Facility and method for the liquefaction of hydrogen

Abstract

The invention relates to a facility and a method for the liquefaction of hydrogen, comprising a hydrogen circuit having an upstream end configured to be connected to a source of gaseous hydrogen and a downstream end connected to at least one store, the facility comprising a cold box housing a set of heat exchangers in a heat exchange relationship with the hydrogen circuit, the facility comprising a cooling device in a heat exchange relationship with at least part of the set of heat exchangers, the facility comprising a collecting pipe configured to collect boil-off gas and equipped with at least one upstream end connected to the store and/or a tank to be filled, and a downstream end connected to the hydrogen circuit, inside the cold box, said downstream end of the collecting pipe comprising, ahead of its connection to the hydrogen circuit, a portion in a heat exchange relationship with at least one heat exchanger of the set of heat exchangers.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A facility for the liquefaction of hydrogen comprising:
 a hydrogen circuit with an upstream end which is configured to be connected to a source of gaseous hydrogen, and a downstream end which is connected to at least one liquefied hydrogen cryogenic store of the facility, the cryogenic store being provided with a drawing-off duct which is configured to permit the supply of liquefied hydrogen to at least one tank to be filled, in particular a mobile tank;   a cold box which houses a series of heat exchangers in thermal exchange with the hydrogen circuit;   a cooling device in thermal exchange with at least part of the series of heat exchangers, which is configured to cool the hydrogen circuit, said cooling device comprising a cryogenic refrigerator with a cycle for refrigeration of a cycle gas in a work circuit, the cycle gas comprising at least one out of: hydrogen, helium, wherein the work circuit of the refrigerator comprises a compression unit configured to compress the cycle gas, a cooling unit configured to cool the cycle gas, an expansion unit configured to expand the cycle gas, and a heating unit configured to heat the cycle gas; and   a recuperation duct configured to recuperate vaporization gas provided with at least one upstream end which is connected to the store and/or is configured to be connected to a tank to be filled, and a downstream end which is connected to the hydrogen circuit,   wherein, in the interior of the cold box, said downstream end of the recuperation duct comprises, before the recuperation duct is connected to the hydrogen circuit, a portion in thermal exchange with at least one exchanger of the series of heat exchangers of the series of heat exchangers of the cold box comprising a plurality of heat exchangers positioned in series between the upstream end and the downstream end of the hydrogen circuit, the hydrogen circuit carrying out a first passage in the final heat exchanger in series,   wherein the comprises an expansion unit located downstream from the first passage,   wherein the connection of the downstream end of the recuperation duct to the hydrogen circuit is situated downstream from the first passage of the hydrogen circuit in the final heat exchanger in series and downstream from the expansion unit, downstream from the connection, the hydrogen circuit which has received the cooled and expanded vaporization gas carrying out a second passage in the final heat exchanger for the purpose of supplementary cooling, and, downstream from this second passage in the final heat exchanger,   wherein the hydrogen circuit comprises a hydrogen expansion unit configured to expand the flow of hydrogen, and   wherein the downstream end of the recuperation duct comprises a vaporization gas expansion unit configured to expand the flow of vaporization gas situated between the portion in thermal exchange with the at least one exchanger of the series of heat exchangers, and the connection to the hydrogen circuit.   
     
     
         13 . The facility as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the first passage of the hydrogen circuit in the final heat exchanger in series comprises a section for catalysis of the hydrogen which is configured to carry out conversion of at least part of the Ortho hydrogen into Para hydrogen. 
     
     
         14 . The facility as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the second passage into the final heat exchanger does not comprise a section for catalysis of the Ortho hydrogen into Para hydrogen. 
     
     
         15 . The facility as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said unit for expansion of the hydrogen circuit situated downstream from the second passage in the final heat exchanger comprises at least one out of: an expansion valve, a turbine. 
     
     
         16 . The facility as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein, upstream from the connection to the hydrogen circuit, the downstream end of the recuperation duct comprises a catalysis section which is configured to carry out the conversion of at least part of the Para hydrogen into Ortho hydrogen. 
     
     
         17 . The facility as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the downstream end of the recuperation duct comprises a bypass portion and a series of valves which are configured to assure or not assure the passage of the flow of vaporization gas in said catalysis section. 
     
     
         18 . The facility as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the recuperation duct comprises a compression unit such as a compressor of a cryogenic type. 
     
     
         19 . The facility as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the recuperation duct comprises a first upstream end which is connected to the store, and a second upstream end which is configured to be connected to a mobile tank. 
     
     
         20 . The facility as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the first and second upstream ends of the recuperation duct are connected to the downstream end of the recuperation duct respectively via two distinct branches of ducts, and in that the compression unit is situated in the duct branch of the second upstream end of the recuperation duct. 
     
     
         21 . A method for the liquefaction of hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing the facility as claimed in  claim 12 ;   recuperating vaporization gas via the recuperation duct;   cooling said vaporization gas recuperated in the cold box;   expanding said vaporization gas in the cold box to form an expanded vaporization gas; and   mixing the expanded vaporization gas with the flow of hydrogen to be cooled.   
     
     
         22 . The method for the liquefaction of hydrogen as claimed in  claim 21 , further comprising expanding the mixture of the vaporization gas and the flow of hydrogen to be cooled.