An apparatus and method of separation of LOX and other commercially valuable components, such as LAr from liquefied air, which consists primarily of LN2. Strong magnetic field gradient and gravity are used to separate LOX from liquefied air, based upon the different magnetic properties of LOX and LN2. The apparatus and method employ a magnetic field gradient to levitate the LN2 and LAr diamagnetic components of liquid air while accelerating the paramagnetic LOX component toward the bottom to achieve oxygen separation. In other embodiments, a leak valve system can be used.

In this patent we disclose, for the first time, detailed methods of our newly invented state-of-the-art cryogenic technology for the cost effective energy efficient capture of each known component of entire emissions (nearly 100%) such as carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), sulfur oxides (SO.sub.x), nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x), carbon monoxide(CO), any other acid vapor, mercury, steam and unreacted nitrogen from industrial plants (coal and natural gas fired power plants, cement plants etc.), in a liquefied or frozen/solidified form, such that each of the components is captured separately and is industrially useful. This new technology includes a novel NH.sub.3 power plant to generate auxiliary electrical power from the heat energy of the flue gas to further improve the energy efficiency and cost effectiveness of the capture processes. It is the most cost effective of all existing emission capture technologies. It does not require use of any chemicals/reagents/external cryogens, unlike the current technologies. It uses only a fixed amount of water needed for the cooling process which can be used repeatedly. We present detailed methods of operations, together with scientific and economic analysis of the energy needed and cost involved for the said capture in two specific examples, and advantages of the new technology over the existing ones.

The device (100) for cooling a flow (101) of a target fluid predominantly comprising dihydrogen, comprises: a first heat exchanger (105) configured to cool an intermediate refrigerant fluid (110) by heat exchange with an expanded dioxygen flow (115), an intermediate closed circuit (120) for transporting the intermediate refrigerant fluid from the first heat exchanger to a second heat exchanger (125), a means (130) for compressing the intermediate refrigerant fluid along the intermediate closed circuit, the intermediate refrigerant fluid, configured to remain in the liquid or supercritical state at least upon passing through the compression means and the second heat exchanger configured to cool the target fluid flow by heat exchange with the intermediate refrigerant fluid cooled in the first heat exchanger.

A method for producing ammonia by catalytically reacting hydrogen provided in a first feed stream and nitrogen provided in a second feed stream is proposed, the hydrogen in the first feed stream being at least in part formed by water electrolysis and the nitrogen in the second feed stream being at least in part formed by cryogenic air separation, wherein said cryogenic air separation is performed using an air separation unit comprising a rectification column system, a recycle stream being formed in the air separation unit from a gas stream at least predominantly comprising nitrogen which is withdrawn from the rectification column system, the recycle stream being, in the order indicated, compressed, cooled, expanded and reintroduced into the rectification column system, and wherein waste heat from said catalytically reacting hydrogen and nitrogen is transferred to a steam system providing steam.

A process and apparatus for utilization of an absorption chiller for hydrogen production can include an arrangement configured for providing at least one heated waste stream of fluid from at least one hydrogen production unit to an absorption chiller generator to power the absorption chiller. Coolant can be generated via the heated waste stream for feeding coolant from the generator to an evaporator for cooling a chilling medium to a pre-selected chilling temperature to provide cooling to one or more process elements. The warmed chilling medium can be returned to the absorption chiller evaporator for subsequent cooling back to the pre-selected chilling temperature to provide a closed-circuit cooling arrangement. The waste fluid fed to the generator can be output as a cooled waste fluid for returning to hydrogen production for further use or be output for treatment and/or disposal.

A process for liquefying a hydrogen process gas comprising: introducing a hydrogen heat transfer fluid into an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that comprises (i) a high magnetic field section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid flows from a cold side to a hot side through at least one magnetized bed of at least one magnetic refrigerant, (ii) a first no heat transfer fluid flow section in which the bed is demagnetized, (iii) a low magnetic field or demagnetized section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid flows from a hot side to a cold side through the demagnetized bed, and (iv) a second no heat transfer fluid flow section in which the bed is magnetized; continuously introducing the hydrogen heat transfer fluid from the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section into the cold side of the high magnetic field section; continuously diverting a portion of the hydrogen heat transfer fluid flowing from the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section into an expander; and isenthalpically expanding the diverted portion of the hydrogen heat transfer fluid to produce liquefied hydrogen.

The present disclosure relates to a hydrogen liquefaction system, comprising a hydrogen pipe, where gaseous hydrogen is introduced at a front end, heat exchange occurs in a heat exchange unit leading to liquefaction of gaseous hydrogen into liquid hydrogen; a pre-cooling device formed between the front end of the hydrogen pipe and the first heat exchange unit; an oxygen pipe, where gaseous oxygen is introduced at a front end, heat exchange occurs in the pre-cooling device leading to liquefaction of gaseous oxygen into liquid oxygen; and a heat exchange device, which is in thermal contact with the first heat exchange unit of the hydrogen pipe so as to perform heat exchange with the first heat exchange unit of the hydrogen pipe such that pre-cooled gaseous hydrogen can be liquefied into liquid hydrogen.

An ultra-high-purity oxygen production method and apparatus are provide, in which the method can include a step in which feed oxygen comprising low-boiling-point components as impurities is introduced from a warm end of a main heat exchanger and cooled, then introduced into an oxygen rectification column, and product ultra-high-purity oxygen from which the low-boiling-point components have been removed is drawn as a gas or a liquid from a lower portion of the oxygen rectification column.

A hydrogen feed stream comprising one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water, is purified using a cryogenic temperature swing adsorption (CTSA) process with high overall recovery of hydrogen. The waste gas from regenerating the CTSA may be used to improve the performance of upstream hydrogen processing steps.

An apparatus and process for liquid oxygen production can be configured to avoid use of a feed compressor and a recycle compressor. Embodiments can be configured for open loop operation so that a relatively low yield liquid oxygen recovery can be obtained from a feed output from an electrolyzer that is comprised mostly of oxygen (e.g. at least 80 volume percent oxygen, between 80 vol % and 100 vol % oxygen, etc.). The relatively low yield liquid oxygen recovery can be surprisingly provided to permit an advantageous recovery of oxygen to limit waste oxygen that may ultimately be vented while also minimizing equipment and power requirements for the liquid oxygen recovery.