A flow of liquid cryogen from a liquid cryogen storage tank is vaporized at a heat exchanger against a flow of air in order to vaporize the liquid cryogen for a point of use and provide a flow of chilled air for use in refrigeration of a space, room or structure. The tank, heat exchanger, point of use, and space, room or structure are all located at a same installation.

A flow of liquid cryogen from a liquid cryogen storage tank is vaporized at a heat exchanger against a flow of air in order to vaporize the liquid cryogen for a point of use and provide a flow of chilled air for use in refrigeration of a space, room or structure. The tank, heat exchanger, point of use, and space, room or structure are all located at a same installation.

An apparatus includes a Dewar having an endcap. The apparatus also includes a heat sink and a thermal interface material configured to thermally couple the endcap of the Dewar to the heat sink. The thermal interface material includes an amorphous pliable material that is configured to transfer thermal energy between the endcap of the Dewar and the heat sink without structurally coupling the Dewar to the heat sink. A thermal shoe may be positioned between the thermal interface material and the heat sink, and the thermal shoe may be configured to hold the thermal interface material against the endcap. The thermal shoe may have (i) a smaller cross-sectional size in a portion of the thermal shoe contacting the thermal interface material and (ii) a larger cross-sectional size in a portion of the thermal shoe contacting the heat sink.

Systems and methods for controlling the temperature and pressure of a cryogenic liquid methane storage unit are provided. The disclosed systems and methods generate methane gas from a reservoir of liquid methane stored within the methane storage unit, vent the methane gas through one or more outlet valves connected to the methane storage unit, and generate electric power using the vented methane gas. The generated electric power can then be used to initiating a cooling cycle, which reduces the temperature of said reservoir of liquid methane and reduces the pressure in said methane storage unit. Micro anaerobic digesters and methane storage units may be configured in a networked environment with a central controller that monitors remote units.

Draining a cryogenic storage vessel to remove a pump is timing consuming, expensive and can result in increased greenhouse gas emissions. A cryogenic storage vessel comprises an inner vessel defining a cryogen space and an outer vessel spaced apart from and surrounding the inner vessel, defining a thermally insulating space between the inner and outer vessels. A receptacle comprises an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve, and defines passages for delivery of liquefied gas from the cryogen space to outside the cryogenic storage vessel. The outer sleeve intersects opposite sides of the inner vessel, with the opposite ends of the outer sleeve defining an interior space in fluid communication with the thermally insulating space that is sealed from the cryogen space. The inner sleeve has an open end supported from the outer vessel, and extends into the interior space defined by the outer sleeve, and a closed end opposite the open end, defining a receptacle space that is fluidly isolated from the thermally insulating space. A fluid communication channel extends from the cryogen space to the receptacle space, and can be selectively closed to allow the pump to be removed.

A pump for pumping a cryogenic fluid includes an activation portion that includes at least one actuator. The activation portion contains oil that may be cooled by the cryogenic fluid. The pump further includes a pumping portion that includes at least one pumping element, the at least one pumping element being operated by the at least one actuator, and a heater associated with the activation portion and configured to, when the heater is active, transfer heat energy to the activation portion such that the oil contained in the activation portion is warmed.

An apparatus includes a Dewar having an endcap. The apparatus also includes a heat sink and a multiaxial thermal shoe having a thermal interface material and configured to thermally couple the endcap of the Dewar to the heat sink via one of at least two axial surfaces. The multiaxial thermal shoe is configured to transfer thermal energy between the endcap of the Dewar and the heat sink without structurally coupling the Dewar to the heat sink. The multiaxial thermal shoe may be configured to hold the thermal interface material against the endcap. The multiaxial thermal shoe may couple to the heat sink via a first axial surface in-line with an optical centerline or a second axial surface crosswise to the optical centerline.