Liquefaction of industrial gases or gas mixtures (hydrocarbon and/or non-hydrocarbon) uses a modified aqua-ammonia absorption refrigeration system (ARP) to chill the gas or gas mixture during the liquefaction process. The gas is compressed to above its critical point, and the heat of compression energy may be recovered to provide some or all of the thermal energy required to drive the ARP. A Joule Thomson (JT) adiabatic expansion process results in no requirement for specialty cryogenic rotating equipment. The aqua-ammonia absorption refrigeration system includes a vapour absorber tower (VAT) that permits the recovery of some or all of the heat of solution and heat of condensation energy in the system when anhydrous ammonia vapour is absorbed into a subcooled lean aqua-ammonia solution. The modified ARP with VAT may operate at pressures as low as 10 kPa, and the ammonia gas chiller may operate at temperatures as low as 71 C.

A method for liquefaction of industrial gases or gas mixtures (hydrocarbon and/or non-hydrocarbon) uses a modified aqua-ammonia absorption refrigeration system (ARP) that is used to chill the gas or gas mixture during the liquefaction process. The gas may be compressed to above its critical point, and the heat of compression energy may be recovered to provide some or all of the thermal energy required to drive the ARP. The method utilizes a Joule Thomson (JT) adiabatic expansion process which results in no requirement for specialty cryogenic rotating equipment. The aqua-ammonia absorption refrigeration system includes a vapor absorber tower (VAT) which permits the recovery of some or all of the heat of solution and heat of condensation energy in the system when anhydrous ammonia vapor is absorbed into a subcooled lean aqua-ammonia solution. The modified ARP with VAT may achieve operating pressures as low as 10 kPa which results in ammonia gas chiller operating temperatures as low as 71 C.

The device (100) for cooling a flow (101) of a target fluid predominantly comprising dihydrogen, comprises: a first heat exchanger (105) configured to cool an intermediate refrigerant fluid (110) by heat exchange with an expanded dioxygen flow (115), an intermediate closed circuit (120) for transporting the intermediate refrigerant fluid from the first heat exchanger to a second heat exchanger (125), a means (130) for compressing the intermediate refrigerant fluid along the intermediate closed circuit, the intermediate refrigerant fluid, configured to remain in the liquid or supercritical state at least upon passing through the compression means and the second heat exchanger configured to cool the target fluid flow by heat exchange with the intermediate refrigerant fluid cooled in the first heat exchanger.

Apparatus and processes for liquefying process gases using multi-stage active magnetic regenerative refrigerators are disclosed. The apparatus and processes can be configured to liquefy process streams that liquefy below .sup.200 K, such as ethane, methane, argon, nitrogen, neon, hydrogen and/or helium process gases. Active magnetic regenerative liquefiers use multiple successive active magnetic regenerator stages, with each stage using a compositionally distinct magnetic refrigerant material having a distinct Curie temperature. In some aspects, the refrigerant material in each successive stage has a Curie temperature of about 20 K-40K different from that of neighboring stages. Heat transfer fluid flows are directed to improve system efficiency.

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.

An arrangement comprising at least one liquefaction plant for liquefying a gaseous medium to produce a liquefied medium; and at least one storage tank for storing the liquefied medium. At least one first transfer line is connected between the liquefaction plant and the storage tank, for transferring liquefied medium from the liquefaction plant into the storage tank. At least one second transfer line is connected between the liquefaction plant and the storage tank, for transferring gaseous medium from the storage tank into the liquefaction plant. At least one shut-off valve is provided in each transfer line. The apparatus further includes a bypass line

An apparatus and a method for cooling and compressing a fluid to produce a low-temperature compressed fluid that can efficiently use the cold of LNG and reduce the energy needed, the apparatus using a Rankine cycle system having a first compression device, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, a second heat exchanger, and a first flow passageway for guiding the heat transfer medium from the second heat exchanger to the first compression device; and at least one second compression device that is coupled to the expansion device, wherein at the second heat exchanger, a low-temperature LNG and the heat transfer medium undergo heat transfer, wherein at the first heat exchanger, a fed material gas and the heat transfer medium undergo heat transfer to produce a low-temperature fluid from the material gas, and the low-temperature fluid is compressed at the second compression device to produce a low-temperature compressed fluid.

A method for condensing argon can include two flow streams interacting with each other in a heat exchanger found within a cold box: a stream of gaseous argon enters the heat exchanger to be cooled down below its liquefaction point by a stream of pressurized liquid nitrogen entering the heat exchanger. While passing through the heat exchanger, gaseous argon is gradually cooled down until it is condensed into liquid, flowing by gravity to the nearby liquid argon storage tank.

An apparatus for condensing argon can include cold box, which is preferably sealed and largely maintenance free, where all instruments and valves requiring routine maintenance are to be located outside, a nitrogen separator disposed within the cold box, a heat exchanger disposed within the cold box, the heat exchanger is configured to condense a gaseous argon stream against a pressurized liquid nitrogen stream. The cold box is elevated as compared to an argon storage vessel, such that the condensed argon stream can flow to the argon storage vessel without the need for a pump.

A plant for energy storage, comprises: a basin (2) for a work fluid having a critical temperature (T.sub.c) lower than 0?; a tank (3) configured to store the work fluid in at least partly liquid or super-critical phase with a storage temperature (T.sub.s) close to the critical temperature (T.sub.c); an expander (4); a compressor (5); an operating/drive machine (6) operatively connected to the expander (4) and to the compressor (5); a thermal store (8) operatively interposed between the compressor (5) and the tank (3) and between the tank (3) and the expander (4). The plant (1) is configured for actuating a Cyclic Thermodynamic Transformation (TTC) with the work fluid, first in a storage configuration and then in a discharge configuration. The thermal store (8), in the storage configuration, is configured for absorbing sensible heat and subsequently latent heat from the work fluid and, in the discharge configuration, it is configured for transferring latent heat and subsequently sensible heat to the work fluid.