A system and method for cooling and liquefying a gas in a heat exchanger that includes compressing and cooling a mixed refrigerant using first and last compression and cooling cycles so that high pressure liquid and vapor streams are formed. The high pressure liquid and vapor streams are cooled in the heat exchanger and then expanded so that a primary refrigeration stream is provided in the heat exchanger. The mixed refrigerant is cooled and equilibrated between the first and last compression and cooling cycles so that a pre-cool liquid stream is formed and subcooled in the heat exchanger. The stream is then expanded and passed through the heat exchanger as a pre-cool refrigeration stream. A stream of gas is passed through the heat exchanger in countercurrent heat exchange with the primary refrigeration stream and the pre-cool refrigeration stream so that the gas is cooled. A resulting vapor stream from the primary refrigeration stream passage and a two-phase stream from the pre-cool refrigeration stream passage exit the warm end of the exchanger and are combined and undergo a simultaneous heat and mass transfer operation prior to the first compression and cooling cycle so that a reduced temperature vapor stream is provided to the first stage compressor so as to lower power consumption by the system. Additionally, the warm end of the cooling curve is nearly closed further reducing power consumption. Heavy components of the refrigerant are also kept out of the cold end of the process, reducing the possibility of refrigerant freezing, as well as facilitating a refrigerant management scheme.

Disclosed are a helium gas liquefier and a method for liquefying a helium gas. The disclosed helium gas liquefier includes: a first cooling part including a first cooling column; a first cold head installed on the first cooling column, and a first cylinder in which the first cooling column and the first cold head are built; a second cooling part including a second cooling column, a second cold head installed on the second cooling column, and a second cylinder in which the second cooling column and the second cold head are built; and a liquid helium storage disposed under the second cooling part.

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.

Disclosed is a device for liquefying a fluid, comprising a fluid circuit to be cooled, the device comprising a heat exchanger assembly in heat exchange with the fluid circuit to be cooled, at least one first cooling system in heat exchange with at least a portion of the heat exchanger assembly, the first cooling system being a refrigerator having a cycle for refrigerating a cycle gas mainly comprising helium, 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 includes at least four compression stages in series composed of a centrifugal compressor assembly, the compression stages being mounted on shafts that are rotationally driven by a motor assembly, the expansion mechanism comprising at least three expansion stages in series composed of a set of centripetal turbines, the at least one member for cooling the cycle gas being configured to cool the cycle gas at the outlet of at least one of the turbines, and wherein at least one of the turbines is coupled to the same shaft as at least one compression stage so as to feed the mechanical work produced during the expansion to the compression stage.

In an aspect, a system comprises a water stream in fluid communication with an electrolyzer; the electrolyzer comprising an anode and a cathode side chamber; a deep space oxygen radiator in fluid communication with the anode side chamber of the electrolyzer; a cryogenic heat exchanger comprising an oxygen storage tank in fluid communication with the deep space oxygen radiator; an electrochemical hydrogen compressor in fluid communication with the cathode side chamber; a hydrogen storage tank in fluid communication with the electrochemical hydrogen compressor via a cooled hydrogen stream; wherein at least a portion of the cooled hydrogen stream is in a first fluid communication with an expansion valve and the cryogenic heat exchanger; wherein the hydrogen storage tank is in a second fluid communication with the electrochemical hydrogen compressor via a warmed hydrogen stream; and wherein the cryogenic heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the warmed hydrogen stream.

Disclosed is a device for refrigerating or liquefying a fluid such as natural gas or hydrogen, comprising a circuit for fluid that is to be cooled and has an upstream end for connection to a source of gaseous fluid and 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 circuit of fluid to be cooled, the device comprising a refrigerator in heat exchange with at least a portion of the heat 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, arranged in series in a cycle circuit: a mechanism for compressing the cycle gas, at least one member for coding 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 rotated by an assembly of one or more motors, the at least one member for cooling the cycle gas comprising at least one heat exchanger arranged 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.

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.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to produce cryo-compressed hydrogen are disclosed. An example cryo-compressed hydrogen production system includes a compressor to compress an input of hydrogen, at least one heat exchanger to cool the hydrogen, and a conduit to convey the hydrogen at least partially to a storage tank for storage at a temperature less than or equal to a first threshold and greater than a second threshold, the first threshold defined by an upper temperature limit for cryo-compressed hydrogen, the second threshold defined by a hydrogen liquefaction temperature.

A system for cooling a gas includes a pre-cool heat exchanger and a liquefaction heat exchanger. The pre-cool heat exchanger uses a pre-cool refrigerant to pre-cool a feed gas stream prior to the stream being directed to a liquefaction heat exchanger. The liquefaction heat exchanger uses a mixed refrigerant to further cool the pre-cooled gas. The pre-cool heat exchanger also pre-cools the liquefaction mixed refrigerant used by the liquefaction heat exchanger.

The device (400) for liquefying a natural gas comprises: a compressor (105) of a first vaporized coolant chemical mixture, a means (110) for fractionating the compressed mixture into a heavy fraction and a light fraction, a first body (115) for exchanging heat between the heavy fraction of the first mixture and the natural gas to cool at least the natural gas, a second body (120) for exchanging heat between the light fraction of the first mixture and the natural gas cooled in the first exchange body to liquefy the natural gas, a conduit (125) for returning the first vaporized coolant mixture in the heat exchange bodies to the compressor, a regulator (405) for the liquefied natural gas, a collector (410) for the evaporation gas produced during the expansion of the gas in the regulator, a conduit (415) for injecting the evaporation gas at the inlet of the second exchange body, upstream of an inlet (116) for the natural gas in the first exchange body (115), a third body (420) for exchanging heat between the natural gas and a second chemical coolant compound, a means (425) for compressing the second vaporized compound, a means (430) for cooling the second compressed compound and a conduit (435) for transferring the second cooled compound towards the third exchange body.