Adsorption device for purifying helium-3 in wide abundance range and portable adsorption equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of helium production, and provides a wide-abundance-range helium-3 purification adsorption device and portable adsorption equipment. The low-temperature adsorption unit comprises a vacuum cover; a refrigerator; the plurality of adsorption devices are arranged in the vacuum cover, and each adsorption device is filled with different types of adsorbents and is used for selectively adsorbing helium-3 raw material gases in different preset abundance ranges; the air inlet end of each adsorption device is connected to the air supply pipeline through an air inlet pipeline, and each air inlet pipeline is provided with an air inlet valve; the gas analyzer is arranged on the gas supply pipeline and is used for detecting the abundance of helium-3 in the detection raw material gas so as to selectively open the gas inlet valves of the helium-3 adsorption devices corresponding to different abundance ranges according to a detection result; the corresponding adsorption devices are matched according to different abundance values of helium-3 in the mixed raw material gas, effective recovery and purification of the helium-3 raw material gas with a wide abundance range are achieved, the application range of the raw material gas is widened, loss of helium-3 resources is effectively reduced, and the universality of the device is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of helium production technology, and in particular to an adsorption device and portable adsorption equipment for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range. Background Technology

[0002] Helium-3, a rare isotope of helium, has wide applications in quantum science, national defense, and medicine. However, my country currently relies entirely on imports for its helium-3 products. Although domestic research on extracting product-grade helium-3 from natural gas and nuclear waste gas is actively underway, in addition to increasing production, recycling and purifying helium-3 used or contaminated during the development and production of dilution refrigerators and neutron tubes is also a crucial way to reduce helium-3 resource losses and address the helium-3 shortage.

[0003] There are two main approaches to recovering and purifying helium-3: one is helium-3 recovery during equipment development, assembly, and commissioning; the other is helium-3 recovery from devices that have reached the end of their service life, such as the 3,300 helium-3 tubes imported from abroad in the first phase of the China Spallation Neutron Source project. As their usage time increases, their detection efficiency decreases, necessitating replacement and helium-3 recovery and purification in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to research helium-3 recovery and purification technologies for various helium-3 application scenarios.

[0004] However, both "open source" and "reduction" approaches face the challenge of separating helium isotopes (helium-3 / helium-4). "Open source" helium-3 production utilizes a combination of technologies: 2K low-temperature ultra-leakage coarse separation, 2K low-temperature distillation fine separation, and low-temperature adsorption high-purity separation. This approach focuses on obtaining helium-3 at specific abundances, on a large scale, with high throughput and high rates. In contrast, helium-3 recovery and extraction focuses on a wide abundance range across multiple application scenarios, requiring high adaptability and portability. 2K low-temperature ultra-leakage and low-temperature distillation technologies are no longer suitable for recovery scenarios. Therefore, researching low-temperature adsorption with a wide abundance range is a promising technical approach to solve the recovery and purification problem.

[0005] Chinese patent CN119869219A provides a low-temperature adsorption and separation system for helium isotopes, including a gas mixing and gas recovery module, a static testing unit, a dynamic low-temperature adsorption unit, and a low-temperature control module. It can be used to test the low-temperature performance of the adsorbent under static conditions and to separate helium isotopes under dynamic conditions. However, this system is mainly aimed at obtaining helium-3 from a gas source with a specific abundance and does not address the problem of recovering used helium-3 waste gas with varying abundance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides an adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range, which solves the problem that existing helium-3 recovery devices have a narrow adaptability to the abundance of helium-3 in the feed gas.

[0007] This invention provides an adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range, comprising: Gas delivery pipelines are used to transport raw materials containing helium-3 and helium-4; The low-temperature adsorption unit includes: Vacuum enclosure; A refrigerator, wherein the cold head of the refrigerator is disposed inside the vacuum chamber, for providing the required low-temperature environment for the adsorption and separation of helium isotopes; Multiple adsorption devices are disposed inside the vacuum chamber for separating helium-3 and helium-4 by adsorption. Each adsorption device is filled with a different type of adsorbent for selective adsorption of raw material gas containing helium-3 with different abundance ranges. The inlet of each adsorption device is connected to the gas supply pipeline through an inlet pipe, and each inlet pipe is equipped with an inlet valve. A gas analyzer is installed on the gas delivery pipeline to detect the abundance of helium-3 in the raw gas, and to select and open the inlet valve of the adsorption device corresponding to different abundance ranges of helium-3 based on the detection results.

[0008] An adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to the present invention further includes: A heating device is disposed inside the vacuum hood and corresponds to multiple adsorption devices, used to heat the adsorption devices to desorb the adsorbed gas.

[0009] An adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to the present invention further includes: A vacuum tube, which is connected to the vacuum shroud and all pipes outside the vacuum shroud; A vacuum pump is installed on the vacuum tube, which is capable of maintaining the vacuum level inside the vacuum chamber below 1E-1Pa and at low temperature 1E-5Pa. An air extraction valve is installed on the vacuum tube between the vacuum pump and the vacuum hood.

[0010] An adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to the present invention further includes: The controller is electrically connected to the refrigerator, the gas analyzer, the inlet valve, the heating device, the vacuum pump, and the extraction valve.

[0011] An adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to the present invention further includes a radiation shield disposed inside the vacuum chamber, wherein the heating device, the adsorption device and the cold head of the refrigeration unit are all disposed inside the radiation shield.

[0012] An adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to the present invention further includes a recovery unit, the recovery unit comprising: The first recovery tank is used to collect the gas remaining after adsorption by the adsorption device; The first recovery pipe has its first end connected to the first recovery tank. The gas outlet of each adsorption device is connected to the second end of the first recovery pipe through a gas outlet pipe. Each gas outlet pipe is equipped with a gas outlet valve. The first recovery pipe is provided with a first valve and a second valve at intervals. The first valve is located at the inlet of the first recovery tank. The gas outlet valve, the first valve, and the second valve are all electrically connected to the controller.

[0013] An adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to the present invention further includes: The second recovery tank is used to collect the gas desorbed from the adsorption device; The second recovery pipe has its first end connected to the second recovery tank. The gas outlet of each of the adsorption devices is also connected to the second end of the second recovery pipe through the gas outlet pipe. The second recovery pipe is provided with a third valve and a fourth valve at intervals. The third valve is located at the inlet of the second recovery tank. Both the third valve and the fourth valve are electrically connected to the controller.

[0014] An adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to the present invention further includes: The third recovery pipe has its first end connected to the first recovery pipe between the first valve and the second valve, and its second end connected to the gas supply pipeline. The third recovery pipe is equipped with a fifth valve, which is electrically connected to the controller.

[0015] According to the adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range provided by the present invention, a first pressure sensor is provided on the first recovery tank for real-time detection of the gas pressure of the first recovery tank; a second pressure sensor is provided on the second recovery tank for real-time detection of the gas pressure of the first recovery tank; both the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are electrically connected to the controller.

[0016] According to the adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range provided by the present invention, a flow meter and a third pressure sensor are also provided on the gas delivery pipeline, and the third pressure sensor is electrically connected to the controller.

[0017] According to the present invention, an adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range is provided, wherein an inlet valve is provided on the gas delivery pipeline, the second end of the third recovery pipe is connected to the gas delivery pipeline between the inlet valve and the gas analyzer, and the inlet valve is electrically connected to the controller.

[0018] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a portable adsorption device, including a mobile chassis and an adsorption apparatus mounted on the mobile chassis, wherein the adsorption apparatus is the wide abundance range helium-3 purification adsorption apparatus described in the first aspect.

[0019] This invention provides an adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range, comprising: a gas delivery pipeline, a gas analyzer, and a low-temperature adsorption unit. The low-temperature adsorption unit, through multiple adsorption devices, can adjust the type of adsorbent within its interior according to a preset abundance range, allowing raw gas of different abundances to enter the most suitable adsorption device, reducing ineffective adsorption or loss of the target gas, and improving the efficiency and purity of helium-3 purification. The gas analyzer monitors the helium-3 abundance in the raw gas in real time, allowing for the selection of the adsorption device for the corresponding abundance range of helium-3 based on the detection results. The raw gas is introduced by opening the inlet valve. Through the multiple adsorption devices, it can adapt to a wide range of helium-3 raw materials, from low-abundance (e.g., dilute mixtures remaining from equipment debugging) to high-abundance (e.g., residual gases from discarded components), meeting the recovery and purification needs in various scenarios. This achieves effective recovery and purification of helium-3 raw materials with a wide abundance range, broadening the applicability of the raw gas, effectively reducing helium-3 resource loss, and significantly improving the versatility of the device.

[0020] The present invention provides a portable adsorption device, including the above-mentioned adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range. Since it adopts the above-mentioned adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range, it has all its advantages, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range, provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a portable adsorption device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure label: 1. Gas supply pipeline; 2. Gas analyzer; 3. Vacuum hood; 4. Refrigeration unit; 5. Adsorption device; 6. Inlet valve; 7. Outlet valve; 8. Heating device; 9. Radiation shield; 10. First recovery tank; 11. First recovery pipeline; 12. First valve; 13. Second valve; 14. Second recovery tank; 15. Second recovery pipeline; 16. Third valve; 17. Fourth valve; 18. Third recovery pipeline; 19. Fifth valve; 20. First pressure sensor; 21. Second pressure sensor; 22. Vacuum pump; 23. Extraction valve; 24. Flow meter; 25. Third pressure sensor; 26. Inlet valve; 27. 4K cold plate; 28. Mobile chassis. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0026] The following is combined with Figures 1-2 This invention describes an adsorption apparatus and portable adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range.

[0027] This invention provides an adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range, comprising: a gas delivery pipeline 1, a gas analyzer 2, and a low-temperature adsorption unit.

[0028] Among them, gas supply pipeline 1 is used to transport raw material gas containing helium-3 and helium-4. It should be noted that the raw material gas only contains helium-3 and helium-4, and other impurity gases are relatively easy to separate and have been removed before entering the device.

[0029] The cryogenic adsorption unit includes a vacuum chamber 3, a refrigerator 4, and multiple adsorption devices 5. The refrigerator 4 is preferably a 4K refrigerator 4. The cold head of the refrigerator 4 is set inside the vacuum chamber 3 to provide the required low-temperature environment for the adsorption and separation of helium isotopes. Multiple adsorption devices 5 are set inside the vacuum chamber 3 to separate helium-3 from helium-4 through adsorption. Each adsorption device 5 is filled with different types of adsorbents to selectively adsorb helium-3 feed gas with different abundance ranges. The gas inlet of each adsorption device 5 is connected to the gas supply pipeline 1 through a gas inlet pipe, and each gas inlet pipe is equipped with a gas inlet valve 6.

[0030] Gas analyzer 2 is a binary gas analyzer, installed on gas supply line 1, used to detect the abundance of helium-3 in the raw gas, so as to select and open the inlet valve 6 of the adsorption device 5 corresponding to different abundance ranges of helium-3 based on the detection results.

[0031] As can be seen from the above scheme, the multiple adsorption devices 5 set in this invention can adjust the type of adsorbent inside according to the preset abundance range, so that raw materials of different abundances enter the most suitable adsorption device 5, reducing ineffective adsorption or loss of target gas, and improving the efficiency and purity of helium-3 purification; the gas analyzer 2 detects the helium-3 abundance in the raw material gas in real time, so as to select and activate the adsorption device for the corresponding abundance range of helium-3 based on the detection results, and introduce the raw material gas by opening the inlet valve. Through the multiple adsorption devices, it can adapt to a wide range of helium-3 raw materials from low abundance, such as the diluted mixture gas remaining after equipment debugging, to high abundance, such as the residual gas in waste devices, meeting the recovery and purification needs in multiple scenarios and significantly improving the versatility of the device.

[0032] In addition, each of the multiple adsorption devices 5 is independently connected to the gas supply line 1 through an air inlet pipe. Therefore, the maintenance or replacement of a single adsorption device 5 will not affect the operation of the overall system. If it is necessary to expand the abundance coverage, it can be achieved by adding adsorption devices 5 and corresponding valves without major modifications, which reduces the cost and difficulty of equipment upgrades.

[0033] It should be noted that a binary gas analyzer is an analytical instrument specifically designed to detect the concentration, content, or ratio of two specific components in a gas mixture. It uses specific detection principles such as infrared absorption, thermal conductivity, and laser spectroscopy to accurately measure the two target gases in a gas mixture. It is a product of existing technology, and its structure and principles are not the focus of this article and will not be elaborated here.

[0034] In some embodiments, a controller is also included, which can be electrically connected to the refrigerator 4, the gas analyzer 2 and the inlet valve 6. The controller is used to select and open the inlet valve 6 of the adsorption device 5 corresponding to different abundance ranges of helium-3 based on the detection results of the gas analyzer 2.

[0035] This setup, by electrically connecting the controller to the gas analyzer, inlet valve, and refrigeration unit, achieves full-process automation. From abundance detection to valve switching and low-temperature environment maintenance, no manual intervention is required, reducing operational complexity, avoiding human error, and enabling rapid response to dynamic changes in the abundance of the raw material gas, ensuring the stable and efficient operation of the purification process.

[0036] In some embodiments, the vacuum shroud 3 is made of stainless steel, and the 4K refrigerator 4 can be a GM refrigerator 4, a pulse tube refrigerator 4, a JT refrigerator 4, etc. The cold head of the 4K refrigerator 4 is placed directly inside the vacuum shroud 3. With the heat insulation effect of the vacuum shroud 3 and the radiation shield 9, the low temperature environment required for adsorption, such as 4K, can be maintained efficiently, reducing external heat interference. At the same time, the vacuum shroud 3 can provide a low vacuum and low heat leakage working space for multiple adsorption devices 5, improving the separation effect.

[0037] In some specific embodiments, the adsorption device 5 is an adsorption column, and the type of adsorbent filled in the adsorption column can be activated carbon, metal-organic framework (MOF), SiO2, high-silica glass (VycorGlass), etc. For example, multiple adsorption columns can be divided into low-abundance adsorption columns, medium-abundance adsorption columns, and high-abundance adsorption columns according to the suitable helium-3 abundance range. Among them, the low-abundance adsorption column needs to preferentially adsorb a large amount of helium-4. Therefore, for the low-abundance feed gas (low helium-3 content, high helium-4 content), the low-abundance adsorption column can select an adsorbent with stronger helium-4 adsorption capacity, that is, by adsorbing helium-4, more helium-3 can pass through, thus achieving preliminary enrichment. The high-abundance adsorption column only specifically removes a small amount of helium-4. Therefore, the high-abundance adsorption column can select an adsorbent with weak helium-3 adsorption capacity but still able to adsorb helium-4, retaining most of the helium-3 while adsorbing trace amounts of helium-4, thus achieving deep purification.

[0038] In this embodiment, a vacuum tube, a vacuum pump 22, and an air extraction valve 23 are also included. The vacuum tube is connected to the interior of the vacuum chamber 3. The vacuum pump 22 is installed on the vacuum tube and is electrically connected to the controller. It can pump the vacuum level inside the vacuum chamber 3 to below 1E-1Pa and maintain it at 1E-5Pa at low temperatures. The air extraction valve 23 is installed on the vacuum tube between the vacuum pump 22 and the vacuum chamber 3.

[0039] With this setup, the vacuum pump 22 and vacuum tube evacuate the inside of the vacuum chamber 3. Combined with the precise control of the evacuation valve 23, the vacuum level inside the vacuum chamber 3 can be stably evacuated to below 1E-1Pa, and maintained at 1E-5Pa at low temperatures, minimizing heat conduction and convection of gas molecules. This prevents external heat from being transferred to the radiation shield 9 and the internal adsorption device 5 and cold end of the refrigerator 4 through gas molecules, reducing the cooling loss of the refrigerator 4 and ensuring the stability of the 4K low-temperature environment. In this embodiment, a heating device 8 is also included. The heating device 8 is electrically connected to the controller to control the power and start / stop of the heating device 8. The heating device 8 can be a heating resistor, which is set inside the vacuum chamber 3 and corresponds to multiple adsorption devices 5. It is used to heat the adsorption devices 5 during the gas desorption process. That is, the heating device 8 can heat the adsorption devices 5 during the gas desorption process in the adsorption devices 5, so that the helium-4 and helium-3 adsorbed on the surface of the adsorbent are removed by heat, and the adsorption performance of the adsorbent is restored. This function allows the adsorption column to be reused and improves the continuous operation capability of the equipment.

[0040] With this setup, the heating device 8 is built into the vacuum hood 3 and directly contacts the adsorption device 5, reducing heat transfer loss and improving heating efficiency. Since the composition and amount of impurities captured by the adsorbent vary during the adsorption process of raw materials with different abundances of helium-3, the heating temperature and duration can be specifically adjusted according to the type and amount of adsorbent in different adsorption columns to ensure that each adsorption column can efficiently complete desorption.

[0041] In some embodiments, the cold head of the refrigerator 4, such as the secondary cold head, is provided with a 4K cold plate 27, and multiple adsorption devices 5 and heating devices 8 are installed on the 4K cold plate 27; the 4K cold plate 27 is fixedly connected to the secondary cold head of the 4K refrigerator 4 through a high-efficiency thermal connection, so that its temperature is stably maintained at a temperature close to that of the cold head.

[0042] Optionally, the 4K cold plate 27 can be made of copper, which can achieve efficient heat conduction in low-temperature environments such as 4K, while ensuring structural stability and processing adaptability. It can be fixedly connected to the secondary cold head of the 4K refrigerator 4 by bolt connection; for example, after grinding the contact surface between the 4K cold plate 27 and the secondary cold head flat, a layer of indium sheet with a thickness of 0.1-0.3mm is sandwiched in the middle, and it is fixed by pressure with evenly distributed low-temperature stainless steel bolts, and the flexibility of the indium sheet itself is used to fill the micro gaps on the contact surface.

[0043] Furthermore, it also includes a radiation shield 9, which is installed inside the vacuum chamber 3. The heating device 8, the adsorption device 5, and the cold end of the refrigeration unit 4 are all installed inside the radiation shield 9.

[0044] Optionally, the radiation shield 9 has a cylindrical structure and is made of copper. Its top cover is fixedly connected to the first-stage cold head of the 4K refrigerator 4. For example, after the contact surface between the top cover of the radiation shield 9 and the first-stage cold head of the 4K refrigerator 4 is polished flat, it is fixed by pressure with evenly distributed low-temperature stainless steel bolts.

[0045] With this configuration, the radiation shield 9 and the vacuum shield 3 form a double heat insulation structure. The vacuum shield 3 can reduce gas convection heat transfer through high vacuum. The radiation shield 9 encloses the heating device 8, the adsorption device 5, and the cold end of the refrigerator 4, which can significantly weaken the heat radiation transfer inside the vacuum shield 3. During the adsorption stage of the raw material gas, the radiation shield 9 is connected to the cold end of the refrigerator 4, keeping its own temperature at a low temperature, which can reduce the cooling load of the refrigerator 4 and provide a stable low temperature environment for the separation of raw materials with a wide range of abundance. When the heating device 8 is working, the radiation shield 9 can block the radiant heat of the heating device 8 from diffusing to the outside, ensuring that the adsorption device 5 is accurately heated and improving the desorption efficiency.

[0046] In this embodiment, a recycling unit is also included, comprising a first recycling tank 10 and a first recycling pipeline 11. The first recycling tank 10 is used to collect the gas remaining after adsorption by the adsorption device 5. The first end of the first recycling pipeline 11 is connected to the first recycling tank 10. The gas outlet of each adsorption device 5 is connected to the second end of the first recycling pipeline 11 through a gas outlet pipe. Each gas outlet pipe is provided with a gas outlet valve 7. The first recycling pipeline 11 is provided with a first valve 12 and a second valve 13 at intervals. The first valve 12 is located at the inlet of the first recycling tank 10. The gas outlet valve 7, the first valve 12, and the second valve 13 are all electrically connected to the controller.

[0047] With this setup, the remaining gas after adsorption by the adsorption device 5 is collected through the first recovery tank 10. For example, the remaining gas is a mixed gas with a reduced proportion of helium-4 after adsorption by the low-abundance adsorption column. Multiple adsorption devices 5 are independently connected to the first recovery pipeline 11 through outlet pipes. The outlet valves 7 on the outlet pipes can individually control the gas output of each adsorption device 5, facilitating precise recovery of the purification results for raw materials with different abundances. At the same time, considering the adaptability of the adsorption device 5 to a wide range of helium-3 abundances, the recovery unit can achieve batch recovery through valve switching. For example, the gas produced after purifying the raw material gas with low abundance helium-3 abundance can be temporarily stored in the first recovery tank 10 and purified again after accumulating to a certain amount. The gas purified from the raw material gas with high abundance helium-3 abundance can be directly recovered and stored.

[0048] The first valve 12 (near the inlet of the first recovery tank 10) and the second valve 13 (away from the recovery tank) installed at intervals on the first recovery pipeline 11 can form a dual valve control, which can quickly cut off the passage when the recovery tank is full or under maintenance, and provide redundant protection when the valve fails, reduce the risk of gas leakage, and ensure the safe operation of the system.

[0049] Furthermore, it also includes: a second recovery tank 14 and a second recovery pipeline 15, wherein the second recovery tank 14 is used to collect the gas desorbed from the adsorption device 5; the first end of the second recovery pipeline 15 is connected to the second recovery tank 14, and the gas outlet of each adsorption device 5 is also connected to the second end of the second recovery pipeline 15 through a gas outlet pipe, and the second recovery pipeline 15 is provided with a third valve 16 and a fourth valve 17 at intervals, the third valve 16 is located at the inlet of the second recovery tank 14, and both the third valve 16 and the fourth valve 17 are electrically connected to the controller.

[0050] With this configuration, the second recovery pipeline 15 is connected to the corresponding gas outlet pipeline, and the heating device 8 is used to quickly discharge the desorbed gas from the adsorption device 5. The second recovery tank 14 is used to collect the desorbed gas, avoiding the mixing of the pre-purified gas and the desorbed gas caused by setting only one recovery tank, and also minimizing resource waste of the recovered gas.

[0051] like Figure 1 As shown, the second recovery pipeline 15 is connected in parallel with the first recovery pipeline 11. The third valve 16 (near the inlet of the second recovery tank 14) and the fourth valve 17 (away from the recovery tank) on the second recovery pipeline 15 form a dual control system. This system can quickly cut off the passage when the recovery tank is full or under maintenance, and can also provide redundant protection in case of valve failure. The fourth valve 17 can be set at the second end near the second recovery pipeline 15, and the second valve 13 can be set at the second end near the first recovery pipeline 11. By closing the fourth valve 17 and the second valve 13, gas can be prevented from entering the other recovery pipeline at the same time when one of the recovery pipelines is used alone.

[0052] In this embodiment, a third recovery pipeline 18 is also included. Its first end is connected to the first recovery pipeline 11 between the first valve 12 and the second valve 13, and its second end is connected to the gas supply pipeline 1. A fifth valve 19 is provided on the third recovery pipeline 18, and the fifth valve 19 is electrically connected to the controller.

[0053] In this configuration, the gas in the first recovery tank 10 is drawn back to the gas supply line 1 via the pipeline between the first valve 12 and the second valve 13 through the third recovery pipeline 18. The gas analyzer 2 detects the helium-3 abundance in the recovered gas. If the abundance meets the standard, the purification process ends; if the abundance does not meet the standard, it re-enters the adsorption device 5 for secondary purification. This cyclical design avoids the direct emission or inefficient storage of substandard gases. Especially for low-abundance helium-3 feed gas, the purity of helium-3 can be gradually increased through multiple cycles of adsorption, ultimately achieving a high recovery rate. Compared to the mode of directly collecting substandard gases and then processing them separately, the third recovery pipeline 18 achieves cyclical purification, reducing the energy consumption and equipment investment for additional gas storage and transfer. At the same time, the cyclical process can utilize the existing gas supply line 1, adsorption device 5, and control system, without the need for additional equipment, thus improving the helium-3 recovery rate while controlling costs.

[0054] Furthermore, a first pressure sensor 20 is installed on the first recycling tank 10 to detect the air pressure of the first recycling tank 10 in real time; a second pressure sensor 21 is installed on the second recycling tank 14 to detect the air pressure of the first recycling tank 10 in real time. Both the first pressure sensor 20 and the second pressure sensor 21 are electrically connected to the controller.

[0055] This setup allows for real-time monitoring of gas pressure changes within the recovery tanks via pressure sensors, preventing excessive pressure buildup due to overfilling. Safety thresholds can be set for each of the two recovery tanks; when the pressure approaches the preset safety threshold, the pressure sensor sends a signal to the controller, triggering the closure of the first valve 12 and the third valve 16, or stopping the corresponding adsorption and desorption processes, thus preventing overpressure risks and providing crucial assurance for the safe operation of the device. On the other hand, abnormal data from pressure sensors can serve as fault diagnosis signals. For example, if the gas pressure in the first recovery tank 10 remains constant but the adsorption device 5 operates normally, it may be due to a blockage in the first valve 12. If the gas pressure in the second recovery tank 14 drops suddenly, it may be due to a leak in the third valve 16. By observing pressure changes, problems such as pipeline blockage and valve failure can be identified, which helps ensure the long-term stable operation of the device.

[0056] like Figure 1 As shown, an inlet valve 26 is installed on the gas supply line 1. The inlet valve 26 is electrically connected to the controller. The second end of the third recovery line 18 is connected to the gas supply line 1 between the inlet valve 26 and the gas analyzer 2. Thus, when no new raw material gas is introduced, the gas from the first recovery tank 10 can enter the analysis and purification process separately by closing the inlet valve 26, avoiding interference from external gas sources.

[0057] In this embodiment, a flow meter 24 and a third pressure sensor 25 are also installed on the gas delivery pipeline 1. Both the flow meter 24 and the third pressure sensor 25 are electrically connected to the controller. The flow meter 24 can obtain the delivery rate of the raw material gas in real time. The controller can adjust the operating parameters of each component according to the data. For example, when the detected flow rate is too high, more adsorption columns adapted to the current abundance will be automatically opened, or the opening of the corresponding inlet valve 6 will be increased to avoid incomplete purification caused by excessive single column load. When the flow rate is too low, the opening of the inlet valve 26 or the fifth valve 19 can be increased.

[0058] Preferably, the entire invention can be mounted on a wheeled trolley, achieving a miniaturized and convenient functional effect. Furthermore, the recovery unit and the cryogenic adsorption unit can adopt a modular integrated design, and can be combined into a whole through standardized interfaces such as quick flanges and snap-fit ​​pipe joints. When a module malfunctions, such as a leaking valve in the recovery tank or the need for maintenance of the refrigeration unit 4, the corresponding module can be disassembled for repair without disassembling the entire device, significantly reducing maintenance downtime. If it is necessary to increase the helium-3 processing capacity, an adsorption device 5 module can be added and connected to the reserved pipe interface. Combining the compact structural design of the radiation shield 9, the adsorption device 5, and the heating device 8, the internal structure of the vacuum shield 3 is optimized to avoid additional external volume occupation, making the device easier to deploy and move while maintaining functional integrity.

[0059] The operation process of an adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range provided in this embodiment of the invention is as follows: First, open the flow meter 24 and all valves except the inlet valve 26, start the vacuum pump 22 to purge the gas inside the pipeline and vacuum chamber 3, then fill with high-purity helium for purging, repeat 3-4 times, then start the vacuum pump 22 again to reduce the vacuum level inside the device to 1E-1Pa, then turn on the 4K refrigerator 4 to cool down, and continue to pump gas during the cooling process.

[0060] After the temperature of the adsorption device 5 drops to 4K, close all valves and flow meter 24, open inlet valve 26 to allow the raw material gas to enter the binary gas analyzer 2 to measure the helium-3 abundance, open flow meter 24 and set the inlet flow rate, selectively open the inlet valve 6 and outlet valve 7 corresponding to different adsorption devices 5 according to different abundances, then open the first valve 12 and the second valve 13, and the mixed gas enters the interior of the adsorption device 5 to complete adsorption separation and then enters the first recovery tank 10. After the readings of the third pressure sensor 25 and the first pressure sensor 20 of the first recovery tank 10 stabilize, close the first valve 12 and the second valve 13 of the first recovery pipeline 11.

[0061] Then, open the third valve 16 and the fourth valve 17 of the second recovery tank 14, turn off the 4K refrigerator 4, turn on the heating device 8, so that the gas in the adsorption device 5 is heated and desorbed and enters the second recovery tank 14. After the reading of the second pressure sensor 21 stabilizes, close all valves.

[0062] Finally, open the first valve 12 and the fifth valve 19 between the first recovery tank 10 and the gas detector, and check the helium-3 abundance in the recovered gas again. If the abundance meets the standard, the purification process ends; if the abundance does not meet the standard, repeat the above operation.

[0063] Reference Figure 2 The present invention also provides a portable adsorption device, including a movable chassis 28 and the aforementioned wide-abundance range helium-3 purification adsorption device disposed on the movable chassis 28. This facilitates the creation of a small portable low-temperature adsorption device, reduces the device size, facilitates transportation and deployment, and can be widely applied to various scenarios, significantly improving the practicality and flexibility of the device.

[0064] In this embodiment, the size of the movable chassis vehicle 28, such as a trolley, is designed according to the overall size of the integrated adsorption device module for the purification of helium-3 with a wide abundance range. For example, the length, width, and height are approximately 120cm, 80cm, and 150cm, respectively. It can enter elevators, laboratories, or narrow passages through standard doors, meeting the space constraints of various venues, and is especially suitable for research laboratories or production workshops with limited space.

[0065] Furthermore, the bottom of the movable chassis 28 can be equipped with shock-absorbing pads, and the rollers have shock-absorbing functions, which can reduce the vibration and impact on precision components such as the 4K refrigeration unit cold head and the adsorption column connecting pipes during the movement, avoid vacuum seal failure or pipe interface loosening caused by mechanical disturbance, and ensure that the device can still operate stably after the movement.

[0066] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range, characterized in that, include: Gas delivery pipeline (1) is used to transport raw material gas containing helium-3 and helium-4; The low-temperature adsorption unit includes: Vacuum shroud (3); The refrigerator (4) has its cold head inside the vacuum shroud (3) to provide the required low-temperature environment for the adsorption and separation of helium isotopes. Multiple adsorption devices (5) are disposed inside the vacuum hood (3) for separating helium-3 and helium-4 by adsorption. Each adsorption device (5) is filled with different types of adsorbents for selective adsorption of raw gas containing helium-3 with different abundance ranges. The inlet of each adsorption device (5) is connected to the gas supply pipeline (1) through an inlet pipe, and each inlet pipe is provided with an inlet valve (6). A gas analyzer (2) is installed on the gas supply pipeline (1) to detect the abundance of helium-3 in the raw gas, so as to select and open the gas inlet valve (6) of the adsorption device (5) corresponding to different abundance ranges of helium-3 according to the detection results.

2. The adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A heating device (8) is disposed inside the vacuum hood (3) and corresponds to a plurality of adsorption devices (5) for heating the adsorption devices (5) to desorb the adsorbed gas.

3. The adsorption apparatus for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: Vacuum tube, which is connected to the vacuum cover (3) and all pipes outside the vacuum cover (3); A vacuum pump (22) is installed on the vacuum tube. The vacuum pump (22) can pump the vacuum level in the vacuum hood (3) to below 1E-1Pa and maintain it at 1E-5Pa at low temperature. A vacuum valve (23) is provided on the vacuum tube between the vacuum pump (22) and the vacuum shroud (3).

4. The adsorption apparatus for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: The controller is electrically connected to the refrigerator (4), the gas analyzer (2), the inlet valve (6), the heating device (8), the vacuum pump (22), and the extraction valve (23).

5. The adsorption apparatus for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a radiation shield (9) which is set inside the vacuum shroud (3), and the heating device (8), the adsorption device (5) and the cold head of the refrigeration machine (4) are all set inside the radiation shield (9).

6. The adsorption apparatus for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a recycling unit, which comprises: The first recovery tank (10) is used to collect the gas remaining after adsorption by the adsorption device (5); The first recycling pipeline (11) has its first end connected to the first recycling tank (10). The outlet end of each adsorption device (5) is connected to the second end of the first recycling pipeline (11) through an outlet pipeline. Each outlet pipeline is provided with an outlet valve (7). The first recycling pipeline (11) is provided with a first valve (12) and a second valve (13) at intervals. The first valve (12) is located at the inlet of the first recycling tank (10). The outlet valve (7), the first valve (12) and the second valve (13) are all electrically connected to the controller.

7. The adsorption apparatus for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: The second recovery tank (14) is used to collect the gas desorbed from the adsorption device (5); The second recovery pipeline (15) has its first end connected to the second recovery tank (14). The gas outlet of each adsorption device (5) is also connected to the second end of the second recovery pipeline (15) through the gas outlet pipeline. The second recovery pipeline (15) is provided with a third valve (16) and a fourth valve (17) at intervals. The third valve (16) is located at the inlet of the second recovery tank (14). The third valve (16) and the fourth valve (17) are both electrically connected to the controller.

8. The adsorption apparatus for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: The third recovery pipeline (18) has its first end connected to the first recovery pipeline (11) between the first valve (12) and the second valve (13), and its second end connected to the gas supply pipeline (1). The third recovery pipeline (18) is provided with a fifth valve (19), which is electrically connected to the controller.

9. The adsorption apparatus for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first recycling tank (10) is equipped with a first pressure sensor (20) for real-time detection of the air pressure of the first recycling tank (10); the second recycling tank (14) is equipped with a second pressure sensor (21) for real-time detection of the air pressure of the first recycling tank (10). The first pressure sensor (20) and the second pressure sensor (21) are both electrically connected to the controller.

10. The adsorption apparatus for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 4, characterized in that, The gas supply pipeline (1) is also equipped with a flow meter (24) and a third pressure sensor (25), which is electrically connected to the controller.

11. The adsorption apparatus for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range according to claim 8, characterized in that, An inlet valve (26) is provided on the gas supply pipeline (1). The second end of the third recovery pipeline (18) is connected to the gas supply pipeline (1) between the inlet valve (26) and the gas analyzer (2). The inlet valve (26) is electrically connected to the controller.

12. A portable adsorption device, characterized in that, It includes a mobile chassis (28) and an adsorption device disposed on the mobile chassis (28), the adsorption device being the adsorption device for purifying helium-3 with a wide abundance range as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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