A liquid air energy storage system comprises an air liquefier, a liquid air storage facility for storing the liquefied air, and a power recovery unit coupled to the liquid air storage facility. The air liquefier comprises an air input, an adsorption air purification unit for purifying the input air, and a cold box for liquefying the purified air. The power recovery unit comprise a pump for pressurizing the liquefied air from the liquid air storage facility; an evaporator for transforming the high-pressure liquefied air into high-pressure gaseous air; an expansion turbine capable of being driven by the high-pressure gaseous air; a generator for generating electricity from the expansion turbine; and an exhaust for exhausting low-pressure gaseous air from the expansion turbine. The exhaust is coupled to the adsorption air purification unit such that at least a portion of the low-pressure gaseous air exhausted from the expansion turbine is usable to regenerate the adsorption air purification unit.

A method and device for generating electrical energy in a combined system of power plant, cold storage system and air compression system. The air compression system has a primary air compressor for generating a primary compressed air flow at a first pressure level. The power plant has a combustion unit which operates at a second pressure level and generates a combustion gas from which electrical energy is generated. The cold storage system has means for generating cold from compressed air, means for storing cold thus produced and means for generating a compressed air flow at the second pressure level using the stored cold. In a first operating mode (charging mode), a first compressed air flow is introduced from the air compression system into the cold storage system to charge the cold reservoir. In a second operating mode (discharging mode), the first compressed air flow generated in the primary air compressor, is introduced into the cold storage system to discharge the cold reservoir and to generate a third compressed air flow at the second pressure level, which is introduced into the combustion unit. The air compression system has a first booster for boosting compressed air compressed in the primary air compressor to the second pressure level. In a third operating mode (normal mode), the entire primary compressed air flow generated in the primary air compressor is boosted in the first booster to the second compressed air level and introduced into the combustion unit.

The invention relates to a method for storing and recovering energy, wherein an air liquefaction product (LAIR) is formed during an energy storage period, and a fluid pressure flow (12) is formed during an energy recovery period using at least one part of the air liquefaction product (LAIR) and is expanded for operation in at least one energy recovery device (14, 17). The air liquefaction product (LAIR) is obtained as a liquid medium during the energy storage period by compressing air in an air conditioning device (3), said compression being operated while supplying energy, in particular while supplying a current (9), optionally stored in a cold state, and fed to an evaporator unit (7). The air liquefaction product (LAIR) is expanded for operation as a fluid pressure flow (12) in the at least one energy recovery device (14, 17) during the energy recovery period after a pressure increase. The aim of the invention is to provide a solution with which even existing gas and steam power plants or open gas turbines are to be equipped with an energy storage capability. This is achieved in that the fluid pressure flow (12), in particular an air flow, is expanded in a first energy recovery device (14) and conducted through a recuperator device (13), in particular a heat boiler, upstream of said first energy recovery device (14), and thermal energy which has been decoupled from a flue gas flow (23) fed to the recuperator device (13) is coupled into the fluid pressure flow (12) in said heating tank. The flue gas flow (23) is fed to the recuperator device (13) from a fuel-fired second energy recovery device (17), in particular a gas turbine.

A system and method for cooling and liquefying a gas in a heat exchanger that includes compressing and cooling a mixed refrigerant using first and last compression and cooling cycles so that high pressure liquid and vapor streams are formed. The high pressure liquid and vapor streams are cooled in the heat exchanger and then expanded so that a primary refrigeration stream is provided in the heat exchanger. The mixed refrigerant is cooled and equilibrated between the first and last compression and cooling cycles so that a pre-cool liquid stream is formed and subcooled in the heat exchanger. The stream is then expanded and passed through the heat exchanger as a pre-cool refrigeration stream. A stream of gas is passed through the heat exchanger in countercurrent heat exchange with the primary refrigeration stream and the pre-cool refrigeration stream so that the gas is cooled. A resulting vapor stream from the primary refrigeration stream passage and a two-phase stream from the pre-cool refrigeration stream passage exit the warm end of the exchanger and are combined and undergo a simultaneous heat and mass transfer operation prior to the first compression and cooling cycle so that a reduced temperature vapor stream is provided to the first stage compressor so as to lower power consumption by the system. Additionally, the warm end of the cooling curve is nearly closed further reducing power consumption. Heavy components of the refrigerant are also kept out of the cold end of the process, reducing the possibility of refrigerant freezing, as well as facilitating a refrigerant management scheme.

The disclosure pertains to a plant for the production of ammonia. The ammonia is produced from hydrogen obtained by electrolysis of water. The electrolysis is powered by a renewable source of energy, complemented with power obtained from the plant during periods of low or no availability of the renewable energy. To this end, the plant is configured such that it can be operated in a charge configuration (obtaining and storing power) and a discharge configuration (employing said power).

The invention relates to the field of power engineering. The technical result consists in a reduction in the amount of energy expended on compressing and liquefying gas, and a simplification of the design of the apparatus. A gaseous medium to be compressed in a pressure exchanger by the action thereon of a gaseous compression medium having a higher pressure and temperature. A portion of the compression medium is pre-compressed to the necessary pressure in a compressor, or, after cooling and condensation, is pressurized by a pump, after which it is heated and evaporated, or gasified, and used as a compression medium. In the case that a compressor is used, the portion of compression medium is drawn off from the high-pressure gaseous medium compressed in the pressure exchanger and is fed by circulating fan or a compressor to a heater and used as a compression medium in the pressure exchanger.

A liquefier device which may be a retrofit to an air separation plant or utilized as part of a new design. The flow needed for the liquefier comes from an air separation plant running in a maxim oxygen state, in a stable mode. The three gas flows are low pressure oxygen, low pressure nitrogen, and higher pressure nitrogen. All of the flows are found on the side of the main heat exchanger with a temperature of about 37 degrees Fahrenheit. All of the gases put into the liquefier come out as a subcooled liquid, for storage or return to the air separation plant. This new liquefier does not include a front end electrical compressor, and will take a self-produced liquid nitrogen, pump it up to a runnable 420 PSIG pressure, and with the use of turbines, condensers, flash pots, and multi pass heat exchangers. The liquefier will make liquid from a planned amount of any pure gas oxygen or nitrogen an air separation plant can produce.