An automatic drainage device and usage method for a compressed air tank

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic drainage device and a usage method for a compressed air tank, which includes a water storage tank and a condensate eliminator. Both the water storage tank and the condensate eliminator are arranged below the compressed air tank. The water storage tank is connected to the bottom of the compressed air tank in communication, the top of the condensate eliminator is connected to the compressed air tank through a first conduit, and the water storage tank is connected to the condensate eliminator through a second conduit; a steam trap is also provided on one side of the bottom of the condensate eliminator. In view of the phenomenon of a large amount of accumulated water in the compressed air tank, the present invention reduces the accumulated water in the compressed air tank by adopting a method of combining a condensate eliminator and a water storage tank for use in the compressed air pipeline, thereby further achieving the effect of reducing the failure rate of the terminal equipment. And due to the design of the water storage tank, the usage frequency of the condensate eliminator can be reduced, and thus the service life of the condensate eliminator can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of compressed air pipelines, and more specifically, to an automatic drainage device and a usage method for a compressed air tank. Background Art

[0002] Compressed air is an important power source. Compared with other energy sources, it has the following obvious characteristics: clear and transparent, convenient to transport, without special harmful properties, no fire hazard, not afraid of overload, can work in many adverse environments, and air is everywhere on the ground and is inexhaustible. At present, compressed air is widely used in all walks of life. As a pressure vessel for storing compressed air, simply referred to as a compressed air tank, there is often a phenomenon of a large amount of accumulated water in the tank during its operation, and the end-user equipment such as boiler flame televisions is damaged due to the compressed air carrying water. Existing compressed air tanks usually have an automatic drainage system. Generally, high and low liquid level sensors are installed in the condensate collection tank, and the on-off of the sensors is used to control the drainage pump to drain the condensate. However, when using a liquid level sensor, since the condensate is dynamic and the liquid level is unstable, this will cause the frequent start of the drainage pump, thereby damaging the drainage pump. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Aiming at the deficiencies of the existing technology, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank. The device has a compact structure and is convenient to use, and can effectively reduce the start frequency of the drainage pump, thereby achieving the effect of improving the service life of the condensate eliminator. The present invention also provides a usage method for the automatic drainage device of the compressed air tank. The method is convenient to operate, utilizes the principle of a communicating vessel, and automatically completes drainage when the accumulated water reaches a certain level, effectively removing the condensate.

[0004] The above technical purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: An automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank includes a water storage tank and a condensate eliminator. Both the water storage tank and the condensate eliminator are arranged below the compressed air tank. The water storage tank is connected to the bottom of the compressed air tank in communication. The top of the condensate eliminator is connected to the compressed air tank through a first conduit. The water storage tank is connected to the condensate eliminator through a second conduit. A steam trap is also provided on one side of the bottom of the condensate eliminator.

[0005] In one embodiment, the second conduit is horizontally arranged and connected to the bottom of the water storage tank.

[0006] In one embodiment, the first conduit is connected to one side of the compressed air tank, and an electric control valve is also provided on the first conduit.

[0007] In one embodiment, the bottom cross-section of the compressed air tank is arc-shaped, the water storage tank is connected to the middle of the bottom surface of the compressed air tank, and the first conduit is connected above the arc-shaped bottom surface of the compressed air tank.

[0008] In one embodiment, a water level monitor is provided in the condensate eliminator. The upper sensing point of the water level monitor is located at the top of the condensate eliminator and is higher than the second conduit, and the lower sensing point of the water level monitor is located at the top side of the condensate eliminator corresponding to the steam trap.

[0009] In one embodiment, the horizontal height of the top of the water storage tank is greater than the horizontal height of the condensate eliminator.

[0010] In one embodiment, the steam trap, the electric control valve, and the water level monitor are all respectively connected to a PLC control system in a signal connection.

[0011] In one embodiment, a manual valve is connected to the bottom of the water storage tank.

[0012] A method for using an automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank includes the following steps:

[0013] S1. The water storage tank receives the condensate accumulated in the compressed air tank;

[0014] S2. The water storage tank and the condensate eliminator reach a balanced liquid level through a communicating vessel;

[0015] S3. When the liquid level rises to the upper sensing point of the condensate eliminator, the connection of the first conduit is closed, and drainage starts;

[0016] S4. When the liquid level drops to the lower sensing point of the condensate eliminator, the connection of the first conduit is restored, and drainage stops.

[0017] In one embodiment, it further includes an emergency handling step: when the upper sensing point fails, the manual valve provided at the bottom of the water storage tank is used for drainage.

[0018] In summary, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. In view of the phenomenon of a large amount of accumulated water in the compressed air tank, the present invention reduces the accumulated water in the compressed air tank by adopting a method of combining a condensate eliminator and a water storage tank for use in the compressed air pipeline, quantitatively automatically drains water, and can reduce the accumulated water in the tank after long-term use, thereby further achieving the effect of reducing the failure rate of the end equipment. And due to the design of the water storage tank, the use frequency of the condensate eliminator can be reduced, and thus the service life of the condensate eliminator can be increased.

[0020] 2. The second conduit is horizontally arranged to reduce the possibility of residual liquid. In combination with the first conduit being provided with a switchable electric control valve, during the drainage process, the first conduit can be closed to keep the air pressure in the condensate eliminator temporarily unchanged. According to the principle of communicating vessels, the air pressure in the water storage tank is relatively high, so the accumulated water in the water storage tank will preferentially flow into the condensate eliminator. After the liquid in the water storage tank is completely drained, the air pressure then enters the condensate eliminator, and then the water level in the condensate eliminator will gradually drop, and then the liquid in the condensate eliminator will be discharged.

[0021] 3. This device is uniformly coordinated by the PLC control system. When the liquid level in the condensate eliminator rises to the upper sensing point, the electric control valve automatically closes, and the drain valve automatically opens to discharge the accumulated water in the water storage tank and the condensate eliminator. When the condensate eliminator drops to the lower sensing point, the drain valve closes and the electric control valve opens, and the compressed air returns to the compressed air tank through the first conduit. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank of the present invention.

[0023] In the figure: 1 - compressed air tank, 2 - water storage tank, 3 - condensate eliminator, 4 - first conduit, 5 - drain valve, 6 - upper sensing point, 7 - lower sensing point, 8 - manual valve, 9 - second conduit. Detailed Embodiment

[0024] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments.

[0025] It should be noted that the orientation terms such as "upper" and "lower" involved in this article are relative to the perspective of the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and cannot be construed as a limitation to the technical solution.

[0026] Such as Figure 1As shown in the figure, an automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank includes a water storage tank 2 and a condensate eliminator 3. The water storage tank 2 and the condensate eliminator 3 are both arranged below the compressed air tank 1. The water storage tank 2 is connected to the bottom of the compressed air tank 1. The top of the condensate eliminator 3 is connected to the compressed air tank 1 through a first conduit 4. The water storage tank 2 is connected to the condensate eliminator 3 through a second conduit 9. On one side of the bottom of the condensate eliminator 3, there is also a steam trap 5. In view of the phenomenon of a large amount of accumulated water in the compressed air tank 1, the present invention reduces the accumulated water in the compressed air tank 1 by adopting a method of combining a condensate eliminator 3 and a water storage tank 2 for use in the compressed air pipeline, quantitatively automatically draining the water. After long-term use, the accumulated water in the tank can be reduced, thereby further achieving the effect of reducing the failure rate of the terminal equipment. And due to the design of the water storage tank 2, the usage frequency of the condensate eliminator 3 can be reduced, and thus the service life of the condensate eliminator 3 can be increased. The present invention adds a water storage tank 2 device. First, the condensate in the compressed air tank 1 is collected by the water storage tank 2, and the water storage tank 2 and the condensate eliminator 3 form a communicating vessel principle through the second conduit 9. The first conduit 4 is used to balance the air pressure in the condensate eliminator 3 to make it the same as that in the water storage tank 2, so that the liquid levels of the water storage tank 2 and the condensate eliminator 3 are level. Since the water storage tank 2 directly receives the condensate in the compressed air tank 1, the liquid level in the condensate eliminator 3 will be relatively stable. When the steam trap 5 is controlled by the on-off of a sensor, the required signal can be accurately and stably obtained. Moreover, both the water storage tank 2 and the condensate eliminator 3 are used to store the un-discharged condensate, which can effectively increase the storage volume of the condensate, thereby reducing the opening frequency of the steam trap 5 and extending the service life of the condensate eliminator 3.

[0027] In this embodiment, the second conduit 9 is horizontally arranged and connected to the bottom of the water storage tank 2. The second conduit 9 is horizontally arranged to avoid leaving too much accumulated water in the second conduit 9. And its position at the bottom of the water storage tank 2 can make the liquid in the water storage tank 2 be discharged as much as possible, reducing the frequency of opening the drain. The first conduit 4 is connected to one side of the compressed air tank 1, which can reduce the possibility of condensate entering the condensate eliminator 3 from the first conduit 4. At the same time, an electric control valve is provided on the first conduit 4 for on-off adjustment. That is, during the drainage process, the first conduit 4 can also be closed to make the air pressure in the condensate eliminator 3 temporarily unchanged. According to the communicating vessel principle, the air pressure in the water storage tank 2 is larger, and the accumulated water in the water storage tank 2 will preferentially flow into the condensate eliminator 3. After the liquid in the water storage tank 2 is drained completely, the air pressure then enters the condensate eliminator 3, and then the water level in the condensate eliminator 3 will gradually drop, and then the liquid in the condensate eliminator 3 is discharged. The condensate in the water storage tank 2 will be pressed into the condensate eliminator 3 as much as possible, accelerating the drainage effect.

[0028] In this embodiment, the bottom cross-section of the compressed air tank 1 is arc-shaped, and the water storage tank 2 is connected to the middle of the bottom surface of the compressed air tank 1, so that it is easier to concentrate the condensate generated in the compressed air tank 1 into the water storage tank 2. The first conduit 4 is connected above the arc-shaped bottom surface of the compressed air tank 1, minimizing the entry of condensate into the condensate eliminator 3 from the first conduit 4.

[0029] In this embodiment, a water level monitor is provided inside the condensate eliminator 3. The upper sensing point 6 of the water level monitor is located at the top of the condensate eliminator 3 and is higher than the second conduit 9. The lower sensing point 7 of the water level monitor is located on the top side corresponding to the steam trap 5 inside the condensate eliminator 3. This device can use the water level monitor to detect signals to prompt operations such as whether drainage is required. The steam trap 5, the electric control valve, and the water level monitor are all respectively connected to a PLC control system for signal connection. Through the unified allocation of the PLC control system, when the liquid level in the condensate eliminator 3 rises to the upper sensing point 6, the electric control valve automatically closes, and the steam trap 5 automatically opens to drain the accumulated water in the water storage tank 2 and the condensate eliminator 3. When the liquid level in the condensate eliminator 3 drops to the lower sensing point 7, it proves that all the liquid in the water storage tank 2 has been drained, and the liquid in the condensate eliminator 3 has also been drained as much as possible. Moreover, if the liquid level is lower than the position of the steam trap 5, it may cause leakage of compressed air. Therefore, the steam trap 5 can be closed, and the electric control valve is opened, and the compressed air returns to the compressed air tank 1 through the first conduit 4.

[0030] In this embodiment, the horizontal height of the top of the water storage tank 2 is greater than the horizontal height of the condensate eliminator 3. This is to prevent the condensate from continuing to increase and potentially overflowing into the compressed air tank 1 when the upper sensing point 6 fails and is not processed in time. Since the water storage tank 2 is relatively high, there is space to continue storing condensate. A manual valve 8 is connected to the bottom of the water storage tank 2, which is used to drain the condensate in the water storage tank 2 in time by opening the manual valve 8 when the upper sensing point 6 fails.

[0031] A method for using an automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank includes the following steps:

[0032] S1. The water storage tank 2 receives the condensate accumulated in the compressed air tank 1.

[0033] S2. The water storage tank 2 and the condensate eliminator 3 form a communicating vessel to level the liquid levels through the second conduit 9.

[0034] S3. When the liquid level rises to the upper sensing point 6 of the condensate eliminator 3, the connection of the first conduit 4 is closed to limit the pressure change in the condensate eliminator 3, and drainage begins.

[0035] S4. When the liquid level drops to the lower sensing point 7 of the condensate drainer 3, the connection between the condensate drainer 3 and the compressed air tank 1, i.e., the first conduit 4, is restored, and drainage is stopped.

[0036] The method also includes an emergency treatment step: when the upper sensor point 6 fails, the manual valve 8 provided at the bottom of the water storage tank 2 is used to drain the water.

[0037] Compared with the existing automatic drainage system of compressed air tank, this method adds a water storage tank 2 to connect the compressed air tank 1 and the condensate remover 3, so that the dynamic change of liquid level and the instability of liquid level appear in the water storage tank 2, without affecting the sensor or steam trap 5 in the condensate remover 3, and at the same time, the condensate capacity is increased, and as much condensate as possible is stored before drainage begins. The drainage process reduces the consumption and waste of compressed air while draining as much condensate as possible, so as to reduce the drainage opening frequency of the condensate remover 3 and extend its service life. Since the air pressure change in the condensate remover 3 is limited during the process, according to the principle of the communicating vessel, when draining, the liquid in the water storage tank 2 will be discharged or enter the condensate remover 3 first, and then the liquid in the condensate remover 3 will be discharged to ensure that the liquid in the water storage tank 2 is completely discharged, and when the lower sensor point 7 senses the liquid level, it means that the liquid level is low enough, which may cause the compressed air to leak from the steam trap 5, so the steam trap 5 should be closed immediately and the step of receiving the accumulated water in step S1 should be restored. In addition, in order to prevent special situations such as signal control failure or pipeline blockage, the water storage tank 2 can also remove condensate through the manual valve 8. The manual valve 8 can also be used for shutdown maintenance to remove all liquids and internal compressed air.

[0038] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions under the concept of the present invention belong to the protection scope of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, some improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank, characterized in that, it includes a water storage tank (2) and a condensate eliminator (3). Both the water storage tank (2) and the condensate eliminator (3) are arranged below the compressed air tank (1). The water storage tank (2) is connected to the bottom of the compressed air tank (1). The top of the condensate eliminator (3) is connected to the compressed air tank (1) through a first conduit (4). The water storage tank (2) is connected to the condensate eliminator (3) through a second conduit (9); a steam trap (5) is also provided on one side of the bottom of the condensate eliminator (3); the second conduit (9) is horizontally arranged and connected to the bottom of the water storage tank (2); the first conduit (4) is connected to one side of the compressed air tank (1), and an electric control valve is also provided on the first conduit (4); the bottom cross-section of the compressed air tank (1) is arc-shaped. The water storage tank (2) is connected to the middle of the bottom surface of the compressed air tank (1). The first conduit (4) is connected above the arc-shaped bottom surface of the compressed air tank (1); a water level monitor is provided inside the condensate eliminator (3). The upper sensing point (6) of the water level monitor is located at the top of the condensate eliminator (3) and is higher than the second conduit (9). The lower sensing point (7) of the water level monitor is located inside the condensate eliminator (3) corresponding to the top side of the steam trap (5).

2. The automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, the horizontal height of the top of the water storage tank (2) is greater than the horizontal height of the condensate eliminator (3).

3. The automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, the steam trap (5), the electric control valve and the water level monitor are respectively connected to a PLC control system by signals.

4. The automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank according to claim 3, characterized in that, a manual valve (8) is connected to the bottom of the water storage tank (2).

5. A method for using the automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, it includes the following steps: S1. The water storage tank receives the condensate accumulated in the compressed air tank; S2. The water storage tank and the condensate eliminator level the liquid level through a communicating vessel; S3. When the liquid level rises to the upper sensing point of the condensate eliminator, the connection of the first conduit is closed and drainage starts; S4. When the liquid level drops to the lower sensing point of the condensate eliminator, the connection of the first conduit is restored and drainage stops.

6. The method for using the automatic drainage device for a compressed air tank according to claim 5, characterized in that, it further includes an emergency treatment step: when the upper sensing point fails, the manual valve provided at the bottom of the water storage tank is used for drainage.

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