The proposed system comprises a supply line for at least one engine, on which line is situated a first compression unit (3) for said gas and a bypass to a return line on which are successively situated cooling means (10) and reliquefaction means (30). The cooling means successively comprise a second compression unit (11, 12, 13) and a heat exchanger (17). Downstream of the second compression unit (11, 12, 13) a bypass to a loop (18, 20, 21) comprises first expansion means (14), the loop rejoining the return line upstream of the second compression unit (11, 12, 13) after having passed through the heat exchanger (17) in the opposite direction with respect to the gas fraction not bypassed via the loop.

A method of producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) is disclosed. A natural gas is compressed in at least two serially arranged compressors to a pressure of at least 2,000 psia and cooled to form a cooled compressed natural gas stream. The cooled compressed natural gas stream is additionally cooled to a temperature below an ambient temperature to form an additionally cooled compressed natural gas stream, which is expanded in at least one work producing natural gas expander to a pressure that is less than 3,000 psia and no greater than the pressure to which the at least two serially arranged compressors compress the natural gas stream, to thereby form a chilled natural gas stream. The chilled natural gas stream is liquefied by indirect heat exchange with a refrigerant to form liquefied natural gas and a warm refrigerant. The cooled compressed natural gas stream is additionally cooled using the warm refrigerant.

Natural gas boiling off from LNG storage tanks located on board a sea-going vessel, is compressed in a plural stage compressor. At least part of the flow of compressed natural gas is sent to a liquefier operating on a Brayton cycle in order to be reliquefied. The temperature of the compressed natural gas from the final stage is reduced to below 0 C. by passage through a heat exchanger. The first compression stage is operated as a cold compressor and the resulting cold compressed natural gas is employed in the heat exchanger to effect the necessary cooling of the flow from the compression stage. Downstream of its passage through the heat exchanger the cold compressed natural gas flows through the remaining stages of the compressor. If desired, a part of the compressed natural gas may be supplied to the engines of the sea-going vessel as a fuel.

The process comprises the following steps: mixing a gaseous stream of flash gas and a gaseous stream of boil-off gas to form a mixed gaseous flow; compressing the mixed gaseous flow in at least one compression apparatus to form a flow of compressed combustible gas; withdrawing a bypass flow in the flow of compressed combustible gas; compressing the bypass flow in at least one downstream compressor; cooling and expanding the compressed bypass flow; reheating at least a first stream derived from the expanded bypass flow in at least one downstream heat exchanger, reintroducing the first reheated stream in the mixed gaseous flow upstream from the compression apparatus.

A system and method for liquefaction of natural gas using two distinct refrigeration circuits having compositionally different working fluids and operating at different temperature levels is provided. The turbomachinery associated with the liquefaction system are driven by a single three-pinion or four-pinion integral gear machine with customized pairing arrangements. The system and method of natural gas liquefaction further includes the conditioning of a lower pressure natural gas containing feed stream to produce a purified, compressed natural gas stream at a pressure equal to or above the critical pressure of natural gas and substantially free of heavy hydrocarbons to be liquefied.

A refrigerant charging system includes: a reliquefaction system reliquefying boil-off gas generated in a liquefied gas storage tank by compressing the boil-off gas and subjecting the compressed boil-off gas to heat exchange with refrigerant supplied to a heat exchanger while circulating along a refrigerant circulation line; a buffer tank storing utility N.sub.2 to be supplied to the ship; a booster compressor receiving the utility N.sub.2 from the buffer tank, compressing the received N.sub.2, and supplying the compressed N.sub.2 to the refrigerant circulation line; and a first load-up line along which the N.sub.2 is supplied from the buffer tank to the refrigerant circulation line without passing through the booster compressor. Upon initial charging in a non-operation state of the reliquefaction system, the refrigerant circulation line is charged with refrigerant by supplying the N.sub.2 from by a pressure differential between the refrigerant circulation line and the buffer tank.

A system and method for cryogenic purification of a hydrogen, nitrogen, methane and argon containing feed stream to produce a methane free, hydrogen and nitrogen containing synthesis gas and a methane rich fuel gas, as well as to recover an argon product stream, excess hydrogen, and excess nitrogen is provided. The disclosed system and method are particularly useful as an integrated cryogenic purifier in an ammonia synthesis process in an ammonia plant. The excess nitrogen is a nitrogen stream substantially free of methane and hydrogen that can be used in other parts of the plant, recovered as a gaseous nitrogen product and/or liquefied to produce a liquid nitrogen product.

A proposed method for thermally assisted electric energy storage is characterized by a significant increase in round-trip efficiency through a profitable use of waste heat energy streams from the co-located power generation and industrial facilities, combustion of renewable or fossil fuels, or harnessing the renewable energy sources. In the charge operation mode it is achieved by superheating and expansion of recirculating air stream in the liquid air energy storage with self-producing a part of power required for air liquefaction. In the discharge operation mode it is attained through the repeated and efficient use of a stream of discharged air in auxiliary power production cycle.

A ship includes: a boil-off gas heat exchanger installed on a downstream of a storage tank and heat-exchanges a compressed boil-off gas (a first fluid) by a boil-off gas discharged from the storage tank as a refrigerant, to cool the boil-off gas; a compressor installed on a downstream of the boil-off gas heat exchanger and compresses a part of the boil-off gas discharged from the storage tank; an extra compressor installed on a downstream of the boil-off gas heat exchanger and in parallel with the compressor and compresses the other part of the boil-off gas discharged from the storage tank; a refrigerant heat exchanger which additionally cools the first fluid which is cooled by the boil-off gas heat exchanger; and a refrigerant decompressing device which expands a second fluid, which is sent to the refrigerant heat exchanger, and then sends the second fluid back to the refrigerant heat exchanger.

A ship including a liquefied gas storage tank includes: first and second compressors which compresse a boil-off gas discharged from a storage tank; a boost compressor which compresses one part of the boil-off gas that is compressed by at least any one of the first compressor and/or the second compressor; a first heat exchanger which heat exchanges the boil-off gas compressed by the boost compressor and the boil-off gas discharged from the storage tank; a refrigerant decompressing device which expands the other part of the boil-off gas that is compressed by at least any one of the first compressor and/or the second compressor; a second heat exchanger which cools, by a fluid expanded by the refrigerant decompressing device as a refrigerant; and an additional compressor which is compresses the refrigerant that passes through the refrigerant decompressing device and second heat exchanger.