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CN-115667782-B - Method for cooling a system in the range of 120K to 200K

CN115667782BCN 115667782 BCN115667782 BCN 115667782BCN-115667782-B

Abstract

A system and method for cooling a liquid cryogenic fluid user using an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is provided. This includes maintaining the first liquid cryogenic fluid within a first predetermined temperature range using a subcooler and/or a recirculation pump, maintaining the second liquid cryogenic fluid within a second predetermined temperature range using a heat exchanger, and recondensing the second liquid cryogenic fluid using the pressurized first liquid cryogenic fluid.

Inventors

  • G Flavian
  • MICHAEL A. TURNEY

Assignees

  • 乔治洛德方法研究和开发液化空气有限公司
  • 液体空气先进技术美国有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20210520
Priority Date
20200520

Claims (12)

  1. 1. A system for cooling a liquid cryogenic fluid user using an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K, comprising: a primary cooling circuit consisting of at least a main cryogenic tank, one subcooler and a recirculation pump configured to operate at a pressure of 6.5 bara + -5 bar,15.5 bara + -5 bar,18.5 bara + -5 bar or 33 bara + -5 bar, and designed to operate with a first liquid cryogenic fluid, Wherein, the The primary cooling circuit being connected to a secondary cooling circuit constituted by a liquid phase separator connected to the liquid cryogenic fluid user, the liquid phase separator housing a heat exchanger and being designed to operate with a second liquid cryogenic fluid at a pressure of 1 bara + -1 bar, The secondary cooling circuit is connected to the gas buffer tank, allowing the addition or removal of the second liquid cryogenic fluid from the secondary cooling circuit during the cooling phase and/or the warming phase, and The system is configured to condense the second liquid cryogenic fluid using the pressurized first liquid cryogenic fluid.
  2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first liquid cryogenic fluid is liquid nitrogen.
  3. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second liquid cryogenic fluid is liquid krypton.
  4. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first liquid cryogenic fluid is methane, and wherein the second liquid cryogenic fluid is tetrafluoride.
  5. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first liquid cryogenic fluid is methane, and wherein the second liquid cryogenic fluid is xenon.
  6. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first liquid cryogenic fluid is methane, and wherein the second liquid cryogenic fluid is nitrous oxide.
  7. 7. A method of cooling a cryogenic liquid user using an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen as a cooling medium in the temperature range of 120K to 200K, wherein a system is used comprising: A primary cooling circuit consisting of at least a main cryogenic tank, one subcooler and a recirculation pump configured to operate at a pressure of 6.5 bara + -5 bar,15.5 bara + -5 bar,18.5 bara + -5 bar or 33 bara + -5 bar using a first liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K, and A secondary cooling circuit comprised of a liquid phase separator connected to the cryogenic liquid user, the liquid phase separator housing a heat exchanger and configured to operate at a pressure of 1 bara + -1 bar using a second liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K, The method comprises the following steps: Maintaining the first liquid comprising an inert and non-pressurized liquid cryogen within a temperature range of 120K to 200K within a first predetermined temperature range using the subcooler and/or the recirculation pump, Maintaining the second liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen within a temperature range of 120K to 200K within a second predetermined temperature range using the heat exchanger, and The second liquid comprising inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is recondensed using the pressurized first liquid comprising inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K.
  8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is liquid nitrogen.
  9. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is liquid krypton.
  10. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is methane, and wherein the second liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is tetrafluoride.
  11. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is methane, and wherein the second liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is xenon.
  12. 12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is methane, and wherein the second liquid comprising an inert, non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is nitrous oxide.

Description

Method for cooling a system in the range of 120K to 200K Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application claims priority from 35U.S. c. ≡119 (a) and (b) to U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/027,819 filed 5/20/2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background In the industrial field, it is necessary to perform isothermal cooling in the temperature range comprising 120K to 200K, which is inert, low pressure and cost-effective. Within this temperature range, there are limitations on the molecules that can be used (nitrogen, oxygen, argon, krypton, xenon, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane.) which may be price, flammability, high saturation pressure, or a combination thereof, making them unsuitable for use by users. An example of a typical prior art for such an application is the use of an inert refrigerant (e.g., nitrogen) that is indirectly heat transferred to the user in a single circuit. However, the user's demand for low pressure refrigeration results in lower temperatures than needed. For example, an N2 refrigerant at 1bara (absolute bar) yields an evaporation temperature of about 80K. This results in a waste of refrigeration energy input in the range of 80K to 120K (or worse, to 200K). Disclosure of Invention A system for cooling a liquid cryogenic fluid user using an inert and non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is provided. The system includes a primary cooling circuit having at least a main cryogenic tank, a subcooler, and a recirculation pump and designed to operate using a first liquid cryogenic fluid under pressure. The primary cooling circuit is connected to a secondary cooling circuit constituted by a liquid phase separator connected to a liquid cryogenic fluid user, which liquid phase separator houses a heat exchanger and is designed to operate with a second liquid cryogenic fluid at very low pressure. The secondary cooling circuit is connected to the gas buffer tank, allowing the addition or removal of a second liquid cryogenic fluid from the secondary cooling circuit during the cooling phase and/or the warming phase. The system is configured to condense a second liquid cryogenic fluid using a pressurized first liquid cryogenic fluid. A method for cooling a liquid cryogenic fluid user using an inert and non-pressurized liquid cryogen in the temperature range of 120K to 200K is provided. The method includes maintaining a first liquid cryogenic fluid within a first predetermined temperature range using a subcooler and/or a recirculation pump, maintaining a second liquid cryogenic fluid within a second predetermined temperature range using a heat exchanger, and recondensing the second liquid cryogenic fluid using the pressurized first liquid cryogenic fluid. Drawings For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are given the same or similar reference numerals, and in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. Reference numerals 101 Primary loop main cryogenic tank 102 Secondary loop main cryotank/liquid phase separator 103 Liquid cryogenic fluid stream 104 Low temperature fluid flow = vaporisation 105 Exhaust valve = 106 =Subcooler 107 =Warm recycle stream 108 Recycle stream of =subcooling 109 =Recirculation control valve 110 =Recirculation pump 111 =Liquid buffer tank 112 Buffer tank transport stream 113 Transmission control valve of buffer tank 114 =Liquid cryogenic fluid (in main cryogenic tank) 115 =Cryogenic fluid vapor (in main cryogenic tank) 116 =Liquid cryogenic fluid user 117 External liquid cryogenic fluid source 118 Bypass line of =subcooler 119 =First pressure transmitter (in primary loop main cryogenic tank) 120 =First peripheral interface controller 121 =Second peripheral interface controller 122 Second pressure transmitter (in subcooler bypass line) 123 =Third peripheral interface controller 124 =Fourth peripheral interface controller 125 =Bypass control valve 126 =Secondary loop gas buffer tank 127 =Secondary loop heater 128 =Secondary loop compressor 129 Secondary loop main cryotank coil/heat exchanger 130 =Cold secondary stream 131 Secondary flow of warm 201 Primary cooling loop 202 =Secondary cooling loop Detailed Description Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the i