Draining, cooling and inerting equipment for treating hydrogen leakage

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of hydrogen leakage treatment, in particular to drainage cooling and inerting equipment for treating hydrogen leakage. The pumping, discharging, cooling and inerting equipment for treating hydrogen leakage comprises a suction fan, a functional pipeline, a cooling device, an inerting device, a leakage detection device and a controller, wherein a gas inlet of the suction fan is communicated with a ventilation opening formed in a ceiling of a place where the hydrogen storage equipment is located; an air inlet of the functional pipeline is communicated with an air outlet of the suction fan; the cooling device is provided with an inner unit and an outer unit which are matched with each other, and the inner unit is located in the functional pipeline and used for cooling gas in the functional pipeline; a plurality of inerting nozzles of the inerting device penetrate into the functional pipeline and are used for inerting gas in the functional pipeline; the leakage detection device is used for detecting whether the hydrogen storage equipment leaks; and the controller is respectively connected with the leakage detection device, the suction fan, the cooling device and the inerting device. The risk of hydrogen leakage can be reduced, and the overall safety of a hydrogen storage equipment place is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of hydrogen leak treatment, and more specifically to a device for treating hydrogen leaks by extraction, cooling and inerting. Background Technology

[0002] Hydrogen is widely used in industrial production as an energy carrier or feedstock. However, the safety of hydrogen storage has always been a challenge. Hydrogen storage equipment and facilities are an essential component of hydrogen refueling stations involved in hydrogen energy utilization.

[0003] To meet the requirement of greater hydrogen storage capacity, two types of high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks are selected: steel strip staggered high-pressure hydrogen storage containers and multi-layer wrapped high-pressure hydrogen storage containers, or cryogenic liquid storage that can store higher hydrogen density is adopted.

[0004] If hydrogen leaks, it can easily accumulate in the ceiling due to its low density, and the continuously accumulating hydrogen may pose an explosion risk.

[0005] Therefore, it is urgent to solve the problem of explosions caused by hydrogen leaks. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide an extraction, cooling and inerting device for handling hydrogen leaks, which can reduce the danger of leaked hydrogen and improve the overall safety of hydrogen storage facilities.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a device for extraction, cooling, and inerting of hydrogen gas for handling hydrogen leaks, comprising: The exhaust fan has its air inlet connected to a ventilation opening in the ceiling of the hydrogen storage facility. A functional duct, the air inlet of which is connected to the air outlet of the suction fan; A cooling device having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit that work together, wherein the indoor unit is located inside the functional pipe and is used to cool the gas inside the functional pipe; An inerting device, wherein multiple inerting nozzles are inserted into the functional pipe for inerting the gas inside the functional pipe; A leak detection device is used to detect whether the hydrogen storage device is leaking; The controller is connected to the leak detection device, the suction fan, the cooling device, and the inerting device, respectively, and is used to control the suction fan, the cooling device, and the inerting device to work when the leak detection device detects a leak in the hydrogen storage device.

[0008] Furthermore, the indoor unit includes a cross-flow fan, an evaporator, and an expansion valve; wherein, Both the cross-flow fan and the evaporator are located within the functional duct, with the outlet of the cross-flow fan facing the evaporator, and the expansion valve installed at the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to adaptively adjust the opening of the expansion valve, a temperature control device is installed inside the expansion valve to control its opening. A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature around the evaporator is installed inside the functional pipe. The output end of the temperature sensor is connected to the main board of the temperature control device to adjust the opening of the expansion valve according to temperature changes.

[0010] Furthermore, the inerting device also includes an inerting tank and a pneumatic valve. The inerting tank is filled with inert gas and / or inerting material and is connected to the inerting nozzle via the pneumatic valve.

[0011] Furthermore, the inert gas is pentafluoroethane.

[0012] Furthermore, the inert material is perfluorohexanone.

[0013] Furthermore, the extraction, cooling, and inerting equipment for handling hydrogen leaks also includes an alarm, and the controller is also connected to the alarm and is used to control the alarm to sound when the leak detection device detects a leak in the hydrogen storage equipment.

[0014] Furthermore, the suction fan is a snail-type centrifugal fan.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention reduces the danger of leaked hydrogen and improves the overall safety of hydrogen storage facilities by setting ventilation openings in the ceiling of areas where hydrogen is prone to leakage, extracting leaked hydrogen, and subjecting it to low-temperature inerting treatment. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the extraction, cooling and inerting device for handling hydrogen leaks according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the internal unit of the cooling device of the present invention; In the diagram, 1. Exhaust fan; 2. Functional piping; 3. Cooling device; 31. Indoor unit; 311. Cross-flow fan; 312. Evaporator; 313. Expansion valve; 32. Outdoor unit; 4. Inerting device; 41. Inerting nozzle; 42. Inerting tank; 43. Pneumatic valve; 5. Leak detection device; 6. Controller; 7. Alarm; 8. Temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0018] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a device for treating hydrogen leaks by extraction, cooling, and inerting includes: The exhaust fan 1 has its air inlet connected to a ventilation opening in the ceiling of the location where the hydrogen storage equipment is located; Functional duct 2, whose air inlet is connected to the air outlet of the suction fan 1, and whose air outlet extends to the outside; The cooling device 3 has an indoor unit 31 and an outdoor unit 32 that cooperate with each other. The indoor unit 31 is located inside the functional pipe 2 and is used to cool the gas inside the functional pipe 2. The inerting device 4 has multiple inerting nozzles 41 inserted into the functional pipe 2 for inerting the gas in the functional pipe 2. Leak detection device 5 is used to detect whether the hydrogen storage equipment is leaking; The controller 6 is connected to the leak detection device 5, the suction fan 1, the cooling device 3, and the inerting device 4 respectively, and is used to control the suction fan 1, the cooling device 3, and the inerting device 4 to work when the leak detection device 5 detects a leak in the hydrogen storage equipment.

[0019] Among them, the leak detection device 5 can be a cryogenic sensor. Considering the characteristics of cryogenic hydrogen storage, cryogenic sensors are installed around the hydrogen storage equipment. Cryogenic hydrogen detection offers higher sensitivity, stronger stability, and faster detection speed, enabling high-precision measurements. It is interchangeable with standard V / T curves, facilitating calibration and use.

[0020] The preferred low-temperature sensor is a silicon diode low-temperature sensor, which is based on the principle that the current-voltage characteristics of a semiconductor silicon diode change with temperature. It has good linearity over a wide temperature range and high sensitivity.

[0021] The exhaust fan 1 can be a snail-type centrifugal fan, which can provide a large air volume and air pressure at a low power, reducing energy consumption; its special structure can also reduce the impact of airflow on the casing, reducing the risk of impact damage; it can generate a high exhaust flow and pressure, and more effectively extract the hydrogen cloud accumulated on the ceiling.

[0022] When a hydrogen storage device leaks, the temperature near the leak source is extremely low. A low-temperature sensor detects a change in ambient temperature and, upon reaching a set threshold, activates the suction fan 1, cooling device 3, and inerting device 4. The leaking hydrogen, being less dense than air, accumulates on the ceiling. Due to its rapid expansion, it absorbs heat, causing its temperature to rise. The suction fan 1 draws the hydrogen into the functional pipe 2. The cooling device 3 cools the hydrogen within the functional pipe, and the inerting device 4 sprays inerting material into the functional pipe 2 through its inerting nozzles to inerte the hydrogen. The hydrogen is cooled and inerted during the suction process, thus preventing an explosion, reducing the danger of leaked hydrogen, and improving the overall safety of the hydrogen storage facility.

[0023] Alternatively, the exhaust fan 1 can be started first, followed by the cooling device 3 and the inerting device 4. This is mainly because the leaked hydrogen gas accumulates in the ceiling, so the exhaust fan 1 is started first to draw the accumulated hydrogen gas into the pipe 2 to prevent further accumulation. The cooling device 3 cools the hydrogen gas drawn into the pipe, raising the lower explosive limit, lowering the upper explosive limit, and narrowing the explosive range, thus reducing the explosive sensitivity. At the same time, the inerting device 4 sprays inerting material to further dilute the hydrogen concentration, causing it to deviate from the explosive limit.

[0024] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, preferably, the indoor unit 31 includes a cross-flow fan 311, an evaporator 312, and an expansion valve 313; wherein, Both the cross-flow fan 311 and the evaporator 312 are located in the functional pipe 2. The outlet of the cross-flow fan 311 is directly opposite the evaporator 312, and the expansion valve 313 is installed at the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator 312.

[0025] Evaporator 312 and cross-flow fan 311 are located inside the vertical section of functional duct 2. Cross-flow fan 311 uses curved blades of roller impeller, which has a high pressure rise and facilitates centralized air delivery.

[0026] When gas enters the cross-flow fan 311, it passes around the impeller twice along a spiral path and is then discharged axially in the same direction. The cross-flow fan 311 uses curved blades of a drum-type impeller. Air is drawn in from one side and smoothly pushed out from the other side. When the impeller rotates, the airflow flows along the inner side of the impeller, enters the blade grid from the open part of the impeller, passes through the interior of the impeller, and is discharged into the volute from the other side of the blade grid, forming a working airflow. This promotes the heat exchange between the evaporator 312 and the gas in the functional pipe 2. The cross-flow fan 311 can improve the heat exchange and cooling efficiency of the evaporator 312.

[0027] In this embodiment, preferably, the expansion valve 313 is equipped with a temperature control device to control its opening degree, and a temperature sensor 8 for detecting the temperature around the evaporator 312 is installed in the functional pipe 2. The output end of the temperature sensor 8 is connected to the main board of the temperature control device of the expansion valve 313. The main board controls the action of the power mechanism of the expansion valve 313 according to the temperature signal sent by the temperature sensor 8, and adjusts the opening degree of the collision valve 313 (the higher the temperature, the larger the opening degree of the expansion valve 313) to control the flow rate of liquid refrigerant, thereby meeting different cooling requirements at different temperatures. The temperature sensing material of the temperature sensor 8 is preferably liquid toluene, mainly because toluene has a large coefficient of thermal expansion, which is 6 times that of mercury. For the same temperature rise, the liquid column displacement is longer, resulting in higher instrument resolution. Moreover, it has a low freezing point and a moderate boiling point, and can remain liquid in the range of -80 ℃ to +100 ℃, covering high-altitude or medium-temperature industrial scenarios. It has good chemical stability, a small wetting angle with copper, stainless steel, and glass, and is not prone to bubble formation or adsorption, ensuring repeatability and lifespan.

[0028] Alternatively, the controller 6 can be connected to the main board of the temperature control device of the expansion valve 313, and the opening of the expansion valve 313 can be adjusted through the controller 6 to control the cooling effect.

[0029] The expansion valve 313 is automatically adjusted by the temperature sensor 8 to control the refrigerant flow and thus the cooling effect. Alternatively, the expansion valve 313 can be manually adjusted by the controller 6. This allows for adjustments to the expansion valve 313 based on specific circumstances, preventing situations where the control terminal cannot control the cooling device 3. The controller's adjustment always has higher priority than the temperature-adaptive adjustment of the expansion valve 313 triggered by the temperature sensor 8.

[0030] The outdoor unit 32 includes a compressor, a condenser, and an axial fan. The evaporator 312, compressor, and condenser are connected in series in a closed loop via copper pipes. The refrigerant used in the closed loop is R600a (isobutane), which has better energy efficiency and is more environmentally friendly than R22 (Freon). When the compressor is working, it draws in low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator 312 and compresses it. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant then enters the condenser from the compressor and exchanges heat with the outdoor air through the heat dissipation pipes inside the condenser. The outdoor air temperature is relatively low. Under the action of the axial fan, the air flows over the surface of the heat dissipation pipes, and the heat of the refrigerant is transferred to the air, causing the refrigerant temperature to drop, the molecular motion to slow down, and the state to change from gaseous to low-temperature, low-pressure liquid. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out from the expansion valve 313 enters the evaporator 312. Inside the evaporator 312, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air and undergoes a vaporization process, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. As air flows over the surface of evaporator 312, it transfers heat to the refrigerant, lowering its own temperature and thus cooling the air. The vaporized, low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas leaves evaporator 13 and continues the refrigeration cycle, while the resulting liquid flows out along the drain pipe.

[0031] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, preferably, the inerting device 4 further includes an inerting tank 42 and a pneumatic valve 43. The inerting tank 42 is filled with inert gas and / or inerting material and is connected to the inerting nozzle 41 through the pneumatic valve 43.

[0032] More specifically, the upper port of the pneumatic valve 43 is connected to the bottom outlet of the inerting tank 42, and the lower port is connected to the inerting agent spraying bend, which in turn is connected to the inerting nozzle 41. The number of inerting tanks 42 and the weight of the inerting agent in each tank 42 can be adjusted according to the actual space available. The inerting nozzle 41 can be an atomizing nozzle, which sprays the inerting agent into the functional pipe 2 to form an inerting mist. Through continuous spraying of the inerting agent mist, the leaked hydrogen in the functional pipe 2 can be quickly inerted. The angle of the inerting nozzle 41 can also be adjusted according to the hydrogen flow in the functional pipe 2 to ensure that the spray angle inertes the hydrogen with maximum efficiency.

[0033] The inerting tank 42 has a maximum pressure rating of 5 MPa. The inerting material is an inert substance that can be stored in liquid form and rapidly vaporized after spraying; preferably, the inert material is perfluorohexanone. Preferably, the inert gas is pentafluoroethane. Compared to inert gases, haloalkanes have a stronger inhibitory effect due to their role in chemical reaction kinetics. Among haloalkanes, pentafluoroethane is considered the most effective inhibitor. Using pentafluoroethane as the inerting gas can reduce the concentration of reactive free radicals and has a stronger ability to capture H atoms.

[0034] In this embodiment, as Figure 1As shown, preferably, the extraction, cooling and inerting equipment for handling hydrogen leaks also includes an alarm 7. The controller 6 is also connected to the alarm 7 and is also used to control the alarm 7 to sound an alarm when the leak detection device 5 detects a leak in the hydrogen storage equipment. The alarm 7 can provide an audible and visual alarm so that personnel can be informed in a timely manner.

[0035] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the inventive concept. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A device for treating hydrogen leaks by extraction, cooling, and inerting, characterized in that, include: The exhaust fan (1) has its air inlet connected to the ventilation opening in the ceiling of the hydrogen storage equipment location; Functional pipe (2), whose air inlet is connected to the air outlet of the suction fan (1); The cooling device (3) has an indoor unit (31) and an outdoor unit (32) that cooperate with each other. The indoor unit (31) is located inside the functional pipe (2) and is used to cool the gas inside the functional pipe (2). An inerting device (4) has multiple inerting nozzles (41) inserted into the functional pipe (2) for inerting the gas in the functional pipe (2); Leakage detection device (5) is used to detect whether the hydrogen storage device is leaking; The controller (6) is connected to the leak detection device (5), the suction fan (1), the cooling device (3) and the inerting device (4) respectively, and is used to control the suction fan (1), the cooling device (3) and the inerting device (4) to work when the leak detection device (5) detects a leak in the hydrogen storage device.

2. The extraction, cooling, and inerting equipment for handling hydrogen leaks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The indoor unit (31) includes a cross-flow fan (311), an evaporator (312), and an expansion valve (313); wherein, The cross-flow fan (311) and the evaporator (312) are both located in the functional pipe (2), the outlet of the cross-flow fan (311) is directly opposite the evaporator (312), and the expansion valve (313) is installed at the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator (312).

3. The extraction, cooling, and inerting equipment for handling hydrogen leaks according to claim 2, characterized in that, The expansion valve (313) is equipped with a temperature control device to control its opening degree. The functional pipe (2) is equipped with a temperature sensor (8) for detecting the temperature around the evaporator (312). The output end of the temperature sensor (8) is connected to the main board of the temperature control device to adjust the opening degree of the expansion valve (313) according to the temperature change.

4. The extraction, cooling, and inerting equipment for handling hydrogen leaks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inerting device (4) also includes an inerting tank (42) and a pneumatic valve (43). The inerting tank (42) is filled with inert gas and / or inerting material and is connected to the inerting nozzle (41) via the pneumatic valve (43).

5. The extraction, cooling, and inerting equipment for handling hydrogen leaks according to claim 4, characterized in that, The inert gas is pentafluoroethane.

6. The extraction, cooling, and inerting equipment for handling hydrogen leaks according to claim 4, characterized in that, The inert material is perfluorohexanone.

7. The extraction, cooling, and inerting equipment for handling hydrogen leaks according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an alarm (7), and the controller (6) is also connected to the alarm (7) and is also used to control the alarm (7) to sound an alarm when the leak detection device (5) detects a leak in the hydrogen storage device.

8. The extraction, cooling, and inerting equipment for handling hydrogen leaks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction fan (1) is a snail-type centrifugal fan.

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