Device and method for refrigerating or liquefying a fluid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Increasing the capacity of cryogenic refrigerators/liquefiers requires significant modifications to the architecture and additional equipment, leading to increased complexity and cost without a proportional improvement in efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration device with a compression mechanism comprising multiple centrifugal compression stages in series, omitting intermediate heat exchangers between stages, and using bypass pipes to cool motors, allowing for reduced hardware costs and minimal efficiency impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If additional compression stages and cooling equipment are added to increase refrigeration capacity, then the refrigeration power increases, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple compression stages into a single integrated compression mechanism with multiple centrifugal compressors sharing common elements (drive shaft, housing, cooling system). This merging approach allows the system to achieve higher refrigeration capacity through multiple compression stages while avoiding the complexity and cost of separate compressors with individual coolers for each stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The single cooling mechanism serves multiple compression stages simultaneously, providing universal cooling functionality. The cooling system is designed to cool multiple compressors through a shared refrigerant circuit, eliminating the need for dedicated coolers for each compressor and reducing overall system complexity.
2Loss of energy
If intermediate heat exchangers are added between compression stages, then the compression efficiency improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling function into a centralized cooling mechanism that serves multiple compression stages, rather than placing separate heat exchangers between each stage. This integration maintains compression efficiency through effective cooling while significantly simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the number of components that need to be assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the heat exchanger components from between compression stages and consolidates the cooling function into a separate, dedicated cooling mechanism. This extraction eliminates the complexity of integrating heat exchangers into the compression train while maintaining the necessary cooling function for efficient compression.
3Power
If multiple separate compressors with individual coolers are used, then the refrigeration capacity increases, but the overall system efficiency decreases due to additional heat exchange steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple compression functions into a single integrated compression mechanism while combining the cooling function into a shared cooling system. This approach increases refrigeration capacity through multiple compression stages while minimizing energy losses by eliminating redundant heat exchange steps that would occur with separate compressor-cooler assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated compression and cooling system enables continuous and efficient heat removal during the compression process. The cooling mechanism is positioned to provide continuous cooling to the compression stages, maintaining optimal compression efficiency throughout the refrigeration cycle without the intermittent heat exchange that would occur with separate components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces complexity and cost while maintaining efficiency by eliminating intermediate heat exchangers and using bypass pipes to cool motors, particularly effective for lighter gases like helium and hydrogen.
Implementation Method 1
The compression mechanism comprises multiple compression stages in series that are composed of an assembly of compressor(s) of centrifugal type
Implementation Method 2
the at least one member for cooling the cycle gas comprising at least one heat exchanger disposed at the outlet of at least one compression stage in a heat exchange relationship with the cycle circuit, said heat exchanger being cooled by a heat transfer fluid
Implementation Method 3
a mechanism for expanding the cycle gas
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a device for refrigerating or liquefying a fluid such as natural gas or hydrogen, comprising a fluid circuit that is to be cooled and has an upstream end for connection to a source of gaseous fluid as well as a downstream end for connection to a member for collecting the cooled or liquefied fluid, the device comprising a heat exchanger assembly in heat exchange with the fluid circuit to be cooled, the device comprising a refrigerator in heat exchange with at least a portion of the exchanger assembly, the refrigerator being of the type that has a cycle for refrigerating a cycle gas containing at least one of: helium, hydrogen, nitrogen or neon; said refrigerator comprising in series in a cycle circuit: a mechanism for compressing the cycle gas, at least one member for cooling the cycle gas, a mechanism for expanding the cycle gas, and at least one member for reheating the expanded cycle gas, wherein the compression mechanism comprises a plurality of compression stages in series composed of a centrifugal compressor assembly, the compression stages being mounted on a set of shafts that are rotationally driven by a motor assembly, the at least one member for cooling the cycle gas comprising at least one heat exchanger at the outlet of at least one compression stage in heat exchange with the cycle circuit, said heat exchanger being cooled by a heat transfer fluid, characterized in that the compression mechanism comprises at least two compression stages that are arranged successively in series and do not include any member for cooling the cycle gas such as a heat exchanger therebetween.