Air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure, it is arranged between air compressor and waste heat recovery device, comprising: oil outlet pipeline, including air compressor oil outlet pipe, external oil outlet pipe and three-way valve, the one end of air compressor oil outlet pipe connects the oil outlet of air compressor, the other end connects the first valve port of three-way valve, the one end of external oil outlet pipe connects the oil inlet of waste heat recovery device, the other end connects the second valve port of three-way valve;Oil return pipeline, including external oil return pipe, three-way pipe and two-way valve, the one end of external oil return pipe connects the oil outlet of waste heat recovery device, the other end is connected the first end of three-way pipe by two-way valve, the second end of three-way pipe connects the oil return port of air compressor, the third end of three-way pipe connects the third valve port of three-way valve.Compared with existing air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure, the utility model only needs a three-way valve and a two-way valve, pipeline structure is more compact, and the number of valve is reduced, so that leakage point is less, and cost is lower.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of air compressor technology, and in particular to a waste heat recovery pipeline structure for air compressors. Background Technology

[0002] Air compressors are key pieces of equipment widely used in industrial production, their main function being to convert input electrical energy into the potential energy of compressed air. However, significant energy loss occurs throughout the energy conversion process. Studies show that up to 80% of the input electrical energy is ultimately converted into heat energy, while less than 20% is effectively converted into usable compressed air energy. This indicates that the overall energy utilization efficiency of current air compressor systems is low.

[0003] The heat generated during compression is primarily absorbed and carried away by the high-pressure, high-temperature compressed oil-air mixture (in models such as oil-injected screw compressors). To maintain the compressor and its lubrication system within a safe and efficient operating temperature range, this heated oil-air mixture must subsequently be cooled by a cooling system. The current mainstream cooling method involves using a cooling medium (such as cooling water or cooling air) in separate oil coolers and air coolers (or aftercoolers) to forcibly dissipate the heat into the ambient atmosphere or cooling water system. This traditional cooling method essentially wastes a large amount of heat generated during compression. The heat discharged through the cooler is typically of low quality and difficult to utilize directly by conventional processes; it is often considered waste heat and not only is it not effectively utilized, but additional resources (such as the electricity consumption of cooling water circulation or fans) are required for its disposal. This direct waste of a large amount of high-quality waste heat results in significant energy waste.

[0004] To address the high proportion of waste heat generated during air compressor operation, air compressor waste heat recovery technology has emerged. The core of this technology lies in using a specially designed heat recovery system (such as a heat exchanger) to recover and reuse waste heat that would otherwise be discharged into the environment through the cooler. For example, Chinese utility model patent CN204126854U discloses an oil circuit structure for an air compressor waste heat recovery unit, including an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe connected to the heat exchanger. Both the inlet and outlet pipes are equipped with tees, with a bypass pipe and a flanged ball valve connected between the two tees. A first flanged ball valve and a second flanged ball valve are also installed between the tees and the heat exchanger, respectively. A threaded ball valve is connected between the first flanged ball valve and the heat exchanger via a double-ended short thread. However, this structure requires three flanged ball valves and two tees to achieve its function, resulting in drawbacks such as structural complexity, numerous leakage points, and high cost. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a waste heat recovery pipeline structure for air compressors, so as to solve the shortcomings of existing waste heat recovery unit oil circuit structures, such as complex structure, many leakage points and high cost.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a waste heat recovery pipeline structure for an air compressor, disposed between the air compressor and the waste heat recovery device, comprising:

[0007] The oil outlet pipeline includes an air compressor oil outlet pipe, an external oil outlet pipe, and a three-way valve. One end of the air compressor oil outlet pipe is connected to the oil outlet of the air compressor, and the other end is connected to the first valve port of the three-way valve. One end of the external oil outlet pipe is connected to the oil inlet of the waste heat recovery device, and the other end is connected to the second valve port of the three-way valve.

[0008] The oil return pipeline includes an external oil return pipe, a three-way pipe, and a two-way valve. One end of the external oil return pipe is connected to the oil outlet of the waste heat recovery device, and the other end is connected to the first end of the three-way pipe through the two-way valve. The second end of the three-way pipe is connected to the oil return port of the air compressor, and the third end of the three-way pipe is connected to the third valve port of the three-way valve.

[0009] Optionally, the three-way valve is a three-way ball valve.

[0010] Optionally, the three-way valve is a three-way regulating valve.

[0011] Optionally, the three-way valve is a three-way temperature control valve.

[0012] Optionally, an oil outlet temperature sensor is installed on the oil outlet pipe of the air compressor.

[0013] Optionally, a return oil temperature sensor is installed on the external return oil pipe.

[0014] Optionally, the three-way valve is a pressure regulating valve.

[0015] Optionally, an oil outlet pressure sensor is installed on the oil outlet pipe of the air compressor.

[0016] Optionally, a return oil pressure sensor is installed on the external return oil pipe.

[0017] Optionally, the two-way valve is a ball valve or a regulating valve.

[0018] This utility model provides a waste heat recovery pipeline structure for an air compressor, which has at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1) Depending on whether a waste heat recovery device needs to be installed and whether waste heat recovery is required after the device is installed, the pipeline can be switched to meet different usage needs.

[0020] 2) External oil outlet pipe and external oil return pipe can be added or removed as needed. Removal will not affect the normal use of the air compressor. The air compressor can be maintained and serviced without stopping the waste heat recovery device.

[0021] 3) Compared with the existing waste heat recovery pipeline structure of air compressors, this utility model only requires a three-way valve and a two-way valve. The pipeline structure is more compact, occupies less space, is less prone to interference, and reduces the number of valves, resulting in fewer leakage points, lower costs, and simpler operation. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Those skilled in the art will understand that the accompanying drawings are provided to better understand the present invention and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of the present invention. Wherein:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the waste heat recovery pipeline structure of the air compressor provided in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0024] in:

[0025] 100 - Air compressor; 200 - Waste heat recovery device; 310 - Air compressor oil outlet pipe; 320 - External oil outlet pipe; 330 - Three-way valve; 340 - External oil return pipe; 350 - Three-way pipe; 360 - Two-way valve; 410 - Oil outlet temperature sensor; 420 - Oil return temperature sensor; 510 - Oil outlet pressure sensor; 520 - Oil return pressure sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, advantages, and features of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and are not drawn to scale, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the explanation of the objectives of the embodiments of this utility model. Furthermore, the structures shown in the drawings are often part of the actual structure. In particular, different drawings may emphasize different aspects and sometimes use different scales.

[0027] As used in this invention, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural objects unless otherwise expressly indicated. As used in this invention, the term “or” is generally used to include “and / or” unless otherwise expressly indicated. As used in this invention, the term “a number” is generally used to include “at least one” unless otherwise expressly indicated. As used in this invention, the term “at least two” is generally used to include “two or more” unless otherwise expressly indicated. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as “first,” “second,” or “third” may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of that feature.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 This embodiment provides a waste heat recovery pipeline structure for an air compressor, which is installed between the air compressor 100 and the waste heat recovery device 200, including:

[0029] The oil outlet pipeline includes an air compressor oil outlet pipe 310, an external oil outlet pipe 320, and a three-way valve 330. One end of the air compressor oil outlet pipe 310 is connected to the oil outlet of the air compressor 100, and the other end is connected to the first valve port of the three-way valve 330. One end of the external oil outlet pipe 320 is connected to the oil inlet of the waste heat recovery device 200, and the other end is connected to the second valve port of the three-way valve 330.

[0030] The oil return pipeline includes an external oil return pipe 340, a three-way pipe 350, and a two-way valve 360. One end of the external oil return pipe 340 is connected to the oil outlet of the waste heat recovery device 200, and the other end is connected to the first end of the three-way pipe 350 through the two-way valve 360. The second end of the three-way pipe 350 is connected to the oil return port of the air compressor 100, and the third end of the three-way pipe 350 is connected to the third valve port of the three-way valve 330.

[0031] The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure provided by this invention has a bypass mode and a waste heat recovery mode, and its working principle is as follows:

[0032] When the waste heat recovery device 200 is not installed or is installed but not activated, the waste heat recovery pipeline structure of the air compressor switches to bypass mode. At this time, the three-way valve 330 only connects the air compressor oil outlet pipe 310 and the three-way pipe 350. The high-pressure and high-temperature oil output from the air compressor 100 after oil-gas separation flows directly back to the return port of the air compressor 100 through the air compressor oil outlet pipe 310, the three-way valve 330 and the three-way pipe 350. There is no connection between the air compressor oil outlet pipe 310 and the external oil outlet pipe 320. At the same time, the two-way valve 360 ​​is closed, and there is no connection between the external return oil pipe 340 and the three-way pipe 350.

[0033] When the waste heat recovery device 200 needs to be activated, the waste heat recovery pipeline structure of the air compressor switches to waste heat recovery mode. In this mode, the three-way valve 330 can connect only the air compressor oil outlet pipe 310 and the external oil outlet pipe 320, with all oil entering the waste heat recovery device 200 for waste heat recovery via the external oil outlet pipe 320. Alternatively, the three-way valve 330 can simultaneously connect the air compressor oil outlet pipe 310, the external oil outlet pipe 320, and the three-way pipe 350. In this mode, some oil enters the waste heat recovery device 200 via the external oil outlet pipe 320 for waste heat recovery, while the remaining oil flows directly back to the return port of the air compressor 100 via the three-way pipe 350. After waste heat recovery by the waste heat recovery device 200, the oil flows back to the return port of the air compressor 100 via the external return pipe 340 and the three-way pipe 350. In this mode, the two-way valve 360 ​​is open.

[0034] Compared with the existing technology, the air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure provided by this utility model only requires one three-way valve 330 and one two-way valve 360. The pipeline structure is more compact, occupies less space, is less prone to interference, and reduces the number of valves, resulting in fewer leakage points, lower cost, and simpler operation.

[0035] In this embodiment, the three-way valve 330 can be a three-way ball valve or a three-way regulating valve, and the present invention does not limit it in this regard.

[0036] As one example in this embodiment, the three-way valve 330 is a three-way ball valve. This three-way ball valve can be a valve that can only open two ports simultaneously (i.e., one inlet and one outlet), such as an L-type valve or a conventional T-type valve, or it can be a valve that can selectively open two ports or simultaneously open three ports (i.e., one inlet and two outlets), such as a Y-type valve or a specially designed T-type valve. This invention does not impose any limitations on this. Furthermore, the three-way valve 330 can be a manual valve or an electric valve; this invention also does not impose any limitations and the choice can be made according to requirements.

[0037] As one example in this embodiment, the three-way valve 330 is a three-way temperature control valve. The three-way temperature control valve can sense changes in oil temperature through a temperature sensing element and drive the valve core displacement to adjust the valve opening. It can be selected as self-operated or electric as needed, and this utility model does not limit it in this regard.

[0038] Furthermore, an oil outlet temperature sensor 410 is installed on the air compressor's oil outlet pipe 310. The oil outlet temperature sensor 410 can detect the temperature of the oil output from the air compressor 100 after oil-gas separation. The oil outlet temperature sensor 410 can be interlocked with a three-way thermostatic valve, adjusting the valve opening based on the detected oil outlet temperature information. For example, when the detected oil outlet temperature is too high, the valve opening can be increased, allowing more oil to enter the waste heat recovery device 200. When the detected oil outlet temperature is too low, insufficient waste heat can be recovered, and the system can switch to bypass mode, allowing the oil to flow directly back to the air compressor 100.

[0039] Furthermore, an oil return temperature sensor 420 is installed on the external oil return pipe 340. The oil return temperature sensor 420 is used to detect the oil temperature after waste heat recovery in waste heat recovery mode, so as to facilitate feedback adjustment of the relevant pipelines (such as cooling water pipelines) of the three-way temperature control valve or waste heat recovery device 200.

[0040] As one example in this embodiment, the three-way valve 330 is a pressure regulating valve. This pressure regulating valve can maintain stable system pressure by automatically adjusting the valve opening. It can be selected as self-operated or electric as needed, and this utility model does not limit it in this regard.

[0041] Furthermore, an oil outlet pressure sensor 510 is installed on the oil outlet pipe 310 of the air compressor. This oil outlet pressure sensor 510 can be used to detect the oil outlet pressure, and the oil outlet pressure sensor 510 can be interlocked with the three-way thermostatic valve for control, and adjust the valve of the pressure regulating valve according to the detected oil outlet pressure.

[0042] Furthermore, a return oil pressure sensor 520 is installed on the external return oil pipe 340. This return oil pressure sensor 520 can be used to detect the return oil pressure, and it can be interlocked with the three-way temperature control valve to adjust the valve of the pressure regulating valve according to the detected return oil pressure.

[0043] Similar to the three-way valve 330, the two-way valve 360 ​​can be a ball valve, or a regulating valve such as a temperature control valve or a pressure regulating valve can be selected according to the requirements. This utility model will not elaborate further on this.

[0044] It should be noted that the temperature / pressure sensor mentioned in this utility model and the interlock control between the sensor and the valve are existing technologies. For example, a microcontroller can be integrated inside the sensor or a controller can be placed outside the sensor as needed. The controller compares the information fed back by the sensor with a preset value, and then the controller generates a control command based on the comparison result and sends it to the actuator (such as a three-way valve 330 or a two-way valve 360), thereby realizing interlock control. This is not an improvement of this utility model, and this utility model does not involve any improvement of computer programs or methods.

[0045] In summary, this utility model provides a waste heat recovery pipeline structure for an air compressor. The system allows for mode switching based on whether a waste heat recovery device is required, and whether waste heat recovery is needed after installation, thus meeting different usage requirements. Furthermore, the external oil outlet and return pipes can be added and removed as needed without affecting the normal operation of the air compressor. Maintenance of the waste heat recovery device can be performed without shutting down the air compressor. Compared to existing air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structures, this utility model requires only one three-way valve and one two-way valve, resulting in a more compact pipeline structure, smaller footprint, reduced interference, fewer valves, fewer leak points, lower cost, and simpler operation.

[0046] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and do not constitute any limitation on this utility model. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions and contents disclosed in this utility model without departing from the scope of the technical solutions of this utility model shall still fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A waste heat recovery pipeline structure for an air compressor, disposed between the air compressor and a waste heat recovery device, characterized in that, include: The oil outlet pipeline includes an air compressor oil outlet pipe, an external oil outlet pipe, and a three-way valve. One end of the air compressor oil outlet pipe is connected to the oil outlet of the air compressor, and the other end is connected to the first valve port of the three-way valve. One end of the external oil outlet pipe is connected to the oil inlet of the waste heat recovery device, and the other end is connected to the second valve port of the three-way valve. The oil return pipeline includes an external oil return pipe, a three-way pipe, and a two-way valve. One end of the external oil return pipe is connected to the oil outlet of the waste heat recovery device, and the other end is connected to the first end of the three-way pipe through the two-way valve. The second end of the three-way pipe is connected to the oil return port of the air compressor, and the third end of the three-way pipe is connected to the third valve port of the three-way valve.

2. The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The three-way valve is a three-way ball valve.

3. The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The three-way valve is a three-way regulating valve.

4. The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The three-way valve is a three-way temperature control valve.

5. The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, An oil outlet temperature sensor is installed on the oil outlet pipe of the air compressor.

6. The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, An oil return temperature sensor is installed on the external return oil pipe.

7. The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The three-way valve is a pressure regulating valve.

8. The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure as described in claim 7, characterized in that, An oil pressure sensor is installed on the oil outlet pipe of the air compressor.

9. The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure as described in claim 7, characterized in that, A return oil pressure sensor is installed on the external return oil pipe.

10. The air compressor waste heat recovery pipeline structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The two-way valve is either a ball valve or a regulating valve.

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