Natural gas liquefaction process in combination with a synthesis gas production process, where the steam derived from the synthesis gas production process is used as a heating source for the implementation of the pre-treatment step for eliminating the impurities liable to freeze during the natural gas liquefaction process.

The present techniques are directed to a flexible liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant that may be tied to an external electric grid for importing or exporting electric power. Exemplary embodiments provide a method for producing LNG that includes producing a base load capacity of refrigeration capacity for LNG production from a first compression system. Electricity may be produced from a second compressor string if electricity is needed by an external power grid, or a second amount of refrigeration capacity may be provided by the second compressor string is natural gas feed is available and the external grid does not need power.

A LNG liquefaction plant system includes concurrent power production, wherein the refrigeration content of the refrigerant or SMR is used to liquefy and sub-cool a natural gas stream in a cold box or cryogenic exchanger. For concurrent power production, the system uses waste heat from refrigerant compression to vaporize and superheat a waste heat working fluid that in turn drives a compressor for refrigerant compression. The refrigerant may be an external SMR or an internal LNG refrigerant working fluid expanded and compressed by a twin compander arrangement.

The present invention relates to cryogenic energy storage systems for storing using high-grade heat-of-compression. The system includes a liquefaction sub-system (100) and thermal energy storage device (300). The liquefaction sub-system (100) includes a first compressor (102), a first, second and third heat exchanger (104, 116, 112) and second compressor (114). The first and second heat exchangers (104, 116) are configured to transfer the high-grade heat of compression from the first and second compressors (102, 114) respectively to the thermal energy storage device (300). The third heat exchanger (112) is configured to recuperate the low-grade heat of compression from the second compressor (114) back into the second compressor (114) enabling the second compressor (114) to generate high-grade heat of compression. Further systems use compressors (124) and expanders (122). Further systems include power recovery sub-systems (400). The present disclosure also relates to methods of heat-of-compression storage in cryogenic energy storage systems.

A proposed method provides a highly efficient fueled power output augmentation of the liquid air energy storage (LAES) through its integration with the semi-closed CO.sub.2 bottoming cycle. It combines the production of liquid air in air liquefier during LAES charge using excessive power from the grid and an effective recovery of stored air for production of on-demand power in the fueled supercharged reciprocating internal combustion engine (ICE) and associated expanders of the power block during LAES discharge. A cold thermal energy of liquid air being re-gasified is recovered for cryogenic capturing most of CO.sub.2 emissions from the facility exhaust with following use of the captured CO.sub.2 in the semi-closed bottoming cycle, resulting in enhancement of total LAES facility discharge power output and suppressing the thermal NOx formation in the ICE.

A system for recovering compression energy from a gas, the system comprising an organic Rankine cycle module and an adiabatic compressor, the organic Rankine cycle module comprising a heat transfer fluid and the adiabatic compressor comprising N adiabatic compression stages for the gas, N being greater than or equal to 2, and, downstream of each adiabatic compression stage, two heat exchangers, a first heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the gas leaving the adiabatic compression stage and to heat the heat transfer fluid passing through the first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the gas leaving the first heat exchanger to a cold source passing through the second heat exchanger. A liquefier comprising such a system and method for recovering compression energy from a gas.

A process and apparatus for utilization of an absorption chiller for hydrogen production can include an arrangement configured for providing at least one heated waste stream of fluid from at least one hydrogen production unit to an absorption chiller generator to power the absorption chiller. Coolant can be generated via the heated waste stream for feeding coolant from the generator to an evaporator for cooling a chilling medium to a pre-selected chilling temperature to provide cooling to one or more process elements. The warmed chilling medium can be returned to the absorption chiller evaporator for subsequent cooling back to the pre-selected chilling temperature to provide a closed-circuit cooling arrangement. The waste fluid fed to the generator can be output as a cooled waste fluid for returning to hydrogen production for further use or be output for treatment and/or disposal.

The present invention relates to a gas storage apparatus and method, and more specifically to liquid air energy storage and its use to facilitate both Demand Side Reduction (DSR) and the use of reduced-cost electricity by industrial compressed-air users. A related electricity generating apparatus and method is also disclosed. The apparatus and method use a first sensible heat coolth store and second latent heat coolth store to first reduce the gas in temperature and then to change it into a liquid phase. Coolth top up devices are also disclosed.

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.

A method for enhancing a LNG production train that includes connected train components. The method may include steps of: constructing an integrated surveillance system for monitoring operation of the train components; using the integrated surveillance system to measure and record operational data and event data related to, respectively, the operation and a failure event of the train components over a historical operating period; performing a correlation analysis that calculates a correlation between the occurrences of the failure event and the operational data; given results of the correlation analysis, deriving a prognostic rule that indicates a likelihood of the failure event occurring based on values of the operating parameters of the operational data; applying the prognostic rule to current values of the operating parameters and determining therefrom the likelihood of the failure event occurring; determining an advisory related to the determined likelihood of the failure event occurring; and issuing the advisory.