Apparatus and process for cryogenic liquid vaporization to re-cool gas for cryogenic fluid recovery

Abstract

To provide processes and systems for processing a cryogenic fluid and a re-cool gas for recapture and recovery of the cryogenic fluid.SOLUTION: An apparatus and process for warming a cryogenic liquid and re-cooling a gas for recapture and recovery of the cryogenic gas can include recovering the cryogenic gas and storing the gas in at least one storage device to avoid venting such a gas to the atmosphere. The stored gas can be fed to at least one heat exchanger to vaporize the cryogenic liquid being fed from at least one storage tank for dispensing the cryogenic fluid. The stored cryogenic gas can be cooled as a result of using the cryogenic gas as a heating medium for vaporization of the cryogenic liquid, and can be subsequently fed to one or more cryogenic liquid storage tanks.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a process and system for processing cryogenic fluids and recooled gases for cryogenic fluid recapture and recovery. Embodiments can be configured to use a cryogenic liquid (e.g., liquid hydrogen) and utilize a gas (e.g., gaseous hydrogen) to simultaneously warm the liquid and cool the gas to liquefy, partially liquefy, or cool the gas. [Background technology]

[0002] U.S. Patent Nos. 6,401,767, 6,474,078, 6,619,336, 6,708,573, 6,745,801, 6,786,245, 7,028,724, 7,328,726, 7,793,675, 7,921,883, 8,020,589, 8,286,675, 8,365,777, Examples of hydrogen generation and / or supply systems can be seen in US Pat. Nos. 8,453,682, 8,899,278, 9,074,730, 9,151,448, 9,261,238, 9,279,541, 9,404,620, 9,863,583, 10,502,649, 10,508,770, and 11,167,732. Examples of hydrogen storage and / or distribution systems can also be seen in US Pat. Appl. Pub. Nos. 2023 / 0137335 and 2023 / 0107342, and WO 2023 / 095604. Such systems can provide hydrogen to a vehicle for use as a fuel to power the operation of the vehicle.

[0003] There are also natural gas based storage and distribution systems that can provide natural gas for fueling natural gas-powered vehicles. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0202585 discloses one example of such a system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] We have determined that hydrogen storage and distribution systems, as well as other systems that utilize cryogenic fluids to store and distribute the fluid as a fuel (e.g., natural gas-based systems) or process gas (e.g., liquid oxygen-based systems that can heat oxygen to form an oxidant stream for the combustion of the fuel), often lose significant amounts of fluid to the atmosphere via venting. For example, storage tanks often vent gas that may form while the cryogenic liquid is stored in the tank to reduce pressure in the tank to avoid overpressure conditions. As another example, fluid is often lost during pump cool-down operations or storage tank supply conduit purge operations. As yet another example, cryogenic gas is often lost during tank and / or resupply trailer blow-down operations.

[0005] We have also recognized that this lost fluid can often contribute to the formation of fog as the cryogenic fluid is vented to the atmosphere and contributes to the formation of fog in the atmosphere surrounding the facility as a result of the venting of the cryogenic gas. Additionally, we have found that when stored cryogenic liquid is utilized in fuel dispensing operations, ambient air carburetors that may be utilized in such processes can also contribute to the formation of undesirable fog. Additionally, we have determined that such carburetors can experience icing that can reduce the operational life of the carburetor or require the carburetor to undergo defrost maintenance operations to remove the icing.

[0006] We have determined that fluid loss and fog formation are undesirable. For example, fog formation can reduce visibility and pose possible safety issues. As another example, venting a fluid can result in undesirable fluid loss due to the loss of energy and other inputs associated with the lost fluid being vented. Additionally, venting a fluid may be undesirable due to environmental concerns that may be associated with the fluid (e.g., in a situation where the fluid is methane, venting the methane may be undesirable due to carbon-based emissions concerns).

[0007] Embodiments of our processes, apparatus, and systems can be provided that can help avoid the loss of cryogenic fluid. Embodiments can provide improved operational flexibility that reduces operational costs and avoids or limits the waste of cryogenic fluid and the energy associated with the formation, transportation, and / or storage of the fluid. Embodiments can also be provided that can help extend the operating range of a cryogenic liquid vaporizer to reduce the overall footprint or size of the apparatus while mitigating the formation of ice on various structural elements of the apparatus. Additionally, embodiments can be adapted to help avoid or minimize the formation of fog while also reducing or avoiding emissions that may be harmful to the environment (e.g., methane emissions, etc.).

[0008] In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided for warming a cryogenic liquid to vaporize the cryogenic liquid and re-cooling a gas for recapture and recovery of the gas. The apparatus can include a vaporized gas recapture and recovery system having a gas storage device positionable between a storage tank positioned and configured to store the cryogenic liquid and a vaporizer positioned to heat the cryogenic liquid outputtable from the storage tank to vaporize the cryogenic liquid. The gas storage device can be positioned to receive gas formed from the cryogenic liquid for storage and to supply the stored gas to the vaporizer as a heating medium for warming the cryogenic liquid.

[0009] In some embodiments, the cryogenic liquid may be liquid hydrogen. Other embodiments may utilize other types of stored cryogenic liquids (e.g., liquid oxygen, liquid natural gas, etc.).

[0010] In a second aspect, the apparatus can include a vaporized gas recapture and recovery system supply conduit arrangement positioned to supply gas formed from the cryogenic liquid to the gas storage device. A vaporized gas recapture and recovery system output conduit arrangement can also be included. The output conduit can include a vaporizer heating medium supply conduit connected between the vaporizer and the gas storage device to supply gas to the vaporizer as a heating medium.

[0011] In some embodiments, the supply conduit arrangement of the vaporized gas recapture and recovery system can include one or more of: (i) a pressure reduction conduit positioned between the gas storage device and the storage tank; (ii) a pump cooldown output conduit positioned between the pump and the gas storage device, where the pump is positioned between the vaporizer and the storage tank to supply cryogenic liquid to the vaporizer; and (iii) at least one trailer gas supply conduit positionable between the trailer and the gas storage device, where the trailer is connectable to the storage tank via a trailer connection for supplying cryogenic liquid from the trailer to the storage tank.

[0012] The at least one trailer gas supply conduit can be positioned and configured such that cryogenic gas formed when cryogenic liquid from the trailer passes through the trailer connection as a purge flow to cool elements of the trailer connection can be supplied to the gas storage device, and / or the at least one trailer gas supply conduit can be positioned and configured such that cryogenic gas within the trailer can pass through the trailer gas supply conduit to at least one storage vessel of the gas storage device during a trailer blowdown operation.

[0013] Embodiments of the apparatus can include at least one trailer gas supply conduit, a reduced pressure conduit, and / or a pump cooldown output conduit. For example, the apparatus can include a reduced pressure conduit and a pump cooldown output conduit in some embodiments.

[0014] In some embodiments, the output conduit of the vaporized gas recapture and recovery system is configured to include: (i) a cooled heating medium output conduit connected to the vaporizer to output a gas usable as a heating medium in the vaporizer; and (ii)

[0015] and at least one of: (A) a cryogenic gas recovery supply conduit connected between the cooled heating medium output conduit and a conduit downstream of the vaporizer or a process unit; (B) a recovery pump supply conduit connected between the cooled heating medium output conduit and a pump; and / or (C) a storage tank recovery conduit connected between the cooled heating medium output conduit and a storage tank.

[0016] In a third aspect, the apparatus may include at least one cooling device connectable to the cooled heating medium output conduit for further cooling the gas output from the vaporizer via the cooled heating medium output conduit, and the at least one cooling device may be positioned between the storage tank and the vaporizer. The at least one cooling device may include a cooling heat exchanger connected to the cooled heating medium output conduit and a refrigerant supply conduit for receiving a refrigerant for cooling the gas output from the vaporizer received via the cooled heating medium output conduit. Also, a refrigerant pressure boosting device may be provided positioned to receive the warmed refrigerant output from the cooling heat exchanger and increase the pressure of the warmed refrigerant for supplying it to the vaporizer as a heating medium. A refrigerant pressure drop device may be positioned to receive the refrigerant from the vaporizer after the warmed refrigerant is supplied to the vaporizer such that the heating medium is cooled via the vaporizer. The pressure drop device may be connected to the refrigerant supply conduit, and the pressure drop device may be configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant for supplying it to the cooling heat exchanger at a preselected refrigerant supply pressure.

[0017] In a fourth aspect, the vaporizer can include a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger can be connected to the vaporizer heating medium supply pipe, and the second heat exchanger can be connected between the refrigerant pressure drop device and the refrigerant pressure boost device. The second heat exchanger can be positioned to receive the warmed refrigerant and output the refrigerant to the refrigerant pressure reduction device after the warmed refrigerant is used as a heating medium in the second heat exchanger.

[0018] In a fifth embodiment, the refrigerant may consist of hydrogen or helium.

[0019] In a sixth aspect, the device can include at least one expansion mechanism positioned between the vaporizer and the storage tank and / or between the vaporizer and the pump.

[0020] In a seventh aspect, the gas storage device can include a metal hydride storage vessel configured to store the gas and increase the pressure of the gas to supply the gas to the vaporizer as a heating medium for warming the cryogenic liquid.

[0021] In an eighth embodiment, the cryogenic liquid is liquid hydrogen and the gas is hydrogen gas.

[0022] In a ninth aspect, the apparatus of the first aspect may include one or more features of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and / or eighth aspects. It should be appreciated that other embodiments may utilize one or more additional features. Examples of such features and combinations of features include those shown in the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings and / or discussed herein.

[0023] In a tenth aspect, a process for warming a cryogenic liquid and recooling a gas is provided. The process can include supplying a gas formed from a cryogenic liquid stored in a storage tank, a gas formed from a cryogenic liquid in a cryogenic liquid trailer, a purge gas from a trailer connection for connecting the trailer to a cryogenic liquid storage tank, and / or a gas of a pump cool-down fluid to a gas storage device. The process can also include outputting gas from the gas storage device to a cryogenic liquid vaporizer as a heating medium for warming the cryogenic liquid output from the cryogenic liquid storage tank and cooling the heating medium. The process can also include supplying gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to the cryogenic liquid storage tank and / or to a pump positioned to supply the gas to the vaporizer for vaporizing the cryogenic liquid stored in the storage tank, and / or to a conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer.

[0024] In some embodiments, the cryogenic liquid may be liquid hydrogen, while in other embodiments, the cryogenic liquid may be another type of cryogenic liquid.

[0025] In an eleventh aspect, supplying the gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to a cryogenic liquid storage tank and / or a pump can be performed, and supplying the gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to the cryogenic liquid storage tank can include supplying at least a portion of the gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to (i) at least one cooling device and / or (ii) at least one pressure reducing device for supplying fluid to the storage tank and / or pump.

[0026] In some embodiments, the fluid provided to the storage tank is at least partially liquefied via at least one cooling device and / or at least one pressure reducing device.

[0027] In a twelfth aspect, supplying the gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to a cryogenic liquid storage tank, and / or a pump, and / or a conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer may include supplying at least a portion of the gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to a conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer.

[0028] In a thirteenth aspect, supplying the gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to a cryogenic liquid storage tank, and / or a pump, and / or a conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer may include supplying at least a portion of the gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to (i) at least one cooling device, and / or (ii) at least one pressure reducing device for supplying fluid to the storage tank and / or pump, wherein the at least one pressure reducing device is positioned between the at least one cooling device and the cryogenic liquid storage tank and / or pump.

[0029] In a fourteenth aspect, delivering the gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to a cryogenic liquid storage tank and / or a pump and / or a conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer can include delivering at least a portion of the gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to at least one cooling device. The process can also include delivering a refrigerant to a cooling heat exchanger of the at least one cooling device to cool the gas used as a heating medium, and outputting the refrigerant from the cooling heat exchanger for delivery to the vaporizer and cooling the refrigerant output from the cooling heat exchanger.

[0030] In a fifteenth aspect, the gas storage device can include a metal hydride storage vessel configured to store the gas and increase the pressure of the gas during output of the gas from the gas storage device to the cryogenic liquid vaporizer as a heating medium.

[0031] In a sixteenth aspect, our apparatus embodiments are capable of implementing our process embodiments and may be utilized in the implementation of our process embodiments.

[0032] In a seventeenth aspect, the process of the tenth aspect may include one or more features of the eleventh aspect, the twelfth aspect, the thirteenth aspect, the fourteenth aspect, the fifteenth aspect, and / or the sixteenth aspect. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that other embodiments of the process may utilize one or more additional features. Examples of such features and combinations of features include those shown in the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings and / or discussed herein.

[0033] It should be appreciated that process and apparatus embodiments can utilize a variety of conduit arrangements and process control elements. Embodiments may utilize sensors (e.g., pressure sensors, temperature sensors, flow sensors, concentration sensors, etc.), controllers, valves, piping, and other process control elements. Some embodiments can utilize, for example, an automatic process control system and / or a distributed control system (DCS). A variety of different conduit arrangements and process control systems can be utilized to meet a particular set of design criteria. A DCS or automatic process control system can utilize one or more computing devices including a processor coupled to a non-transitory computer readable medium and at least one transceiver configured to monitor, supervise, and / or control a process according to at least one predefined algorithm, which may be defined in code stored on the computer readable medium that is executable by the processor.

[0034] Other details, objects, and advantages of our process for warming cryogenic liquid and re-cooling gas for recapture and recovery of the gas formed from the cryogenic liquid, apparatus for warming cryogenic liquid and re-cooling gas, hydrogen storage and distribution system, hydrogen storage and distribution process, and methods of making and using the same will become apparent as the following description of certain exemplary embodiments thereof proceeds.

[0035] Exemplary embodiments of our process for warming cryogenic liquid and re-cooling gas for recapture and recovery of the cryogenic gas formed from the cryogenic liquid, apparatus for warming cryogenic liquid and re-cooling gas, hydrogen storage and distribution system, hydrogen storage and distribution process, and methods of making and using the same are shown in the drawings included herein, it being understood that like reference characters used in the drawings may identify like components. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of an apparatus 1 for warming a cryogenic liquid and re-cooling a lotus for recapture and recovery of the cryogenic gas formed from the cryogenic liquid. FIG. 1 also illustrates an exemplary embodiment of our process for warming a cryogenic liquid and re-cooling a gas. Various optional elements that may be included in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 are indicated by dashed lines.

[0037] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary implementation of the first exemplary embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 also illustrates an exemplary embodiment of our process for warming a cryogenic liquid and re-cooling a gas. Various optional elements that may be included in the exemplary implementation illustrated in FIG. 2 are indicated with dashed lines.

[0038] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another exemplary implementation of the first exemplary embodiment of the device 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 also illustrates an exemplary embodiment of our process for warming a cryogenic liquid and recooling a gas. Various optional elements that may be included in the exemplary implementation illustrated in FIG. 3 are indicated with dashed lines.

[0039] [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a first exemplary implementation of the first exemplary embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 also illustrates an exemplary embodiment of our process for warming a cryogenic liquid and recooling a gas. Various optional elements that may be included in the exemplary implementation illustrated in FIG. 4 are indicated with dashed lines.

[0040] [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a first exemplary embodiment of a gas storage device 10 that may be utilized in the first embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG 1 and additional exemplary implementations of that embodiment shown in FIGs 2-4 and 12. Various optional elements that may be included in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG 5 are indicated by dashed lines.

[0041] [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a second exemplary embodiment of a gas storage device 10 (gas storage device) that can be utilized in the first embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 and additional exemplary implementations of that embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4 and 12.

[0042] [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a third exemplary embodiment of a gas storage device 10 (gas storage device) that can be utilized in the first embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 and additional exemplary implementations of that embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4 and 12.

[0043] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a fourth exemplary embodiment of a gas storage device 10 (gas storage device) that may be utilized in the first embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG 1 and additional exemplary implementations of that embodiment shown in FIGs 2-4 and 12. Optional elements that may be included in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG 8 are indicated by dashed lines.

[0044] [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a first exemplary embodiment of an optional control device 21 that may be utilized in the first embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG 1 and in additional exemplary implementations of that embodiment shown in FIGs 2-4. Optional elements that may be included in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG 9 are indicated by dashed lines.

[0045] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a second exemplary embodiment of an optional cooling device 21 that may be utilized in the first embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG 1 and in additional exemplary implementations thereof shown in FIGs 2-4. Optional elements that may be included in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG 10 are indicated in dashed lines.

[0046] [Figure 11] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of our process for warming a cryogenic liquid and re-cooling a gas for recapture and recovery of the cryogenic gas, it being recognized that embodiments of this process may be utilized with embodiments of the apparatus 1 for warming a cryogenic liquid and re-cooling a gas for recapture and recovery of the cryogenic gas.

[0047] [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an exemplary implementation of the first exemplary embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 12 also illustrates an exemplary embodiment of our process for warming a cryogenic liquid and re-cooling a gas. Various optional elements that may be included in the exemplary implementation illustrated in FIG. 12 are indicated with dashed lines. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0048] As can be appreciated from FIGS. 1-10 and 12 and the disclosure provided herein, exemplary embodiments of our apparatus 1 for warming cryogenic liquid and recooling gas for recapture and recovery of cryogenic gas formed from the cryogenic liquid can be positioned and arranged for improved processing performance that can help reduce cryogenic fluid loss and avoid venting such fluid to the atmosphere. By reducing fluid loss, the embodiments can provide improved operational efficiency while mitigating, if not avoiding, fog formation associated with operation of the apparatus 1. Some embodiments of the apparatus 1 can be configured as hydrogen storage and distribution systems and / or can utilize processes for hydrogen storage and distribution. Other embodiments of the apparatus 1 can be configured as other types of systems that can utilize other types of cryogenic fluids (e.g., methane, which can be stored as a liquid for subsequent use as a gas, or natural gas, cryogenic oxygen, etc.).

[0049] 1-4, the apparatus 1 can include a cryogenic fluid storage tank 3 (ST) that can be configured to store liquid cryogenic fluid as well as gaseous cryogenic fluid that can be formed as a result of the storage of liquid cryogenic fluid in the tank evaporating to gas while the liquid is stored in the liquid cryogenic fluid storage tank 3. The cryogenic gas in the tank 3 can be at an upper portion of the tank above the liquid level in the tank. The cryogenic fluid stored in the tank can be hydrogen or another suitable cryogenic fluid (e.g., methane, oxygen, etc.).

[0050] The storage tank 3 may be filled or refilled via at least one trailer 3T, which is connectable to the storage tank 3 via a trailer connection 2T. Cryogenic liquid in the trailer 3T may be supplied to the tank to refill the tank, to add additional cryogenic liquid to the tank 3, or to otherwise provide additional cryogenic fluid to the tank 3 via a trailer connection 2T, which is connectable between the trailer 3T and the storage tank 3. In other embodiments, resupply of cryogenic fluid to the storage tank 3 may be provided via another source of fluid (e.g., a hydrogen formation device, etc.) which may be at the location of the device.

[0051] The storage tank 3 may be configured for storage of a cryogenic fluid. In an embodiment in which the stored cryogenic liquid is hydrogen, the temperature at which the fluid is stored in the storage tank may be in a preselected storage temperature range of -225°C to -280°C, and the storage pressure may be in a preselected storage pressure range of 0.1 MPa to 3 MPa. In an embodiment in which the cryogenic liquid is stored in oxygen, the preselected storage temperature may be in a range of -219°C to -125°C, and the storage pressure may be in a preselected storage pressure range of 0.1 MPa to 3 MPa. Other cryogenic liquids (e.g., liquid natural gas, liquid nitrogen, etc.) may also be stored in the storage tank. Typically, the preselected storage temperature and preselected storage pressure may be selected such that the stored fluid is below the critical temperature of the fluid to help minimize boil-off of the liquid.

[0052] The storage tank 3 may be fluidly connected to a pump 5 via a pump supply conduit 4 positioned between the storage tank 3 and the pump 5. The pump 5 may be configured to drive the flow of a liquid or to assist in driving the flow of a fluid including a mixture of liquid and gas. The pump 5 may be positioned to increase the pressure of the fluid to supply to a vaporizer 7 (HXV) such that the cryogenic liquid supplied to the pump 5 may be vaporized into a gas. The fluid output from the pump 5 may have a preselected vaporizer supply pressure, which may be a pressure within the range of, for example, 20 MPa to 80 MPa, 20 MPa to 40 MPa, 30 MPa to 70 MPa, or other suitable pressure range.

[0053] A vaporizer supply conduit 6 may be positioned between the pump 5 and the vaporizer 7 to supply cryogenic fluid from the pump 5 to the vaporizer 7. In some embodiments, the vaporizer 7 may be positioned to heat the cryogenic fluid and output the cryogenic fluid as cryogenic gas to supply the distribution system 9. A vaporizer output conduit 8 may be positioned between the vaporizer 7 and the distribution system 9 to supply warmed gas output from the vaporizer 7 to the distribution system 9.

[0054] The vaporizer 7 can include at least one heat exchanger (e.g., multiple heat exchangers or a single heat exchanger). The vaporizer 7 can be configured to utilize at least one heating medium. The heating medium provided to the vaporizer 7 can include gas formed via vaporization of the cryogenic liquid stored in the storage tank 3 when the liquid has been warmed (e.g., residual gas of the cryogenic liquid held in the trailer 3T that may have been formed during storage in the storage tank 3, via use in a purging operation, during transportation or that may have been provided to the trailer, gas formed during a pump cool down operation, etc.). In some embodiments, the vaporizer 7 can include two or more heat exchangers, and the heating medium provided via the gas formed by the vaporized cryogenic liquid may not be sufficient to vaporize the cryogenic liquid into a gas for output as a gas via the vaporizer output conduit 8. In such embodiments, at least one additional heating medium can be utilized for vaporization of the cryogenic liquid in the vaporizer 7 to provide warmed gas for supplying to the vaporizer output conduit 8. Such a heating medium can include, for example, ambient air. As another example, such additional heating media may further or alternatively include a warmed refrigerant flow as discussed herein.

[0055] In some embodiments, the distribution system 9 can include at least one distributor for distributing gas to at least one vehicle 11 via at least one vehicle connection device 9f that can be positionable to fluidly connect the distribution system 9 to the vehicle 11 for supplying fluid to at least one fuel tank of the vehicle 11. The distribution system 9 can also include a flow control manifold connected to one or more of the distributors for apportioning cryogenic fluid to the distributor to facilitate fueling of the vehicle 11.

[0056] In other embodiments, it is envisioned that the apparatus may provide the cryogenic fluid to another plant process. In such embodiments, vaporizer output conduit 8 may be positioned between vaporizer 7 and another plant process element to supply warmed cryogenic fluid to the plant process element. For example, in an embodiment in which the cryogenic fluid is oxygen and apparatus 1 is configured to support a furnace operation for the combustion of fuel or melting of metal (e.g., aluminum or steel), vaporizer output conduit 8 may be positioned to provide a flow of oxidant to a furnace for the combustion of fuel therein.

[0057] The apparatus 1 may also include a vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2 configured to recapture cryogenic liquid vaporized to gas during storage and use as a purge stream, for use in pump cool-down operations, and / or for use in other applications to avoid the need to vent gas formed from the cryogenic liquid. For example, the vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2 may be configured to recapture and recover gas in one or more of the following situations: (i) gas formed when the cryogenic liquid may be warmed during storage, (ii) gas formed when the cryogenic liquid is used in pump cool-down operations and / or purging supply lines, (iii) gas formed from cryogenic liquid used to purge lines, and / or (iv) gas formed during blow-down operations and / or gas output from a tank or trailer during blow-down operations. The vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2 may also be configured to collect other gas formed from the cryogenic liquid (e.g., due to evaporation, boil-off, warming during storage or use, etc.).

[0058] The vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2 can include a gas storage device 10. The gas storage device 10 can include one or more gas storage vessels 30. The gas storage vessels 30 can be configured to store gas formed from the cryogenic liquid when the gas is warmed and no longer cryogenic. Warming of the gas supplied to the gas storage device 10 can be provided via at least one warming tank, a conduit path for supplying the formed gas to the gas storage device, the use of an enlarged conduit segment in a gas supply conduit for supplying the gas to the gas storage device to facilitate warming the gas to a non-cryogenic temperature, or other mechanism or configuration for facilitating warming of the gas to a non-cryogenic temperature for storage in one or more storage vessels 30 of the gas storage device 10. In some embodiments, the non-cryogenic temperature for storage of the gas can be a temperature that is greater than -100°C, between -100°C and 50°C, between -100°C and 25°C, or other suitable storage temperature within a preselected gas storage temperature range.

[0059] The gas storage device 10 may include at least one gas storage vessel 30 and may also include a pressure booster mechanism C. The pressure booster mechanism C may be incorporated into the storage vessel 30, may be incorporated into the gas storage device 10, or may be positioned between the gas storage device 10 and the vaporizer 7 to increase the pressure of a gas supply 10f that is supplied to the vaporizer 7 to act as a heating medium for warming the cryogenic liquid output from the storage tank 3 that may be supplied to the vaporizer 7 via a pump 5 and a vaporizer supply conduit 6. The gas supply 10f may be supplied to the vaporizer 7 via a vaporizer heating medium supply conduit positioned between the gas storage device 10 and the vaporizer 7. In embodiments where the pressure booster mechanism C is not incorporated into the gas storage device 10, the pressure booster mechanism C may be connected to or integrated into the vaporizer heating medium supply conduit to increase the pressure of the gas supply 10f to a preselected heating medium pressure that is within a preselected vaporizer heating medium pressure range.

[0060] For example, in some configurations, the boost mechanism C can include a compressor, pump, bump tank, or other device configured to increase the pressure of the gas for supply to the vaporizer 7 as the heating medium at a preselected heating medium pressure within a preselected vaporizer heating medium pressure range. This pressure range can be 0.1 MPA to 3 MPa, 0.5 MPa to 1 MPa, 0.3 MPa to 1.5 MPa, or other suitable range. The boost mechanism C (if utilized) can be positioned between the vaporizer 7 and the gas storage device 10 and / or between the gas storage device 10 and the vaporizer 7 to output the gas at the preselected vaporizer heating medium pressure via a vaporizer heating medium supply conduit 10fc positioned between the boost mechanism C and the vaporizer 7.

[0061] In other configurations, the increased pressure mechanism may be at least one heating element for heating storage container 30 configured as a metal hydride storage container 33 that can heat the container such that hydrogen stored in the container can be released from container 30 at an increased pressure that is within a preselected vaporizer heating medium pressure range for supply to the vaporizer via a vaporizer heating medium supply conduit positioned between the vaporizer 7 and the gas storage device 10.

[0062] The vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2 may also include a supply conduit arrangement for recovering cryogenic gas or other gas formed from cryogenic liquid vaporization (e.g., evaporation, boil-off, etc.) from various units of the apparatus 1 and transporting it to the gas storage device 10, and an output conduit arrangement such that gas stored in the gas storage device 10 may be supplied to the vaporizer 7 and then to a storage tank 3 and / or conduit downstream of the vaporizer 7 (e.g., vaporizer output conduit 8, etc.).

[0063] The vapor recapture and recovery system 2 may also include at least one expansion mechanism 12 (Exp.) and / or at least one cooling device 21 positioned to cool the cooled gas used as a heating medium in the vaporizer 7 and / or facilitate at least partial liquefaction of the cooled gas after the heating medium is output from the vaporizer 7 as a cooled heating medium stream via a cooled heating medium output conduit 14, which may be connected to the vaporizer 7. If utilized, these components may be connected to the arrangement of output conduits of the vapor recapture and recovery system 2.

[0064] For example, the cooled heating medium output conduit 14 may be a component of an arrangement of output conduits of the vapor recapture and recovery system 2. As can be appreciated below, the cooled heating medium output conduit 14 may include a cooling device supply conduit 14a and an expansion mechanism supply conduit 14b in embodiments utilizing a cooling device 21.

[0065] Also, the vaporizer heating medium supply conduit for gas supply 10f supplied to vaporizer 7 may be a component of the output conduit arrangement of vapor recapture and recovery system 2. The output conduit arrangement of vapor recapture and recovery system 2 may also include other conduits. For example, the output conduit arrangement of vapor recapture and recovery system 2 may include storage tank recovery conduit 16, recovery pump supply conduit 16p, and / or cryogenic gas recovery supply conduit 16a, as discussed below.

[0066] Examples of supply conduit arrangements of the vaporized gas recapture recovery system 2 can be best appreciated from FIGS. 1-8. For example, the supply conduit arrangement can include at least one trailer gas supply conduit 20 positioned between the gas storage device 10 and the trailer connection 2T and / or the trailer 3T to supply cryogenic gas toward at least one storage vessel 30 of the gas storage device 10 for storage of gas formed from the cryogenic liquid in the gas storage device 10. For example, the trailer gas supply conduit 20 can be positioned such that the cryogenic gas formed when the cryogenic liquid from the trailer 3T passes through the trailer connection 2T as a purge stream to cool the elements of the connection can be captured and supplied to the gas storage device 10 for storage and use instead of being vented. The purge stream captured for supply to the gas storage device 10 can, in some embodiments, undergo purification via at least one purification unit (e.g., an adsorber having an internal adsorbent to remove impurities from the captured purge stream, etc.) before being supplied to the storage device 10. Such a purification unit may, for example, be incorporated into and / or included in the trailer gas supply conduit 20 .

[0067] The trailer gas supply conduit 20 may also or alternatively be positioned such that cryogenic gas within the trailer 3T (e.g., gas that may have formed while the cryogenic liquid within the trailer was stored in the trailer 3T) may pass through the trailer gas supply conduit to at least one storage vessel 30 for storage of the gas during a trailer blowdown operation. This type of blowdown operation may be performed before the trailer 3T leaves the site to ensure that the pressure within the trailer 3T falls below a preselected threshold, or may be provided prior to supplying the cryogenic liquid to the storage tank 3 to avoid an overpressure condition within the trailer 3T.

[0068] The supply conduit arrangement of the vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2 may further (or alternatively) include a reduced pressure conduit 10a connectable between the storage tank 3 and the gas storage device 10 (e.g., at least one storage vessel 30 of the gas storage device 10) so that cryogenic gas formed in the tank 3 while the cryogenic liquid is stored therein can be removed from the tank 3 and supplied to at least one storage vessel 30 of the gas storage device 10 instead of being vented to the atmosphere. This type of removal of cryogenic gas from the tank 3 may be performed periodically to reduce the pressure at the tank 3 and maintain the pressure in the tank at or below a preselected tank storage pressure. As the cryogenic liquid is stored in the tank over time, cryogenic gas may form during the storage time (e.g., boil off or evaporate during storage) and increase the pressure of the tank. The periodic removal of the formed cryogenic gas may reduce the pressure in the tank 3 and maintain it at or below a preselected tank storage pressure. This type of pressure reduction may be performed periodically in response to detection of the pressure in the tank being equal to or above a preselected threshold, which may be the preselected tank storage pressure. The detection may be provided via a regulator or pressure sensor positioned to monitor or measure the pressure of the tank 3. A controller may be configured to actuate a valve to open the tank valve. Cryogenic gas may be output from the tank to be supplied to at least one container 30 of the gas storage device 10 for storage via a reduced pressure conduit 10a that may be connected between the storage tank 3 and the gas storage device 10. And, as mentioned above, the gas stored via the gas storage device 10 may be at a non-cryogenic temperature due to warming of the gas that may occur while the gas passes towards at least one storage container 30 of the gas storage device 10.

[0069] The removal of the cryogenic gas from the tank 3 and the conveyance of the gas to the gas storage device 10 can allow the gas to be re-cooled and recaptured instead of being vented to the atmosphere to relieve an overpressure condition in the tank 3. This reduced pressure conduit 10a can also be utilized during the blowdown operation to reduce the pressure in the tank 3 to remove the cryogenic gas therein to facilitate further filling of the tank 3 with cryogenic liquid output from the trailer 3T that is supplied to the tank 3 via the trailer connection 2T. The tank blowdown operation utilizing the reduced pressure conduit 10a can be performed at the same time that the trailer blowdown operation described above is performed such that the cryogenic gas from the trailer 3T is provided to the gas storage device 10 via the trailer gas supply conduit 20 and the cryogenic gas from the tank 3 is provided to the gas storage device 10 via the reduced pressure conduit 10a. This type of blowdown operation can be performed before, during, or after the trailer connection 2T purge operation described above is performed.

[0070] The arrangement of supply conduits of the vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2 may further (or alternatively) include one or more pump cooldown conduits for recovery of cryogenic fluid that may be supplied to the pump 5 to cool the pump before the pump is activated to drive the flow of cryogenic liquid from the tank 3 to the vaporizer 7. For example, the pump cooldown supply conduit 10pc and / or the pump supply conduit 4 may be utilized to supply cryogenic fluid to the pump to cool the pump before the pump 5 is activated. In some embodiments, the cryogenic liquid may be supplied to the pump via the pump supply conduits to cool the pump 5. As a result of such cooling, the cryogenic liquid may be vaporized as the cryogenic liquid cools the pump 5, and the cryogenic gas formed via the pump cooldown may be output from the pump and supplied to at least one container 30 of the gas storage device 10 via the pump cooldown output conduit 10b positioned between the pump 5 and the gas storage device 10.

[0071] In other embodiments, the pump cooldown supply conduit 10pc may be connected between the pump 5 and the storage tank 3 to supply cryogenic fluid from the tank 3 to the pump 5 for cooling the pump 5. The cryogenic fluid may then be output from the pump 5 as cryogenic gas output from the pump 5 for supply to at least one storage vessel 30 of the gas storage device 10 via a pump cooldown output conduit 10b positioned between the pump 5 and the gas storage device 10. The cryogenic fluid output from the tank 3 for passing through the pump cooldown supply conduit 10pc may be the cryogenic gas within the tank 3 in some embodiments. In such a configuration, the inlet of the pump cooldown supply conduit 10pc may be positioned above the expected liquid level of the tank 3 such that the cryogenic gas is output from the tank 3 for movement to the pump cooldown supply conduit 10pc for pump cooldown operation and subsequent storage of the cryogenic gas.

[0072] In some embodiments, which may also include a reduced pressure conduit 10a, a pump cool-down supply conduit 10pc may be connected between the pump 5 and the reduced pressure conduit 10a to supply cryogenic gas from the tank 3 to the pump 5 for performing a pump cool-down operation and subsequently supplying the cryogenic gas to the gas storage device 10.

[0073] As mentioned above, the vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2 may also include at least one expansion mechanism 12 (Exp.) and / or at least one cooling device 21 positioned to cool the cooled gas used as a heating medium in the vaporizer 7 and / or to facilitate at least partial liquefaction of the cooled cryogenic gas after the heating medium is output from the vaporizer 7 as a cooled heating medium stream via a cooled heating medium output conduit 14 that may be connected to the vaporizer 7. For example, the cooled gas used as a heating medium in the vaporizer 7 output from at least one storage vessel 30 of the gas storage device 10 may be output from the vaporizer 7 via the cooled heating medium output conduit 14 and then fed to an expansion mechanism 12 (Exp.) for reducing the pressure of this fluid to a preselected storage tank supply pressure. Such a preselected storage tank supply pressure may be a pressure between 0.1 MPa and 3 MPa in some embodiments. The expansion mechanism 12 may include a control valve, a Joule-Thomson valve, an expander, a combination of such units, or other suitable pressure reducing device.

[0074] The reduced pressure provided by the expansion mechanism 12 may also function to cool the fluid. The reduced pressure and cooling that may be provided via the expansion mechanism 12 may partially liquefy the gas while reducing its pressure, or may fully liquefy it. Alternatively, the reduced pressure and cooling that may be provided via the expansion mechanism 12 may further cool the gas without partially liquefying it to help maintain the pressure in the storage tank 3 and help limit cryogenic liquid boil-off that may occur while the cryogenic liquid is stored in the tank 3. Fluid output from the expansion mechanism 12 may be supplied to the storage tank 3 via a storage tank return conduit 16 positioned between the storage tank 3 and the expansion mechanism 12, and / or may be supplied to the pump 5 via a return pump supply conduit 16p positioned between the expansion mechanism 12 and the pump 5 (e.g., supplied to the pump supply conduit 4 by the return pump supply conduit 16p being connected between the pump supply conduit 4 and the expansion mechanism 12 to supply fluid from the expansion mechanism 12 to the pump 5 for passing cryogenic liquid from the storage tank 3 to the pump, etc.). In a situation where all or at least a portion of the fluid output from the expansion mechanism 12 is supplied to the pump 5, the fluid may be supplied to the pump 5 to be supplied towards the vaporizer 7 for vaporization and / or warming in the vaporizer 7 to be output as warmed gas via the vaporizer output conduit 8.

[0075] 1 that can provide a flow of fluid from the expansion mechanism 12 to the pump 5. The fluid supplied to the pump 5 via the recovery pump supply conduit 16p can be a cooled gas, a cryogenic liquid, or a mixture of liquid and gas.

[0076] In situations where at least a portion of the recovered fluid includes gas supplied to the storage tank 3 via the storage tank recovery conduit 16, the gas may be supplied to the storage tank 3 such that the gas is supplied below the liquid level line of the storage tank 3, so that the gas passes through the cryogenic liquid of the storage tank 3 (e.g., the gas may be bubbled through the liquid of the storage tank 3). This bubbling of the recovered gas may help cool the gas supplied to the storage tank 3 via the storage tank recovery conduit 16 to reduce the volume of gas being supplied to the tank, may help liquefy a portion of the gas, and / or may provide other benefits over the warming of the stored liquid that may result from supplying the gas through the liquid of the storage tank 3. To facilitate the bubbling of the gas supplied to the storage tank 3 via the storage tank recovery conduit 16, the outlet of the storage tank recovery conduit 16 may be positioned to be a preselected distance below the expected liquid level location of the storage tank 3, or may be positioned at or adjacent to the bottom of the storage tank 3.

[0077] In some implementations, at least one cooling device 21 can be connected to the cooled heating medium output conduit 14. The at least one cooling device 21 can be a chiller (e.g., an absorption chiller) or a heat exchanger that uses a cooling medium from another plant process to cool the gas used as the heating medium in the vaporizer 7, which is output from the vaporizer as the cooled heating medium via the cooled heating medium output conduit 14.

[0078] In some configurations, at least one cooling device 21 may be used to cool the cryogenic gas output from the vaporizer as a cooled heating medium, and may also be configured to utilize a refrigerant that can function as a heating medium in the vaporizer 7 to provide additional heat to the cryogenic liquid being warmed through the vaporizer via a refrigerant heating medium supply conduit 22CM connected between the cooling device 21 and the vaporizer 7. Such configurations of the cooling device 21 may be best appreciated from the exemplary embodiments of the cooling device 21 illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, which illustrate different exemplary options for the use of the refrigerant heating medium supply conduit 22CM for different configurations of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer 7 that may be used in the exemplary embodiments of the apparatus 1 for warming cryogenic liquid and recooled gas for recapture and recovery of gas formed from storage or use of the cryogenic liquid shown in Figures 1-4.

[0079] As can be appreciated from Figs. 9 and 10, the cooling device 21 can include a cooling heat exchanger 21cd for further cooling the cooling gas output from the vaporizer 7 via the cooled heating medium output conduit 14. The cooling heat exchanger 21cd can receive the cooled gas from the vaporizer via a cooling device supply conduit 14a positioned between the vaporizer 7 and the cooling heat exchanger 21cd of the cooling device 21. The cooling heat exchanger 21cd can utilize a refrigerant to further cool the gas to a preselected cryogenic stream recovery temperature. This temperature can be selected to assist in liquefying at least a portion of the gas via the expansion mechanism 12, or to assist in providing complete liquefaction of the gas after the gas has passed through the expansion mechanism 12, which can be positioned between the storage tank 3 and the cooling heat exchanger 21cd. The further cooled gas output from the cooling heat exchanger 21cd can be supplied towards the tank 3 via an expansion mechanism supply conduit 14b positioned between the expansion mechanism 12 and the cooling heat exchanger 21cd. In some embodiments, the preselected cryogenic stream recovery temperature may be selected such that the further cooled gas passing through the expansion mechanism supply conduit 14b also contains some liquid from condensation of the gas that may occur from the reduction in temperature of the gas through the cooling heat exchanger 21cd.

[0080] The refrigerant used in the cooling heat exchanger 21cd of the cooling device 21 can be supplied to the cooling heat exchanger 21cd via a refrigerant supply conduit 21Rin. The warmed refrigerant used as a cooling medium in the cooling heat exchanger 21cd can be output from the cooling heat exchanger 21cd via a refrigerant output conduit 21Rout positioned between the cooling heat exchanger 21cd and the evaporator 7. The cooling device 21 can include a refrigerant pressure booster device 21PC that can be positioned to receive the warmed refrigerant via the refrigerant output conduit 21Rout and increase the pressure of the refrigerant to a preselected evaporator supply pressure. The preselected evaporator supply pressure of the refrigerant can be a suitable pressure that can be selected to take into account the supply pressure for supplying the refrigerant to the evaporator 7 for use as a heating medium in the evaporator 7, the type of refrigerant selected and the material properties of the refrigerant, and the flow rate of the refrigerant utilized. The refrigerant pressure booster device 21PC can be, for example, a pump or a compressor. The warmed refrigerant may be output from the refrigerant boosting device 21PC at a preselected evaporator supply pressure for supplying as a heating medium to the evaporator 7 via a heating medium supply conduit 22CM. The evaporator 7 may output the refrigerant as a cooled refrigerant at a preselected refrigerant supply temperature for supplying the refrigerant to the cooling device 21 for supplying to the cooling heat exchanger 21cd. The cooled refrigerant may be output from the evaporator 7 and supplied to the refrigerant pressure drop device 21pld of the cooling device 21 via a pressure drop device supply conduit 24CM positioned between the evaporator 7 and the refrigerant pressure drop device 21pld to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant for supplying to the cooling heat exchanger 21cd. The refrigerant pressure drop device 21pld can reduce the pressure of the refrigerant, which can also further cool the refrigerant to a preselected cooling heat exchanger refrigerant supply temperature and supply it to the cooling heat exchanger via the refrigerant supply conduit 21Rin, where the refrigerant can be used as a cooling medium in the cooling heat exchanger to further cool the gas to be recooled and return the fluid to the storage tank 3 via the storage tank return conduit 16 and / or to the pump 5 via the return pump supply conduit 16p.

[0081] In some embodiments, the refrigerant utilized as the cooling medium of the cooling heat exchanger 21cd of the cooling device 21 can be a fluid that includes hydrogen or helium. For example, the refrigerant can include a fluid that is at least 99 mole percent (mol%) hydrogen (e.g., 99 mol% to 100 mol% hydrogen) or at least 99 mol% helium (e.g., 99 mol% to 100 mol% helium). The preselected cooling heat exchanger refrigerant supply temperature can be in the range of -300°C to -400°C, or other suitable range of temperatures. An example of a preselected refrigerant supply pressure output from the refrigerant pressure drop device 21pld for the refrigerant to be supplied to the cooling heat exchanger via the refrigerant supply conduit 21Rin can be a pressure in the range of 0.1 MPa and 10 MPa.

[0082] As can be appreciated from FIG. 9, in some implementations, the vaporizer 7 can be configured to utilize multiple heat exchangers in series, which can include a first heat exchanger HX1 and a second heat exchanger HX2. The first heat exchanger HX1 can receive gas from at least one container 30 of the gas storage device 10 as a gas supply 10f for use as a heating medium in the vaporizer 7 to warm the cryogenic liquid output from the pump 5 supplied to the vaporizer 7. The cryogenic liquid may be only partially vaporized via the first heat exchanger HX1, or may be vaporized at a temperature that is insufficiently high, or may be heated without being heated enough for vaporization via the first heat exchanger HX1. The second heat exchanger HX2 can receive the heated or at least partially vaporized fluid output from the first heat exchanger HX1 via a second heat exchanger supply conduit 5i positioned between the first heat exchanger HX1 and the second heat exchanger HX2. The second heat exchanger HX2 of the vaporizer 7 can receive the warmed refrigerant output from the cooling device 21 via the heating medium supply conduit 22CM, so that the warmed refrigerant can be cooled again to a preselected refrigerant supply temperature, and at the same time provide heat for warming the cryogenic liquid flow supplied to the vaporizer, and can output the warmed cryogenic liquid output from the pump 5 as a gas via the vaporizer output conduit 8. The cooled refrigerant used as a heating medium in the second heat exchanger HX2 can be output from the second heat exchanger HX2 and supplied to the refrigerant pressure drop device 21pld of the cooling device 21 via a pressure drop device supply conduit 24CM located between the second heat exchanger HX2 of the vaporizer 7 and the refrigerant pressure drop device 21pld.

[0083] 10, in some other implementations, the vaporizer 7 may be configured to include a first heat exchanger HX1 that may receive gas from at least one container 30 of the gas storage device 10 as a gas supply 10f for use as a heating medium in the vaporizer 7 to warm the cryogenic liquid output from the pump 5 supplied to the vaporizer 7, and may receive warmed refrigerant from the cooling device 21 for use as a heating medium in the first heat exchanger HX1 to warm the cryogenic liquid. In such an arrangement, the first heat exchanger HX1 of the vaporizer 7 may receive the warmed refrigerant output from the cooling device 21 via the heating medium supply conduit 22CM, so that the warmed refrigerant can be cooled again to a preselected refrigerant supply temperature, while providing heat to warm the cryogenic liquid stream supplied to the vaporizer 7, and outputting the vaporized cryogenic liquid output from the pump 5 as a gas via the vaporizer output conduit 8. The cooled refrigerant used as a heating medium in the first heat exchanger HX1 can be output from the first heat exchanger HX1 and supplied to the refrigerant pressure drop device 21pld of the cooling device 21 via a pressure drop device supply conduit 24CM positioned between the first heat exchanger HX1 of the evaporator 7 and the refrigerant pressure drop device 21pld.

[0084] Some embodiments of the cooling device 21 may utilize a refrigerant buffer tank 25 (RT) capable of storing additional refrigerant therein so that such refrigerant may be added to the refrigerant flow path to make up for any lost refrigerant (e.g., imperfect seals, leaks, etc.) that may occur during use. A refrigerant refill conduit 26 may be connected between the refrigerant buffer tank 25 and the refrigerant path conduits (e.g., refrigerant heating medium supply conduit 22CM, refrigerant output conduit 21Rout, pressure drop device supply conduit 24CM, etc.) to provide refrigerant refill that may be required during operation. A valve of the refrigerant refill conduit 26 may be adjusted between open and closed positions to facilitate the flow of such refrigerant refill fluid.

[0085] In some embodiments, the heating provided by the gas output from the gas storage device 10 and the warming provided by the cooling device 21 may not be sufficient to vaporize the cryogenic liquid. In such circumstances, the vaporizer may include an additional heat exchanger that may utilize another flow of the heating medium AA, which may be ambient air or another type of heating medium to provide an additional heat source for the vaporization of the cryogenic liquid. For example, the vaporizer 7 may include a third heat exchanger HX3, shown in dashed lines in Figures 9 and 10, that may utilize another flow of the heating medium AA. As another example, the vaporizer 7 may include a second heat exchanger in a situation where the first heat exchanger of the vaporizer 7 may utilize the gas output from the gas storage device 10 as a heating medium, and a second heat exchanger downstream of that heat exchanger may be utilized for the use of another flow of the heating medium AA.

[0086] In some configurations, the captured cryogenic gas retained via the gas storage device 10 may be provided completely or at least partially as cryogenic gas downstream of the vaporizer 7. For example, the cooled cryogenic gas provided to the vaporizer as a heating medium output from the vaporizer via cooled heating medium output conduit 14 may be provided to merge with the cryogenic gas output from the vaporizer 7 via vaporizer output conduit 8. For example, a cryogenic gas recovery supply conduit 16a may be connected between the vaporizer output conduit 8 and the cooled heating medium output conduit 14 to provide gas from the gas storage device 10 to the vaporizer output conduit gas after it has been used as a heating medium for the vaporizer 7. In such an implementation, all of the gas may be recovered by passing downstream of the vaporizer 7 to mix with the vaporized cryogenic liquid output from the vaporizer 7 as cryogenic gas via the cryogenic gas recovery supply conduit 16a, or a portion of the gas may be passed downstream of the vaporizer 7 via the cryogenic gas recovery supply conduit 16a, and another portion of this fluid may be fed back to the storage tank 3.

[0087] In some configurations, a phase separator PS may be positioned between the storage tank 3 and the cooled heating medium output conduit 14 for separation of liquid and gas that may be formed from the gas output to the cooled heating medium output conduit 14 or may then be further cooled via the cooling device 21 and / or the expansion mechanism 12. For example, the phase separator PS may be positioned between the expansion mechanism 12 and the storage tank 3. This further cooled stream of liquid may be output from the phase separator PS and supplied to the tank 3 via a storage tank return conduit 16, which may be connected between the phase separator PS and the storage tank 3 or the pump 5 via a return pump supply conduit 16p, which may be connected between the phase separator PS and the pump 5.

[0088] The gas output from the phase separator PS may be supplied to the cryogenic gas recovery supply conduit 16a via a phase separator gas output conduit 16b connected between the phase separator PS and the cryogenic gas recovery supply conduit 16a to provide the cryogenic gas output from the phase separator PS for further use downstream of the vaporizer 7 (e.g., for use in fuel distribution via the distribution system 9 or for use in another downstream process that may use the cryogenic gas). Alternatively, the gas output from the phase separator PS may be supplied to the gas storage device 10 via a gas storage device supply conduit 16c connected between the phase separator PS and the gas storage device 10 to provide the cryogenic gas output from the phase separator PS to the gas storage device 10. In some embodiments, the phase separator gas output conduit 16b may be connected to the gas storage device supply conduit 16c to supply the gas output from the phase separator PS to the gas storage device 10. In some embodiments, such gas storage device supply conduit 16c may include a compressor or other flow driving mechanism to help facilitate the flow of gas from the phase separator PS to the gas storage device 10. Gas output from the phase separator PS that is supplied to the gas storage device 10 may be stored in the gas storage device 10, reused as a heating medium for the vaporizer 7, and then passed back through other elements to be supplied to the pump 5, the storage tank 3, and / or recycled back to the gas storage device 10.

[0089] As can be best appreciated from Figures 5-8, gas storage device 10 (gas storage device) can be configured in a variety of different ways. Exemplary configurations of gas storage device 10 are shown in Figures 5-8. Other configurations can be utilized in other embodiments of gas storage device 10 as well.

[0090] For example, in some implementations, the gas storage device 10 may include multiple storage containers (e.g., the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ) or only a single storage container 30 (e.g., the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 ). Some of the storage containers 30 may be arranged in series, while one other storage container 30 may be utilized in parallel as an alternative source of gas to provide to the vaporizer 7 as a heating medium for later recooling, recapture, or reuse, as discussed herein.

[0091] 5 and 6, the gas storage device 10 may include a first gas storage vessel 30 configured as a buffer tank 31 and a second gas storage vessel 30 configured as a metal hydride storage vessel 33 downstream of the buffer tank to receive gas from the buffer tank for storage therein. The first and second gas storage vessels 30 configured as the buffer tank 31 and the metal hydride storage vessel 33 may be configured for receiving and storing gases that may have purity concerns such that the metal hydride storage vessel 33 may store a sufficiently purified gas while removing impurities from the gas.

[0092] For example, a first storage vessel 30, which may be configured as a supply buffer tank 31, may receive a first gas stream 31a that is for supplying to a second storage vessel 30, which is configured as a metal hydride storage vessel 33 for storing gas with improved purity through said storage. The buffer tank 31 may be sized to accommodate a flow of a large amount of gas supplied to the vessel 30 as the first gas stream 31a that may later be provided to the second storage vessel 30 at a slower flow rate to accommodate a storage rate that may be provided by the metal hydride storage vessel 33 via a second storage vessel supply conduit 10g positioned between the first storage vessel 30 and the second storage vessel 30, which is configured as a metal hydride storage vessel 33.

[0093] For example, the resulting cryogenic gas formed when the cryogenic liquid from the trailer 3T as a purge stream passes through the trailer connection 2T to cool the elements of the connection can be collected as the first gas stream 31a and fed to the first storage vessel. This purge stream may have a higher impurity content due to the interaction of the purge stream with the trailer connection 2T elements, and can be fed to the metal hydride storage vessel 33, since storage of the gas via the metal hydride storage vessel 33 can facilitate storage of purified gas free of those impurities due to the metal hydride elements of the storage vessel. If the cryogenic gas from such an operation is high, the buffer tank 31 can provide an uptake mechanism to allow a high flow rate of cryogenic gas to be accommodated so that the purge operation can be performed quickly, while allowing the slower uptake flow rate of the metal hydride storage vessel 33 to be accommodated.

[0094] In configurations that may utilize only a single storage vessel 30 configured as a metal hydride storage vessel 33 as shown in FIG. 8 and / or a series storage vessel arrangement in which a second storage vessel 30 may be configured as a metal hydride storage vessel 33 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cryogenic gas of the first gas stream 31a may be provided through a number of different conduits of the arrangement of supply conduits for recovering cryogenic gas of the vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2. For example, the first gas stream 31a may include cryogenic gas obtained through the cryogenic gas formed when the cryogenic liquid from the trailer 3T passes through the trailer connection 2T to cool the elements of the connection as a purge flow that may be supplied to the gas storage device through the trailer gas supply conduit 20, and cryogenic gas received by the trailer blowdown operation that may be received through the trailer gas supply conduit 20. As described above, this cryogenic gas may be warmed to a non-cryogenic temperature by passing through the conduits to be supplied to the storage vessel of the gas storage device 10.

[0095] The first gas flow 31a may further (or alternatively) include cryogenic gas from the tank 3 provided to the gas storage device 10 via the depressurization conduit 10a, which may be provided by a tank depressurization operation to maintain pressure in the storage tank 3 as discussed above, and / or a tank blowdown operation that may be performed to supply additional cryogenic liquid to the tank 3 via at least one trailer 3T via the trailer connection 2T as discussed above. The first gas flow 31a may further (or alternatively) include cryogenic gas obtained by a pump cooldown operation via the pump cooldown output conduit 10b. As discussed above, these flows of cryogenic gas that may be supplied to the gas storage device 10 may be warmed (e.g., warmed via passing through at least one conduit, etc.) to a non-cryogenic temperature for supply to the storage vessel of the gas storage device 10.

[0096] The gas storage device 10 can also include a third storage vessel 30, as can best be appreciated from Figure 5. The third storage vessel 30 can be configured as a gas storage vessel 35 for receiving a second gas stream 35a for storage from at least one cryogenic gas source (e.g., pump cool down operation and / or storage tank venting operation). In some configurations, the gas in the second gas stream 35a can have a higher purity of cryogenic gas as compared to the first gas stream 31a.

[0097] For example, gas from a pump cool-down operation via pump cool-down output conduit 10b and / or a depressurization and / or blow-down operation of storage tank 3 via depressurization conduit 10a may be provided as second gas stream 35a to third storage vessel 35. Gas received from these operations may be of a higher purity content compared to other gas sources that may be provided to first storage vessel 30 via first gas stream 31a (e.g., a higher concentration of hydrogen gas compared to other sources in some embodiments where storage tank 3 is configured to store liquid hydrogen, a higher concentration of oxygen gas compared to other sources in some embodiments where storage tank 3 is configured to store liquid oxygen, etc.).

[0098] In such an implementation, the first gas flow 31a may include gas formed when cryogenic liquid from the trailer 3T passes through the trailer connection 2T to cool the elements of the connection as a purge flow that may be supplied to the gas storage device 10 via the trailer gas supply conduit 20, and cryogenic gas received by the trailer blowdown operation that may be received via the trailer gas supply conduit 20.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first cryogenic flow 31a may include cryogenic gas formed when cryogenic liquid from the trailer 3T passes through the trailer connection 2T to cool the elements of the connection as a purge flow that may be supplied to the gas storage device via the trailer gas supply conduit 20, the second gas flow 35a may include cryogenic gas received by the trailer blowdown operation that may be received via the trailer gas supply conduit 20, and it is envisioned that gas from the pump cooldown operation via the pump cooldown output conduit 10b and the storage tank 3 depressurization and storage tank blowdown operations via the depressurization conduit 10a may be supplied to the third storage vessel 35 as the second gas flow 35a.

[0100] In other embodiments of the gas storage device 10, the device may include a single storage vessel 30. For example, in some embodiments, the single storage vessel 30 may be configured as a metal hydride storage vessel 33 for storage of the cryogenic gas received as the first gas stream 31a and subsequent use of that gas. An example of such an arrangement may be seen in FIG. 8 for an embodiment that does not utilize the dashed elements shown in FIG. 8. In such an embodiment, release and use of the stored gas may be provided via one or more heating elements that may heat the metal hydride storage vessel 33 to increase the pressure and temperature of the stored gas, such that the stored gas may be output from the gas storage device 10 as a cryogenic gas supply 10f.

[0101] In other embodiments, the storage vessel 30 may be a tank 31 that may be configured to store gas, and a pressure boost mechanism C (e.g., a compressor, etc.) may be positioned to drive the flow of the cryogenic gas supply 10f from the gas storage device 10 to the vaporizer 7. An example of such an arrangement is shown in FIG.

[0102] In some embodiments, the gas storage device 10 can include multiple storage vessels 30 that can be operated in parallel or otherwise. For example, Figures 5 and 8 illustrate examples of such embodiments. As can be appreciated from Figure 8 (including the dashed elements shown in Figure 8), the first storage vessel 30 can be configured as a metal hydride storage vessel 33 for storage of the cryogenic gas provided via the first gas stream 31a and subsequent use of that gas. In such embodiments, release and use of the stored gas can be provided via one or more heating elements that can heat the metal hydride storage vessel 33 to increase the pressure and temperature of the stored gas, such that the stored gas can be output from the gas storage device 10 as a cryogenic gas supply 10f.

[0103] The second storage vessel 30 may be positioned as a second gas storage vessel 35 for receiving therein a second gas stream 35a. The cryogenic gas from the second gas stream 35a may be output from the second gas storage vessel 35 via a pressure boosting mechanism C (e.g., a compressor, etc.) positioned to drive the flow of the cryogenic gas supply 10f output from the second gas storage vessel 35 via a second gas storage vessel output conduit 10h connected to the pressure boosting mechanism C positioned between the vaporizer 7 and the gas storage device 10, or via a second gas storage vessel output conduit 10i positioned in communication with the pressure boosting mechanism C of the gas storage device 10 to drive the flow of the cryogenic gas supply 10f output from the second gas storage vessel 35 of the gas storage device 10.

[0104] In some embodiments, the gas storage device 10 may be configured to receive a first gas stream 31a and a second gas stream 35a, and the various storage vessels 30 may be configured to store the gas at various storage pressures. For example, a first vessel 30 receiving a first gas stream 31a may receive and store the gas at a higher or lower pressure than the other vessel 35 receives and / or stores the second gas stream 35a.

[0105] The storage capacity of one or more vessels 30 of the gas storage device 10 may be sized and configured to receive a cryogenic gas for storage and use of the gas. The sizing may be adapted to meet a preselected set of criteria.

[0106] It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the gas stored in gas storage device 10 for use as the vaporizer heating medium may not be sufficient for complete vaporization of the cryogenic liquid output from pump 5. In such embodiments, another heating medium may also be provided to vaporizer 7 (e.g., ambient air and / or warmed refrigerant from cooling device 21, if utilized).

[0107] It should be appreciated that the gas storage device 10 can receive gas formed from possible evaporation of a cryogenic liquid, or can store gas formed from a cryogenic liquid that is no longer cryogenic due to the cryogenic liquid being warmed to a sufficient temperature at which the gas is no longer cryogenic. The gas storage device 10 can store the gas it receives such that the gas is warmed during storage so that the gas can be more effectively used as a heating medium in the vaporizer 7. The storage device 10 can be configured and utilized to output the gas stored in the storage device 10 as a non-cryogenic gas that can be supplied to the vaporizer 7, for example. This gas stored via the gas storage device 10 can then undergo cooling via use as a heating medium in the vaporizer 7 and other cooling (e.g., via use of the expansion mechanism 12 and / or cooling device 21, as discussed above) to form a cryogenic gas, or at least partially liquefy the gas to form a cryogenic liquid and / or a mixture of cryogenic gas and cryogenic liquid, and recapture the stored gas as a cryogenic fluid.

[0108] Embodiments of our process for warming cryogenic liquid and recooling gas for recapture and recovery of the cryogenic gas may be utilized in embodiments of our apparatus 1 and / or embodiments of our vaporized gas recapture and recovery system 2. Examples of such processes may be seen above and from the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 11. For example, in the exemplary embodiment of our process shown in Figure 11, the process may include a first step S1 that may include supplying gas from a cryogenic liquid storage tank 3, gas from a cryogenic liquid trailer 3T, purge gas from a trailer connection 2T, and / or pump cool down fluid to the gas storage device 10.

[0109] Gas formed from cryogenic liquid from one or other process of the system or apparatus can similarly be fed to the gas storage device 10 for storage and use instead of being vented. For example, another waste stream containing a process gas (e.g., gas from the cryogenic liquid stored in storage tank 3) can also be utilized to feed the storage device 10.

[0110] Gas may be supplied to gas storage device 10 in some embodiments as first gas stream 31a, or as first gas stream 31a and second gas stream 35a. For example, the supply of cryogenic gas to gas storage device 10 may be provided via an arrangement of supply conduits for recovering cryogenic gas from various units of apparatus 1 included in vapor gas recapture and recovery system 2, as discussed above.

[0111] In a second step S2, the gas stored in the gas storage device 10 may be output from the gas storage device 10 to a vaporizer 7 to warm the cryogenic liquid output from the storage tank 3 via the pump 5 that is supplied to the vaporizer 7. The gas stored in the storage device 10 may be stored for a residence time long enough to facilitate warming of the gas such that in situations where the gas supplied to the gas storage device 10 was cryogenic at the time it was supplied to the gas storage device 10, the gas is no longer a cryogenic gas. In other situations, the gas stored in the gas storage device 10 may be a warmed gas that is no longer cryogenic, as discussed above.

[0112] The gas output from the gas storage device 10 may be a heating medium used in the vaporizer 7 to at least partially vaporize the cryogenic liquid, to completely vaporize the cryogenic liquid, or to contribute to the vaporization of the cryogenic liquid (e.g., to warm the cryogenic liquid). Using the cryogenic gas output from the gas storage device 10 as a heating medium in the vaporizer 7 may result in the gas being cooled as it transfers heat to the cryogenic liquid in the second step S2. An example of providing gas as a heating medium to the vaporizer 7 can be seen from above. In a situation where the use of the stored gas cannot completely vaporize the cryogenic liquid supplied to the vaporizer 7 via the pump, one or more other heating media may be supplied to one or more heat exchangers of the vaporizer 7 to add additional heat for the vaporization of the cryogenic liquid, as discussed above.

[0113] In a third step S3, the cooling gas used as a heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer 7 can be fed to the cryogenic liquid storage tank 3, to the pump 5, and / or to a conduit or other unit downstream of the vaporizer 7 to recover the fluid. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the cooling gas fed to the cryogenic liquid storage tank 3 can undergo further cooling via at least one cooling device 21, pressure reduction via a pressure reduction device (e.g., Joule-Thomson valve, expander, at least one expansion mechanism 12, etc.), and / or phase separation via a phase separator PS for feeding to the storage tank 3. Examples of feeding the cooled gas output from the vaporizer 7 to the storage tank 3, the pump 5, and / or another process unit or conduit downstream of the vaporizer 7 can be recognized from the above. For example, some embodiments of the process can utilize, for example, the exemplary embodiments of the arrangement of the output conduits of the vapor gas recapture and recovery system 2 discussed above.

[0114] In situations where a fluid is being supplied to the storage tank 3 and the fluid includes or is a gas, the gas may be supplied to the storage tank such that the gas is supplied below the liquid level line of the storage tank such that the gas passes through the cryogenic liquid of the tank (e.g., bubbles through the liquid in tank 3). This bubbling of the recovered gas may cool the gas and help reduce the volume of gas being supplied to the tank, may help liquefy a portion of the gas, and / or may provide other benefits over the warming of the stored liquid that may occur from supplying the gas through the liquid in storage tank 3.

[0115] We have found that gas storage device 10 can be utilized in embodiments to capture a variety of streams having different volumes and time scales for re-cooling the fluids of those streams. Such streams would traditionally be considered waste streams and / or would not be recognized as waste during venting of such fluids. Embodiments can provide more flexible operation to prevent such waste (e.g., prevent venting of the fluids) and also allow for waste reduction.

[0116] It should be appreciated that additional or other modifications to the embodiments explicitly shown and contemplated herein may be made to meet a particular set of design goals or a particular set of design criteria. For example, the arrangement of valves, piping, and other conduit elements (e.g., conduit connections, tubes, seals, valves, etc.) for interconnecting different units of equipment for fluid communication of fluid flow between different elements (e.g., pumps, heat exchangers, compressors, storage vessels, etc.) may be arranged to meet a particular plant layout design that takes into account the available area of ​​the plant, the sized equipment of the plant, and other design considerations. As another example, the flow rates, pressures, and temperatures of fluids passing through various equipment or system elements may vary to account for different design configurations and other design criteria.

[0117] Our process, apparatus, and system embodiments may each be configured to include process control elements positioned and configured to monitor and control operation (e.g., an automated process control system having temperature and pressure sensors, flow sensors, at least one workstation including a processor, non-transitory memory, and at least one transceiver for communication with the sensor elements, valves, and a controller, the controller providing a user interface for the automated process control system, which may be executed on the workstation and / or another computing device of the plant, etc.). It should be appreciated that embodiments may similarly utilize a distributed control system (DCS) for implementing one or more processes and / or controlling operation of the apparatus.

[0118] As another example, it is contemplated that certain features described individually or as part of an embodiment can be combined with other individually described features or parts of other embodiments. Thus, elements and acts of various embodiments described herein can be combined to provide further embodiments. Thus, while certain illustrative embodiments of our processes, apparatus, systems, and methods of making and using the same have been shown and described above, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not limited thereto and may be variously embodied and carried out otherwise within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for warming a cryogenic liquid to vaporize said cryogenic liquid and recooling a gas for recapture and recovery of said gas, comprising: a vaporized gas recapture and recovery system having a gas storage device positionable between a storage tank positioned and configured to store the cryogenic liquid and a vaporizer positioned to heat the cryogenic liquid outputtable from the storage tank to vaporize the cryogenic liquid; the gas storage device is positioned to receive a gas formed from the cryogenic liquid for storage and to supply the stored gas to the vaporizer as a heating medium for warming the cryogenic liquid.

2. a supply conduit arrangement of the vaporized gas recapture and recovery system positioned to supply the gas formed from the cryogenic liquid to the gas storage device; 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an output conduit arrangement of the vaporized gas recapture and recovery system, the output conduit including a vaporizer heating medium supply conduit connected between the vaporizer and the gas storage device to supply the gas to the vaporizer as the heating medium.

3. The arrangement of the supply conduit of the vapor recapture and recovery system comprises: a reduced pressure conduit positioned between the gas storage device and the storage tank; a pump cooldown output conduit positioned between a pump and the gas storage device, the pump being positioned between the vaporizer and the storage tank to supply the cryogenic liquid to the vaporizer; and 3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising one or more of: at least one trailer gas supply conduit positionable between a trailer and the gas storage device, the trailer being connectable to the storage tank via a trailer connection for supplying cryogenic liquid from the trailer to the storage tank.

4. the at least one trailer gas supply conduit is positioned and configured such that a cryogenic gas formed when cryogenic liquid from the trailer passes through the trailer connection as a purge flow to cool elements of the trailer connection can be supplied to the gas storage device; and / or 4. The apparatus of claim 3, positioned and configured such that during a trailer blowdown operation, cryogenic gas within the trailer can pass through the trailer gas supply conduit to at least one storage vessel of the gas storage device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said apparatus includes said at least one trailer gas supply conduit, said pressure reduction conduit, and said pump cool down output conduit.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the apparatus includes the reduced pressure conduit and the pump cooldown output conduit.

7. The arrangement of the output conduit of the vapor recapture and recovery system comprises: a cooled heating medium output conduit connected to the vaporizer for outputting the gas usable as the heating medium in the vaporizer; a cryogenic gas recovery supply conduit connected between the cooled heating medium output conduit and a conduit or process unit downstream of the vaporizer; a recovery pump supply conduit connected between the cooled heating medium output conduit and the pump; and / or and a storage tank return conduit connected between the cooled heating medium output conduit and the storage tank.

8. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising at least one cooling device connectable to the cooled heating medium output conduit for further cooling the gas output from the vaporizer via the cooled heating medium output conduit, the at least one cooling device being positioned between the storage tank and the vaporizer.

9. The at least one cooling device is a cooling heat exchanger connected to the cooled heating medium output conduit, and a refrigerant supply conduit for receiving a refrigerant for cooling the gas output from the evaporator received via the cooled heating medium output conduit; a refrigerant pressure boost device positioned to receive the warmed refrigerant output from the cooling heat exchanger and to increase the pressure of the warmed refrigerant for supply to the evaporator as a heating medium; 9. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising: a refrigerant pressure drop device positioned to receive the refrigerant from the evaporator after the warmed refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator such that the heating medium is cooled through the evaporator, the pressure drop device connected to the refrigerant supply conduit, the pressure drop device configured to reduce a pressure of the refrigerant to supply it to the cooling heat exchanger at a preselected refrigerant supply pressure.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the evaporator includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger connected to the evaporator heating medium supply conduit, the second heat exchanger connected between the refrigerant pressure drop device and the refrigerant pressure boost device, the second heat exchanger positioned to receive the warmed refrigerant and output the refrigerant to the refrigerant pressure drop device after the warmed refrigerant has been used as a heating medium in the second heat exchanger.

11. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the refrigerant comprises hydrogen or helium.

12. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising at least one expansion mechanism positioned between the vaporizer and the storage tank and / or between the vaporizer and the pump.

13. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas storage device comprises a metal hydride storage vessel configured to store the gas and also increase a pressure of the gas to supply the gas to the vaporizer as the heating medium for warming the cryogenic liquid.

14. 1. A process for warming a cryogenic liquid and recooling a gas, said process comprising: supplying gas formed from cryogenic liquid stored in a storage tank, gas formed from cryogenic liquid in a cryogenic liquid trailer, purge gas from a trailer connection for connecting the trailer to the cryogenic liquid storage tank, and / or pump cool down fluid gas to a gas storage device; Outputting the gas from the gas storage device to a cryogenic liquid vaporizer as a heating medium for heating the cryogenic liquid output from the cryogenic liquid storage tank, and cooling the heating medium; and supplying the gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to the cryogenic liquid storage tank, and / or to a pump positioned to supply the gas to the vaporizer for vaporizing the cryogenic liquid stored in the storage tank, and / or to a conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer.

15. The gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer is supplied to the cryogenic liquid storage tank and / or the pump, and the gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer is supplied to the cryogenic liquid storage tank, 15. The process of claim 14, comprising supplying at least a portion of the gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to (i) at least one cooling device, and / or (ii) at least one pressure reducing device for supplying fluid to the storage tank and / or the pump.

16. 16. The process of claim 15, wherein the fluid provided to the storage tank is at least partially liquefied via the at least one cooling device and / or the at least one pressure reducing device.

17. The supply of the gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to the cryogenic liquid storage tank, and / or the pump, and / or the conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer; 15. The process of claim 14, including supplying at least a portion of the gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to the conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer.

18. The supply of the gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to the cryogenic liquid storage tank, and / or the pump, and / or the conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer; 15. The process of claim 14, comprising supplying at least a portion of the gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to (i) at least one cooling device and / or (ii) at least one pressure reduction device for supplying fluid to the storage tank and / or the pump, the at least one pressure reduction device being positioned between the at least one cooling device and the cryogenic liquid storage tank and / or the pump.

19. The supply of the gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to the cryogenic liquid storage tank, and / or the pump, and / or the conduit or other unit downstream of the cryogenic liquid vaporizer; and supplying at least a portion of the gas used as the heating medium in the cryogenic liquid vaporizer to at least one cooling device, the process also comprising: supplying a refrigerant to a cooling heat exchanger of the at least one cooling device to cool the gas used as the heating medium; and outputting the refrigerant from the cooling heat exchanger for supply to the evaporator to cool the refrigerant output from the cooling heat exchanger.

20. 15. The process of claim 14, wherein the gas storage device comprises a metal hydride storage vessel configured to store the gas and increase a pressure of the gas during the output of the gas from the gas storage device to the cryogenic liquid vaporizer as the heating medium.

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