Issue 41/2015 - Xi'an Jiaotong University successfully developed cryogenic liquid expander technology

After more than ten years of research, the research group of Sun Jinju of Xi'an Jiaotong University has made a breakthrough in cryogenic liquid expander technology, and the complete set of cryogenic liquid expander technology obtained by the research group has fully supported a wide range of industrial transformation applications, and this technology has filled the domestic gap
.

According to reports, cryogenic liquid expander is a key energy-saving equipment in low-temperature air separation and natural gas liquefaction units, which is used to replace the traditional high-pressure liquid J-T throttle valve with high energy consumption, which can produce significant energy-saving and consumption reduction benefits
.
The use of a cryogenic liquid expander can increase the total energy efficiency of the cryogenic air separation unit and natural gas liquefaction plant by 3%~6%.

The world's first cryogenic liquid expander was born in the late 80s of the last century, and French and American companies have been monopolizing the international market, and its high price has seriously hindered the promotion of
this technology.

In the past 15 years, the research group has been adhering to the basic research and technology research and development of cryogenic liquid expanders, and has successively made important breakthroughs
in the theory and methods of internal flow design of cryogenic liquid expanders, the optimization of the whole machine design, the optimization of the whole machine structure, the low-temperature sealing technology, the use of low-temperature materials, and the technology and methods of low-temperature experimental testing.
The developed prototype has been tested by professional and authoritative departments, and its performance indicators have reached the technical level of foreign products in the same period, filling the domestic gap
.
(Hua)