Patent ID: 7065974
Filing Date: 2006-06-27
Classification: F17C,F25J

Abstract:
1. A gas pressurization system comprising: a gas inlet valve configured to receive an inlet gas stream; a clean-up system coupled to said gas inlet valve, said clean-up system configured to remove impurities from said inlet gas stream; a recovery heat exchanger coupled to said clean-up system, said recovery heat exchanger configured to remove thermal energy from said inlet gas stream and cool said inlet gas stream into one of a pre-cooled gas stream and a pre-cooled liquid stream; an expander coupled to said recovery heat exchanger, said expander configured to expand said pre-cooled liquid stream into a two-phase fluid; a refrigeration unit coupled to said expander, said refrigeration unit configured to cool said two-phase fluid into a liquid phase fluid; a buffer storage unit coupled to said refrigeration unit, said buffer storage unit configured to provide a net positive suction head; a pump coupled to said buffer storage unit at a pump suction, said pump having a pump discharge coupled to said recovery heat exchanger, wherein said recovery heat exchanger is configured to transfer thermal energy from said inlet gas stream to a liquid discharge from said pump discharge; and an underground natural gas reservoir coupled to said pump discharge downstream of said recovery heat exchanger, wherein said underground natural gas reservoir comprises at least one of a depleted natural gas or oil field, an aquifier, and a salt cavern.