A chiller can be configured as a chiller for a gasification system or other type of system or plant. In some embodiments, the chiller can be configured to utilize a single heat source, such as low grade waste heat in the form of hot water, and/or low pressure steam to drive one or more absorption-based chillers to cool inlet air to one or more adsorbers of a pre-purification unit (PPU). In the event of the detection of an undesired impurity spike (e.g. carbon dioxide spike, etc.) an additional amount of heat source can be withdrawn from the gasification system to increase the level of cooling the absorption chiller can provide to improve the removal of impurities. An automated control loop can be utilized in some embodiments. The control loop can be configured to check for an impurity concentration and adjust operations accordingly.

A material is utilized with an electropositive metal. This can be used as post-oxyfuel process for oxyfuel power stations. Here, an energy circuit is realized by the material utilization. An electropositive metal, in particular lithium, serves as energy store and as central reaction product for the conversion of nitrogen and carbon dioxide into ammonia and methanol. The power station thus operates without CO.sub.2 emissions.

In a process for the cryogenic separation of a methane-rich feed stream containing between 3 and 35% of oxygen and also nitrogen, the feed stream is cooled in order to produce a cooled stream, at least one portion of the cooled stream is sent to a distillation column, a bottom stream is withdrawn from the distillation column, the bottom stream being enriched in methane compared to the feed stream, a stream enriched in oxygen compared to the feed stream is withdrawn from the distillation column, and a nitrogen-rich stream is sent to the column.

A cryogenic method for capturing carbon dioxide in the gaseous emissions produced from the fossil-energy combustion of solid, liquid, or gaseous fossil fuels in a power generation installation employing an OxyFuel mode of combustion. The method includes: producing essentially pure carbon dioxide under elevated pressure and at near ambient temperatures in a Carbon-Dioxide Capture Component from the carbon-dioxide content of at least a part of the gaseous emissions produced from fossil-energy fueled combustion in the Oxyfuel mode of combustion; separating atmospheric air in an Air Separation Component into a stream of liquid nitrogen and a stream of high-purity oxygen; supplying low temperature, compressed purified air to a cryogenic air separation unit (cold box) within the Air Separation Component; collecting low temperature thermal energy from coolers employed within the Carbon-Dioxide Capture Component and the Air Separation Component; and converting the collected thermal energy to electricity within a Thermal-Energy Conversion Component.

A method for the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) using a cold fluid provided from a cryogenic unit, such as an air separation unit or nitrogen liquefier, is provided. The method may include the steps of: withdrawing a nitrogen stream from a cryogenic unit, wherein the nitrogen stream is at a temperature between about 155 C. to about 193 C.; and liquefying a natural gas stream in a natural gas liquefaction unit using the nitrogen stream from the cryogenic unit.

The method for producing liquid hydrogen can include the steps of: introducing pressurized natural gas from a high pressure natural gas pipeline to a gas processing unit under conditions effective for producing a purified hydrogen stream; and introducing the purified hydrogen stream to a hydrogen liquefaction unit under conditions effective to produce a liquid hydrogen stream, wherein the hydrogen liquefaction unit provides a warm temperature cooling and a cold temperature cooling to the purified hydrogen stream, wherein the warm temperature cooling is provided by utilizing letdown energy of a pressurized stream selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen stream sourced from a nitrogen pipeline, a natural gas stream sourced from the high pressure natural gas pipeline, an air gas sourced from an air separation unit, and combinations thereof, wherein the cold temperature is provided by utilizing letdown energy of the purified hydrogen stream.

A method for the liquefaction of an industrial gas by integration of a methanol plant and an air separation unit (ASU) is provided. The method can include the steps of: (a) providing a pressurized natural gas stream, a pressurized purge gas stream originating from a methanol plant, and a pressurized air gas stream comprising an air gas originating from the ASU; (b) expanding three different pressurized gases to produce three cooled streams, wherein the three different pressurized gases are the pressurized natural gas stream, the pressurized purge gas stream, and the pressurized air gas stream; and (c) liquefying the industrial gas in a liquefaction unit against the three cooled streams to produce a liquefied industrial gas stream. The industrial gas to be liquefied is selected from the group consisting of a first portion of the pressurized natural gas stream, a nitrogen gas stream, hydrogen and combinations thereof.

A method for the liquefaction of an industrial gas by integration of a methanol plant and an air separation unit (ASU) is provided. The method can include the steps of: (a) providing a pressurized natural gas stream, a pressurized purge gas stream composed predominately of hydrogen and originating from a methanol plant, and a pressurized air gas stream comprising an air gas from the ASU; (b) expanding three different pressurized gases to produce three cooled streams, wherein the three different pressurized gases consist of the pressurized natural gas stream, the pressurized purge gas stream, and the pressurized air gas stream; and (c) liquefying the industrial gas in a liquefaction unit against the three cooled streams to produce a liquefied industrial gas stream, wherein the industrial gas to be liquefied is selected from the group consisting of a first portion of the pressurized natural gas stream, a nitrogen gas stream, hydrogen and combinations thereof

It is proposed to integrate a gas processing unit with a liquefaction unit. The industrial gas stream may be but is not limited to air gases of oxygen, nitrogen argon, hydrocarbon, LNG, syngas or its components, CO.sub.2, or any other molecule or combination of molecules. It is proposed to integrate the underutilized process inefficiencies of a gas processing unit into the liquefaction unit to produce a liquid at a reduced operating cost. The gas processing unit may be any system or apparatus which alters the composition of a feed gas. Examples could be, but are not limited to, a methanol plant, steam methane reformer, cogeneration plant, and partial oxidation unit.

A chemical plant is provided which comprises an air separation section (ASU), a reformer section, a water-removal section and a refrigerated separation section. A first feed of atmospheric air is separated in the ASU to produce a refrigerant stream. A hydrocarbon feed is converted to a first syngas stream in the reformer section. Water is removed from the first syngas stream and at least a portion of the resulting dried first syngas stream is separated it into at least a product stream, and a by-product stream; by means of the refrigerated separation section. Importantly, the refrigerated separation section is cooled by a refrigerant stream (e.g., nitrogen) from the ASU. A process for producing a product stream, using the plant, is also provided.