Methods are for storing electricity and producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) or synthetic natural (SNG) and using carbon dioxide and for producing electricity, natural gas (NG) or SNG. The methods involve, starting from a water flow, producing an oxygen gas flow and a hydrogen gas flow by electrolysis in an electrolytic cell. A first hydrogen gas flow portion and a second hydrogen gas flow portion are obtained. The first hydrogen gas flow portion is allocated to a methanation step in the presence of carbon dioxide gas. A condensed recirculation water vapor flow is obtained to be allocated to the methanation step and performing methanation. The second hydrogen gas flow portion is allocated to a cooling and liquefaction step. A liquid hydrogen flow is obtained, which is stored in a liquid hydrogen tank.

Disclosed is a facility for the refrigeration and/or liquefaction of a fluid, comprising a circuit of fluid to be cooled comprising an upstream end intended to be connected to a source of fluid to be cooled and a downstream end intended to be connected to a member for collecting the cooled and/or liquefied fluid; the facility comprising an assembly of heat exchanger(s) in thermal exchange with the circuit of fluid to be cooled; the facility comprising a cooling device in thermal exchange with the assembly of heat exchange(s); the cooling device comprising a refrigerator with a refrigeration cycle for a cycle gas in a working circuit; the working circuit of the refrigerator comprising, a mechanism for compressing the cycle gas, a system for cooling the cycle gas, a mechanism for expanding the cycle gas and a system for heating the cycle gas; the mechanism for expanding the cycle gas comprising several turbines secured to shafts mounted so as to be able to rotate on aerostatic bearings; the facility comprising mechanisms for braking the turbines, the braking mechanisms each comprising a braking compressor secured to a shaft of a turbine and a braking gas circuit incorporating the braking compressor; the braking gas circuits comprising a system for cooling the braking gas downstream of the braking compressor and a mechanism for expanding the braking gas; the facility being equipped with a compressed lifting gas circuit comprising an end connected to a compressed lifting gas source and a downstream end connected to the bearings, and wherein the compressed lifting gas source comprises at least one of the braking circuits.

The invention relates to a plant and a method for producing liquefied hydrogen comprising a hydrogen gas generator, a liquefier, a feed line connecting an outlet of the hydrogen gas generator to an inlet of the liquefier, the liquefier comprising a refrigerator having a cycle circuit to cool the hydrogen gas from the feed line, the plant comprising a buffer store configured to store the compressed hydrogen gas between the hydrogen gas generator and the liquefier, the liquefier being configured to supply a cooling power and/or the liquefaction capacity that can be modified between at least two levels, the plant comprising a means for determining the fill level of the buffer store, the plant being configured to modify the cooling power and/or liquefaction capacity of the liquefier as a function of the fill level of the buffer store determined by the determining means.

Disclosed is a device for refrigerating or liquefying a fluid such as natural gas or hydrogen, comprising a fluid circuit that is to be cooled and has an upstream end for connection to a source of gaseous fluid as well as a downstream end for connection to a member for collecting the cooled or liquefied fluid, the device comprising a heat exchanger assembly in heat exchange with the fluid circuit to be cooled, the device comprising a refrigerator in heat exchange with at least a portion of the exchanger assembly, the refrigerator being of the type that has a cycle for refrigerating a cycle gas containing at least one of: helium, hydrogen, nitrogen or neon; said refrigerator comprising in series in a cycle circuit: a mechanism for compressing the cycle gas, at least one member for cooling the cycle gas, a mechanism for expanding the cycle gas, and at least one member for reheating the expanded cycle gas, wherein the compression mechanism comprises a plurality of compression stages in series composed of a centrifugal compressor assembly, the compression stages being mounted on a set of shafts that are rotationally driven by a motor assembly, the at least one member for cooling the cycle gas comprising at least one heat exchanger at the outlet of at least one compression stage in heat exchange with the cycle circuit, said heat exchanger being cooled by a heat transfer fluid, characterized in that the compression mechanism comprises at least two compression stages that are arranged successively in series and do not include any member for cooling the cycle gas such as a heat exchanger therebetween.

The present invention discloses a hydrogen or helium throttling liquefaction system using direct current (DC) flow from the cold and hot ends of the regenerative cryocoolers, which belongs to the technical field of refrigeration and cryogenics. It includes a regenerative cryocooler module, a hot-end DC flow module, a cold-end DC flow module, a throttling liquefaction module, and a gas-phase circulation module. The modules are interconnected to form a closed loop for the flow of hydrogen or helium working fluid. DC flow is introduced from the cold and hot ends of the regenerative cryocooler through the DC flow pipelines and DC flow valves. The hot-end DC flow exchanges heat with the reflowing low-temperature working fluid and is cooled down. After that, it mixes with the cold-end DC flow and enters the throttling liquefaction module to generate liquid phase through throttling and liquefaction. After the liquid phase has output cooling capacity, it flows through the gas-phase circulation module and then enters the back-pressure chamber of the compressor to complete the cycle. Compared with the existing small-scale hydrogen and helium liquefaction technology using regenerative cryocoolers, the present invention has the advantages of simple structure, easy installation, high heat transfer efficiency and liquefaction efficiency of the system.

Methods and systems providing a process for cooling and liquefying a purified gaseous hydrogen feed stream to a liquid hydrogen stream that may be stored in a liquid hydrogen storage tank, as well as a system wherein ortho-hydrogen (o-H2) contained in the purified gaseous hydrogen feed stream may be converted to para-hydrogen (p-H2) through serial low-temperature catalytic converters along the cooling process from normal ambient temperature (300K) to the liquefied temperature about (20K) of the hydrogen.

The invention relates to a facility for cooling a flow of cryogenic fluid comprising a first circuit for fluid to be cooled, for example liquid nitrogen and/or liquid oxygen, a cryogenic refrigerator with a cycle circuit, at least one heat exchanger providing heat exchange with the first circuit for fluid to be cooled and the cycle circuit of the refrigerator, the facility comprising a second circuit for fluid to be liquefied, for example nitrogen gas and/or oxygen gas, the second fluid circuit being in heat exchange with the cycle circuit of the refrigerator in at least one heat exchanger of the facility, the facility being configured so as to be switchable into a first cooling operating mode, in which the facility cools the first fluid circuit in order to cool a liquefied fluid, preferably in order to generate a quasi-isothermal transformation of said fluid, and a second liquefaction operating mode, in which the facility cools the second fluid circuit with a view to liquefying a gas flow.

The invention relates to a facility and a method for the liquefaction of hydrogen, comprising a hydrogen circuit having an upstream end configured to be connected to a source of gaseous hydrogen and a downstream end connected to at least one store, the facility comprising a cold box housing a set of heat exchangers in a heat exchange relationship with the hydrogen circuit, the facility comprising a cooling device in a heat exchange relationship with at least part of the set of heat exchangers, the facility comprising a collecting pipe configured to collect boil-off gas and equipped with at least one upstream end connected to the store and/or a tank to be filled, and a downstream end connected to the hydrogen circuit, inside the cold box, said downstream end of the collecting pipe comprising, ahead of its connection to the hydrogen circuit, a portion in a heat exchange relationship with at least one heat exchanger of the set of heat exchangers.

A system and process for precooling of a hydrogen feed stream with concurrent nitrogen liquefaction is disclosed. The disclosed hydrogen precooling refrigeration system and associated methods employ two centrifugal hydrogen compressors, including a centrifugal hydrogen cold compressor and a centrifugal hydrogen low pressure compressor.

A system for generating an inert fluid, the system being carried on board an aircraft, the generation system including a plurality of devices configured each, in succession, to execute a separation of components of a primary fluid initially collected in the form of compressed hot air, the system including at least one heat exchanger configured to execute a separation of components, by change of phase of a component of the primary fluid, executing a cooling of the primary fluid using liquid hydrogen, supplied with liquid hydrogen collected from a tank of the aircraft. It is thus possible to generate an inert gas without requiring membrane separation of the nitrogen and the oxygen, and while at the same time making it easier to warm the liquid hydrogen stored and used in the aircraft as a source of energy.