Patent ID: 7278280
Filing Date: 2007-10-09
Classification: F25B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for the production and/or refrigeration of a low temperature boiling point gas comprising: A) a recycle compressor set comprising in series a first stage recycle compressor set and a second stage recycle compressor set each having a suction and a discharge and delivering high pressure coolant at a floating high pressure, receiving recycle return coolant at a floating lower pressure; B) a consumer load return compressor set having a suction and a discharge delivering coolant at an intermediate floating pressure level at a point in between the first and second stage recycle compressor sets and receiving low pressure consumer returned coolant; C) a warm end pre-cooler comprising an LN D) the cold end cooler receiving coolant from the warm end pre-cooler, delivering one or more portions of the high pressure coolant through a one or more cold end cooler expansion stages with heat exchange to a either the recycle return or the recycle sub-cooler, comprising a plurality of expansion stages with heat exchange, a consumer load expansion stage, a recycle sub-cooler and a consumer load sub-cooler; E) a recycle return in the cold end cooler and warm end pre-cooler, receiving high pressure coolant through a plurality of expansion stages with heat exchange, delivering warmed coolant via heat exchange with the cold end cooler and warm end pre-cooler to the suction of the recycle compressor set; F) a recycle sub-cooler receiving liquid coolant from one or more of the cold end cooler expansion stages with heat exchange or from the cooled high pressure coolant flow from the consumer expansion stage, returning recycle return coolant and providing further cooling of high pressure coolant being delivered to the consumer load; G) a consumer load sub-cooler receiving liquid coolant from either the recycle sub-cooler or from the high pressure coolant cooled by the recycle sub-cooler, delivering high pressure coolant to a consumer load, receiving low pressure consumer returned coolant from the consumer load; H) a separate low pressure consumer return, receiving coolant from the consumer load sub-cooler, delivering warmed coolant via heat exchange with the cold end cooler and warm end pre-cooler to the suction of the consumer load return compressor set; I) a coolant gas storage device for the storage, removal and addition of gas coolant to the cooling cycle as required at the first or second stage recycle compressor sets via coolant supply lines located intermediate the gas storage device and the first and second stage recycle compressor sets.