System and m ethod for supplying cryogenic refrigeration

Abstract

Various systems and methods for suppling cryogenic refrigeration to supercomputing applications such as quantum computing operations are provided. The disclosed systems and methods are flexible, efficient and scaleable to meet the cryogenic refrigeration requirements of many supercomputing applications. The disclosed systems and methods include: (i) a liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system that integrates a nitrogen refrigerator with a refrigeration load circuit; (ii) a closed loop liquid nitrogen based refrigerator that provides cooling to the refrigeration load circuit via indirect heat exchange between liquid nitrogen in a nitrogen refrigerator and a separate refrigerant in a closed-loop refrigeration load circuit; and (iii) a liquid air based integrated refrigeration system that integrates an air intake system with a refrigerator and a refrigeration load circuit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system comprising:
 a nitrogen refrigerator having one or more recycle compressors, a warm booster compressor, a cold booster compressor, a warm turbine, a cold turbine, and a heat exchanger with at least one cooling passage and at least one recycle passage;   wherein the nitrogen refrigerator is configured to receive a source of nitrogen gas and a nitrogen return stream and produce a nitrogen refrigerant stream;   a refrigeration load circuit having an expansion valve or a liquid turbine, a separator, a buffer tank, and a refrigeration load;   wherein the refrigeration load circuit is configured to: (a) receive the nitrogen refrigerant stream; (b) expand the nitrogen refrigerant stream in the expansion valve or the liquid turbine; (c) separate the expanded nitrogen refrigerant stream in the separator into a liquid portion and a vapor portion; (d) cool a refrigeration load with the liquid portion of the expanded nitrogen refrigerant stream while vaporizing the liquid portion of the expanded nitrogen refrigerant stream; and (e) return the vaporized stream and the vapor portion of the nitrogen refrigerant stream as the nitrogen return stream to the nitrogen refrigerator.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1 , further comprising an optional cold compressor disposed downstream of the refrigeration load and configured to boost the pressure of the nitrogen return stream. 
     
     
         3 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured with: (i) one cooling passage and two recycle passages; (ii) one cooling passage and one recycle passage; (iii) two cooling passages and two recycle passages; or (iv) two cooling passages and three recycle passages. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more recycle compressors further comprises: (i) a low pressure recycle compressor and a medium pressure recycle compressor; (ii) a low pressure recycle compressor, a medium pressure recycle compressor, and a high pressure recycle compressor. 
     
     
         5 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1 , wherein the warm booster and the cold booster are arranged is series. 
     
     
         6 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1 , wherein the warm booster and the cold booster are arranged is parallel. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1 , wherein the warm turbine is a warm boosted loaded turbine operatively coupled to the warm booster and the cold turbine is a cold boosted loaded turbine operatively coupled to the cold booster. 
     
     
         8 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1 , wherein the warm turbine and the cold turbine are configured as radial inflow turbines and have a pressure ratio of between about 8.5 to 10.0. 
     
     
         9 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1 , further comprising an optional liquid storage tank disposed in operative association with the refrigeration load circuit. 
     
     
         10 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1 , further comprising a trim heater disposed within the buffer tank and configured to modulate the nitrogen return stream recycled to the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1  further comprising an optional throttle valve configured to throttle the nitrogen return stream. 
     
     
         12 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1  further comprising an optional start-up heater. 
     
     
         13 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1  further comprising one or more gas receivers configured to modulate the nitrogen gas fed to the nitrogen refrigerator. 
     
     
         14 . The liquid nitrogen based integrated refrigeration system of  claim 1  wherein the refrigeration system is operatively coupled to a nitrogen producing air separation unit to control the nitrogen gas fed to the nitrogen refrigerator. 
     
     
         15 . A liquid air based integrated refrigeration system comprising:
 an air intake system having a compressor and a pre-purifier;   a refrigerator having one or more recycle compressors, a warm booster compressor, a cold booster compressor, a warm turbine, a cold turbine, and a heat exchanger with at least one cooling passage and at least one recycle passage;   wherein the refrigerator is configured to receive a source of compressed, pre-purified air and a cold return stream and produce a liquid air refrigerant stream;   a refrigeration load circuit having an expansion valve or a liquid turbine, a separator, a buffer tank, and a refrigeration load;   wherein the refrigeration load circuit is configured to: (a) receive the liquid air refrigerant stream; (b) expand the liquid air refrigerant stream in the expansion valve or the liquid turbine; (c) separate the expanded refrigerant stream in the separator into a liquid portion and a vapor portion; (d) cool a refrigeration load with the liquid portion of the expanded refrigerant stream while vaporizing the liquid portion of the expanded refrigerant stream; and (e) return the vaporized stream and the vapor portion of the expanded refrigerant stream as the cold return stream to the refrigerator.