A thermal interface between a removable cryogenic refrigerator (4) and an article (10) to be cooled by the cryogenic refrigerator. The thermal interface consists of a recondensing chamber filled with a gas (12), the recondensing chamber being in thermal contact with a cooling surface (9) of the refrigerator and the article (10) to be cooled.

A new procedure for constructing cryogenic storage tanks involves erecting a freestanding metal liner. The liner is sized and configured to withstand the hydraulic forces the concrete wall of the tank being poured without the need for temporary stiffeners on the inside surface of lower portions of the liner. Lateral tension ties can be connected to anchor ties on an outward surface of the liner and used to tie the liner to outer formwork. These ties may be spaced up to about 2 m apart. Studs can also be provided on the outer surface of the liner, and a cylindrical ring of cryogenic steel can be integrated into the liner.

The present disclosure provides a system for managing a pressure in an underground cryogenic liquid storage tank and a method for the same. The system includes: a storage tank, which is used for containing cryogenic liquid and is buried underground; an internal pump, which is located below a liquid level of the cryogenic liquid; an evaporator, provided with an upstream end which is in communication with a discharge end of the internal pump and a downstream end which is in communication with a head space via a vapor delivery line; a control valve, which is disposed on the vapor delivery line downstream of the evaporator; and a flow limiter, which is disposed on the vapor delivery line upstream of or downstream of the control valve. The present disclosure can realize efficient pressurization to the storage tank so as to prevent collapsing of the storage tank.

A method of operating a hydrostatically compensated compressed air energy storage system in a first charging mode including conveying the compressed air at a nearly constant first operating pressure which displaces a corresponding volume of compensation liquid from the layer of compensation liquid out of the accumulator, and a second charging mode including conveying additional compressed air into the accumulator while compensation liquid is not displaced from within the accumulator so that the pressure of the layer of compressed air increases to a second operating pressure that is greater than the first operating pressure.

A system and method of operation is described wherein a cryogenic liquid transport fluid is used as in a thermal cascade with at least one volatile gas. The volatile gas in the liquid state enables transport thereof. In operating this system, the liquid volatile gas is maintained at a temperature below its boiling point, below its flash point, but above its freezing point.

The present disclosure provides a pressure vessel 10 (sometimes known as a composite overwrapped pressure vessel or “COPV”) comprising carbon fiber 20 (such as carbon fiber 20 filaments) wrapped around a tank liner 30.

A sealed and thermally insulating tank incorporated in a supporting structure (2), the tank including at least one inclined tank wall (1) forming an angle with a horizontal direction and fixed to a supporting wall of the supporting structure (2) is disclosed. The tank wall (1) has a multilayer structure including successively, in the direction of thickness from the outside to the inside of the tank, a thermally insulating barrier (3) held against the corresponding supporting wall and a sealed membrane (4) carried by the thermally insulating barrier (3). The tank includes sealed strips (15) in the space formed between the thermally insulating barrier (3) and the supporting wall.

A pressure vessel and a method of manufacturing the pressure vessel is provided that reduces leaks in type IV pressure vessels having a liner with a corrugated section. The method includes providing a liner having a tubular portion having a corrugated section with circumferential corrugations providing alternating ridges and grooves arranged from one end to an opposing end of the corrugated section, applying a barrier to an outer surface of the corrugated section from one end to an opposing end of the corrugated section such that air voids are formed in annular cavities between the liner and the barrier; and applying resin to an outer surface of the barrier. The barrier prevents intrusion of the resin between the barrier and the liner in the corrugated section.

A method and system for forming a compressed gas and dispensing it to a compressed gas receiver. The compressed gas is formed from a process fluid provided at a cryogenic temperature. The forming includes pressurizing the process fluid, feeding the pressurized process fluid at still a cryogenic temperature to a heat exchanger and heating it in indirect heat exchange with a thermal fluid which is provided in a reservoir at a thermal fluid temperature above the cryogenic temperature of the pressurized process fluid. Once heated to a suitable temperature the compressed gas may be dispensed to the compressed gas receiver or stored in one or more compressed gas storage vessels for later use.

A method for conditioning a liquid cryogen in a tank includes reducing a pressure of the liquid cryogen in the tank for reducing a temperature of the liquid cryogen and condensing any vapor boil-off in the tank for reclaiming the liquid cryogen in the tank. The liquid cryogen may be selected from the group consisting of liquid nitrogen (LIN), liquid oxygen (LOX), and liquid argon (LAR).