A system including: an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that includes a high magnetic field section in which a hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a cold side to a hot side through at least one magnetized bed of at least one magnetic refrigerant, and a low magnetic field or demagnetized section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a hot side to a cold side through the demagnetized bed; a first conduit fluidly coupled between the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section and the cold side of the high magnetic field section; and a second conduit fluid coupled to the first conduit, an expander and at least one liquefied hydrogen storage module.

A method and system for producing liquid air wherein liquid refrigerant is cycled between two core tanks maintained at a temperature sufficient to liquify compressed air passed through condensing tubing in the interior of the core tanks. Liquid refrigerant is cycled by alternating high pressure gas from a high pressure tank to one of the core tanks, which forces liquid refrigerant from this tank through an expansion device to expand a portion of the liquid refrigerant to absorb heat in the other core tank, the resulting refrigerant gas being driven into a low pressure tank. A compression device transfers the refrigerant gas from the low pressure tank to the high pressure tank and maintains the pressure in the high pressure tank. Connections between the low and high pressure tanks and the core tanks are reversed with each cycle.

Plant and method for liquefying a flow of gas, comprising a cooling circuit which is provided with an upstream end which is intended to be connected to a source of pressurised gas to be liquified and a downstream end which is intended to be connected to a user member, the plant comprising, between the upstream and downstream ends, a set of members which are intended to liquefy the gas and comprise at least one exchanger for cooling the gas, and at least one expansion turbine which is mounted on a rotary axle which is supported by at least one bearing of the gas-static type, the cooling circuit comprising a pressurised gas injection conduit having an upstream end which is intended to receive pressurised gas supplied by the source and a downstream end which is connected to the bearing in order to provide support to the rotary axle, the plant comprising a conduit for recovering the gas which has been used in the bearing, the conduit for recovering the gas comprising an upstream end which is connected to the bearing and a downstream end, characterised in that the downstream end of the conduit for recovering the as is connected to the cooling circuit between the upstream and downstream ends thereof in order to recycle at that location at least a portion of the gas which has been used to support the rotary axle of the bearing with a few to liquefying said gas.

The amount of consumption of gas is reduced when the gas is expanded to be cooled by using a plurality of expansion turbines. A high-pressure expansion turbine includes: a gas supply passage through which bearing gas is supplied to a bearing portion; and a gas discharge passage through which the bearing gas which has been supplied from the gas supply passage to the bearing portion is discharged from the bearing portion. A low-pressure expansion turbine includes: a gas supply passage through which the bearing gas is supplied to a bearing portion; and a gas discharge passage through which the bearing gas which has been supplied from the gas supply passage to the bearing portion is discharged from the bearing portion. The bearing gas discharged from the gas discharge passage of the high-pressure expansion turbine is supplied to the gas supply passage of the low-pressure expansion turbine.

A raw material gas liquefying device includes a feed line; a refrigerant circulation line; and a controller. In a refrigerant liquefaction route, a refrigerant flows through a compressor, a heat exchanger, a circulation system JT valve, a liquefied refrigerant storage tank, and the heat exchanger, and returns to the compressor. In a cryogenic energy generation route, the refrigerant flows through the compressor, the heat exchanger, an expansion unit, and the heat exchanger, and returns to the compressor. The controller determines if a refrigerant storage tank liquid level is within an allowable range, manipulates a feed system JT valve opening rate to control refrigerant temperature at the high-temperature-side refrigerant flow path exit side of the heat exchanger, and manipulates the opening rate of the feed system JT valve to control the refrigerant storage tank liquid level so that the refrigerant storage tank liquid level falls into the predetermined allowable range.

A system including: an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that includes a high magnetic field section in which a hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a cold side to a hot side through at least one magnetized bed of at least one magnetic refrigerant, and a low magnetic field or demagnetized section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a hot side to a cold side through the demagnetized bed; a first conduit fluidly coupled between the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section and the cold side of the high magnetic field section; and a second conduit fluid coupled to the first conduit, an expander and at least one liquefied hydrogen storage module.

A raw material gas liquefying device includes a feed line which feeds a raw material gas, a refrigerant circulation line which circulates a refrigerant, the refrigerant circulation line including an expansion unit of a turbine type which expands the refrigerant to generate cryogenic energy, and an expansion unit entrance valve provided at an entrance side of the expansion unit, a heat exchanger which exchanges heat between the raw material gas and the refrigerant, a cooler which performs initial cooling of the raw material gas and the refrigerant by heat exchange with liquid nitrogen, and a controller which manipulates the opening rate of the expansion unit entrance value and performs a feedback control so that the rotation speed of the expansion unit reaches a predetermined target value, and outputs the opening rate command to the expansion unit entrance valve, at start-up and stop of the expansion unit.

A system including: an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator apparatus that includes a high magnetic field section in which a hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a cold side to a hot side through at least one magnetized bed of at least one magnetic refrigerant, and a low magnetic field or demagnetized section in which the hydrogen heat transfer fluid can flow from a hot side to a cold side through the demagnetized bed; a first conduit fluidly coupled between the cold side of the low magnetic field or demagnetized section and the cold side of the high magnetic field section; and a second conduit fluid coupled to the first conduit, an expander and at least one liquefied hydrogen storage module.

Cryogenic refrigeration device comprising a working circuit intended to cool a working fluid circulating in the said circuit, the working circuit comprising, arranged in series in a loop: a compression portion, a cooling portion, a portion with valve(s), an expansion portion and a reheating portion, in order to subject the working fluid to a recuperative working cycle comprising compression, then cooling, then expansion and then reheating to prepare for a new cycle, wherein the compression portion comprises at least one compressor having a linear piston driven by a linear motor, the expansion proportion comprises at least one expander with a linear piston, the portion with valve(s) comprises at least one regulating valve linearly actuated by a linear motor and controlled in order to supply or extract the working fluid from the at least one expansion piston.

A method and system for producing liquid air wherein liquid refrigerant is cycled between two core tanks maintained at a temperature sufficient to liquify compressed air passed through condensing tubing in the interior of the core tanks. Liquid refrigerant is cycled by alternating high pressure gas from a high pressure tank to one of the core tanks, which forces liquid refrigerant from this tank through an expansion device to expand a portion of the liquid refrigerant to absorb heat in the other core tank, the resulting refrigerant gas being driven into a low pressure tank. A compression device transfers the refrigerant gas from the low pressure tank to the high pressure tank and maintains the pressure in the high pressure tank. Connections between the low and high pressure tanks and the core tanks are reversed with each cycle.