A hydrocarbon recovery apparatus and a cleaning apparatus

Abstract

Provided is a hydrocarbon recovery device that can suppress a decrease in the ability to remove hydrocarbons from a treated gas containing hydrocarbons. A hydrocarbon recovery device for removing and recovering hydrocarbons contained in a treated gas includes: a treatment tank having an adsorbent material housing space in which an adsorbent material capable of adsorbing hydrocarbons is housed; a treated gas introduction valve, which is a valve provided on a treated gas introduction pipe connected to the treatment tank; a treated gas discharge valve, which is a valve provided on a treated gas discharge pipe connected to the treatment tank; a vacuum pump, the suction port of which is connected to the treatment tank via a vacuum suction pipe; a hydrocarbon liquefaction section connected to the exhaust port of the vacuum pump; a vacuum suction valve, which is a valve provided on the vacuum suction pipe; an atmospheric pressure opening valve for opening the treatment tank to the atmosphere; a valve control section for performing a gas treatment operation; a suction sub-operation; and an adsorbent regeneration operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a hydrocarbon recovery device for recovering vaporized hydrocarbons and an apparatus for cleaning workpieces in a hydrocarbon-containing cleaning solution, namely, a cleaning apparatus including the hydrocarbon recovery device. Background Technology

[0002] Traditionally, hydrocarbon-containing cleaning solutions were used to clean workpieces. For example, after immersing the workpiece in a cleaning solution stored in an immersion cleaning tank (immersion cleaning), the workpiece was placed in a vacuum tank. The vacuum tank was then evacuated, and steam containing the cleaning solution (usually stored in a separate tank) was introduced. The workpiece was cleaned by liquefying the steam on its low-temperature surface (steam cleaning). When this steam cleaning operation was repeated multiple times, the workpiece temperature gradually increased due to the heat of the steam, making steam cleaning ineffective. Therefore, when the workpiece temperature reached a predetermined value or higher, the vacuum tank was rapidly depressurized, causing the cleaning solution adhering to the workpiece surface to boil and vaporize, thereby drying the workpiece (vacuum drying).

[0003] In the vacuum tank, during steam cleaning, some of the cleaning fluid vapor remains undiluted and is discharged as gas. During vacuum drying, the vaporized gas from the cleaning fluid adhering to the workpiece surface is also discharged. These gases contain hydrocarbons, and since hydrocarbons are subject to emission regulations, it is necessary to recover the hydrocarbons contained in the gases discharged from the storage tank and vacuum tank.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a hydrocarbon recovery apparatus for recovering solvent components from a gas containing hydrocarbon solvent components (hereinafter referred to as "treated gas"). This apparatus consists of an adsorption tower containing an adsorbent material primarily composed of activated carbon. The treated gas is fed into the adsorption tower, where hydrocarbons are removed by adsorption of the adsorbent material (gas treatment operation). If this operation continues for a period of time, the adsorbent material's ability to adsorb solvent components decreases. Therefore, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the gas treatment operation, the supply of the treated gas to the adsorption tower is stopped (and the gas treatment operation is stopped). The pressure inside the adsorption tower is reduced, causing the hydrocarbons adsorbed on the adsorbent material to detach (adsorbent regeneration operation). This adsorbent regeneration operation restores the adsorbent material's ability to adsorb hydrocarbons. The gas containing hydrocarbons detached from the adsorbent material is discharged from the adsorption tower and liquefied and recovered by cooling in a condenser. These gas treatment operations and adsorbent regeneration operations are performed alternately. In the condenser, some of the introduced hydrocarbon gas can pass through without being liquefied, but the gas that passes through is reintroduced into the same condenser and is not discharged to the outside. Furthermore, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has two adsorption towers, with an adsorption tower for gas treatment and a supply tower for adsorbent regeneration operating alternately. Thus, hydrocarbons can be continuously removed from and recovered from the gas being treated using either adsorption tower.

[0005] Patent Document 2 also describes a hydrocarbon recovery device with a structure having two adsorption towers, similar to that in Patent Document 1. However, in the device of Patent Document 2, when the adsorbent regeneration operation is performed in one of the adsorption towers, the gas that has not been liquefied in the condenser is introduced into the other adsorption tower for gas processing operation, instead of the condenser, to prevent the gas from being discharged to the outside.

[0006] Existing technical documents

[0007] Patent documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-039717

[0009] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 03-143520 Summary of the Invention

[0010] In the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, even after the aforementioned adsorbent regeneration operation, some of the adsorbed hydrocarbons remain in the adsorbent material. Therefore, with repeated gas treatment and adsorbent regeneration operations, the ability to remove hydrocarbons from the treated gas decreases.

[0011] Here, the case of removing hydrocarbon solvent components contained in the vapor of the cleaning fluid used to clean the workpiece is used as an example. However, the same problem will occur if the component is removed from the treated gas containing hydrocarbon solvent components other than the vapor of the cleaning fluid.

[0012] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a hydrocarbon recovery device that can suppress the reduction in the ability to remove hydrocarbons from a treated gas containing hydrocarbons.

[0013] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the hydrocarbon recovery device of the present invention is a device for removing and recovering hydrocarbons contained in a gas to be processed, comprising:

[0014] a) A processing tank having an adsorbent material housing space that contains adsorbent material capable of adsorbing hydrocarbons.

[0015] b) The gas inlet valve is a valve installed on the gas inlet pipe connected to the processing tank;

[0016] c) The post-processing gas discharge valve is a valve installed on the post-processing gas discharge pipe connected to the processing tank;

[0017] d) A vacuum pump, with its suction port connected to the processing tank via a vacuum suction pipe;

[0018] e) Hydrocarbon liquefaction section, connected to the exhaust port of the vacuum pump;

[0019] f) Vacuum suction valve, which is a valve installed on the vacuum suction tube;

[0020] g) An atmospheric pressure release valve, used to open the processing tank to the atmosphere;

[0021] h) Valve control unit, configured to perform the following operations: gas treatment operation, opening the treated gas inlet valve and the treated gas outlet valve, and closing the vacuum suction valve and the atmospheric pressure opening valve; suction pair operation, closing the atmospheric pressure opening valve and opening the vacuum suction valve while the treated gas inlet valve and the treated gas outlet valve are closed; adsorbent regeneration operation, alternately performing the atmospheric pressure opening pair operation of opening the atmospheric pressure opening valve and closing the vacuum suction valve multiple times.

[0022] In the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of the present invention, during gas treatment operation, the treated gas inlet valve and the treated gas outlet valve are opened, while the vacuum suction valve and the atmospheric pressure release valve are closed. Thus, the treated gas is introduced from the treated gas inlet pipe into the adsorbent material preparation space, where hydrocarbons contained in the treated gas are adsorbed onto the adsorbent material within the preparation space and removed. The gas from which hydrocarbons have been removed (treated gas) is discharged outside the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus through the treated gas outlet pipe.

[0023] On one hand, during the adsorbent regeneration operation, the treated gas inlet valve and the treated gas outlet valve are closed. In this state, the suction pair operation and the atmospheric pressure opening pair operation are alternately performed multiple times. In the suction pair operation, the pressure inside the adsorbent preparation space is reduced by closing the atmospheric pressure opening valve and opening the vacuum suction valve. As a result, the hydrocarbons adsorbed on the adsorbent vaporize and detach from the adsorbent, liquefying in the hydrocarbon liquefaction section and being recovered. However, within the adsorbent, as the hydrocarbons vaporize, the temperature of the adsorbent gradually decreases due to the heat of vaporization, and after a period of time, the hydrocarbons remaining in the adsorbent almost cease to vaporize. Therefore, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the suction pair operation, the atmospheric pressure opening pair operation (closing the vacuum suction valve and opening the atmospheric pressure opening valve) is performed to bring the pressure inside the adsorbent preparation space to the same as atmospheric pressure. Afterward, the suction pair operation is performed by closing the atmospheric pressure opening valve and opening the vacuum suction valve. Thus, the hydrocarbons are once again detached from the adsorbent.

[0024] In the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of the present invention, by alternately performing these attraction-side operations and atmospheric pressure opening-side operations multiple times during adsorbent regeneration, hydrocarbons are facilitated to be removed from the adsorbent material. This improves the ability to remove hydrocarbons from the gas being processed during gas treatment operations.

[0025] The adsorption material is preferably activated carbon or activated carbon fiber.

[0026] In the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of the present invention, preferably, an adsorbent heating mechanism is further included, which heats the adsorbent in the adsorbent placement space during the adsorbent regeneration operation performed by the valve control unit. This further facilitates the removal of hydrocarbons from the adsorbent during the adsorbent regeneration operation.

[0027] In the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of the present invention, preferably, an adsorbent material cooling mechanism is further included, which cools the adsorbent material within the adsorbent material placement space during the gas treatment operation performed by the valve control unit. This further promotes the removal of hydrocarbons contained in the gas being treated during the gas treatment operation. Particularly when the adsorbent material heating mechanism is included, since the hydrocarbon removal efficiency may decrease when the adsorbent material is heated during the adsorbent regeneration operation before the gas treatment operation, the adsorbent material cooling mechanism is also preferred.

[0028] Preferably, the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of the present invention further includes an adsorbent stirring mechanism, which stirs the adsorbent within the adsorbent placement space during the adsorbent regeneration operation performed by the valve control unit. This further facilitates the removal of hydrocarbons from the adsorbent during the adsorbent regeneration operation.

[0029] The hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of the present invention includes two processing tanks, each of which is equipped with a gas-to-be-processed inlet valve, a gas-to-be-processed outlet valve, a vacuum suction valve, and an atmospheric pressure release valve.

[0030] Preferably, when the treated gas inlet valve, treated gas outlet valve, vacuum suction valve, and atmospheric pressure release valve of one of the two treatment tanks perform the gas treatment operation, the valve control unit causes the treated gas inlet valve, treated gas outlet valve, vacuum suction valve, and atmospheric pressure release valve of the other treatment tank to perform the adsorbent regeneration operation. Conversely, when the treated gas inlet valve, treated gas outlet valve, vacuum suction valve, and atmospheric pressure release valve of one treatment tank perform the adsorbent regeneration operation, the valve control unit causes the treated gas inlet valve, treated gas outlet valve, vacuum suction valve, and atmospheric pressure release valve of the other treatment tank to perform the gas treatment operation. Therefore, since the gas treatment operation is always performed in either of the two treatment tanks, the operation of generating the treated gas (e.g., steam cleaning and vacuum drying described below) can be performed without interruption.

[0031] The hydrocarbon recovery device of the present invention can be applied to cleaning devices that clean workpieces with a cleaning solution containing hydrocarbons. Such a cleaning device may include: a vacuum tank containing the workpiece; a steam supply unit supplying steam from the hydrocarbon-containing cleaning solution to the vacuum tank; and a vacuum pump with its intake port connected to the vacuum tank for steam cleaning and vacuum drying. In the hydrocarbon recovery device of the present invention, the exhaust port of the vacuum pump for steam cleaning and vacuum drying is directly or indirectly connected to the inlet pipe of the gas being processed.

[0032] According to such a cleaning device, using adsorbent material regenerated in a hydrocarbon recovery unit, hydrocarbons can be efficiently recovered from a gas containing a cleaning liquid that is a component of hydrocarbons generated during steam cleaning and vacuum drying.

[0033] In the above-described cleaning apparatus, preferably, the vacuum pump and the vacuum pump used for steam cleaning and vacuum drying are the same vacuum pump. In this way, by combining the vacuum pump used for steam cleaning and vacuum drying (the vacuum pump used for steam cleaning and vacuum drying) with the vacuum pump used for the hydrocarbon recovery unit, the equipment cost incurred due to the vacuum pump can be reduced.

[0034] In the above-described cleaning apparatus, preferably, the steam supply unit generates steam by vaporizing a cleaning fluid containing hydrocarbons liquefied by the hydrocarbon liquefaction unit. This allows for the reuse of the cleaning fluid, which contains hydrocarbons recovered from the hydrocarbon recovery unit and liquefied in the hydrocarbon liquefaction unit, during steam cleaning, thereby reducing the amount of cleaning fluid used.

[0035] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the ability to remove hydrocarbons from the treated gas containing hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon recovery device. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of the hydrocarbon recovery device of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the activated carbon tray included in the hydrocarbon recovery device of this embodiment.

[0038] Figure 3 This is a plan view showing the heating jacket and cooling jacket arranged around the activated carbon tray in the hydrocarbon recovery device of this embodiment.

[0039] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the state of the adsorption process in the first treatment tank where gas treatment takes place and the second treatment tank where adsorbent regeneration takes place.

[0040] Figure 5 This diagram represents the state of the atmospheric pressure open sub-treatment in which gas treatment is carried out in the first treatment tank and adsorbent regeneration treatment is carried out in the second treatment tank.

[0041] Figure 6 This diagram shows the state of adsorbent regeneration in the first treatment tank, which involves attraction treatment, and gas treatment in the second treatment tank.

[0042] Figure 7 This diagram shows the state of atmospheric pressure open sub-treatment during adsorbent regeneration in the first treatment tank and gas treatment during gas treatment in the second treatment tank.

[0043] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of this embodiment.

[0044] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a cleaning device that is a component of the hydrocarbon recovery device of this embodiment.

[0045] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0046] 10… Hydrocarbon Recovery Unit

[0047] 11A(11B)...First (Second) Processing Tank

[0048] 12A(12B)...First (Second) Gas Inlet Valve

[0049] 121A(121B)...First (Second) Gas Inlet Tube

[0050] 122…The gas to be processed is introduced into the source pipe

[0051] 123… Fan

[0052] 124, 204… Flow regulating dampers

[0053] 13A(13B)…First (Second) Processing Gas Discharge Valve

[0054] 131A(131B)... First (Second) Processing Gas Exhaust Pipe

[0055] 132… Post-treatment gas manifold

[0056] 14A(14B)…First (Second) Vacuum Suction Valve

[0057] 141A(141B)...First (Second) Vacuum Suction Tube

[0058] 142…Vacuum suction manifold

[0059] 15A(15B)...First (Second) Atmospheric Pressure Opening Valve

[0060] 151A(151B)...First (Second) Atmospheric Opening Pipe

[0061] 161A(161B)…First (Second) Lower Activated Carbon Tray

[0062] 162A(162B)…First (Second) Middle Layer Activated Carbon Tray

[0063] 163A(163B)…First (Second) Upper Activated Carbon Tray

[0064] 166… Bottom surface of activated carbon tray

[0065] 167…Gas Channel Orifice

[0066] 168… shaft through hole

[0067] 17A(17B)…First (Second) Activated Carbon Stirring Unit

[0068] 171A(171B)…First (Second) Lower Stirring Blade

[0069] 172A (172B)...First (Second) Intermediate Stirring Blade

[0070] 173A(173B)...First (Second) Upper Stirring Blade

[0071] 174A(174B)…Axis 1 (2)

[0072] 175A (175B)... First (Second) Motor

[0073] 181A(181B)...First (Second) Heating Jacket

[0074] 182A(182B)...First (Second) Cooling Jacket

[0075] 19…vacuum pump

[0076] 20…hydrocarbon recovery tank

[0077] 201…hydrocarbon recovery pipe

[0078] 202… Nozzle

[0079] 203…Recycling tank discharge pipe

[0080] 21…Control Department

[0081] 211…Valve Control Department

[0082] 212…Temperature Control Department

[0083] 30…Immersion Cleaning Department

[0084] 31…Immersion Cleaning Tank

[0085] 32…Ultrasonic transducer

[0086] 33…Circulating Filter

[0087] 331… Circulation tube

[0088] 332… filter

[0089] 333… Liquid Pump

[0090] 34…Degassing valve

[0091] 341…Degassing and recovery pipe

[0092] 35…Return tube

[0093] 40…Steam Cleaning & Vacuum Drying Section

[0094] 41…Vacuum Chamber

[0095] 42…Vacuum on / off valve

[0096] 421…Vacuum pump connecting pipe

[0097] 43…Steam on / off valve

[0098] 431…Steam supply pipe

[0099] 44… Cleaning fluid recovery tank

[0100] 441… Cleaning fluid recovery pipe

[0101] 442… Cleaning fluid recovery valve

[0102] 443… Cleaning fluid supply pipe

[0103] 50… Distillation and Regeneration Section

[0104] 51… Distillation tank

[0105] 511… Distillation target liquid supply pipe

[0106] 52…Steam pilot valve

[0107] 53… Distillation apparatus condenser

[0108] 531…Distiller condenser connecting pipe

[0109] 54… Distillate storage tank

[0110] 541… Distillation Regeneration Cleaning Fluid Supply Pipe

[0111] 55…jet

[0112] 551…Circular Flow Path

[0113] 56… Distillate circulation pump

[0114] C…Activated Carbon

[0115] L…cleaning solution Detailed Implementation

[0116] use Figures 1-9 Embodiments of the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of the present invention and embodiments of the cleaning apparatus comprising the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus shall be described.

[0117] (1) Structure of the hydrocarbon recovery device in this embodiment

[0118] Figure 1 The structure of the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is schematically shown. The hydrocarbon recovery apparatus 10 has two processing tanks: a first processing tank 11A and a second processing tank 11B. The first processing tank 11A and the second processing tank 11B have the same structure. Therefore, the detailed structure of the first processing tank 11A will be described below as an example, and a detailed description of the structure of the second processing tank 11B will be omitted. If the "A" at the end of the reference numerals indicating each component in the description of the first processing tank 11A is replaced with "B", then the component corresponding to the second processing tank 11B (for example, the component in the second processing tank 11B corresponding to the first treated gas inlet pipe 121A connected to the first processing tank 11A, described later, is the second treated gas inlet pipe 121B) is the second treated gas inlet pipe 121B.

[0119] A first treated gas inlet pipe 121A is connected to the side near the lower end of the first processing tank 11A, and a first treated gas inlet valve 12A is provided on the first treated gas inlet pipe 121A. A treated gas inlet source pipe 122 is provided upstream of the first treated gas inlet pipe 121A, and a first treated gas inlet pipe 121A and a second treated gas inlet pipe 121B branch off from the treated gas inlet source pipe 122. A fan 123 is provided on the treated gas inlet source pipe 122 for conveying the gas from a hydrocarbon gas generation source (not shown) to the first processing tank 11A and the second processing tank 11B, and a flow regulating damper 124 is provided downstream of the fan 123 for regulating (limiting) the flow rate of the gas flowing from the generation source into the treated gas inlet source pipe 122.

[0120] A first post-processed gas discharge pipe 131A is provided on the side near the upper end of the first processing tank 11A, and a first post-processed gas discharge valve 13A is provided on the first post-processed gas discharge pipe 131A. The first post-processed gas discharge pipe 131A and the second post-processed gas discharge pipe 131B converge in the post-processed gas manifold 132. The gas from which hydrocarbons have been removed, i.e., the post-processed gas, is discharged from the post-processed gas manifold 132 to the outside of the hydrocarbon recovery device 10 in the first processing tank 11A and the second processing tank 11B.

[0121] A first vacuum suction pipe 141A is provided on the side near the lower end of the first processing tank 11A, and a first vacuum suction valve 14A is provided on the first vacuum suction pipe 141A. The first vacuum suction pipe 141A and the second vacuum suction pipe 141B converge at the vacuum suction manifold 142, and the suction port of the vacuum pump 19 is connected to the vacuum suction manifold 142.

[0122] The exhaust port of vacuum pump 19 is connected to nozzle 202 located within hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 via hydrocarbon recovery pipe 201. Cleaning fluid L is stored in hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 up to the level above nozzle 20, allowing the hydrocarbon gas supplied by nozzle 202 to be absorbed by the cleaning fluid L. These hydrocarbon recovery tanks 20 and nozzles correspond to the hydrocarbon liquefaction section. A recovery tank discharge pipe 203 is connected to the upper surface of hydrocarbon recovery tank 20, and this discharge pipe 203 is connected to the treated gas inlet pipe 122. A flow regulating damper 204 is installed in the recovery tank discharge pipe 203 to regulate (limit) the gas flow rate from hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 into treated gas inlet pipe 122.

[0123] A first atmospheric opening pipe 151A is provided on the upper surface of the first processing tank 11A, and a first atmospheric pressure opening valve 15A is provided on the first atmospheric opening pipe 151A.

[0124] Within the first processing tank 11A, three activated carbon trays (first lower activated carbon tray 161A, first middle activated carbon tray 162A, and first upper activated carbon tray 163A) are vertically arranged to hold activated carbon as adsorbent material. Each of these activated carbon trays has a gas channel hole 167 on its bottom surface 166, with a particle size that allows gas to pass through but not activated carbon particles, and a shaft through hole 168 (see reference) through which the first shaft 174A (described later) passes. Figure 2 , Figure 3 ).

[0125] A first activated carbon stirring unit 17A is provided in the first treatment tank 11A. The first activated carbon stirring unit 17A is equivalent to the adsorbent material stirring mechanism and has a first lower stirring blade 171A, a first middle stirring blade 172A, and a first upper stirring blade 173A disposed in each of the first lower activated carbon tray 161A, the first middle activated carbon tray 162A, and the first upper activated carbon tray 163A. These three stirring blades are fixed on a common first shaft 174A. The first shaft 174A is configured to extend in a generally vertical direction and pass through the shaft through-hole 168 of each activated carbon tray. The first activated carbon stirring unit 17A also has a first motor 175A disposed on the upper surface of the first treatment tank 11A for rotating the first shaft 174A.

[0126] The first lower activated carbon tray 161A, the first middle activated carbon tray 162A, and the first upper activated carbon tray 163A are respectively surrounded by the first heating jacket 181A and the first cooling jacket 182A (see reference). Figure 3 The first heating jacket 181A corresponds to the heating mechanism for the adsorbent material, and has a flow path for oil heated to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 130°C) to flow from bottom to top. The first cooling jacket 182A corresponds to the cooling mechanism for the adsorbent material, and has a flow path for cooling water to flow from bottom to top.

[0127] The hydrocarbon recovery apparatus 10 of this embodiment also includes a control unit 21. The control unit 21 further comprises a valve control unit 211 and a temperature control unit 212 as functional modules. The valve control unit 211 controls the operation of each valve: the first treated gas inlet valve 12A, the second treated gas inlet valve 12B, the first treated gas outlet valve 13A, the second treated gas outlet valve 13B, the first vacuum suction valve 14A, the second vacuum suction valve 14B, the first atmospheric pressure opening valve 15A, and the second atmospheric pressure opening valve 15B. The temperature control unit 212 controls the temperature of the activated carbon in the first treatment tank 11A and the second treatment tank 11B by setting the time for supplying heated oil to the first heating jacket 181A and the second heating jacket 181B, and the time for supplying cooling water to the first cooling jacket 182A and the second cooling jacket 182B. Details of these controls will be described below in the explanation of the operation of the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus 10. The control unit 21 is implemented by hardware such as a CPU and memory, as well as software that performs these controls.

[0128] (2) Operation of the hydrocarbon recovery device in this embodiment

[0129] The operation of the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described. In this apparatus, gas treatment is performed to remove hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon-containing gas being processed, generated by a source (typically the cleaning apparatus 1 described later, but not limited to this), and activated carbon regeneration treatment is performed to regenerate the activated carbon by removing hydrocarbons adhering to the activated carbon in the activated carbon tray through gas treatment. During gas treatment in the first processing tank 11A, activated carbon regeneration treatment is performed in the second processing tank 11B; during activated carbon regeneration treatment in the first processing tank 11A, gas treatment is performed in the second processing tank 11B. Details of these processes will be described below.

[0130] First, as described below, gas treatment is performed in the first treatment tank 11A, and activated carbon regeneration is performed in the second treatment tank 11B. When this operation begins, the control unit 21 performs the following gas treatment operation: opening the first treated gas inlet valve 12A and the first treated gas outlet valve 13A, and closing the first vacuum suction valve 14A and the first atmospheric pressure opening valve 15A on the valves connected to the first treatment tank 11A. On the other hand, the control unit 21 performs the following adsorbent regeneration operation: closing the second treated gas inlet valve 12B and the treated gas outlet valve 13B on the valves connected to the second treatment tank 11B, and repeatedly performing the following opening and closing operations on the second vacuum suction valve 14B and the second atmospheric pressure opening valve 15B.

[0131] Through the opening and closing of the valves described above, the gas to be processed generated from the source is drawn into the gas inlet pipe 122 by the operation of fan 123. With the first gas inlet valve 12A open, the gas is introduced through the first gas inlet pipe 121A to the vicinity of the bottom of the first processing tank 11A, and gradually moves upward in the first processing tank 11A (refer to...). Figure 4 and Figure 5 In these diagrams, thick solid lines represent pipes with gas flow, and thick dashed lines represent pipes without gas flow. Additionally, some components of the hydrocarbon recovery unit 10 are omitted from these diagrams. (To be discussed later.) Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 Similarly. During this period, in the first treatment tank 11A, the gas to be treated passes through the gas channel holes 16 in each activated carbon tray in the order of the first lower activated carbon tray 161A, the first middle activated carbon tray 162A, and the first upper activated carbon tray 163A.

[0132] 7. Hydrocarbons contained in the gas being treated are gradually removed by being adsorbed onto activated carbon C housed in each activated carbon tray. In this embodiment, by providing multiple (3) activated carbon trays, hydrocarbons can be removed more reliably compared to providing only one activated carbon tray.

[0133] Furthermore, under the control of the temperature control unit 212, cooling water flows through the first cooling jacket 182A, thereby cooling the first lower activated carbon tray 161A, the first middle activated carbon tray 162A, and the first upper activated carbon tray 163A, and consequently the activated carbon contained in these activated carbon trays. By cooling the activated carbon in this way, the adsorption of hydrocarbons contained in the gas being treated onto the activated carbon is promoted.

[0134] The treated gas, from which hydrocarbons have been removed, is discharged into the atmosphere through the first treated gas discharge pipe 131A and the treated gas manifold 132 (see reference). Figure 4and Figure 5 ).

[0135] Thus, during gas treatment in the first treatment tank 11A, activated carbon regeneration is performed in the second treatment tank 11B to remove hydrocarbons adsorbed on the activated carbon contained in the second lower activated carbon tray 161B, the second middle activated carbon tray 162B, and the second upper activated carbon tray 163B. This activated carbon regeneration is typically performed prior to gas treatment in the second treatment tank 11B, and can be omitted if gas treatment has not yet been performed after the activated carbon has been contained in the trays within the second treatment tank 11B. However, activated carbon regeneration can be performed even without gas treatment to ensure the activated carbon is used in a cleaner state (free of hydrocarbon adsorption).

[0136] In the activated carbon regeneration process, firstly, with the vacuum pump 19 running, the valve control unit 211 closes the second atmospheric pressure opening valve 15B and opens the second vacuum suction valve 14B. As a result, the gas in the second processing tank 11B is drawn in by the vacuum pump 19, and the pressure in the second processing tank 11B is reduced. Consequently, the hydrocarbons (HC) adsorbed on the activated carbon C are removed from the activated carbon C, and the hydrocarbon gas is discharged through the second vacuum suction pipe 141B and the hydrocarbon recovery pipe 201 from the nozzle 202 into the cleaning liquid L in the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 (suction-assisted treatment). (Refer to...) Figure 4 As a result, most of the hydrocarbon gas is absorbed by the cleaning liquid L. The portion of the hydrocarbon gas that is not absorbed by the cleaning liquid L is introduced into the first treatment tank 11A along with the gas to be treated through the recovery tank discharge pipe 203, the treated gas inlet pipe 122, and the first treated gas inlet pipe 121A, where it is adsorbed by the activated carbon in the activated carbon tray.

[0137] During this absorption process, heated oil flows to the second heating jacket 181B under the control of the temperature control unit 212. This heats the second lower activated carbon tray 161B, the second middle activated carbon tray 162B, and the second upper activated carbon tray 163B, as well as the activated carbon C contained within these trays. This promotes the removal of hydrocarbons from the activated carbon C. Simultaneously, the second motor 175B starts, and the second shaft 174B and the second lower stirring blade 171B, the second middle stirring blade 172B, and the second upper stirring blade 173B fixed thereon rotate, thereby agitating the activated carbon C and further promoting the removal of hydrocarbons from it.

[0138] If such a suction-assisted treatment is temporarily implemented, the temperature of the activated carbon gradually decreases due to the heat of vaporization as the hydrocarbons vaporize, and soon the residual hydrocarbons in the activated carbon almost cease to vaporize. Therefore, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the suction-assisted treatment, the valve control unit 211 introduces atmosphere by closing the second vacuum suction valve 14B and opening the second atmospheric pressure opening valve 15B (atmospheric pressure opening operation), so that the pressure inside the second treatment tank 11B becomes atmospheric (see reference). Figure 5 (Atmospheric pressure open-side treatment). Then, the valve control unit 211 further closes the second atmospheric pressure open-side valve 15B and opens the second vacuum suction valve 14B. Thus, the suction side treatment can be performed again, and the hydrocarbons are removed from the activated carbon C.

[0139] In the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus 10 of this embodiment, these suction-assisted processing and atmospheric pressure-opening-assisted processing are performed alternately multiple times. This promotes the removal of hydrocarbons from the activated carbon, thereby improving the ability to remove hydrocarbons from the gas being processed during subsequent gas treatment.

[0140] As described above, after gas treatment is performed in the first treatment tank 11A and activated carbon regeneration is performed in the second treatment tank 11B, the valve control unit 211 closes the first treated gas inlet valve 12A, the first treated gas outlet valve 13A, the second vacuum suction valve 14B, and the second atmospheric pressure opening valve 15B, and controls the opening of the second treated gas inlet valve 12B and the second treated gas outlet valve 13B. Furthermore, regarding the first vacuum suction valve 14A and the first atmospheric pressure opening valve 15A, the valve control unit 211 alternately performs multiple suction and atmospheric pressure opening operations. Thus, gas treatment is performed in the second treatment tank 11B while activated carbon regeneration is performed in the first treatment tank 11A. The operation of gas treatment in the second treatment tank 11B (…) Figure 6 and Figure 7 The operation is the same as that in the first treatment tank 11A, due to the suction auxiliary treatment operation performed in the activated carbon regeneration process in the first treatment tank 11A. Figure 6 ) and the actions of atmospheric pressure open secondary processing ( Figure 7 Their operation is the same as that of those in the second processing tank 11B, therefore their detailed description is omitted.

[0141] In this way, by performing gas treatment and activated carbon regeneration treatment at opposite times in the first treatment tank 11A and the second treatment tank 11B, the activated carbon is regenerated while the gas being treated is being treated, thereby suppressing the reduction in hydrocarbon removal capacity.

[0142] (3) Modifications of the hydrocarbon recovery device of the present invention

[0143] The hydrocarbon recovery device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways. For example, the activated carbon stirring unit, heating jacket, and cooling jacket are not essential, and some or all of them can be omitted. In addition, an electrically heated heater can be used instead of the heating jacket.

[0144] In the above embodiments, each treatment tank is provided with 3 activated carbon trays, but the number of activated carbon trays can be 2 or less, or 4 or more. In addition, the activated carbon can also be fixed in a fixture with a structure different from the activated carbon trays used in the above embodiments, such as a basket-shaped fixture.

[0145] In the above embodiments, activated carbon was used as the adsorbent material, but activated carbon fiber or other adsorbent materials may also be used.

[0146] In the above embodiment, the gas to be processed is introduced into the hydrocarbon recovery device 10 from the gas inlet pipe 122 located directly in front of the first gas inlet pipe 121A and the second gas inlet pipe 121B. However, instead, as... Figure 8 As shown, the gas to be processed can also be introduced into the vacuum pump 19 via the gas inlet pipe 122A, and the recovery tank outlet pipe 203 can be directly connected to the first gas to be processed inlet pipe 121A and the second gas to be processed inlet pipe 121B. In this way, by connecting the gas to be processed via the vacuum pump 19 via the gas inlet pipe 122A, the gas to be processed is introduced into the cleaning liquid L in the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 before being introduced into the first processing tank 11A or the second processing tank 11B, allowing a portion of the hydrocarbons contained in the gas to be processed to be absorbed by the cleaning liquid L.

[0147] In addition, such as Figure 8 As shown by the thick dashed line, a second treated gas inlet pipe 122B can also be provided, branching from the recovery tank discharge pipe 203 (separate from the treated gas introduced from the treated gas inlet pipe 122A). The treated gas can also be introduced from the second treated gas inlet pipe 122B. In this case, for example, a vacuum tank for steam cleaning and vacuum drying in a cleaning device can be connected to the treated gas inlet pipe 122A, and gas surrounding the cleaning device can be introduced from the second treated gas inlet pipe 122B. Thus, while the treated gas is introduced from the vacuum tank into the hydrocarbon recovery device 10, even if hydrocarbon-containing gas leaks from the cleaning device, it can still be introduced into the hydrocarbon recovery device 10 from the second treated gas inlet pipe 122B.

[0148] The hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of the present invention is suitable for recovering hydrocarbons from gases containing hydrocarbons generated by cleaning fluids containing hydrocarbons, as described in the cleaning apparatus described below. However, the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of the present invention can be used not only in cleaning apparatuses, but also for recovering hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-containing gases generated by other devices or containers (e.g., containers for storing petroleum).

[0149] (4) A cleaning device having the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus of this embodiment

[0150] Figure 9 The structure of the cleaning device 1 of the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus 10 of this embodiment is schematically shown. In addition to the hydrocarbon recovery apparatus 10, the cleaning device 1 also includes an immersion cleaning section 30, a steam cleaning and vacuum drying section 40, and a distillation regeneration section 50. Figure 9 In the example shown, hydrocarbon recovery unit 10 uses Figure 8 The modified example shown has a device with a second gas-to-source pipe 122B.

[0151] The immersion cleaning unit 30 includes an immersion cleaning tank 31 for storing cleaning fluid, an ultrasonic transducer 32 for applying ultrasonic vibrations to the workpiece contained in the immersion cleaning tank 31 using the cleaning fluid, and a circulating filter 33 for filtering the cleaning fluid in the immersion cleaning tank 31. The circulating filter 33 includes a circulation pipe 331 connected to the immersion cleaning tank 31 at both ends, a filter screen 332 disposed in the circulation pipe 331, and a liquid pump 333.

[0152] In the immersion cleaning section 30, after the workpiece is immersed in the cleaning solution stored in the immersion cleaning tank 31, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the workpiece by the ultrasonic transducer 32, thereby cleaning the workpiece. Impurities dispersed in the cleaning solution as the workpiece is cleaned are removed by the filter screen 332 in the circulating filter 33.

[0153] The immersion cleaning tank 31 is connected to the distillate storage tank 54 of the distillation regeneration unit 50 via a distillation regeneration cleaning solution supply pipe 541. Thus, the hydrocarbon-containing cleaning solution recovered from the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 is regenerated by the distillation regeneration unit 50 and supplied to the immersion cleaning tank 31 for reuse. Furthermore, the upper part of the immersion cleaning tank 31 in the space storing the cleaning solution is connected to the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 of the hydrocarbon recovery device 10 via a return pipe 35. Thus, when the amount of cleaning solution in the immersion cleaning tank 31 exceeds a predetermined amount, the cleaning solution flows to the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 via the return pipe 35, thereby preventing the cleaning solution from overflowing from the immersion cleaning tank 31.

[0154] The immersion cleaning tank 31 is connected to the vacuum pump 19 via a degassing recovery pipe 341. The degassing recovery pipe 341 is equipped with a degassing valve 34. During the period when the degassing valve 34 is open, the vacuum pump 19 draws in the gas evaporated from the cleaning liquid L in the immersion cleaning tank 31, which is then recovered by the hydrocarbon recovery device 10.

[0155] The steam cleaning and vacuum drying unit 40 includes a vacuum tank 41, a vacuum on / off valve 42, a steam on / off valve 43, and a cleaning solution recovery tank 44. The vacuum tank 41 is connected to the vacuum pump 19 via a vacuum pump connecting pipe 421. The vacuum pump connecting pipe 421 is equivalent to... Figure 8 The hydrocarbon recovery unit 10 shown in the example has a gas inlet pipe 122 for processing. Alternatively, a vacuum pump different from the vacuum pump 19 of the hydrocarbon recovery unit 10 can be installed on the steam cleaning / vacuum drying section 40, and a vacuum tank 41 can be connected to this vacuum pump. In this case, the exhaust port of this other vacuum pump is connected to... Figure 1 In the example shown, the treated gas is connected to the source pipe 122 in the hydrocarbon recovery device 10. A vacuum on / off valve 42 is provided on the vacuum pump connection pipe 421. Furthermore, the vacuum tank 41 is connected to the distillation tank 51 of the distillation regeneration unit 50 via a steam supply pipe 431, and steam for cleaning fluid is supplied to the interior when the steam on / off valve 43 provided on the steam supply pipe 431 is opened.

[0156] The cleaning fluid recovery tank 44 is connected to the bottom of the vacuum tank 41 via a cleaning fluid recovery pipe 441, and serves as a container for recovering the cleaning fluid liquefied in the vacuum tank 41. A cleaning fluid recovery valve 442 is provided on the cleaning fluid recovery pipe 441. The cleaning fluid recovery tank 44 is also connected to the immersion cleaning tank 31 via a cleaning fluid supply pipe 443, enabling the reuse of the cleaning fluid liquefied in the vacuum tank 41 in the immersion cleaning section 30.

[0157] In the steam cleaning and vacuum drying unit 40, steam cleaning and vacuum drying are performed as follows: First, with the workpiece housed in the vacuum tank 41, the vacuum valve 42 is opened, and the vacuum pump 19 is used to evacuate the vacuum tank 41, thereby removing the air from the vacuum tank 41. Then, with the vacuum valve 42 closed, the steam valve 43 is opened, supplying steam containing the cleaning solution from the distillation tank 51 into the vacuum tank 41. After continuously supplying steam containing the cleaning solution for a predetermined time, the steam valve 43 is closed, and the vacuum valve 42 is opened, allowing the vacuum pump 19 to discharge the steam containing the cleaning solution from the vacuum tank 41. This steam supply and discharge process is repeated multiple times. Finally, the pressure inside the vacuum tank 41 is rapidly reduced using the vacuum pump 19, causing the cleaning solution adhering to the workpiece surface to boil rapidly, thereby performing vacuum drying.

[0158] During steam cleaning and vacuum drying, the steam from the cleaning liquid discharged from the vacuum tank 41 is supplied to the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20, and the hydrocarbons contained in the steam are recovered by the hydrocarbon recovery device 10.

[0159] The distillation regeneration unit 50 includes a distillation tank 51, a steam pilot valve 52, a distiller condenser 53, a distillate storage tank 54, an ejector 55, and a distillate circulation pump 56. The distillation tank 51 stores the cleaning solution supplied from the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 via a distillation target liquid supply pipe 511 connected to the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20. The cleaning solution is heated by a heater (not shown) to generate steam. The steam pilot valve 52 is a three-way valve that switches the flow path of the steam generated in the distillation tank 51 to either the steam supply pipe 431 of the steam cleaning / vacuum drying unit 40 or the distiller condenser connecting pipe 531 connected to the distiller condenser 53. The distiller condenser 53 is used to cool and liquefy the steam of the cleaning solution supplied from the distillation tank 51. The distillate storage tank 54 stores the cleaning solution liquefied by the distiller condenser 53. The distillate storage tank 54 is connected to the immersion cleaning tank 31 via a distillation regeneration cleaning solution supply pipe 541. The ejector 55 draws the cleaning liquid liquefied by the distiller condenser 53 into the distillate storage tank 54, and the cleaning liquid is circulated in the circulation path 551 by the distillate circulation pump 56.

[0160] In the distillation regeneration section 50, cleaning liquid supplied from the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 is continuously heated in the distillation tank 51 to generate steam for the cleaning liquid. During steam cleaning in the steam cleaning / vacuum drying section 40, the generated steam is supplied to the vacuum tank 41 via a steam guide valve 52 with the flow path set on the steam supply pipe 431 side. At other times, the steam is supplied to the distiller condenser 53 via a steam guide valve 52 with the flow path set on the distiller condenser connection pipe 531 side. The steam supplied to the vacuum tank 41 is used for steam cleaning. On the other hand, the steam supplied to the distiller condenser 53 is cooled and liquefied, thereby undergoing distillation regeneration and stored in the distillate storage tank 54. The distillation-regenerated cleaning liquid stored in the distillate storage tank 54 is supplied to the immersion cleaning tank 31 via the distillation regeneration cleaning liquid supply pipe 541.

[0161] According to the cleaning apparatus of this embodiment, by introducing the cleaning liquid vapor discharged from the vacuum tank 41 during cleaning and vacuum drying of the gas and steam evaporated from the cleaning liquid L in the immersion cleaning tank 31 into the hydrocarbon recovery device 10, the hydrocarbons contained in these gases and steam can be recovered without being released into the environment. Furthermore, even if hydrocarbon-containing gas leaks from the immersion cleaning tank 31 or the vacuum tank 41, the hydrocarbons contained in the gas can be recovered by introducing the gas from the second treated gas introduction source pipe 122B into the hydrocarbon recovery device 10. Furthermore, since the recovered hydrocarbons can be absorbed by the cleaning liquid in the hydrocarbon recovery tank 20 and reused, the amount of cleaning liquid used can be suppressed. Furthermore, by recovering hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon recovery device 10 of this embodiment, the reduction in the ability to remove hydrocarbons from the steam can be suppressed.

[0162] Furthermore, when vacuuming is performed during steam cleaning and vacuum drying using the shared vacuum pump 19, and when vacuuming is performed during adsorbent (activated carbon) regeneration in the hydrocarbon recovery device 10, the equipment cost required for the vacuum pump can be reduced.

[0163] The cleaning apparatus using the hydrocarbon recovery device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

Claims

1. A hydrocarbon recovery device for removing and recovering hydrocarbons contained in a gas being processed, characterized in that, include: a) A processing tank having an internal space for absorbing adsorbent material capable of adsorbing hydrocarbons; b) The gas inlet valve is a valve installed on the gas inlet pipe connected to the processing tank; c) The post-processing gas discharge valve is a valve installed on the post-processing gas discharge pipe connected to the processing tank; d) A vacuum pump, with its suction port connected to the processing tank via a vacuum suction tube; e) Hydrocarbon liquefaction section, connected to the exhaust port of the vacuum pump; f) Vacuum suction valve, which is a valve installed on the vacuum suction tube; g) An atmospheric pressure release valve, used to open the processing tank to the atmosphere; h) Valve control unit, used to perform the following operations: gas processing operation, opening the gas inlet valve and the gas outlet valve, and closing the vacuum suction valve and the atmospheric pressure release valve; In the suction operation, with the treated gas inlet valve and the treated gas outlet valve closed, the atmospheric pressure release valve is closed and the vacuum suction valve is opened; in the adsorbent regeneration operation, the atmospheric pressure release operation of opening the atmospheric pressure release valve and closing the vacuum suction valve is alternately performed multiple times.

2. The hydrocarbon recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes an adsorbent heating mechanism for heating the adsorbent in the adsorbent placement space during the adsorbent regeneration operation performed by the valve control unit.

3. The hydrocarbon recovery device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It further includes an adsorbent material cooling mechanism for cooling the adsorbent material in the adsorbent material configuration space during the gas processing operation performed by the valve control unit.

4. The hydrocarbon recovery device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It further includes an adsorbent stirring mechanism for stirring the adsorbent in the adsorbent placement space during the adsorbent regeneration operation performed by the valve control unit.

5. The hydrocarbon recovery device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The system comprises two processing tanks, each equipped with a gas-to-be-treated inlet valve, a gas-to-be-treated outlet valve, a vacuum suction valve, and an atmospheric pressure release valve. When the treated gas inlet valve, treated gas outlet valve, vacuum suction valve, and atmospheric pressure release valve of one of the two treatment tanks perform the gas treatment operation, the valve control unit causes the treated gas inlet valve, treated gas outlet valve, vacuum suction valve, and atmospheric pressure release valve of the other treatment tank to perform the adsorbent regeneration operation; when the treated gas inlet valve, treated gas outlet valve, vacuum suction valve, and atmospheric pressure release valve of one treatment tank perform the adsorbent regeneration operation, the valve control unit causes the treated gas inlet valve, treated gas outlet valve, vacuum suction valve, and atmospheric pressure release valve of the other treatment tank to perform the gas treatment operation.

6. A cleaning device, characterized in that, Its features include: Vacuum chamber, which houses the workpiece; The steam supply unit supplies steam containing hydrocarbon cleaning fluid to the vacuum tank; A vacuum pump, with its suction port connected to the vacuum tank, is used for steam cleaning and vacuum drying. According to any one of claims 1 to 5, the exhaust port of the vacuum pump used for steam cleaning and vacuum drying is directly or indirectly connected to the inlet pipe of the gas being processed.

7. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The vacuum pump and the vacuum pump used for the steam cleaning and vacuum drying are the same vacuum pump.

8. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The steam supply unit generates steam by vaporizing the hydrocarbon-containing cleaning liquid liquefied by the hydrocarbon liquefaction unit.

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