A plant and process are used to liquefy and purify a high pressure ethane feed stream. The plant includes a cascaded refrigeration system that refrigerates the ethane feed stream. The refrigeration system includes a propylene circuit, an ethylene circuit and a mixed refrigerant circuit. The mixed refrigerant circuit includes a refrigerant that includes ethane and methane. The plant includes a demethanizer that is configured to remove methane and other natural gas liquids from the refrigerated ethane stream.

A liquefied gas cooling apparatus including: a gas flow path for carrying a liquefied gas that is liquefied by cooling; and a refrigeration unit including a refrigerating cycle formed by an evaporator for cooling the liquefied gas flowing through the gas flow path, a compressor, a condenser, and a throttle expansion unit. The compressor is driven through an electric motor contained in a sealed housing together with a compressor mechanism.

A liquefied gas cooling apparatus includes: a gas flow path for carrying a liquefied gas that is liquefied by cooling; and a refrigeration unit including a refrigerating cycle formed by an evaporator for cooling the liquefied gas flowing through the gas flow path, a compressor, a condenser, and a throttle expansion unit. The refrigeration unit includes: an inlet-side open/close valve and an outlet-side open/close valve provided in an inlet path and an outlet path of the compressor, respectively; and a service open/close valve in a refrigerant path between the inlet-side open/close valve and the outlet-side open/close valve.

A cooling system is provided for cooling a motor that drives a compressor in a liquefaction system. The coolant used for cooling the motor includes portions of a discharge from a compressor. The coolant for the motor is generated from a vapor component of the discharge from the compressor. The discharge from the compressor is cooled and the vapor component is separated from a liquid component and treated prior to being introduced into the motor. Remaining portions of the discharge from the compressor are routed to cold boxes producing a compressed refrigerant.

A plant and process are used to liquefy and purify a high pressure ethane feed stream. The plant includes a cascaded refrigeration system that refrigerates the ethane feed stream. The refrigeration system includes a propylene circuit, an ethylene circuit and a mixed refrigerant circuit. The mixed refrigerant circuit includes a refrigerant that includes ethane and methane. The plant includes a demethanizer that is configured to remove methane and other natural gas liquids from the refrigerated ethane stream.

Disclosed is a low-temperature refrigeration device comprising a working circuit that forms a loop and contains a working fluid, the device further comprising a cooling exchanger for extracting heat from at least one member by exchanging heat with the working fluid, the working circuit forming a cycle comprising, connected in series: a compression mechanism, a cooling mechanism, an expansion mechanism and a heating mechanism, wherein the mechanism for cooling the working fluid and the heating mechanism comprise a common heat exchanger in which the working fluid flows in opposite directions in two separate transit portions of the circuit according to whether it is cooled or heated, the device being designed to ensure equal mass flow rates in the two transit portions in the common heat exchanger, the device also comprising a bypass for bypassing one of the two transit portions, said bypass comprising a bypass valve which, in the open state, changes the mass flow rate in one of the two transit portions.

The invention relates to an integrated process for continuous production of liquid hydrogen, comprising (a) producing gaseous hydrogen by electrolysis; and (b) liquefying said gaseous hydrogen in a hydrogen liquefaction unit, which liquefaction unit is powered by energy essentially from renewable sources; and, (c) when additional power is needed, using electrical energy generated in a process in which electrical energy and hydrogen are co-generated by an integrated electrolysis process comprising: (d) electrolysing a metal salt or mixture of metal salts and water into the corresponding metal or metals, acid or acids, and oxygen (electricity storage phase), and (e) producing gaseous hydrogen and recovering electricity in a regeneration reaction of the metal (s) and acid(s) of step (d) (regeneration phase); wherein at least part of the gaseous hydrogen generated in step (e) is used in step (b) of the process.

The invention relates to a method for condensing a gas, wherein the gas is subjected to cooling in indirect heat exchange with a refrigerant and at least part of the refrigerant is subjected, after the heat exchange with the gas, to compression by means of a drive (GT1) that produces waste heat and to a partial or complete condensing process. After the partial or complete condensing process, a first portion of the refrigerant is subjected to the heat exchange with the gas and a second portion of the refrigerant is subjected, in succession, to pressurization, heating by means of the waste heat of the drive (GT1) and work-performing expansion and thereafter is fed back to the partial or complete condensing process. The invention further relates to a corresponding system.

An installation and method for purifying and liquefying natural gas having, arranged in series, an adsorption purification unit, a unit for separating hydrocarbons by refrigeration, and a liquefier. The installation has a gas power plant for combined production of heat and electricity by hydrocarbon combustion. The installation has at least one electrical member, with the power plant being electrically connected to at least one of the electrical members in order to supply them with electrical energy.

A method and apparatus for producing liquefied natural gas. A portion of a natural gas stream is cooled in a first heat exchanger and re-combined with the natural gas stream, and heavy hydrocarbons are removed therefrom to generate a separated natural gas stream and a separator bottom stream. Liquids are separated from the separator bottom stream to form an overhead stream, which is cooled and separated to form a recycle gas stream. The recycle gas stream is compressed. A first portion of the compressed recycle gas stream is directed through the first heat exchanger and directed to the separator as a column reflux stream. The separated to natural gas stream is used as a coolant in the first heat exchanger to thereby generate a pretreated natural gas stream, which is compressed and liquefied.