Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a facility for refrigerating hydrogen to cryogenic temperatures, and in particular for liquefying hydrogen, comprising a circuit for hydrogen to be refrigerated comprising an upstream end to be connected to a hydrogen source, and a downstream end connected to a refrigerated hydrogen collection member, the refrigeration facility comprising a set of one or more heat exchangers in thermal exchange with the circuit of hydrogen to be refrigerated, the facility comprising a device for refrigerating by heat exchange with the set of one or more heat exchangers, the refrigerating device comprising a refrigerator with a refrigeration cycle of a cycle gas such as hydrogen, at least one portion of the hydrogen circuit, of the set of one or more exchangers and of the refrigerating device being housed in a vacuum-insulated cold box, the facility comprising in the cold box, at least one ejector the suction inlet of which is connected to the gas phase of a fluid capacity and the motor fluid intake inlet of which is connected to at least one among: the pressurized cycle gas of the refrigerator, the hydrogen of the hydrogen circuit refrigerated in the set of one or more heat exchangers.

A cold energy recovery facility includes a liquid hydrogen tank configured to store liquid hydrogen a first circuit configured to circulate a first working medium, a second circuit configured to circulate a second working medium having a freezing point higher than the first working medium, a first turboexpander provided in the first circuit, the first turboexpander being configured to be driven by the first working medium in a gas state, a second turboexpander provided in the second circuit, the second turboexpander being configured to be driven by the second working medium in a gas state, a first heat exchanger configured to vaporize the liquid hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen tank by heat exchange with the first working medium, a second heat exchanger configured to vaporize the first working medium in a liquid state by heat exchange with the second working medium, and a third heat exchanger configured to vaporize the second working medium in a liquid state by heat exchange with a heat medium, wherein the first circuit and the first turboexpander form a part of a first thermodynamic cycle that uses the liquid hydrogen as a low-temperature heat source in the first heat exchanger, and the second circuit and the second turboexpander form a part of a second thermodynamic cycle that uses the first working medium as a low-temperature heat source in the second heat exchanger.

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a facility for refrigerating a fluid to a cryogenic temperature, comprising a circuit for the fluid to be refrigerated, comprising an upstream end connected to a source and a downstream end connected to a refrigerated and/or liquefied fluid collection member, the facility comprising at least one exchanger for precooling the fluid leaving the upstream end, the precooling exchanger exchanging heat with a precooling circuit composed of a flow of vaporization gas from a user, the facility further comprising a heat exchanger assembly for cooling by heat exchange with the circuit of fluid to be cooled downstream of the precooling exchanger, the facility comprising a device for cooling by heat exchange with at least a part of the cooling heat exchanger assembly, said cooling device comprising a first refrigerator with a refrigeration cycle of a cycle gas in a working circuit, the cycle gas preferably comprising hydrogen and/or helium, the working circuit of the first refrigerator comprising a member for compressing the cycle gas, a member for cooling the cycle gas, a member for expanding the cycle gas and a member for heating the cycle gas, the precooling exchanger being composed of at least one of the following materials: stainless steel or grades of stainless steel, Inconel, nickel, titanium or plastic material compatible with use at cryogenic temperatures.

A process that includes pre-cooling a H.sub.2 gas feedstock with a compressed liquid natural gas via a heat exchanger, introducing the pre-cooled H.sub.2 gas feedstock into an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H.sub.2 liquefier module, and delivering liquid H.sub.2 from the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator H.sub.2 liquefier module to a liquid H.sub.2 vehicle dispenser.

A system including: an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that includes a high magnetic field section in which a hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a cold side to a hot side through at least one magnetized bed of at least one magnetic refrigerant, and a low magnetic field or demagnetized section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a hot side to a cold side through the demagnetized bed; a first conduit fluidly coupled between the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section and the cold side of the high magnetic field section; and a second conduit fluid coupled to the first conduit, an expander and at least one liquefied hydrogen storage module.

The invention relates to a method for storing and distributing liquefied hydrogen using a facility that comprises a store of liquid hydrogen at a predetermined storage pressure, a source of hydrogen gas, a liquefier comprising an inlet connected to the source and an outlet connected to the liquid hydrogen store, the store comprising a pipe for drawing liquid, comprising one end connected to the liquid hydrogen store and one end intended for being connected to at least one mobile tank, the method comprising a step of liquefying hydrogen gas supplied by the source and a step of transferring the liquefied hydrogen into the store, characterized in that the hydrogen liquefied by the liquefier and transferred into the store has a temperature lower than the bubble temperature of hydrogen at the storage pressure.

A process for liquefying hydrogen gas including the following is disclosed: cooling the hydrogen gas to an intermediate temperature by heat exchange with a refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration loop provided with a higher temperature expander and a lower temperature expander, wherein the outlet stream from the lower temperature expander contains some condensed refrigerant; a means is provided of separating the condensate from the circulating refrigerant; and further cooling of the hydrogen gas by heat exchange with evaporation and reheating of the said condensate.

The fluid in the refrigeration loop is typically methane (such as natural gas after removal of carbon dioxide, water vapor and other impurities), or nitrogen, or a mixture thereof.

The present disclosure relates to an energy storage device for water electrolysis hydrogen production coupled with low temperature and an energy storage method, which are used for solving the problem of the contradiction between the discontinuous photoelectric resources and the continuous requirements of green hydrogen for production. The device comprises a liquid nitrogen precooling hydrogen liquefaction system, a liquid hydrogen-liquid nitrogen heat exchanging system, a cold energy storage system and a cold energy utilization system of an air separation device. According to the present disclosure, the systems are highly coupled with each other, the photoelectric renewable energy can be maximized in the form of hydrogen storage, the energy consumption cost of green hydrogen preparation and utilization can be effectively reduced while high-efficiency energy storage and peak regulation are realized, the energy saving effect is achieved, and a good popularization prospect occurs.

A first turboexpander generator is configured to decrease a temperature or pressure of a process stream flowing through the first turboexpander generator by generating electrical power from the process stream. A second turboexpander generator is configured to decrease a temperature or pressure of a process stream flowing through the second turboexpander generator by generating electrical power from the process stream. The second turboexpander generator is downstream of and receives a flow output from the first turboexpander generator. The first turboexpander generator and the second turboexpander generator each include the following features. An electric stator surrounds an electric rotor. An annulus defined by the electric rotor and the electric stator is configured to receive a process fluid flow. Magnetic bearings carry the rotor within the stator. A housing encloses the rotor and stator. The housing is hermetically sealed between an inlet and an outlet of each turboexpander generator.

A raw material gas liquefying device includes a feed line which feeds a raw material gas, a refrigerant circulation line which circulates a refrigerant, the refrigerant circulation line including an expansion unit of a turbine type which expands the refrigerant to generate cryogenic energy, and an expansion unit entrance valve provided at an entrance side of the expansion unit, a heat exchanger which exchanges heat between the raw material gas and the refrigerant, a cooler which performs initial cooling of the raw material gas and the refrigerant by heat exchange with liquid nitrogen, and a controller which manipulates the opening rate of the expansion unit entrance value and performs a feedback control so that the rotation speed of the expansion unit reaches a predetermined target value, and outputs the opening rate command to the expansion unit entrance valve, at start-up and stop of the expansion unit.