A plant for energy storage, comprises: a basin (2) for a work fluid having a critical temperature (T.sub.c) lower than 0?; a tank (3) configured to store the work fluid in at least partly liquid or super-critical phase with a storage temperature (T.sub.s) close to the critical temperature (T.sub.c); an expander (4); a compressor (5); an operating/drive machine (6) operatively connected to the expander (4) and to the compressor (5); a thermal store (8) operatively interposed between the compressor (5) and the tank (3) and between the tank (3) and the expander (4). The plant (1) is configured for actuating a Cyclic Thermodynamic Transformation (TTC) with the work fluid, first in a storage configuration and then in a discharge configuration. The thermal store (8), in the storage configuration, is configured for absorbing sensible heat and subsequently latent heat from the work fluid and, in the discharge configuration, it is configured for transferring latent heat and subsequently sensible heat to the work fluid.

A system and method for processing natural gas to produce liquefied natural gas is disclosed. The natural gas is cooled in one or more heat exchangers using a first refrigerant from a first refrigerant circuit in which the first refrigerant is compressed in a first compressor driven by a first gas turbine having a first inlet air stream. The natural gas is liquefied using a second refrigerant, the second refrigerant being compressed in a second compressor driven by a second gas turbine having a second inlet air stream. At least one of the inlet air streams is chilled from about the respective dry bulb temperature to a temperature below the respective wet bulb temperature. Water contained in at least one of the chilled first and second air streams is condensed and separated therefrom. At least a portion of the first refrigerant is condensed or sub-cooled using the separated water.

A method and apparatus for cooling and liquefying a hydrocarbon stream using a liquefaction process wherein a hydrocarbon stream is cooled and at least partially liquefied to obtain a liquefied hydrocarbon stream. In the method, one or more compressors are driven with one or more electric drivers, that are powered with one or more dual-fuel diesel-electric generators. These dual-fuel diesel-electric generations are operated by passing one or more hydrocarbon fuel streams to the one or more dual-fuel diesel-electric generators, wherein at least one of the one or more hydrocarbon fuel streams comprises a stream that is generated in the liquefaction process. The apparatus may be provided on a floating structure, a caisson, or off-shore platform.

An apparatus for separation of air by cryogenic distillation comprising: a system of columns; a first turbine; a warm compressor coupled to the first turbine; a second turbine; a cold compressor coupled to the second turbine; a heat exchanger; means for sending air cooled in the heat exchanger at an intermediate temperature of the heat exchanger to the cold compressor; means for sending expanded air from the second turbine to the system of columns; means for sending air compressed in the cold compressor to an intermediate point of the heat exchanger and then at least in part to the system of columns via a first valve; means for sending air compressed in the cold compressor to the inlet of the first turbine via a second valve without passing through the heat exchanger, wherein the means for sending air compressed in the cold compressor to the inlet of the first turbine via the second valve without passing through the heat exchanger is also connected to the inlet of the first turbine; means for sending a fraction of air cooled in the heat exchanger to an intermediate temperature of the latter to the first turbine; means for sending expanded air from the first turbine to the system of columns; and a bypass line provided with an expansion valve configured to send air from the cold compressor to the system of columns without passing through the heat exchanger.

A gas turbine plant includes a gas turbine, a liquefaction facility capable of liquefying air, and a liquefaction controller. A compressor has an intake amount adjuster capable of adjusting an intake amount into a compressor casing. The liquefaction facility includes: a bleed line capable of bleeding compressed air from the compressor; a liquefaction system capable of liquefying the compressed air, a bleed amount adjustment valve; a return air line capable of guiding return air into a flow passage through which compressed air flows in the gas turbine; and a return amount adjusting valve. The liquefaction controller opens the bleed amount adjustment valve if an opening degree of the intake amount adjuster is a first opening degree, and opens the return amount adjusting valve if the opening degree of the intake amount adjuster is a second opening degree, which is an opening degree greater than the first opening degree.

An intelligent controls system for remotely monitoring and controlling a chemical process is disclosed. The system comprises a piece of remote field equipment for performing the chemical process, a user device, a server, and program codes to perform the steps of establishing an equipment-server and a client-server connection, receiving a set of chemical process input parameters and a set of desired chemical process output parameters, controlling a set of chemical process control parameters to achieve the desired chemical process output parameters, and providing an interface to allow an operator to manually control and/or manually override the set of chemical process control parameters. The controls system allows any piece of remote field equipment for performing complex chemical processing to be monitored, controlled, and operated remotely. A large array of distributed field equipment situated around the world can all be controlled primarily through a single interface provided in a central control center.

A method of producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) is disclosed. A natural gas stream is provided from a supply of natural gas. The natural gas stream is compressed in at least two serially arranged compressors to a pressure of at least 2,000 psia to form a compressed natural gas stream. The compressed natural gas stream is cooled to form a cooled compressed natural gas stream. The cooled compressed natural gas stream is expanded in at least one work producing natural gas expander to a pressure that is less than 3,000 psia and no greater than the pressure to which the at least two serially arranged compressors compress the natural gas stream, to thereby form a chilled natural gas stream. The chilled natural gas stream is liquefied.

By using the power generated by an expander by an expansion of material gas, the outlet pressure of a compressor is increased, and a requirement on the cooling capacity of a cooler is reduced. The liquefaction system (1) for natural gas comprises a first expander (3) for generating power by using natural gas under pressure as material gas; a first cooling unit (11, 12) for cooling the material gas depressurized by expansion in the first expander; a distillation unit (15) for reducing or eliminating a heavy component in the material gas by distilling the material gas cooled by the first cooling unit; a first compressor (4) for compressing the material gas from which the heavy component was reduced or eliminated by the distillation unit by using power generated in the first expander; and a liquefaction unit (21) for liquefying the material gas compressed by the first compressor by exchanging heat with a refrigerant.

A method for separating air by cryogenic distillation wherein, during a first run, a first flow rate of air is compressed in at least one compressor, cooled and separated in a system of columns, a first flow rate of a first distillation product is produced, voltage electricity requirements of the compressor or compressors of the method are met from an electricity grid, during a second run, a second flow rate of air lower than the first flow rate of air is compressed in the compressor, the second flow rate is cooled and separated in the system of columns, a second flow rate of a first distillation product is produced, lower than the first flow rate of the first product, voltage electricity requirements of the compressor being lower than during the first run and, during an intermediate run taking place after the first run and before the second run.

Underwater gas pressurization units and liquefaction systems, as well as pressurization and liquefaction methods are provided. Gas is compressed hydraulically by a rising pressurization liquid that is separated from the gas by a water immiscible liquid layer on top of an aqueous salt solution. Tall vessels are used to reach a high compression ratio that lowers the liquefaction temperature. The pressurizing liquid is delivered gravitationally, after gasification, transport to smaller water depths and condensation. Cooling units are used to liquefy the compressed gas. A cascade of compression and cooling units may be used with sequentially higher liquefaction temperatures, which allow eventual cooling by sea water. The pressurizing liquid, dimensions of the vessels, the delivery unit, the coolants and the implementation of the cooling units are selected according to the sea location, to enable natural gas liquefaction in proximity to the gas source.