A method of cooling a boil-off gas (BOG) stream from a liquefied gas tank comprising at least the step of heat exchanging the BOG stream with a first refrigerant in a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having an entry port and a warmer exit port, and comprising at least the steps of: (a) passing the first refrigerant into the entry port of the heat exchanger and into a first zone of the heat exchanger to exchange heat with the BOG stream, to provide a first warmer refrigerant stream; (b) withdrawing the first warmer refrigerant stream from the heat exchanger at an intermediate exit port between the entry port and the warmer exit port; (c) admixing the first warmer refrigerant stream with an oil-containing refrigerant stream to provide a combined refrigerant stream; (d) passing the combined refrigerant stream into the heat exchanger through an entry port located in a second zone of the heat exchanger that is warmer than the first zone; (e) passing the combined refrigerant stream out of the heat exchanger through the warmer exit port. The present invention is a modification of a refrigerant cycle for BOG cooling, and LNG re-liquefaction in particular, that allows the use of a cost-efficient oil-injected screw compressor in the refrigerant system. The present invention is also able to accommodate the possibility of different flows or flow rates of the first refrigerant stream and the oil-containing refrigerant stream, such that there is reduced or no concern by the user of the process in relation to possible oil freezing and clogging of the heat exchanger caused by variation of the flow or flow rate of the oil-containing refrigerant stream.

The integrated expander and motor-compressor assembly comprises a compression section mounted between the two radial bearings on a trans-mission shaft, an expander cantilevered at a free end of the transmission shaft, a gas diffuser and a duct between the expander and a first radial bearing, the first radial bearing been the closest radial bearing to the expander. The gas diffuser diffuses a gas barrier which is sucked up by the duct.

A system for liquefying a gas includes a liquefaction heat exchanger having a feed gas inlet adapted to receive a feed gas and a liquefied gas outlet through which the liquefied gas exits after the gas is liquefied in the liquefying passage of the heat exchanger by heat exchange with a primary refrigeration passage. A mixed refrigerant compressor system is configured to provide refrigerant to the primary refrigeration passage. An expander separator is in communication with the liquefied gas outlet of the liquefaction heat exchanger, and a cold gas line is in fluid communication with the expander separator. A cold recovery heat exchanger receives cold vapor from the cold gas line and liquid refrigerant from the mixed refrigerant compressor system so that the refrigerant is cooled using the cold vapor.

The present invention is a modification of a typical single mixed refrigerant (SMR) cycle for LNG re-liquefaction in particular, that allows the use of a cost-efficient oil-injected screw compressor in the mixed refrigerant system. In comparison with the typical arrangement, the present innovation allows for reduced complexity, fewer pieces of equipment, and reduced capital cost. There is shown a method of cooling a boil-off gas (BOG) stream from a liquefied gas tank using a single mixed refrigerant (SMR) comprising at least the step of heat exchanging the BOG stream with the SMR in a liquefaction heat exchanger system to provide a cooled BOG stream, wherein the SMR is provided in an SMR recirculating system comprising at least the steps of: (a) compressing the SMR using at least one oil-injected screw compressor to provide a post-compression SMR stream; (b) separating the post-compression SMR stream to provide an oil-based stream and a first SMR vapour stream; (c) passing the first SMR vapour stream into the liquefaction heat exchanger system to cool the first SMR vapour stream and provide a cooled first SMR vapour stream; (d) withdrawing the cooled first SMR vapour stream from the liquefaction heat exchanger system; (e) separating the cooled first SMR vapour stream to provide a liquid-phase SMR stream and an oil-free SMR vapour stream; (f) passing the oil-free SMR vapour stream through the liquefaction heat exchanger system to provide a condensed SMR stream; and (g) expanding the condensed SMR stream to provide an expanded lowest-temperature SMR stream to pass through the liquefaction heat exchanger system for heat exchange against the BOG stream.

Disclosed is a BOG reliquefaction system. The BOG reliquefaction system includes: a compressor compressing BOG; a heat exchanger cooling the BOG compressed by the compressor through heat exchange using BOG not compressed by the compressor as a refrigerant; a pressure reducer disposed downstream of the heat exchanger and reducing a pressure of fluid cooled by the heat exchanger; and a second oil filter disposed downstream of the pressure reducer, wherein the compressor includes at least one oil-lubrication type cylinder and the second oil filter is a cryogenic oil filter.

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.

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 dual-mode LNG liquefier arrangement that is configurable to operate in a first mode broadly characterized as a low pressure, liquid nitrogen add LNG liquefier without turbo-expansion or a second mode broadly characterized as a low pressure, liquid nitrogen add LNG liquefier with turbo-expansion.

Disclosed is a BOG reliquefaction system. The BOG reliquefaction system includes: a compressor compressing BOG; a heat exchanger cooling the BOG compressed by the compressor through heat exchange using BOG discharged from a storage tank as a refrigerant; a bypass line through which the BOG is supplied to the compressor after bypassing the heat exchanger; a second valve disposed on a second supply line through which the BOG used as the refrigerant in the heat exchanger is supplied to the compressor, the second valve regulating a flow rate of fluid and opening/closing of the second supply line; and a pressure reducer disposed downstream of the heat exchanger and reducing a pressure of fluid cooled by the heat exchanger, wherein the compressor includes at least one oil-lubrication type cylinder and the bypass line is joined to the second supply line downstream of the second valve.

Facility and method for hydrogen refrigeration, comprising a hydrogen circuit to be cooled, comprising:—a first and a second set of heat exchanger(s) arranged in series for exchanging heat with the hydrogen circuit to be cooled;—a first cooling device for exchanging heat with the first set of heat exchanger(s) comprising a refrigerator that operates a refrigeration cycle of a first cycle gas;—a second cooling device for exchanging heat with the second set of heat exchanger(s) comprising a refrigerator that operates a refrigeration cycle of a second cycle gas having a molar mass of less than 3 g/mol, the refrigerator of the second cooling device comprising, arranged in series in a cycle circuit: at least one centrifugal compressor, a cooling member, an expansion member and a member for reheating the second expanded cycle gas;—a system for mixing at least one additional component having a molar mass greater than 50 g/mol with the second cycle gas before it enters the at least one centrifugal compressor and a member for purifying the mixture at the outlet of the at least one compressor configured to remove the at least one additional component up to a determined residual content and located upstream of the first set of heat exchanger(s).