HYDROGEN LIQUEFYING METHOD WITH USE OF HELIUM REFRIGERATION CYCLE AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING THE SAME Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC F25J1/02 F25J5/00 

FIELD: development of mean- and high-efficiency hydrogen liquefiers.

SUBSTANCE: method comprises steps of compressing productive hydrogen flow; preliminarily cooling it at performing adiabatic conversion; realizing intermediate expansion; liquefying hydrogen by means of helium at performing adiabatic conversion; performing expansion of liquid parahydrogen. Helium is compressed in helium refrigeration cycle and after cooling it with use of liquid nitrogen, larger part of compressed flow is expanded in two mounted successively centrifugal expanders and temperature of said flow is lowered. Part of expanded flow is fed for cooling hydrogen; remaining smaller part of compressed flow of helium is cooled and expanded in third centrifugal expander and temperature of helium is reduced. Then it is fed for cooling hydrogen flow for further combining with helium flow used after second centrifugal expander. Then heat exchange with hydrogen flow is realized. Helium flow is divided then by three flows for returning them to helium cycle at three temperature levels.

EFFECT: lowered specific consumption of energy, improved thermodynamic effectiveness of hydrogen liquefying cycle in wide range of efficiency control.

2 cl, 2 dwg