled gas stream is fed through the cold recovery vessel in a pipe immersed in the cold recovery material to produce a liquefied gas;
• at least one contamination removal apparatus configured to remove contaminants from the cooled gas stream, wherein the at least one contaminant removal apparatus is positioned between two of the plurality of cold recovery vessels;
• a first expansion valve positioned and configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the plurality of cold recovery vessels;
• a final cold recovery vessel positioned and configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the first expansion valve;
• a second expansion valve positioned and configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the final cold recovery vessel and liquefy the cooled gas stream into a liquid state;
• and
• at least one storage tank configured to receive the liquefied gas and store the gas in the liquid state, wherein the liquefied gas vaporizes through the second expansion valve and passes through the pipe and cools the cold recovery material of each of the plurality of cold recovery vessels.

A system for liquefaction of gases, the system comprising:

• a compressor configured to receive a gas stream and produce a compressed gas stream;
• a heat exchanger configured to receive the compressed gas stream and produce a cooled gas stream;
• and
• an insulated cold recovery system configured to receive the cooled gas stream from the heat exchanger, the insulated cold recovery system comprising:
• a plurality of cold recovery vessels, each of the plurality of cold recovery vessels comprising a cold recovery material configured to cool the cooled gas stream, wherein the cooled gas stream is fed through the cold recovery vessel in a pipe immersed in the cold recovery material to produce a liquefied gas;
• at least one by-pass valve configured to route the cooled gas stream through or around a selected cold recovery vessel;
• at least one turbine configured to expand and cool the cooled gas stream during the liquefaction of the gas stream, the at least one turbine positioned between the plurality of cold recovery vessels;
• an independent stationary liquefaction unit position between the plurality of cold recovery vessels and at least one storage tank, wherein the liquefaction unit is configured to liquefy the cooled gas stream into a liquefied gas stream;
• and at least one storage tank configured to receive the liquefied gas stream from the independent liquefaction unit and store the liquefied gas stream in a liquid state, and wherein the liquefied gas stream vaporizes through a pipe and cools the cold recovery material of the plurality of cold recovery vessels.