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.

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 includes compressing an air flow to a first pressure, transferring heat from the air flow to a liquefaction fluid via an intercooler heat exchanger, compressing the air flow to a second pressure greater than the first pressure, combusting the air flow and a fuel to generate a combustion product flow, and driving a turbine with the combustion product flow. The turbine is configured to drive machinery of a liquefaction system. The liquefaction fluid includes at least one of a pre-cooling fluid, a refrigerant, and a liquefied product of the liquefaction system.

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.

The present invention relates to a cryogenic air separation process that provides high pressure oxygen for an oxy-fired combustion of a fuel (e.g., a carbonaceous fuel). The air separation process can be directly integrated into a closed cycle power production process utilizing a working fluid, such as CO.sub.2. Beneficially, the air separation process can eliminate the need for inter-cooling between air compression stages and rather provide for recycling the adiabatic heat of compression into a process step in a further methods wherein an additional heat supply is beneficial.

A system for an aircraft includes an engine bleed source of a gas turbine engine. The system also includes a means for chilling an engine bleed air flow from the engine bleed source to produce a chilled working fluid. The system further includes a means for providing the chilled working fluid for an aircraft use.

A seal system for sealing a first component with a second component is provided. The seal system includes layers of abutting planar seal segments. A first seal element is in a slot in the first component to slidably seal against a surface of the layers, and a second seal element is on a surface of the second component and engages with the second end of certain layer(s). Members extend from seal segments of one of the layers and a tension cable engages the members. A tensioner is coupled to end(s) of the tension cable to apply a tension force on the tension cable to force the seal segments to slidably seal the second seal element with the surface of the second component. The abutting planar seal segments can move freely perpendicular and parallel to the second component and can thermally contract/expand as necessary.

A ground-based cryogenic cooling system includes a means for cooling an airflow and producing chilled air responsive to a power supply. A liquid air condensate pump system is operable to condense the chilled air into liquid air and urge the liquid air through a feeder line. A cryogenic cartridge includes a coupling interface configured to detachably establish fluid communication with the feeder line and a cryogenic liquid reservoir configured to store the liquid air under pressure. The cryogenic cartridge can be coupled to a cryogenic liquid distribution system on an aircraft. The liquid air can be selectively released from the cryogenic cartridge through the cryogenic liquid distribution system for an aircraft use.

A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section and a turbine section operably coupled to the compressor section. The gas turbine engine further includes a means for selectively releasing a cooling fluid flow produced at a cryogenic temperature and a plumbing system in fluid communication with the means for selectively releasing the cooling fluid flow. The plumbing system is configured to route the cooling fluid flow to one or more of the compressor section and the turbine section.

An engine-driven cryogenic cooling system for an aircraft includes a first air cycle machine, a second air cycle machine, and a means for condensing a chilled air stream into liquid air for an aircraft use. The first air cycle machine includes a plurality of components operably coupled to a gearbox of a gas turbine engine and configured to produce a cooling air stream based on a first engine bleed source of the gas turbine engine. The second air cycle machine is operable to output the chilled air stream at a cryogenic temperature based on a second engine bleed source cooled by the cooling air stream of the first air cycle machine.