Pipe heat exchange unit and heat exchanger

Abstract

The present invention provides a pipeline heat exchange unit and a heat exchanger. The heat exchange unit includes an intake pipe, which is connected to a vortex tube nozzle. The vortex tube nozzle is connected to a vortex chamber. The vortex chamber is connected to a hot flow pipe and a cold flow pipe. The hot flow pipe is connected to a total outlet through a hot flow outlet, and a regulating valve is installed in the hot flow outlet. The cold flow pipe is connected to a heat exchange pipe, and the heat exchange pipe exchanges heat with the atmosphere and then is connected to the total outlet for discharge. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of the above-mentioned pipeline heat exchange units. One ends of a plurality of intake pipes are all connected to the same intake chamber, and the other ends are respectively connected to the vortex tube nozzles. A total intake port is provided in the intake chamber. A plurality of hot flow outlets and a plurality of heat exchange pipes are all connected to the same outlet chamber, and a total outlet is provided on the outlet chamber. The heat exchange unit and the heat exchanger realize the function of heating the gas in the pipeline through pipeline layout and by using the vortex effect and atmospheric heat conduction for heating. The heat exchanger has a reasonable structural design, can operate without consuming external energy, and is energy-saving and environment-friendly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of compressed gas heating devices, and particularly relates to a pipeline heat exchange unit and a heat exchanger. Background Art

[0002] During the storage and transportation of gas, the gas pressure is relatively high. When supplying gas, it is necessary to reduce the pressure through a pressure regulating device and then supply it to a downstream area with a lower pressure level. During the process of pressure reduction, a large amount of energy is released, and one of the sources of energy is the irreversible decrease in gas temperature. According to the proportional relationship between gas pressure drop and temperature drop, for every 0.2 MPa decrease in gas pressure, the temperature drops by 1°C. When there is a large pressure difference before and after the pressure regulating link, the temperature drop caused by the pressure drop will reduce the temperature of the regulated gas below 0°C.

[0003] And temperatures below 0°C will bring various adverse effects: 1) Water vapor in the gas freezes, causing ice blockage and affecting gas supply; 2) Frost forms on the outer wall of the pipeline and even freezes, damaging the pipeline anti-corrosion layer and accelerating the corrosion of the steel pipe; 3) Low temperatures will affect the sealing performance of downstream rubber seals, instrument accuracy, etc.

[0004] Therefore, in the case of large-pressure-difference pressure regulation, it is necessary to consider heating methods to compensate for the gas temperature. Currently, the commonly used solutions include: water bath heat exchangers, electric heaters, etc. The gas before pressure regulation is heated first and then pressure-reduced, and the temperature drop difference is compensated by heating.

[0005] However, using a water bath heat exchanger or an electric heater for heating has problems such as high equipment cost and large operating energy consumption, and the energy consumption is continuously generated, resulting in huge operating costs. Taking an electric heater as an example, for a natural gas station, if an electric heater with a power of 300 KW is used, it will consume 300 degrees of electricity per hour. Calculating 8 hours of peak operating time per day, the daily power consumption is 2400 degrees, which is undoubtedly a large expense for users and also a waste of energy. And the water bath heat exchanger also involves energy consumption problems. The hot water medium in the heat exchanger needs to be heated by electricity or gas and then exchanges heat with natural gas through the water medium, also resulting in relatively large energy consumption. Therefore, we urgently need to develop a gas heat exchanger with low energy consumption, energy conservation and environmental protection to increase the temperature of the gas before pressure regulation and prevent the temperature from dropping below 0°C after pressure regulation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the problem in the prior art that the heating of gas mainly relies on external heat sources and has large energy consumption, and to provide a pipeline heat exchange unit and a heat exchanger. Through pipeline layout, the eddy current effect heating and atmospheric heat conduction heating are utilized to realize the function of heating the gas in the pipeline. The heat exchanger has a reasonable structure design and can operate without consuming external energy, achieving energy conservation and environmental protection.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0008] The pipeline heat exchange unit includes an intake pipe, the intake pipe is connected with a vortex tube nozzle, the vortex tube nozzle is connected with a vortex chamber, the vortex chamber is connected with a heat flow pipe and a cold flow pipe, the heat flow pipe is connected to the total air outlet through a heat air outlet, and a regulating valve is installed in the heat air outlet; the cold flow pipe is connected with a heat exchange pipe, the heat exchange pipe exchanges heat with the atmosphere and then is connected to the total air outlet for discharge.

[0009] Further, the regulating valve is a temperature control valve.

[0010] The pipeline heat exchanger is characterized in that it includes a plurality of the above-mentioned pipeline heat exchange units, one ends of a plurality of the intake pipes are all connected with the same intake chamber, and the other ends are respectively connected with the vortex tube nozzles, and a total intake port is arranged on the intake chamber; a plurality of the heat air outlets and a plurality of the heat exchange pipes are all connected to the same air outlet chamber, and a total air outlet is arranged on the air outlet chamber.

[0011] Further, it further includes a first gas collecting chamber, the first gas collecting chamber is connected with the air outlet ends of a plurality of the cold flow pipes and the intake ends of a plurality of the heat exchange pipes.

[0012] Further, it further includes a second gas collecting chamber, the second gas collecting chamber is connected with the air outlet ends of a plurality of the heat exchange pipes and is connected to the air outlet chamber through a collecting channel.

[0013] Further, the intake chamber and the air outlet chamber are arranged at two ends respectively, the second gas collecting chamber is arranged close to the intake chamber, the first gas collecting chamber is located in the middle, and a plurality of the vortex chambers are located between the first gas collecting chamber and the air outlet chamber.

[0014] Further, the intake chamber, the second gas collecting chamber, the first gas collecting chamber and the air outlet chamber are all cylindrical cavities arranged coaxially.

[0015] Further, the collecting channel passes through the first gas collecting chamber and is coaxially communicated with the second gas collecting chamber and the air outlet chamber.

[0016] Further, the intake pipe, the heat flow pipe, the cold flow pipe, the heat exchange pipe and the collecting channel are all arranged in parallel.

[0017] Further, a confluence cylinder is arranged between the intake chamber and the total intake port and between the air outlet chamber and the total air outlet.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0019] The pipeline heat exchange unit and heat exchanger of the present invention utilize the eddy current effect to heat gas through the design of pipeline layout and pipeline structure, and set heat exchange tubes to heat the cold flow gas discharged in the eddy current effect through atmospheric heat exchange, so as to realize the heating function of the gas in the gas pipeline. The heat exchanger has a simple structure and reasonable design, can operate without providing external energy, can effectively save energy and reduce production costs. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the pipeline heat exchanger in the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a sectional structural schematic diagram of the pipeline heat exchanger in the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the pipeline heat exchanger in the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the vortex tube.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic of the heat exchange tube bundle, the first gas collecting chamber, the cold flow tube, and the collecting channel in the heat exchanger of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the vortex tube bundle in the heat exchanger of the present invention.

[0027] Reference Numerals:

[0028] 1. Intake Chamber; 11. Total Intake Port; 12. Confluence Tube; 2. Exhaust Chamber; 21. Total Exhaust Port; 3. Inlet Pipe; 31. Vortex Tube Nozzle; 4. Vortex Chamber; 41. Hot Flow Pipe; 42. Hot Flow Exhaust Port; 421. Regulating Valve; 5. First Gas Collecting Chamber; 6. Heat Exchange Tube; 7. Second Gas Collecting Chamber; 8. Collecting Channel. Detailed Embodiments

[0029] The following will describe the embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0030] As Figures 1 to 3As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present invention provides a pipeline heat exchange unit and a heat exchanger. The heat exchange unit and the heat exchanger can be applied to a gas transmission pipeline to heat the gas before pressure reduction and regulation to compensate for the temperature drop difference during subsequent pressure reduction and regulation.

[0031] The pipeline heat exchange unit includes an inlet pipe 3 for providing pipeline incoming gas. One end of the inlet pipe 3 is connected to a vortex tube nozzle 31, and the outlet end of the vortex tube nozzle 31 is connected to a vortex chamber 4. The two sides of the vortex chamber 4 are respectively connected to a hot flow pipe 41 and a cold flow pipe 51, and the hot flow pipe 41 and the cold flow pipe 51 are arranged coaxially corresponding to each other. The other end of the hot flow pipe 41 is connected to a total outlet 21 through a hot flow outlet 42. A regulating valve 421 is installed in the hot flow outlet 42 to adjust the flow rate of the gas discharged from the hot flow outlet 42. The other end of the cold flow pipe 51 is connected to a heat exchange pipe 6. The heat exchange pipe 6 is in full contact with the atmosphere for heat exchange, and then is connected to the total outlet 21 to discharge the gas.

[0032] Among them, the heat exchange pipe 6 should be made of a material with strong thermal conductivity, such as a metal material, aluminum alloy, etc., which can better realize the heat exchange between the gas flowing in the heat exchange pipe 6 and the atmosphere.

[0033] The regulating valve 421 can be a temperature control valve, which can effectively control the temperature of the gas discharged through the hot flow outlet 42 to ensure that the gas is effectively heated. Of course, the regulating valve 421 can also be other flow regulating valves, such as a needle valve, etc.

[0034] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 , after the gas passes through the "vortex tube" composed of the vortex tube nozzle 31, the vortex chamber 4, the hot flow pipe 41, the hot flow outlet 42, the regulating valve 421 and the cold flow pipe 51, etc., a vortex effect is generated to realize the heating of part of the gas, and the heated part of the gas is discharged from the total outlet 21; then another part of the cold flow gas passes through the heat exchange pipe 6 to exchange heat with the atmosphere and is discharged from the total outlet 21 to realize the heating of the gas passing through this pipeline heat exchange unit.

[0035] Principle of the vortex effect: The air flow enters the vortex tube nozzle 31 through the inlet pipe 3 and is ejected to accelerate the air flow, so that the gas rotates at a high speed in the vortex chamber 4. Part of the gas obtains a heating effect after rotating at a high speed and rubbing against the chamber wall and becomes a hot flow, and the other part of the gas is a cold flow. The two air flows enter the hot flow pipe 41 from the vortex chamber 4. Among them, the hot flow rotates forward close to the wall of the hot flow pipe 41, and the cold flow advances along the central part of the pipe. When the air flow reaches the regulating valve 421 in the hot flow outlet 42, the hot flow gradually heats up and the air pressure rises, while the cold flow is affected by the pressure difference due to the gradually decreasing air pressure and starts to move in the reverse direction. The hot flow is stabilized by the regulating valve 421 and is discharged from the hot flow outlet 42. After the cold flow returns to the vortex chamber 4, due to the pressure difference, it moves in the direction of the cold flow pipe 51.

[0036] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, the pipeline heat exchanger includes several of the above-mentioned pipeline heat exchange units. Among them, the front ends of the intake pipes 3 of all heat exchange units are all connected to the same intake chamber 1, and the rear ends are respectively connected with vortex tube nozzles 31 and vortex chambers 4; the intake chamber 1 is provided with a total intake port 11, and the total intake port 11 is connected to the upstream of the gas pipeline through a flange. The hot gas outlets 42 and the heat exchange tubes 6 of several heat exchange units are all connected to the same outlet chamber 2, and a total outlet port 21 is provided on the outlet chamber 2, and the total outlet port 21 is connected to the downstream of the gas pipeline through a flange.

[0037] Among them, a conical confluence cylinder 12 is installed between the intake chamber 1 and the total intake port 11. The gas in the gas pipeline enters the intake chamber 1 from the total intake port 11 and then diffuses through the confluence cylinder 12, making it easier for the gas to disperse into each intake pipe 3. A conical confluence cylinder 12 is also installed between the outlet chamber 2 and the total outlet port 21, which can enable the gas collected in the outlet chamber 2 after heating to better confluence and flow into the gas pipeline and flow downstream.

[0038] Furthermore, the pipeline heat exchanger further includes a first gas collection chamber 5. The first gas collection chamber 5 is connected to the outlet ends of the cold flow tubes 51 in several heat exchange units and is also connected to the intake ends of the heat exchange tubes 6 in several heat exchange units. Among them, the cold flow tubes 51 and the heat exchange tubes 6 are respectively connected to the two opposite sides corresponding to the first gas collection chamber 5. The cold flow flowing out of the cold flow tubes 51 all converges into the first gas collection chamber 5 and then enters the heat exchange tubes 6 to exchange heat with the atmosphere.

[0039] The pipeline heat exchanger further includes a second gas collection chamber 7. The second gas collection chamber 7 is connected to the outlet ends of several heat exchange tubes 6 and is connected to the collection channel 8, and the collection channel 8 is then connected to the outlet chamber 2. After the air flow heated by exchanging heat with the atmosphere in the heat exchange tubes 6 enters the second gas collection chamber 7, it flows towards the outlet chamber 2 end through the collection channel 8 and is discharged to the downstream section of the gas pipeline through the total outlet port 21 on the outlet chamber 2.

[0040] Preferably, referring to Figure 5 , the number of the heat exchange tubes 6 is greater than or equal to the number of the cold flow tubes 51. In the pipeline heat exchanger, all the heat exchange tubes 6 are evenly and densely distributed to form a heat exchange tube bundle, with the intake end connected to the first gas collection chamber 5 and the outlet end connected to the second gas collection chamber 6. The cold flow that needs to exchange heat with the atmosphere converges in the first gas collection chamber 5 and then enters the heat exchange tube bundle. After exchanging heat in the heat exchange tube bundle, it converges into the second gas collection chamber 7 and is mixed and discharged through the collection channel 8, which can enable the cold flow to evenly exchange heat with the atmosphere and make the heat exchanger operate more stably.

[0041] Specifically, referring to Figures 1 to 3, in the tube heat exchanger, the air inlet chamber 1 and the air outlet chamber 2 are respectively arranged at both ends, the second gas collecting chamber 7 is arranged close to the air inlet chamber 1, and the first gas collecting chamber 5 is located in the middle; several vortex chambers 4 are located between the first gas collecting chamber 5 and the air outlet chamber 2. The intake pipe 3 extends from the air inlet chamber 1 end to the air outlet chamber 2 end and is connected to the vortex tube nozzle 31 and the vortex chamber 4; one end of the heat flow pipe 41 is connected to the vortex chamber 4, and the other end is connected to the air outlet chamber 2 through the heat air outlet 42; the gas flow direction in the intake pipe 3 is the same as the heat flow direction of the heat flow pipe 41. The cold flow pipe 51 is connected to the vortex chamber 4 and the first gas collecting chamber 5, and the heat exchange pipe 6 is connected to the first gas collecting chamber 5 and the second gas collecting chamber 7. The air flow flows in the opposite direction in the cold flow pipe 51 and the heat exchange pipe 6, that is, opposite to the air flow direction in the intake pipe 3. The second gas collecting chamber 7 is then connected to the air outlet chamber 2 through the collecting channel 8, and the air flow direction in the collecting channel 8 is the same as the air flow direction in the intake pipe 3.

[0042] The air inlet chamber 1, the second gas collecting chamber 7, the first gas collecting chamber 5 and the air outlet chamber 2 are preferably cylindrical cavities and are all coaxially arranged. See Figure 1 and Figure 6 , several vortex chambers 4, heat flow pipes 41 and cold flow pipes 51 are distributed in a cylindrical structure and are adapted to the first gas collecting chamber 5 and the air outlet chamber 2. Several intake pipes 3 are distributed on the outer periphery of the first gas collecting chamber 5 and the second gas collecting chamber 7.

[0043] Among them, the collecting channel 8 is arranged in the middle of the heat exchanger, one end is connected to the middle of the first gas collecting chamber 5, the other end is connected to the middle of the air outlet chamber 2, and it passes through the first gas collecting chamber 5. That is, the collecting channel 8 is coaxially arranged with the first gas collecting chamber 5, the second gas collecting chamber 7 and the air outlet chamber 2.

[0044] Furthermore, see Figures 1 to 3 、 Figures 5 to 6 , preferably, the intake pipe 3, the heat flow pipe 41, the cold flow pipe 51, the heat exchange pipe 6 and the collecting channel 8 are all arranged parallel to each other. The collecting channel 8 is located at the axis, the tube bundle composed of the heat exchange pipes 6 is located outside the collecting channel 8, and several intake pipes 3 are located outside the heat exchange tube bundle; the cold flow pipes 51 and the heat flow pipes 41 are located on the circumferential surface of the same cylinder and correspond to both sides of the vortex chamber 4 one by one. This makes the structure of the heat exchanger more concise and the design more reasonable.

[0045] The operation process of the heat exchanger of the present invention:

[0046] This heat exchanger is installed on the gas pipeline. The total inlet 11 is connected to the upstream end of the gas pipeline, and the total outlet 21 is connected to the downstream end of the gas pipeline. The air flow enters the intake chamber 1 from the total inlet 11, mixes in the intake chamber 1 and then enters each intake pipe 3. It is injected and accelerated through the vortex tube nozzle 31 and enters the vortex chamber 4, where it rotates at high speed. According to the vortex effect, a part of the gas is heated to become a hot flow after high-speed rotation and friction with the chamber wall, and the other part of the gas is a cold flow. The two air flows enter the hot flow pipe 41 from the vortex chamber 4. Among them, the hot flow rotates and advances close to the pipe wall of the hot flow pipe 41, and the cold flow advances along the central part of the pipe. When the air flow reaches the regulating valve 421 in the hot flow outlet 42, the hot flow gradually increases in temperature and the air pressure rises, while the cold flow starts to move in the reverse direction due to the influence of the pressure difference as the air pressure gradually decreases. After the hot flow is stabilized by the regulating valve 421, it is discharged from the hot flow outlet 42. After the cold flow returns to the vortex chamber 4, due to the influence of the pressure difference, it runs towards the cold flow pipe 51, enters the first gas collecting chamber 5 and then enters the heat exchange pipe 6, where it exchanges heat with the atmosphere through the heat exchange pipe 6 to heat the cold flow. The heated gas is mixed in the second gas collecting chamber 7 and then discharged to the outlet chamber 2 through the collecting channel 8 and discharged through the total outlet 21.

[0047] In the above text, only some exemplary embodiments are simply described. As those skilled in the art can recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and the description are considered to be exemplary in nature rather than restrictive.

[0048] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship when the product of the present invention is usually placed, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0049] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0050] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "coupled", "fixed", etc. shall be construed in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention may be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0051] The foregoing disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the components and settings of specific examples are described above. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention.

Claims

1. Pipeline heat exchanger, characterized in that, It includes several pipe heat exchange units. Each pipe heat exchange unit includes an intake pipe (3), the intake pipe (3) is connected to a vortex tube nozzle (31), the vortex tube nozzle (31) is connected to a vortex chamber (4), the vortex chamber (4) is connected to a hot flow pipe (41) and a cold flow pipe (51), the hot flow pipe (41) is connected to the total outlet (21) through a hot air outlet (42), and a regulating valve (421) is installed in the hot air outlet (42); the cold flow pipe (51) is connected to a heat exchange pipe (6), the heat exchange pipe (6) exchanges heat with the atmosphere and then is connected to the total outlet (21) for discharge; One end of several intake pipes (3) is connected to the same intake chamber (1), and the other end is respectively connected to the vortex tube nozzles (31), and the intake chamber (1) is provided with a total intake port (11); several hot air outlets (42) and several heat exchange pipes (6) are all connected to the same outlet chamber (2), and the outlet chamber (2) is provided with a total outlet (21); It further includes a first gas collecting chamber (5), the first gas collecting chamber (5) is connected to the outlet ends of several cold flow pipes (51) and the intake ends of several heat exchange pipes (6); It further includes a second gas collecting chamber (7), the second gas collecting chamber (7) is connected to the outlet ends of several heat exchange pipes (6) and is connected to the outlet chamber (2) through a collecting channel (8); The number of the heat exchange pipes is greater than or equal to the number of the cold flow pipes, and all the heat exchange pipes are evenly distributed to form a heat exchange tube bundle; The intake chamber (1) and the outlet chamber (2) are respectively arranged at two ends, the second gas collecting chamber (7) is arranged close to the intake chamber (1), the first gas collecting chamber (5) is located in the middle, and several vortex chambers (4) are located between the first gas collecting chamber (5) and the outlet chamber (2); Several intake pipes are distributed on the outer periphery of the first gas collecting chamber and the second gas collecting chamber and are located outside the heat exchange tube bundle; The intake chamber, the second gas collecting chamber, the first gas collecting chamber and the outlet chamber are all cylindrical cavities arranged coaxially; The tube bundle composed of the heat exchange pipes is located outside the collecting channel, and the collecting channel passes through the first gas collecting chamber and is coaxially communicated with the second gas collecting chamber and the outlet chamber.

2. The tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein, The regulating valve (421) is a temperature control valve.

3. The tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intake pipe (3), the hot flow pipe (41), the cold flow pipe (51), the heat exchange pipe (6) and the collecting channel (8) are all arranged in parallel.

4. The tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein A confluence cylinder (12) is provided between the intake chamber (1) and the total intake port (11) and between the outlet chamber (2) and the total outlet (21).

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