System and method for the production and supply of a densified liquid oxygen product

Abstract

A system and method for the liquefaction and densification of oxygen for use in space vehicle applications is provided that uses high pressure air or synthetic air as the refrigerant source. The disclosed system and method employs a heat exchanger arrangement comprising a first heat exchange device configured to liquefy the high pressure gaseous oxygen stream and at least a portion of the high pressure gaseous air stream via indirect heat exchange with a refrigerant stream to yield a liquid oxygen stream and a liquid air stream. The heat exchanger arrangement also includes a second heat exchange device configured to densify the liquified oxygen stream via indirect heat exchange with the liquid air stream which yields the densified liquid oxygen and a cold vaporized air stream. The refrigerant stream comprises a mixture of the exhaust streams from one or more turbines with the cold vaporized air stream.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for production of a densified, liquid oxygen stream from a high pressure gaseous oxygen stream, the system comprises:
 a heat exchanger arrangement comprising a first heat exchange device configured to liquefy the high pressure gaseous oxygen stream and at least one high pressure gaseous air stream having a pressure greater than or equal to about 10 bar (a) via indirect heat exchange with a refrigerant stream to yield a liquid oxygen stream and a liquid air stream and a second heat exchange device configured to densify the liquified oxygen stream via indirect heat exchange with the liquid air stream to yield a densified liquid oxygen stream and a cold vaporized air stream;   one or more turbines configured to expand a diverted portion of the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream to yield one or more exhaust streams;   wherein the refrigerant stream comprises a mixture of the one or more exhaust streams and the cold vaporized air stream.   
     
     
         2 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more turbines further comprise:
 a first turbine configured to expand a diverted portion of the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream to yield a first exhaust stream; and   a second turbine configured to further expand the first exhaust stream to yield a second exhaust stream;   wherein the refrigerant stream comprises a mixture of the second exhaust stream and the cold vaporized air stream.   
     
     
         3 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 2 , wherein the first heat exchange device is further configured to pre-cool the high pressure air stream and the first turbine is configured to expand the pre-cooled high pressure air stream to yield the first exhaust stream. 
     
     
         4 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 2 , wherein the first heat exchange device is further configured to partially warm the first exhaust stream and the second turbine is configured to expand the partially warmed, first exhaust stream to yield the second exhaust stream. 
     
     
         5 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more auxiliary compressors configured to compress the high pressure air stream to a pressure greater than or equal to a pressure greater than or equal to about 50.5 bar (a). 
     
     
         6 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 5 , wherein the work provided by the one or more turbines is equal to or greater than the work required by the one or more auxiliary compressors. 
     
     
         7 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 6 , further comprising an integral gear machine operatively coupling the one or more turbines and the one or more auxiliary compressors. 
     
     
         8 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 6 , wherein the cold vaporized air stream is at a subambient pressure and the system further comprises a vacuum pump configured to pressurize the cold vaporized air stream. 
     
     
         9 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 8 , wherein the work provided by the one or more turbines is greater than 90% of the work required by the one or more auxiliary compressors and the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         10 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a third turbine configured to expand another diverted portion of the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream to yield a third exhaust stream; and   wherein the second turbine is further configured to further expand a mixture of the first exhaust stream and the third exhaust stream to yield the second exhaust stream.   
     
     
         11 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 10 , wherein the first heat exchange device is further configured to partially warm the first exhaust stream and the third exhaust stream and the second turbine is configured to expand a mixture of the partially warmed, first exhaust stream and partially warmed, third exhaust stream to yield the second exhaust stream. 
     
     
         12 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchange device, the second heat exchange device, the one or more turbines are disposed proximate a space vehicle launch platform at a launch facility. 
     
     
         13 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 12 , wherein the high pressure gaseous oxygen and the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream are supplied to the launch facility via a pipeline from an air separation unit located within 2 kilometers of the launch facility. 
     
     
         14 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream comprises a synthetic air stream comprising a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen from the air separation unit. 
     
     
         15 . The system for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 12 , further comprising a storage tank and wherein and the densified, liquid oxygen stream is stored in the storage tank for use as an oxidant for a space vehicle propulsion system. 
     
     
         16 . A method for production of a densified, liquid oxygen stream from a high pressure gaseous oxygen stream, the method comprising the steps of:
 liquefying the high pressure gaseous oxygen stream and at least one high pressure gaseous air stream having a pressure greater than or equal to about 10 bar (a) via indirect heat exchange with a refrigerant stream in a heat exchanger arrangement to yield a liquid oxygen stream and a liquid air stream;   densifying the liquified oxygen stream via indirect heat exchange with the liquid air stream in the heat exchange arrangement to yield the densified liquid oxygen stream and a cold vaporized air stream;   wherein the heat exchange arrangement comprises a first heat exchange device configured to liquefy the high pressure gaseous oxygen stream and at least one high pressure gaseous air stream and a second heat exchange device configured to densify the liquified oxygen stream;   expanding a diverted portion of the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream and in one or more turbines to yield one or more exhaust streams;   mixing the one or more exhaust streams and the cold vaporized air stream to yield the refrigerant stream.   
     
     
         17 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more turbines further comprise:
 a first turbine configured to expand a diverted portion of the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream to yield a first exhaust stream; and   a second turbine configured to expand the first exhaust stream to yield a second exhaust stream;   wherein the refrigerant stream comprises a mixture of the second exhaust stream and the cold vaporized air stream.   
     
     
         18 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of pre-cooling the at least one high pressure air stream in the first heat exchanger, and wherein the step of expanding the diverted portion of the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream in the first turbine further comprises expanding the pre-cooled at least one high pressure air stream to yield the first exhaust stream. 
     
     
         19 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of partially warming the first exhaust stream, and wherein the step of expanding the first exhaust stream further comprises expanding the partially warmed, first exhaust stream to yield the second exhaust stream. 
     
     
         20 . The method for production of a densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of compressing the at least one high pressure air stream in one or more auxiliary compressors to a pressure greater than or equal to about 50.5 bar (a). 
     
     
         21 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 20 , wherein the work provided by the one or more turbines is equal to or greater than the work required by the one or more auxiliary compressors. 
     
     
         22 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 20 , wherein the cold vaporized air stream is at a subambient pressure and the method further comprises the step of pressurizing the cold vaporized air stream with a vacuum pump, and wherein the work provided by the one or more turbines is greater than 90% of the work required by the one or more auxiliary compressors and the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         23 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 expanding a second diverted portion of the high pressure gaseous air stream in a third turbine to yield a third exhaust stream; and   mixing the first exhaust stream and the third exhaust stream in the first heat exchange device; and   wherein the step of expanding the first exhaust stream in the second turbine further comprises further expanding the mixture of the first exhaust stream and the third exhaust stream in the second turbine to yield the second exhaust stream.   
     
     
         24 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 23 , further comprising the steps of partially warming the first exhaust stream and the third exhaust stream in the first heat exchanger, and wherein the step of further expanding the first exhaust stream in the second turbine further comprises further expanding the mixture of the first exhaust stream and the third exhaust stream in the second turbine to yield the second exhaust stream. 
     
     
         25 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of suppling the at least one high pressure gaseous oxygen and the high pressure gaseous air stream via a pipeline from an air separation unit to a launch facility located within 2 kilometers of the air separation unit. 
     
     
         26 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream comprises a stream of purified air from the air separation unit. 
     
     
         27 . The method for production of the densified, liquid oxygen stream of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one high pressure gaseous air stream comprises a stream of purified synthetic air comprising a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen produced by the air separation unit.