METHOD OF HEATING A CRYOGENIC LIQUID
A method of heating a cryogenic liquid contained in a cryogenic tank including a gas headspace. The method includes heating the cryogenic liquid by injecting gas at higher temperature under a free surface of the cryogenic liquid.
1 - 10 . (canceled)
11 . A method of heating a cryogenic liquid contained in a cryogenic tank including a gas headspace, the method comprising:
heating the cryogenic liquid by injecting gas at a higher temperature under a free surface of the cryogenic liquid.
12 . The method of heating according to claim 11 , wherein the injected gas is a gaseous phase of the cryogenic liquid.
13 . The method of heating according to claim 11 , further comprising performing degassing above the free surface of the cryogenic liquid while injecting gas below the free surface to avoid pressure in the gas headspace exceeding a predetermined maximum pressure.
14 . The method of heating according to claim 11 , wherein the gas is injected through an extraction point for the cryogenic liquid.
15 . The method of heating according to claim 11 , wherein the cryogenic liquid is liquid hydrogen.
16 . A method of testing a cryogenic device, comprising:
heating a cryogenic liquid contained in a cryogenic tank including a gas headspace by injecting gas at a higher temperature under a free surface of the cryogenic liquid; and
subsequently feeding the cryogenic device during at least one test of the cryogenic device.
17 . The method of testing according to claim 16 , wherein the cryogenic device includes at least one cryogenic liquid pump.
18 . The method of testing according to claim 16 , wherein a flow of gas is injected into the gas headspace of the cryogenic tank during the test to maintain pressure in the gas headspace above a saturation pressure of the cryogenic liquid.
19 . The method of testing according to claim 16 , further comprising depressurizing the gas headspace of the cryogenic tank to below a saturation pressure of the cryogenic liquid after the test to cool the cryogenic liquid for a subsequent test.
20 . A feed installation for testing a cryogenic device, the feed installation comprising:
at least one cryogenic tank for a cryogenic liquid for supplying to the cryogenic device; and
a device for introducing a gas at a temperature higher than a temperature of the cryogenic liquid into the tank under a free surface of the cryogenic liquid for heating the cryogenic liquid.