Compensation of refrigeration losses during the storage of liquefied, low-boiling gaseous mixtures
An improved energy-saving process from Linde AG compensates for the refrigeration losses of stored liquefied gas mixtures (particularly those mixtures in which the boiling points of the individual components are spaced widely apart as is the case with LNG), by providing makeup refrigeration without condensing evaporated liquefied gaseous mixtures. The process thus avoids the need to condense, at low temperature levels, a vapor fraction which is highly enriched in the low-boiling components of the mixture. Thus, an important saving in energy is gained because the subcooling of the mixture present in the liquid phase can be conducted at a considerably smaller temperature difference between the subcooled liquid and the stored liquid. This concept of subcooling liquid instead of evaporated vapor is generally unorthodox in the storage of liquefied gases because it is well-known that the overall heat trasnfer coefficient is larger and thus the size of heat exchanger is smaller when condensing vapors. In the process, the liquefied gas mixtures are withdrawn from the storage tank, subcooled in heat exchange with an auxiliary refrigerant, and recycled back into the storage tank.
- Assignee:
- Linde AG
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3918265
- OSTI ID:
- 6181774
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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