The ULSF goal is to minimize capital intensity and maximize reproducibility for any effective degree of efficiency in establishing its technology kernel. Applying these principles to this area, we're looking for a low energy solution to the production and liquification of Hydrogen and Oxygen. Energy and material capital consumers of concern include pumping gas to high pressure, which would be avoided if possible.
Hydrogen and Oxygen production is planned with a Hoffman Apparatus powered Solar Photovoltaic Cells.
The general scheme is shown here. Gas O2 and H2 is produced on the left and collected in gas reservoir tanks for each liquifier. On the right is an air liquifier, which needs to supply liquid air to the H2 and O2 liquifiers.
From what I understand, a single column Joule Thomson cooler can liquify air. The critical parameter is the effect of the expansion of gas in the column, either heating or cooling. This is determined by pressure and temperature, and is detailed in "Joule Thomson Inversion Curves and Related Coefficients".
The interior of a liquifier is a set of heat exchangers.
In this diagram, the two column liquifier on the left is shown with a column for the working fluid on the right. Within the two column liquifier, the right hand column is cooled by an evaporating volume of the liquid working fluid. The left hand column is cooled by the expansion of gas from the bottom of the column. According to the temperature of the gas, some part will liquify in expansion.
The liquifier and gas must be cooled to a temperature under the inversion curve in order that the gas expansion is cooling. And in order to reach the temperatures required, the liquifier requires vacuum containment and radiative shielding.
The expansion valve is shown in the bottom of the left hand column. A "porous plug" is employed to serve a couple purposes. It maintains a pressure differential between the interior of the column and the interior of the heat exchange tubing within the column. And it serves to cause some period of time to accompany the expansion. This writer wonders whether an interesting course of experimentation would be to employ a capillary tube that could be measured and reproduced with particular precision.
Work to be done includes developing an understanding of "Curves and Coefficients", grasping the temperature- pressure relation, and an experimental definition of pressures within the components.
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