Device and method for collecting leaked liquid ammonia of ammonia fuel ship

Abstract

The invention provides a device and method for collecting leaked liquid ammonia of an ammonia fuel ship. The device comprises a liquid ammonia collecting tank and a control box; the top of the liquid ammonia collecting tank is connected with an ammonia suction pipeline; a tank opening stop valve and a diaphragm pump are sequentially arranged on the pipeline; the top of the liquid ammonia collecting tank is also connected with a ventilation pipeline; a tank opening ventilation valve is arranged on the pipeline; the bottom of the liquid ammonia collecting tank is connected with a release valve; the device further comprises a pressure sensor, a first liquid level sensor, a second liquid level sensor and an ammonia detector which are used for controlling the device to operate. According to the device, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) of the control box is used for controlling the uploading of operation and state information of equipment, so that leaked liquid ammonia is automatically and quickly collected without human intervention, the exposure time of the liquid ammonia is shortened, the generation of ammonia steam is reduced, and the safety of ships and personnel is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ships, and in particular to a device and method for collecting liquid ammonia leaked from an ammonia fuel ship. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the widespread use of liquid ammonia as a zero-carbon, environmentally friendly alternative fuel on ships, the risk of its leakage has become increasingly prominent. Liquid ammonia and its vaporized form are toxic substances. In the event of a leak, the low-temperature liquid ammonia absorbs ambient heat and gradually evaporates, forming ammonia vapor. This vapor then spreads through the ventilation system, endangering the health and safety of crew members, polluting the environment, and even causing fires.

[0003] Existing technology uses drip trays at the bottom of various equipment within ammonia fueling stations and ammonia fuel preparation rooms, where large leaks are most likely to occur on ammonia-fueled vessels. These trays are only used to temporarily contain leaked liquid ammonia, but lack a rapid collection solution, leaving the liquid ammonia exposed for extended periods and evaporating. Existing drip trays rely on natural evaporation or passive dilution with water, which still poses the threat of ammonia vapor and the problem of manual handling. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems in the prior art, the present application provides a device and method for quickly collecting liquid ammonia leaked from an ammonia-fueled ship, so as to solve the problem in the prior art that liquid ammonia cannot be processed and collected after leakage.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the first aspect of the present application provides a device for collecting liquid ammonia leaked from an ammonia fuel ship, comprising:

[0006] Liquid ammonia collection tank, control box; the top of the liquid ammonia collection tank is connected to an ammonia suction pipeline, on which a tank port stop valve and a diaphragm pump are sequentially provided, and the other end of the ammonia suction pipeline extends into the bottom of the drip tray;

[0007] The top of the liquid ammonia collection tank is also connected to a ventilation pipeline, and a tank mouth ventilation valve is provided on the ventilation pipeline; the bottom of the liquid ammonia collection tank is connected to a discharge valve; a pressure sensor and a first liquid level sensor are provided on the inside of the liquid ammonia collection tank; an ammonia detector and a second liquid level sensor are provided at the bottom of the drip tray; the control box includes a PLC controller, and the PLC controller is connected to the diaphragm pump, the tank mouth stop valve and the tank mouth ventilation valve, the pressure sensor and the first liquid level sensor, the ammonia detector and the second liquid level sensor.

[0008] As described above, the control box controls the diaphragm pump, ammonia suction pipeline, and vent pipeline through the monitoring of the second liquid level sensor and ammonia detector to quickly collect the leaked ammonia liquid, reducing the risk of liquid ammonia exposure; and monitors the safety and stability of the liquid ammonia collection tank through the first liquid level sensor and pressure sensor.

[0009] As a possible implementation of the first aspect, the diaphragm pump is a pneumatic diaphragm pump or an electric diaphragm pump.

[0010] Thus, the type of the diaphragm pump can be selected according to the installation conditions.

[0011] As a possible implementation of the first aspect, the open end of the vent pipe is arranged downward to form a gooseneck type.

[0012] Thus, the opening of the vent pipe is bent downward, which can prevent rainwater and other liquids from flowing back through the vent pipe.

[0013] As a possible implementation of the first aspect, the relief valve is a manual double-valve series structure.

[0014] Thus, the relief valve is used to empty the liquid ammonia in the collection tank to the onshore collection device. The double globe valve design provides double safety protection to prevent liquid ammonia leakage caused by accidental valve opening.

[0015] As a possible implementation of the first aspect, one end of the ammonia suction pipe connected to the liquid ammonia collection tank extends into the bottom of the liquid ammonia collection tank.

[0016] Thus, the ammonia suction pipe extends into the bottom of the tank, preventing splashing in the liquid ammonia tank and accelerating volatilization.

[0017] The second aspect of the present application provides a method for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from an ammonia fuel ship, which is realized by using any of the devices in the first aspect, and includes the following steps:

[0018] Collect the leaked liquid ammonia by the drip tray. When the second liquid level sensor detects the liquid level and sends a high-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box, and when the ammonia detector detects ammonia vapor, it sends a high-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box;

[0019] When the PLC in the control box logically judges that the signals received from the second liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector are both high-level, it sends high-level signals to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank mouth stop valve, and the tank mouth vent valve respectively;

[0020] The pneumatic diaphragm pump responds to the high-level signal to start, and the tank mouth stop valve responds to the high-level signal to open, so as to suck the leaked liquid ammonia into the liquid ammonia collection tank through the ammonia suction pipe; the tank mouth vent valve responds to the high-level signal to open, and discharges the air in the liquid ammonia collection tank through the vent pipe;

[0021] When the liquid ammonia in the drip tray is emptied, the second liquid level sensor cannot detect the liquid level and sends a low-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box;

[0022] When the signals received by the PLC in the control box from the second liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector are not both high level, low level signals are respectively sent to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank mouth stop valve and the tank mouth breather valve;

[0023] The pneumatic diaphragm pump responds to the low level signal and closes, the tank mouth stop valve responds to the low level signal and closes, and the tank mouth breather valve responds to the low level signal and closes.

[0024] As described above, when the method detects an increase in the liquid level through the second liquid level sensor and detects the presence of ammonia vapor through the ammonia detector, the device is started, which can prevent other liquids from being sucked into the liquid ammonia collection tank when they accidentally enter the drip tray; at the same time, opening the tank mouth stop valve and the breather valve can maintain the pressure balance in the tank so that liquid ammonia can be sucked into the liquid ammonia collection tank; after the liquid ammonia collection is completed, closing the tank mouth stop valve and the tank mouth breather valve makes the liquid ammonia collection tank a closed space to prevent the collected liquid ammonia from volatilizing again.

[0025] As a possible implementation of the second aspect, the first liquid level sensor in the liquid ammonia collection tank detects the liquid ammonia level and sends a high level signal to the PLC controller of the control box, or the pressure sensor detects that the pressure exceeds the rated pressure and sends a high level signal to the PLC controller of the control box;

[0026] The PLC controller respectively sends low level signals to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank mouth stop valve and the tank mouth breather valve;

[0027] The pneumatic diaphragm pump responds to the low level signal and closes, the tank mouth stop valve responds to the low level signal and closes, and the tank mouth breather valve responds to the low level signal and closes.

[0028] As described above, when the first liquid level sensor detects that the liquid ammonia exceeds the limit, or the pressure sensor exceeds the rated pressure, the device will suspend operation to prevent excessive inhalation of liquid ammonia and overflow or abnormal pressure resulting in operation errors.

[0029] In summary, the device and method for quickly collecting leaked liquid ammonia from ammonia fuel ships provided by this application, through the control logic of the PLC control box, can automatically judge the liquid ammonia leakage situation without manual intervention, and realize the collection, storage of leaked liquid ammonia and the monitoring of the operation status of the device. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the system composition of this device;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of the operation steps of this device;

[0032] Figure 3 It is a diagram of the operation status of this device. Detailed Embodiments

[0033] The following will, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and by way of examples, further illustrate the technical solutions provided in this application. It should be understood that the system structure and business scenarios provided in the embodiments of this application are mainly for illustrating possible implementation manners of the technical solutions of this application, and should not be construed as the only limitation to the technical solutions of this application. Those of ordinary skill in the art will know that with the evolution of the system structure and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this invention belongs. The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing the embodiments of this invention and are not intended to limit this invention.

[0035] The following will describe the technical solutions in this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0036] As Figure 1 FIG. shows a structural diagram of a device for collecting leaked liquid ammonia of an ammonia fuel ship provided in the first embodiment of this application, including a liquid ammonia collection tank 10 and a control box 20; an ammonia suction pipeline 11 is connected to the top of the liquid ammonia collection tank 10, and a tank port stop valve 12 and a diaphragm pump 13 are sequentially arranged on the ammonia suction pipeline, and the other end of the ammonia suction pipeline 11 extends into the bottom of the drip tray; a vent pipeline 14 is also connected to the top of the liquid ammonia collection tank 10, and a tank port vent valve 15 is arranged on the vent pipeline 14; a drain valve 16 is also connected to the bottom of the liquid ammonia collection tank 10; a pressure sensor 24 and a first liquid level sensor 25 are arranged inside the liquid ammonia collection tank 10; an ammonia detector 22 and a second liquid level sensor 23 are arranged at the bottom of the drip tray; the control box 20 includes a PLC controller, and the PLC controller is connected to the diaphragm pump 13, the tank port stop valve 12, the tank port vent valve 15, the pressure sensor 24, the first liquid level sensor 25, the ammonia detector 22, and the second liquid level sensor 23.

[0037] In some embodiments, the liquid ammonia collection tank 10 is a hermetically sealed pressure-resistant device by closing the tank port stop valve 12, the tank port vent valve 15, and the drain valve 16. The design pressure, according to the physical properties of liquid ammonia, is such that the pressure inside the pressure vessel reaches the saturated vapor pressure of liquid ammonia, 17.1 bar, at a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. To cope with unforeseen operating fluctuations, the design pressure is not less than 1.1 times the maximum working pressure, and the design pressure is 19 bar. The airtight test pressure during inspection is 28.5 bar.

[0038] In some embodiments, the material of the liquid ammonia collection tank 10 is designed as SUS316 stainless steel, or other materials that can withstand the corrosion of ammonia water, and is wrapped with 25 mm thick insulating material; the capacity of the liquid ammonia collection tank is at least 1.25 times the capacity of the drip tray.

[0039] In some embodiments, the control box 20 is connected to the monitor 21 located in the ship control room, and uploads the operating status of the device to the monitor 21; the operating status includes the readings of the first liquid level sensor 25, the second liquid level sensor 23, the pressure sensor 24, and the ammonia detector 22, and the standby, operating, and offline statuses of the diaphragm pump 13, the tank mouth stop valve 12, and the tank mouth breather valve 15.

[0040] In some embodiments, the diaphragm pump 13 is a pneumatic diaphragm pump or an electric diaphragm pump; the working pressure of the diaphragm pump 13 is 7 - 8 bar, and the power source comes from the ship deck miscellaneous air system or the cabin power supply.

[0041] In some embodiments, the ammonia suction pipeline 11 is a DN50 pipeline.

[0042] In some embodiments, the vent pipeline 14 is a DN65 pipeline, and the open end is in the shape of a gooseneck designed to face downward.

[0043] In some embodiments, the ammonia suction pipeline 11 and the vent pipeline 14 are designed to use SUS316 seamless stainless steel pipelines, or other materials that can withstand ammonia water corrosion; the pipeline is wrapped with 25 mm thick insulating material.

[0044] In some embodiments, the relief valve 16 is a manual double - valve series structure, and a copper warning sign "There are toxic substances in the tank. Do not open this valve without authorization!" is set above the valve handwheel.

[0045] In some embodiments, one end of the ammonia suction pipeline 11 connected to the liquid ammonia collection tank 10 extends into the bottom of the tank inside the liquid ammonia collection tank 10.

[0046] As Figure 2 FIG. shows the step diagram of a method for collecting leaked liquid ammonia of an ammonia - fueled ship provided by the second embodiment of the present application, which is implemented using the device in the first embodiment. The method includes steps S10 - S60:

[0047] S10: The leaked liquid ammonia is collected by the drip tray. When the second liquid level sensor detects the liquid level and sends a high - level signal to the PLC controller of the control box, and when the ammonia detector detects ammonia vapor, it sends a high - level signal to the PLC controller of the control box;

[0048] S20: When the PLC in the control box logically judges that the signals received from the second liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector are both high - level signals, it sends high - level signals to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank mouth stop valve, and the tank mouth breather valve respectively;

[0049] S30: The pneumatic diaphragm pump is started in response to a high-level signal, and the tank opening stop valve is opened in response to a high-level signal to suck the leaked liquid ammonia into the liquid ammonia collection tank through the ammonia suction pipeline; the tank opening breather valve is opened in response to a high-level signal to discharge the air in the liquid ammonia collection tank through the breather pipeline;

[0050] S40: When the liquid ammonia in the drip tray is evacuated and the second liquid level sensor cannot detect the liquid level, a low-level signal is sent to the PLC controller of the control box;

[0051] S50: When the signals received by the PLC logic judgment of the control box from the second liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector are not both high-level signals, low-level signals are sent to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank opening stop valve and the tank opening breather valve respectively;

[0052] S60: The pneumatic diaphragm pump is closed in response to a low-level signal, the tank opening stop valve is closed in response to a low-level signal, and the tank opening breather valve is closed in response to a low-level signal.

[0053] As Figure 3 FIG. shows the state diagram of a method for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from an ammonia fuel ship provided by the third embodiment of the present application, which is implemented by using the device in the first embodiment. The method includes:

[0054] S110: System standby: All valves are in the closed state; the diaphragm pump is in the stopped state; the first liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector are in the monitoring state, monitoring the liquid level and ammonia vapor concentration in the drip tray;

[0055] S120: Liquid ammonia leakage detected: When liquid ammonia leaks into the drip tray, the first liquid level sensor detects an increase in the liquid level, and at the same time the ammonia detector detects the presence of ammonia vapor. The first liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector send signals to the control box simultaneously;

[0056] S130: System startup: After the control box receives the signals from the first liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector simultaneously, the pneumatic diaphragm pump is started; the inlet valve of the collection tank is opened to allow liquid ammonia to enter the liquid ammonia collection tank; the breather valve of the collection tank is opened to allow the air in the collection tank to be discharged;

[0057] S140: Liquid ammonia collection: Liquid ammonia is sent to the liquid ammonia collection tank by the pneumatic diaphragm pump through the ammonia suction pipeline, and the air in the collection tank is discharged through the breather valve and the breather pipeline to ensure the pressure balance in the collection tank;

[0058] S150: Internal monitoring: The pressure sensor and the second liquid level sensor monitor the pressure and liquid level in the collection tank to ensure that they are within the set range;

[0059] S160: System Shutdown: When the liquid ammonia in the drip tray is evacuated and the first liquid level sensor detects that the liquid level has dropped to the lowest point, it sends a signal to the control box. After receiving the signal, the control box closes the ventilation valve, the inlet valve of the collection tank, and the pneumatic diaphragm pump simultaneously, and the system enters the standby state, waiting for the next leakage event.

[0060] S170: Liquid Ammonia Evacuation and Device Restoration: After the ship docks, connect the relief valve through the onshore collection device. Open the relief valve to evacuate the liquid ammonia in the liquid ammonia collection tank to the onshore collection device. After evacuation, close the relief valve, and the device returns to the initial state, waiting for the next use.

[0061] The terms "first", "second", "third", etc. in the specification and claims are only used to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific order for the objects. Understandably, the specific order or sequence can be interchanged when permitted, so that the embodiments of the present application described here can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described here.

[0062] In the above description, the reference numerals representing steps, such as S1, S2, etc., do not necessarily mean that the steps will be executed in this order. The order of the front and back steps can be interchanged or executed simultaneously when permitted.

[0063] The term "comprising" used in the specification and claims should not be construed as limited to the content listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. Therefore, it should be construed as specifying the presence of the recited features, wholes, steps, or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, or components and their groups. Therefore, the expression "a device comprising device A and B" should not be limited to a device consisting only of components A and B.

[0064] The "one embodiment" or "embodiment" mentioned in this specification means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" that appear throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but may refer to the same embodiment. In addition, in one or more embodiments, the various specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any appropriate manner, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure.

[0065] Note that the above is only the preferred embodiment of the present application and the technical principles applied. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, re-adjustments and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, although the present application has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present application is not limited to the above embodiments. Without departing from the concept of the present application, more other equivalent embodiments can be included, all of which fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An apparatus for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from ammonia-fueled ships, characterized in that, It includes an ammonia liquid collection tank and a control box; The top of the ammonia liquid collection tank is connected to an ammonia suction pipeline, and a tank mouth stop valve and a diaphragm pump are sequentially arranged on the ammonia suction pipeline. The other end of the ammonia suction pipeline extends into the bottom of the drip tray; The top of the ammonia liquid collection tank is also connected to a breather pipeline, and a tank mouth breather valve is arranged on the breather pipeline; The bottom of the ammonia liquid collection tank is connected to a relief valve; A pressure sensor and a first liquid level sensor are arranged inside the ammonia liquid collection tank; An ammonia detector and a second liquid level sensor are arranged at the bottom of the drip tray; The control box includes a PLC controller, and the PLC controller is connected to the diaphragm pump, the tank mouth stop valve, the tank mouth breather valve, the pressure sensor, the first liquid level sensor, the ammonia detector, and the second liquid level sensor.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diaphragm pump is a pneumatic diaphragm pump or an electric diaphragm pump.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The open end of the breather pipeline is arranged downward to form a gooseneck type.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The relief valve is a manual double-valve series structure.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that, One end of the ammonia suction pipeline connected to the ammonia liquid collection tank extends into the inner bottom of the ammonia liquid collection tank.

6. A method for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from ammonia fuel ships, characterized in that, Using the device for quickly collecting leaked liquid ammonia of an ammonia fuel ship according to any one of claims 1-5, the method includes: Collecting the leaked liquid ammonia by the drip tray. When the second liquid level sensor detects the liquid level and sends a high-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box, and when the ammonia detector detects ammonia vapor, it sends a high-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box; When the PLC in the control box logically judges that the signals received from the second liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector are both high-level, it respectively sends high-level signals to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank mouth stop valve, and the tank mouth breather valve; The pneumatic diaphragm pump responds to the high-level signal to start, and the tank mouth stop valve responds to the high-level signal to open, so as to suck the leaked liquid ammonia into the ammonia liquid collection tank through the ammonia suction pipeline; the tank mouth breather valve responds to the high-level signal to open, and discharges the air in the ammonia liquid collection tank through the breather pipeline; When the liquid ammonia in the drip tray is emptied and the second liquid level sensor cannot detect the liquid level, it sends a low-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box; When the PLC in the control box logically judges that the signals received from the second liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector are not both high-level, it respectively sends low-level signals to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank mouth stop valve, and the tank mouth breather valve; The pneumatic diaphragm pump responds to the low-level signal to close, the tank mouth stop valve responds to the low-level signal to close, and the tank mouth breather valve responds to the low-level signal to close.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that It also includes: The first liquid level sensor in the ammonia liquid collection tank detects the liquid level of the liquid ammonia and sends a high-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box, or the pressure sensor detects that the pressure exceeds the rated pressure and sends a high-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box; The PLC controller respectively sends low-level signals to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank mouth stop valve, and the tank mouth breather valve; The pneumatic diaphragm pump responds to the low-level signal to close, the tank mouth stop valve responds to the low-level signal to close, and the tank mouth breather valve responds to the low-level signal to close.

Images