Integrated industrial unit

Abstract

An integrated industrial unit is provided, which can include: a nitrogen source configured to provide liquid nitrogen; a hydrogen source; a hydrogen liquefaction unit, wherein the hydrogen liquefaction unit comprises a precooling system, and a liquefaction system; and a liquid hydrogen storage tank, wherein the precooling system is configured to receive the gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen source and cool the gaseous hydrogen to a temperature between 75 K and 100 K, wherein the precooling system comprises a primary refrigeration system and a secondary refrigeration system, wherein the liquefaction system is in fluid communication with the precooling system and is configured to liquefy the gaseous hydrogen received from the precooling system to produce liquid hydrogen, wherein the liquid hydrogen storage tank is in fluid communication with the liquefaction system and is configured to store the liquid hydrogen received from the liquefaction system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An integrated industrial unit comprising:
 a nitrogen source configured to provide liquid nitrogen;   a hydrogen source configured to provide gaseous hydrogen at a pressure of at least 15 bar(a);   a hydrogen liquefaction unit, wherein the hydrogen liquefaction unit comprises a precooling system, and a liquefaction system; and   a liquid hydrogen storage tank,   wherein the precooling system is configured to receive the gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen source and cool the gaseous hydrogen to a temperature between 75 K and 100 K,   wherein the precooling system comprises a primary refrigeration system and a secondary refrigeration system,   wherein the liquefaction system is in fluid communication with the precooling system and is configured to liquefy the gaseous hydrogen received from the precooling system to produce liquid hydrogen,   wherein the liquid hydrogen storage tank is in fluid communication with the liquefaction system and is configured to store the liquid hydrogen received from the liquefaction system.   
     
     
         2 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen source is a hydrogen generation unit, and the nitrogen source is an air separation unit. 
     
     
         3 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the air separation unit is configured to produce an oxygen stream and a liquid nitrogen stream, wherein the air separation unit is in fluid communication with the hydrogen generation unit and the secondary refrigeration system, such that the air separation unit is configured to send the oxygen stream to the hydrogen generation unit and the liquid nitrogen to the secondary refrigeration system. 
     
     
         4 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising a flow controller configured to control a flow rate of the liquid nitrogen such that the flow rate of the liquid nitrogen from the nitrogen source is between 5 to 50% of a flow rate of the oxygen stream sent to the hydrogen generation unit. 
     
     
         5 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the air separation unit is configured to receive a recycled a vaporized nitrogen stream from the hydrogen liquefaction unit. 
     
     
         6 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the air separation unit comprises a high pressure feed air compressor. 
     
     
         7 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the primary refrigeration system is configured to provide cooling within the precooling system to a first temperature between about 100 K and about 120 K. 
     
     
         8 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first temperature is within about 20 K of a vaporization temperature of liquid nitrogen used within the secondary refrigeration system. 
     
     
         9 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the primary refrigeration system uses refrigeration produced by a refrigerant selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon refrigerant, a mixed hydrocarbon refrigerant, nitrogen as part of a closed loop refrigeration cycle, argon, fluorocarbons, vaporization of liquid nitrogen, ammonia, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the secondary refrigeration system is configured to provide cooling within the precooling system to a temperature between about 75 K and about 100 K, more preferably between about 80 K and about 90 K. 
     
     
         11 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the secondary refrigeration system comprises vaporization of liquid nitrogen, wherein the liquid nitrogen is received from an air separation unit. 
     
     
         12 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the vaporization of liquid nitrogen in the secondary refrigeration system occurs at a vaporization pressure that is less than a discharge pressure of a cold turbine used within the primary refrigeration system. 
     
     
         13 . An integrated industrial unit comprising:
 a nitrogen source configured to provide liquid nitrogen;   a hydrogen source configured to provide gaseous hydrogen at a pressure of at least 15 bar(a);   a hydrogen liquefaction unit, wherein the hydrogen liquefaction unit comprises a precooling system, and a liquefaction system; and   a liquid hydrogen storage tank,   wherein the precooling system is configured to receive the gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen source and cool the gaseous hydrogen to a temperature between 75 K and 100 K,   wherein the precooling system comprises a primary refrigeration system and a secondary refrigeration system,   wherein the liquefaction system is in fluid communication with the precooling system and is configured to liquefy the gaseous hydrogen received from the precooling system to produce liquid hydrogen,   wherein the liquid hydrogen storage tank is in fluid communication with the liquefaction system and is configured to store the liquid hydrogen received from the liquefaction system,   wherein the primary refrigeration system comprises compressors and expanders configured to compress and expand, respectively, a primary refrigerant, wherein the expanders are configured to have an outlet pressure of Pi,   wherein the secondary refrigeration system provides refrigeration to the precooling system by vaporization of liquid nitrogen at pressure P 2 , wherein the primary and secondary refrigerants are not in fluid communication.   
     
     
         14 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein Pi is at least 0.5 bar greater than P 2 . 
     
     
         15 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the hydrogen source is a hydrogen generation unit, and the nitrogen source is an air separation unit. 
     
     
         16 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the air separation unit is configured to produce an oxygen stream and a liquid nitrogen stream, wherein the air separation unit is in fluid communication with the hydrogen generation unit and the secondary refrigeration system, such that the air separation unit is configured to send the oxygen stream to the hydrogen generation unit and the liquid nitrogen to the secondary refrigeration system. 
     
     
         17 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising a flow controller configured to control a flow rate of the liquid nitrogen such that the flow rate of the liquid nitrogen from the nitrogen source is between 5 to 50% of a flow rate of the oxygen stream sent to the hydrogen generation unit. 
     
     
         18 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the air separation unit comprises a high pressure feed air compressor. 
     
     
         19 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the primary refrigeration system is configured to provide cooling within the precooling system to a first temperature between about 100 K and about 120 K. 
     
     
         20 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the first temperature is within about 20 K of a vaporization temperature of liquid nitrogen used within the secondary refrigeration system. 
     
     
         21 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the primary refrigeration system uses refrigeration produced by a refrigerant selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon refrigerant, a mixed hydrocarbon refrigerant, nitrogen as part of a closed loop refrigeration cycle, argon, fluorocarbons, vaporization of liquid nitrogen, ammonia, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the secondary refrigeration system is configured to provide cooling within the precooling system to a temperature of about 80 K to about 90 K. 
     
     
         23 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the secondary refrigeration system comprises vaporization of liquid nitrogen, wherein the liquid nitrogen is received from an air separation unit. 
     
     
         24 . The integrated industrial unit as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the vaporization of liquid nitrogen in the secondary refrigeration system occurs at a vaporization pressure that is less than a discharge pressure of a cold turbine used within the primary refrigeration system.