An air conditioning system for a saturation diving habitat and its control method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning systems, and discloses an air conditioning system for a saturation diving living chamber and a control method thereof. The air in the living chamber enters an external circulation type air conditioning system, is filtered, pressurized by a fan, dehumidified by condensation, heated and temperature-adjusted, and then sent back to realize the adjustment and treatment of the air in the living chamber. The air conditioning system further includes a chilled water unit and a hot water unit. The present invention obtains chilled water and hot medium water that meet the temperature conditions by controlling the chilled water unit and the hot water unit, and meets the cooling and heating load requirements under all working conditions of the living chamber by switching the operation of the chilled water and the hot medium water.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning, and particularly to an environmental control system and its control method for temperature, humidity, and harmful gas removal in a sealed cabin. Background Art

[0002] The saturation diving system consists of equipment such as a living chamber and a diving bell. The process of saturation diving is as follows: Before the start of saturation diving operations, divers live in the living chamber and are pressurized with inert gases such as helium in accordance with the specified procedures, so that the inert gases in the divers' bodies reach saturation at the predetermined operating depth. When diving operations are required, the divers enter the diving bell with the same pressure from the living chamber. After reaching the diving operation location, they wear diving suits and then go to the sea for operations. After completing the work, they are hoisted back to the mother ship through the diving bell, and the divers return to the living chamber to live and rest.

[0003] Currently, there are two types of air conditioning systems for living chambers: the external circulation method and the internal circulation method. Among them, the internal circulation method arranges components such as a gas purification unit, a humidity control unit, a temperature control unit, a fan, and a motor inside the diving chamber. The fan extracts the environmental gas inside the chamber and makes it flow through the gas purification unit, the humidity control unit, and the temperature control unit in the air duct and then flow out, so as to achieve temperature control, dehumidification, and harmful gas removal. However, it has the problems of occupying valuable space inside the chamber and generating noise. The external circulation method arranges the air conditioning equipment and the chilled and hot water units outside the diving chamber, which can avoid occupying the volume inside the chamber and reduce the working noise, providing a comfortable living environment for the divers.

[0004] Since helium accounts for a large proportion in the environmental gas inside the living chamber, the heat dissipation speed on the human body surface is fast in this environment. The direct impact is that the human body's sensitivity to cold and heat is enhanced. Therefore, the response speed and accuracy requirements for temperature and humidity adjustment inside the living chamber are relatively high. For the air conditioning system arranged on the mother ship, the chilled and hot water units can use seawater to exchange heat with the refrigerant to prepare chilled water or hot water. However, due to the change of the surrounding environment, the temperature of seawater will fluctuate. At the same time, the cooling and heating loads generated by the personnel activities inside the living chamber will also fluctuate. In order to meet the cooling and heating load requirements inside the living chamber, the existing air conditioning systems have problems such as large equipment size, poor working condition adaptability, and low operation reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides an air conditioning system and its control method for a saturation diving living chamber, which can overcome the problems of large equipment size, poor working condition adaptability, and low operation reliability of the external circulation type air conditioning system for diving chambers in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an air conditioning system for a saturation diving habitat. The air conditioning system is of an external circulation mode and includes an intake pipeline and a return pipeline connected to the saturation diving habitat, an intake valve, a harmful gas absorption device, a fan, a condensation tank, and a heating tank arranged in sequence along the gas circulation loop. The purified gas enters the condensation tank after being pressurized by the fan. In the condensation tank, the gas exchanges heat with the refrigerant water and is cooled and dehumidified. The dehumidified gas enters the heating tank, exchanges heat with the heat medium water, and then the temperature rises and is sent into the cabin. The condensation tank is connected to a chiller, and the heating tank is connected to a hot water unit. It is characterized in that the chiller includes a seawater heat exchanger. One side of the seawater heat exchanger is respectively connected to a seawater inlet pipe and a seawater return pipe, and the other side of the seawater heat exchanger is connected to the compression refrigeration system of the chiller. A seawater bypass pipe is also provided between the seawater inlet pipe and the seawater return pipe, and a seawater bypass valve is provided on the seawater bypass pipe. The chiller further includes a refrigerant compression refrigeration system composed of a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion valve, and a condenser. The heat exchanger is connected to the condenser of the refrigerant compression refrigeration system through a primary side inlet pipeline and a primary side return pipeline. A primary side circulation pump, a primary side temperature sensor, and a heater are also provided on the primary side inlet pipeline.

[0007] Further, the chiller further includes a primary side bypass pipeline provided between the primary side inlet pipeline and the primary side return pipeline. The primary side bypass pipeline is arranged upstream of the primary circulation pump, and a primary side three-way regulating valve is also provided on the primary bypass pipeline. The primary side three-way regulating valve is respectively connected to the primary side bypass pipeline, the condenser, and the seawater heat exchanger.

[0008] Further, the condensation tank is connected to the chiller through a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant return pipe. A refrigerant water inlet control valve is provided on the refrigerant inlet pipe, and a refrigerant water return control valve is provided on the refrigerant return pipe. The heating tank is connected to the hot water unit through a heat medium inlet pipe and a heat medium return pipe. A heat medium water inlet control valve is provided on the heat medium inlet pipe, and a heat medium water return control valve is provided on the heat medium water return pipe. A first connection pipeline is provided between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the heat medium inlet pipe, and an inlet connection valve is also provided on the first connection pipeline. A second connection pipeline is provided between the refrigerant return pipe and the heat medium return pipe, and a return connection valve is also provided on the second connection pipeline.

[0009] Further, a stainless steel wire tube heat exchanger is provided in the condensation tank and the heating tank. Among them, the cold / hot medium water passes through the inside of the wire tube, and the cabin gas flows through the outside of the stainless steel wire tube housing side to realize the heat exchange between the gas and the cold / hot medium water.

[0010] The present invention also provides a control method for an air conditioning system of a saturation diving living chamber. When the temperature value detected by the primary side temperature sensor is lower than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the seawater bypass valve is controlled to increase; when the temperature value detected by the primary side temperature sensor is higher than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the seawater bypass valve is controlled to decrease; when the temperature value detected by the primary side temperature sensor is lower than the first preset temperature value, the heater is started, where the first preset temperature value is less than the preset temperature value.

[0011] Further, when the temperature value detected by the primary side temperature sensor is lower than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the primary side three-way regulating valve can also be adjusted to increase the flow rate of the primary circulating water flowing through the primary bypass pipeline; when the temperature value detected by the primary side temperature sensor is higher than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the primary side three-way regulating valve can also be adjusted to decrease the flow rate of the primary circulating water flowing through the primary bypass pipeline.

[0012] Further, when the cooling load of the diving living chamber is higher than the second preset value, the supply of chilled water by the chiller is maintained, the supply of hot water by the hot water unit is stopped, and the water inlet connection valve and the water return connection valve are opened. The condensation tank and the heating tank cool the circulating air in series to meet the cooling load requirement of the diving living chamber; when the heating load of the diving living chamber is higher than the third preset value, the supply of hot water by the hot water unit is maintained, the supply of chilled water by the chiller is stopped, and the water inlet connection valve and the water return connection valve are opened. The condensation tank and the heating tank heat the circulating air in series; under other heating and cooling load requirements, the supply of chilled water by the chiller and the supply of hot water by the hot water unit are maintained simultaneously, and the water inlet connection valve and the water return connection valve are closed to achieve the dehumidification and then temperature adjustment of the circulating air by the condensation tank and the heating tank.

[0013] Advantages of the present invention: 1. An external circulation type air conditioning system is provided, which saves the installation space inside the diving chamber and reduces the noise inside the diving chamber. 2. By serially arranging a condensation tank and a heating tank, adopting the method of dehumidification first and then temperature adjustment, and by adjusting the flow rate of the cold / hot medium water, precise control of the temperature and humidity inside the diving chamber is achieved. 3. By providing a seawater bypass pipe, the chiller can adapt to different seawater temperature conditions, and by providing a primary side bypass pipeline and a heater in the chiller, the load adjustment ability of the chiller is improved. 4. By providing a connection valve between the chilled water and the hot water, switching the valve can meet the heating and cooling load requirements of the diving chamber under different working conditions, greatly saving equipment costs and installation space. 5. The stainless steel wire tube design is adopted inside the heat exchanger, which improves the pressure-bearing performance and heat exchange capacity of the heat exchanger. Description of the Drawings

[0014] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by the corresponding drawings. These exemplary illustrations do not limit the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute a scale limitation.

[0015] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of the air conditioning system of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the heat exchanger of the air conditioning system of the present invention.

[0017] The reference numerals in the drawings are represented as follows: 100, submersible living chamber; 11, intake valve; 12, harmful gas absorption device; 13, fan; 14, condensate tank; 15, heating tank; 101, chilled water inlet control valve; 102, chilled water return control valve; 103, hot medium water inlet control valve; 104, hot medium water return control valve; 105, inlet connection valve; 106, return connection valve; 200, chiller; 201, seawater inlet pipe; 202, seawater return pipe; 203, seawater bypass pipe; 204, seawater bypass valve; 205, seawater heat exchanger; 206, primary side circulation pump; 207, primary side temperature sensor; 208, heater; 209, primary side three-way regulating valve; 210, primary side return pipeline; 211, primary side bypass pipeline; 212, compressor; 213, evaporator; 214, expansion valve; 215, condenser; 216, secondary side circulation pump; 217, primary side inlet pipeline; 300, hot water unit. Detailed Embodiments

[0018] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Please refer to Figure 1 As shown, the present invention is an air conditioning system for a saturation diving living chamber, including an intake pipeline and a return pipeline connected to the diving living chamber 100, an intake valve 11, a harmful gas absorption device 12, a fan 13, a condensate tank 14, and a heating tank 15 arranged in sequence along the gas circulation loop.

[0020] Among them, the gas is first spray-washed in the harmful gas absorption device 12, and then an absorbent is used to absorb the harmful gas. The purified gas is pressurized by the fan 13 and then enters the condensation tank 41. In the condensation tank 14, the gas exchanges heat with the refrigerant water and is cooled and dehumidified. After dehumidification, the gas enters the heating tank 15, exchanges heat with the heating medium water, and then the temperature rises and is sent into the cabin.

[0021] The condensation tank 14 is connected to the chiller 200 through a refrigerant water inlet pipe and a refrigerant water return pipe. A refrigerant water inlet control valve 101 is provided on the refrigerant water inlet pipe, and a refrigerant water return control valve 102 is provided on the refrigerant water return pipe; the heating tank 15 is connected to the hot water unit 300 through a heating medium inlet pipe and a heating medium return pipe. A heating medium water inlet control valve 103 is provided on the heating medium inlet pipe, and a heating medium water return control valve 104 is provided on the heating medium water return pipe. A first connecting pipeline is provided between the refrigerant water inlet pipe and the heating medium inlet pipe, and an inlet connection valve 105 is also provided on the first connecting pipeline. A second connecting pipeline is provided between the refrigerant water return pipe and the heating medium return pipe, and a return connection valve 106 is also provided on the second connecting pipeline. A sensor (not shown in the figure) is provided inside the submersible living cabin 100 to sense the temperature and humidity inside the cabin. After being processed by a control system (not shown in the figure), it controls the opening degree of the cold and heating medium water valves, thereby realizing the control of the temperature and humidity inside the cabin.

[0022] The chiller 200 includes a seawater heat exchanger 205, and also includes a refrigerant compression refrigeration system composed of a compressor 212, an evaporator 213, an expansion valve 214, and a condenser 215. The seawater heat exchanger 205 is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The tube side of the seawater heat exchanger 205 is respectively connected to the seawater inlet pipe 201 and the seawater return pipe 202. The shell side of the seawater heat exchanger 205 is connected to the condenser 215 of the refrigerant compression refrigeration system through a primary side inlet pipeline 217 and a primary side return pipeline 210. A primary side circulation pump 206 is also provided on the primary side inlet pipeline. The evaporator 213 of the refrigerant compression refrigeration system is also connected to a secondary side circulation pipeline, and a secondary side circulation pump 216 is provided on the secondary circulation pipeline. The heat load of the refrigerant compression refrigeration system is transferred to the seawater heat exchanger through the primary side circulation pipeline and finally transferred to the seawater. The refrigerant water generated at the evaporator 213 is driven by the secondary side circulation pump 216 provided on the secondary side circulation pipeline to provide refrigerant water for the condensation tank 14.

[0023] In order to adapt to the fluctuations of the heat load caused by the changes in seawater temperature in different seawater environments, the present invention further provides a seawater bypass pipe 203 between the seawater inlet pipe 201 and the seawater return pipe 202. A seawater bypass valve 204 is provided on the seawater bypass pipe 203. A temperature sensor 207 is provided on the primary side inlet pipeline. A controller (not shown in the figure) adjusts the opening degree of the seawater bypass valve 204 according to the temperature value of the temperature sensor 207. The control process is as follows: when the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor 207 is lower than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the seawater bypass valve is controlled to increase, so that the seawater flow rate entering the seawater heat exchanger 205 decreases, thereby increasing the temperature of the primary side circulating water; when the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor 207 is higher than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the seawater bypass valve is controlled to decrease, so that the seawater flow rate entering the seawater heat exchanger 205 increases, thereby decreasing the temperature of the primary side circulating water; further, when the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor 207 is lower than the first preset temperature value, the heater 208 arranged downstream of the primary side circulating pump 206 and upstream of the condenser 215 on the primary side inlet pipeline 217 is started. By controlling the seawater bypass valve 204 and the heater 208, the controller can maintain the temperature of the primary side circulating water constant when the seawater temperature fluctuates, thereby ensuring the stability of the heat load of the chiller. The above first preset temperature value is less than the preset temperature value.

[0024] Further, in order to improve the adaptability of the chiller to different working conditions, the present invention also provides a primary side bypass pipeline 211 between the primary side inlet pipeline 217 and the primary side return pipeline. The primary side bypass pipeline is arranged upstream of the primary side circulating pump 206. A primary side three-way regulating valve 209 is also provided on the primary side bypass pipeline 211. The primary side three-way regulating valve is respectively connected to the primary side bypass pipeline 211, the condenser 215, and the seawater heat exchanger 205. When the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor 207 is lower than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the primary side three-way regulating valve 209 can also be adjusted to increase the flow rate of the primary side circulating water flowing through the primary side bypass pipeline 211; when the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor 207 is higher than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the primary side three-way regulating valve 209 can also be adjusted to decrease the flow rate of the primary side circulating water flowing through the primary side bypass pipeline 211; by providing the seawater bypass pipe 203, the primary side bypass pipeline 211, and the heater 208, the air conditioning system for the submersible habitation module 100 realizes the load adaptation and adjustment ability to different seawater working conditions.

[0025] Furthermore, to better meet the wide threshold requirements of the diving habitation module 100 for cooling and heating loads under different working conditions, the present invention also provides an inlet connection valve 105 on the connecting pipeline of the refrigerant inlet pipe and the heating medium inlet pipe; and a return connection valve 106 on the connecting pipeline of the refrigerant return pipe and the heating medium return pipe. When the cooling load of the diving habitation module 100 is higher than the second preset value, the supply of refrigerant water by the chiller 200 is maintained, the supply of heating medium water by the water heater 300 is stopped, and the inlet connection valve 105 and the return connection valve 106 are opened. The condensation tank 14 and the heating tank 15 cool the circulating air in series, so as to meet the cooling load requirements of the diving habitation module 100; when the heating load of the diving habitation module 100 is higher than the third preset value, the supply of heating medium water by the water heater 300 is maintained, the supply of refrigerant water by the chiller 200 is stopped, and the inlet connection valve 105 and the return connection valve 106 are opened. The condensation tank 14 and the heating tank 15 heat the circulating air in series; when the cooling load of the diving habitation module 100 is not higher than the second preset value and the heating load is not higher than the third preset value, the supply of refrigerant water by the chiller 200 and the supply of heating medium water by the water heater 300 are maintained simultaneously, and the inlet connection valve 432 and the return connection valve 431 are closed, so as to realize the dehumidification and then temperature adjustment of the circulating air by the condensation tank 14 and the heating tank 15. In the present invention, the water heater 300 and the chiller 200 adopt the same component parts and pipeline arrangements, but their compression refrigeration cycles are opposite.

[0026] Furthermore, the refrigerant water inlet control valve 101, the refrigerant water return control valve 102, the heating medium water inlet control valve 103, the refrigerant water return control valve 104, the inlet connection valve 105 and the return connection valve 106 all adopt electric control valves, which can realize remote control and opening adjustment according to the requirements of the system cooling and heating loads.

[0027] Furthermore, the heat exchangers in the condensation tank 41 and the heating tank 42 of the present invention adopt a special design to meet the pressure-bearing requirements of more than 10 Mpa for kilometer-level diving and the heat exchange requirements of extreme loads of more than 15 kW. See Figure 2 As shown, stainless steel wire tube heat exchangers are arranged in the condensation tank 41 and the heating tank 42, wherein the cold / hot medium water passes through the inside of the wire tubes, and the air in the cabin flows through the outer shell side of the stainless steel pipes to realize the heat exchange between the gas and the cold / hot medium water.

[0028] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention. The above is only the preferred implementation manner of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the technical principle of the present invention, several improvements and modifications can be made, and these improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for an air conditioning system of a saturation diving habitat. The air conditioning system is of an external circulation mode and includes: The intake pipeline and the return pipeline connected to the saturation diving habitable chamber (100), the intake valve (11), the harmful gas absorption device (12), the fan (13), the condensation tank (14), and the heating tank (15) arranged in sequence along the gas circulation loop. The purified gas enters the condensation tank (14) after being pressurized by the fan (13). In the condensation tank (14), the gas exchanges heat with the chilled water and is cooled and dehumidified. The dehumidified gas enters the heating tank (15) to exchange heat with the hot water, and then the temperature rises and is sent into the chamber. The condensation tank (14) is connected to the chiller (200), and the heating tank (15) is connected to the hot water unit (300). The chiller (200) includes a seawater heat exchanger (205). One side of the seawater heat exchanger (205) is respectively connected to the seawater inlet pipe (201) and the seawater return pipe (202). The other side of the seawater heat exchanger (205) is connected to the compression refrigeration system of the chiller (200). A seawater bypass pipe (203) is also arranged between the seawater inlet pipe (201) and the seawater return pipe (202), and a seawater bypass valve (204) is arranged on the seawater bypass pipe (203). The chiller (200) also includes a refrigerant compression refrigeration system composed of a compressor (212), an evaporator (213), an expansion valve (214), and a condenser (215). The seawater heat exchanger (205) is connected to the condenser (215) of the refrigerant compression refrigeration system through a primary side inlet pipeline (217) and a primary side return pipeline (210). A primary side circulation pump (206), a primary side temperature sensor (207), and a heater (208) are also arranged on the primary side inlet pipeline (217). It is characterized in that when the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor (207) is lower than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the seawater bypass valve (204) is controlled to increase; when the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor (207) is higher than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the seawater bypass valve (204) is controlled to decrease; when the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor (207) is lower than the first preset temperature value, the heater (208) is started, where the first preset temperature value is less than the preset temperature value. The chiller (200) also includes a primary side bypass pipeline (211) arranged between the primary side inlet pipeline (217) and the primary side return pipeline (210). The primary side bypass pipeline (211) is arranged upstream of the primary side circulation pump (206), and a primary side three-way regulating valve (209) is also arranged on the primary side bypass pipeline (211). The primary side three-way regulating valve (209) is respectively connected to the primary side bypass pipeline (211), the condenser (215), and the seawater heat exchanger (205).

2. The control method of the air conditioning system for a saturation diving habitat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The condensation tank (14) is connected to the chiller (200) through a refrigerant water inlet pipe and a refrigerant water return pipe. A refrigerant water inlet control valve (101) is provided on the refrigerant water inlet pipe, and a refrigerant water return control valve (102) is provided on the refrigerant water return pipe; the heating tank (15) is connected to the hot water unit (300) through a heat medium inlet pipe and a heat medium return pipe. A heat medium water inlet control valve (103) is provided on the heat medium water inlet pipe, and a heat medium water return control valve (104) is provided on the heat medium water return pipe. A first connection pipeline is provided between the refrigerant water inlet pipe and the heat medium water inlet pipe, and an inlet connection valve (105) is further provided on the first connection pipeline. A second connection pipeline is provided between the refrigerant water return pipe and the heat medium water return pipe, and a return connection valve (106) is further provided on the second connection pipeline.

3. The control method of the air conditioning system for a saturation diving habitat according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, A stainless steel wire tube heat exchanger is provided inside the condensation tank (14) and the heating tank (15). The cold / hot medium water passes through the inside of the wire tube, and the air in the cabin flows through the outside of the stainless steel wire tube housing side to realize the heat exchange between the air and the cold / hot medium water.

4. The control method of the air conditioning system for a saturation diving habitat according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor (207) is lower than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the primary side three-way regulating valve (209) is adjusted simultaneously to increase the flow rate of the primary circulating water flowing through the primary side bypass pipeline (211); when the temperature value of the primary side temperature sensor (207) is higher than the preset temperature value, the opening degree of the primary side three-way regulating valve (209) is adjusted simultaneously to reduce the flow rate of the primary circulating water flowing through the primary side bypass pipeline (211).

5. The control method of the air conditioning system for a saturation diving habitat according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the cooling load of the submersible living cabin (100) is higher than the second preset value, the supply of refrigerant water by the chiller (200) is maintained, the supply of heat medium water by the hot water unit (300) is stopped, and the inlet connection valve (105) and the return connection valve (106) are opened. The condensation tank (14) and the heating tank (15) cool the circulating air in series to meet the cooling load demand of the submersible living cabin (100); when the heating load of the submersible living cabin (100) is higher than the third preset value, the supply of heat medium water by the hot water unit (300) is maintained, the supply of refrigerant water by the chiller (200) is stopped, and the inlet connection valve (105) and the return connection valve (106) are opened. The condensation tank (14) and the heating tank (15) heat the circulating air in series; when the cooling load of the submersible living cabin (100) is not higher than the second preset value and the heating load is not higher than the third preset value, the supply of refrigerant water by the chiller (200) and the supply of heat medium water by the hot water unit (300) are maintained simultaneously, and the inlet connection valve (105) and the return connection valve (106) are closed to realize the dehumidification and then temperature adjustment of the circulating air by the condensation tank (14) and the heating tank (15).

Images