Modification and optimization of an integrated hydrogen liquefaction process with an LNG regasification system

Using Hydrogen instead of fossil fuels has grown significantly due to its high energy density and zero carbon emission during consumption. The most economical method of storing hydrogen is liquefaction. In this study, after pre-cooling by the cold energy of the PRICO and liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification systems, hydrogen gas enters the next stage and it liquefies by a mixed refrigeration cycle. The novelty of this cycle is based on the new design of a high-efficiency hydrogen liquefaction cycle which is using the cold energy of a LNG regasification process, in turn, results in less power consumption in the compression part and also less cost of power consuming for one kilogram of liquid hydrogen compared to that for a similar cycle. Energy, exergy, and economy analyses are implemented to investigate the proposed cycle. In the proposed hydrogen liquefaction cycle with the capacity of 14 tons per hour, the specific energy consumption (SEC) 15 % and payback period 20% decreased in comparison to the similar cycle.