Liquid Storage for Rapid Gas Expansion Cooling Regulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas expansion cooling systems face challenges in capacity regulation, particularly in large installations, as reducing cooling capacity leads to inefficiencies and loss of cooling gas, making it difficult to quickly adjust cooling duties and maintain low temperatures.
Innovation Solution
The method involves cooling a fraction of the cooling medium to a lower temperature, liquefying it, and storing it temporarily outside the circuit, allowing for quick re-introduction when capacity is needed, thereby reducing system pressure and volume requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cooling medium content in the closed cooling circuit is reduced to achieve capacity regulation, then the cooling duty is reduced and compression work is reduced, but the operating pressure is reduced and the system cannot quickly restore cooling capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state parameter of the cooling medium from gas phase to liquid phase during temporary storage. By liquefying the cooling medium (changing its phase), the system can store large amounts of cooling capacity in a compact volume and quickly reintroduce it when needed, resolving the time delay problem associated with gas phase storage or compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transition of the cooling medium between gas and liquid states. During capacity reduction, cooling medium is liquefied and stored; during capacity restoration, the liquid is quickly vaporized and reintroduced into the circuit. This phase transition mechanism enables rapid capacity adjustment without the time penalties of gas phase storage.
2Productivity
If the cooling medium content is reduced for capacity regulation, then the operating pressure is reduced, but large storage volumes are required for gas storage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state parameter of the cooling medium from gas phase to liquid phase during temporary storage. By liquefying the cooling medium (changing its phase), the system can store large amounts of cooling capacity in a compact volume and quickly reintroduce it when needed, resolving the time delay problem associated with gas phase storage or compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transition of the cooling medium between gas and liquid states. During capacity reduction, cooling medium is liquefied and stored; during capacity restoration, the liquid is quickly vaporized and reintroduced into the circuit. This phase transition mechanism enables rapid capacity adjustment without the time penalties of gas phase storage.
3Productivity
If the cooling medium volume flow rate is reduced to achieve capacity regulation, then the cooling duty is reduced, but the expansion turbines provide reduced efficiency and lower power output
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the cooling medium flow into two separate streams: one stream continues through the expansion turbine at full design flow rate to maintain turbine efficiency and power output, while the other stream is extracted, liquefied, and stored for capacity regulation. This segmentation allows the turbine to operate efficiently while still achieving cooling capacity reduction through the extracted stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts a portion of the cooling medium stream after the expansion turbine to be liquefied and stored separately. This extraction allows the turbine to receive full flow and operate at peak efficiency, while the extracted portion can be used to regulate cooling capacity without affecting turbine performance.
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
This approach enables rapid adjustment of cooling capacity, reduces storage volume needs, and maintains efficient operation by allowing quick re-introduction of liquefied gas to increase cooling duty, addressing inefficiencies in existing capacity regulation methods.
Implementation Method 1
Gas expansion cooling systems face challenges in capacity regulation
Implementation Method 2
cooling a fraction of the cooling medium to a lower temperature, liquefying it, and storing it temporarily outside the circuit
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and associated system for regulation of the cooling capacity of a cooling system that uses a gas expansion cooling circuit where the cooling principle is expansion of one or more gaseous cooling medium streams from a higher pressure to a lower pressure are described,, characterised by the following steps: - reducing the amount of cooling medium which is circulated in the cooling circuit (100) temporarily in that a fraction of gaseous cooling medium is pre-cooled at a higher pressure and is extracted from the cooling circuit (100), - expanding the fraction of cooled gaseous cooling medium across an expansion device (102) to a lower pressure so that at least one part of liquid cooling medium separates, - separating the liquid from the non-condensed gas for temporary storage in a storage unit (104) so that the liquid is temporarily not circulated in the otherwise closed cooling circuit (100), - thereafter to return temporarily stored gaseous cooling medium from the storage unit (104) to the cooling circuit (100) according to need, and - returning non-condensed gas and evaporated cooling medium from the storage unit (104) to a suitable location in the cooling circuit (100). A system to reduce the cooling capacity of a cooling installation based on gas expansion cooling, is also described.