Cooler online flushing system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a cooler online flushing system and method, and relates to the technical field of coolers. The system comprises a first valve and a second valve which are connected with a water inlet and a water outlet of the cooler; a water outlet of the flushing unit is connected with the first valve or the second valve, the flushing unit comprises a high-pressure water pump and a first reservoir, a third valve is arranged between the high-pressure water pump and the cooler, and a fourth valve is arranged between the high-pressure water pump and the first reservoir; a water outlet of the water replenishing unit is connected with a water inlet of the flushing unit, the water replenishing unit comprises a molecular sieve steam accelerator, a gas-liquid separator and a second reservoir which are sequentially connected, and a water outlet of the second reservoir is the water outlet of the water replenishing unit. The shutdown maintenance time of the cooler is effectively shortened, normal work of the nitrogen compressor can be effectively guaranteed, and the production benefits of a steel plant are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cooler technology, and more particularly to an online flushing system and method for coolers. Background Technology

[0002] Medium-pressure nitrogen compressors are the main type of equipment used for nitrogen delivery in oxygen plants, with each compressor having a nitrogen delivery capacity of 20,000 m³. 3 With its high degree of automation, wide applicability, large flow rate, and medium pressure, this equipment has become the preferred choice for nitrogen pressurization. The medium-pressure nitrogen compressor operates using a four-stage compression and four-stage cooling mode. After compression, the gas reaches a high temperature. A cooler is used after each compression stage to lower the temperature, ensuring safe and low-energy compression to the required pressure. Finally, nitrogen at the appropriate pressure and temperature is delivered to the user. Therefore, the medium-pressure nitrogen compressor cooler needs to maintain adequate cooling efficiency. Insufficient cooling may lead to overheating, affecting equipment safety and compressor energy consumption.

[0003] Medium-pressure nitrogen compressor coolers use industrial water for cooling. After prolonged operation, trace amounts of dirt and impurities carried in the industrial water accumulate in the cooler, clogging the heat exchange area and affecting heat exchange efficiency. Steel companies operate on a continuous production basis. When gas consumption is high, shutting down to clean the cooler requires liquid nitrogen vaporization to ensure supply, resulting in a loss of liquid energy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is: how to achieve online flushing of the nitrogen compressor cooler.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an online flushing system for a cooler, comprising: a first valve and a second valve connected to a cooler inlet and an outlet;

[0007] The flushing unit has its outlet connected to either the first valve or the second valve. The flushing unit includes a high-pressure water pump and a first water storage tank. A third valve is installed between the high-pressure water pump and the cooler, and a fourth valve is installed between the high-pressure water pump and the first water storage tank.

[0008] The water replenishment unit has its outlet connected to the inlet of the flushing unit. The water replenishment unit includes a molecular sieve steam accelerator, a gas-liquid separator, and a second water storage tank connected in sequence. The outlet of the second water storage tank is the outlet of the water replenishment unit.

[0009] Several temperature sensors and liquid level sensors are installed in the first water storage tank.

[0010] The first water storage tank is connected to the waste nitrogen gas unit, and waste nitrogen gas is introduced into the first water storage tank to cool the collected flushing water.

[0011] A fifth valve is installed between the first water storage tank and the second water storage tank.

[0012] The first valve, cooling water inlet pipe, and cooler inlet are connected by a tee, and the second valve, cooling water outlet pipe, and cooler outlet are connected by a tee.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the flushing unit is connected to the second valve, and the first valve is connected to the sewage tank, thereby achieving reverse flushing of the cooler.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the flushing unit is connected to the first valve and the second valve is connected to the sewage tank to achieve forward flushing of the cooler.

[0015] Secondly, the present invention provides an online flushing method for a cooler, comprising the following steps:

[0016] Distilled water is obtained from the water replenishment unit and stored as rinsing water in the second water storage tank;

[0017] Connect the flushing unit to the first valve or the second valve, open the fifth valve to inject a preset amount of flushing water into the first water storage tank, introduce the polluted nitrogen gas into the first water storage tank, and when the flushing water temperature is lower than the preset temperature threshold, open the third valve and the fourth valve, close the inlet valve on the cooling water inlet pipe of the cooler and the outlet valve on the cooling water outlet pipe, and start the high-pressure water pump.

[0018] When the flushing unit is connected to the first valve, forward flushing is performed. The flushing water flow rate is controlled by adjusting the first valve, and the flushing water is discharged by opening the second valve.

[0019] When the flushing unit is connected to the second valve, reverse flushing is performed. The flushing water flow rate is controlled by adjusting the second valve, and the flushing water is discharged by opening the first valve.

[0020] The flushing unit is alternately connected to the first valve and the second valve, and the steps of the above-described online flushing method for the cooler are repeated to perform several forward and reverse flushes.

[0021] Each rinse should last at least 30 minutes.

[0022] Beneficial effects: The online flushing system for coolers of the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to operate, with good cleaning effect, effectively reducing the downtime of coolers for maintenance, and can effectively ensure the normal operation of nitrogen compressors, providing a guarantee for the long-term stable production of steel plants; the present invention uses steam generated by molecular sieve steam accelerator as the source of flushing water, which not only ensures the cleanliness of flushing water, but also realizes its secondary utilization, saving costs and improving the economic benefits of steel plants. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the online flushing system for the cooler of the present invention during reverse flushing;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the online flushing system for the cooler of the present invention during forward flushing.

[0025] In the diagram, 1-cooler; 2-high-pressure water pump; 3-first water storage tank; 4-second water storage tank; 5-gas-liquid separator; 6-molecular sieve steam accelerator; 7-sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention and the specific features in the embodiments are detailed descriptions of the technical solution of the present invention, rather than limitations thereof. In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the technical features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an online flushing system for a cooler includes: a first valve F1 and a second valve F2 connected to the inlet and outlet of the cooler 1;

[0029] The flushing unit has its outlet connected to either the first valve F1 or the second valve F2. The flushing unit includes a high-pressure water pump 2 and a first water storage tank 3. A third valve F3 is provided between the high-pressure water pump 2 and the cooler 1, and a fourth valve F4 is provided between the high-pressure water pump 2 and the first water storage tank 3.

[0030] The water replenishment unit has its outlet connected to the inlet of the flushing unit. The water replenishment unit includes a molecular sieve steam accelerator 6, a gas-liquid separator 5, and a second water storage tank 4 connected in sequence. The outlet of the second water storage tank 4 is the outlet of the water replenishment unit.

[0031] More specifically, the molecular sieve steam accelerator 6 uses steam generated during the steel plant's internal production process to replace electricity for heating waste nitrogen gas, saving energy; the waste nitrogen gas is used for heating and cold blowing during the molecular sieve adsorption process and molecular sieve regeneration. The molecular sieve adsorption equipment includes two sets of molecular sieves that can be switched between use, one set in operation and one set in regeneration. The regeneration process has four states: depressurization, heating, cold blowing, and pressure equalization. The waste nitrogen gas is continuously supplied to the molecular sieve and used during the molecular sieve heating and cold blowing. During depressurization and pressure equalization, the waste nitrogen gas is discharged from the molecular sieve.

[0032] The inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the condensate outlet of the molecular sieve steam accelerator 6 to obtain the condensate containing steam generated during the operation of the molecular sieve steam accelerator 6 and to perform gas-liquid separation. The collected liquid is the flushing water.

[0033] The inlet of the second water storage tank 4 is connected to the outlet of the gas-liquid separator 5, and the outlet of the second water storage tank 4 is connected to the first water storage tank 3. A fifth valve F5 is also installed between the second water storage tank 4 and the first water storage tank 3.

[0034] The waste nitrogen gas unit (not shown in the figure) is connected to the first water storage tank 3. An eighth valve F8 is installed between the waste nitrogen gas unit and the first water storage tank 3. The waste nitrogen gas discharged during depressurization and equalization is introduced into the first water storage tank 3 through the control of the eighth valve F8 to cool the collected flushing water and ensure that the cooler 1 can work normally during the flushing process.

[0035] The first water storage tank 3 is equipped with sensors 7, including several temperature sensors and liquid level sensors, to ensure that the temperature and storage volume of the flushing water meet the flushing requirements;

[0036] The first valve F1, the cooling water inlet pipe and the cooler inlet are connected by a tee; the second valve F2, the cooling water outlet pipe and the cooler outlet are connected by a tee.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the flushing unit is connected to the second valve F2, and the first valve F1 is connected to the sewage tank, thereby achieving reverse flushing of the cooler 1.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the flushing unit is connected to the first valve F1 and the second valve F2 is connected to the sewage tank to achieve forward flushing of the cooler 1.

[0039] Example 2

[0040] A method for online flushing of a cooler includes the following steps:

[0041] Distilled water is obtained from the water replenishment unit and stored as rinsing water in the second water storage tank 4;

[0042] Connect the flushing unit to the first valve F1 or the second valve F2, open the fifth valve F5 to inject a preset amount of flushing water into the first water storage tank 3, introduce the polluted nitrogen gas into the first water storage tank 3, and when the flushing water temperature is lower than the preset temperature threshold, open the third valve F3 and the fourth valve F4, close the inlet valve (sixth valve) F6 on the cooling water inlet pipe of the cooler 1 and the outlet valve (seventh valve) F7 on the cooling water outlet pipe, and start the high-pressure water pump 2;

[0043] When the flushing unit is connected to the first valve F1, forward flushing is performed. The flushing water flow rate is controlled by adjusting the first valve F1, and the flushing water is discharged by opening the second valve F2.

[0044] When the flushing unit is connected to the second valve F2, reverse flushing is performed. The flushing water flow rate is controlled by adjusting the second valve F2, and the first valve F1 is opened to discharge the flushing water.

[0045] After rinsing is complete, turn off high-pressure water pump 2, first valve F1, second valve F2, third valve F3, fourth valve F4, fifth valve F5 and eighth valve F8, and open sixth valve F6 and seventh valve F7 to restore cooler 1 to normal operation.

[0046] Each flush should last at least 30 minutes to ensure that as much dirt as possible is removed from cooler 1.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the flushing unit is alternately connected to the first valve F1 and the second valve F2, and the steps of the online flushing method for the cooler are repeated to perform several forward and reverse flushes to enhance the flushing effect.

[0048] In summary, the online cooling system of the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to operate, with good cleaning effect, which can effectively ensure the normal operation of the nitrogen compressor and provide a guarantee for the long-term stable production of steel plants. The present invention uses water vapor generated by molecular sieve steam accelerator as the source of flushing water, which not only ensures the cleanliness of the flushing water, but also realizes its secondary utilization, saves costs, and improves the economic benefits of steel plants.

[0049] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0050] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0051] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooler online flushing system, characterized in that, include: The first valve and the second valve are connected to the inlet and outlet of the cooler; The flushing unit has its outlet connected to either the first valve or the second valve. The flushing unit includes a high-pressure water pump and a first water storage tank. A third valve is installed between the high-pressure water pump and the cooler, and a fourth valve is installed between the high-pressure water pump and the first water storage tank. The water replenishment unit has its outlet connected to the inlet of the flushing unit. The water replenishment unit includes a molecular sieve steam accelerator, a gas-liquid separator, and a second water storage tank connected in sequence. The outlet of the second water storage tank is the outlet of the water replenishment unit.

2. The online flushing system for coolers according to claim 1, characterized in that, Several temperature sensors and liquid level sensors are installed in the first water storage tank.

3. The online flushing system for coolers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first water storage tank is connected to the waste nitrogen gas unit, and waste nitrogen gas is introduced into the first water storage tank to cool the collected flushing water.

4. The online flushing system for coolers according to claim 1, characterized in that, A fifth valve is installed between the first water storage tank and the second water storage tank.

5. The online flushing system for coolers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first valve, cooling water inlet pipe, and cooler inlet are connected by a tee, and the second valve, cooling water outlet pipe, and cooler outlet are connected by a tee.

6. The online flushing system for coolers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flushing unit is connected to the second valve, and the first valve is connected to the sewage tank to achieve reverse flushing of the cooler.

7. The online flushing system for coolers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flushing unit is connected to the first valve, and the second valve is connected to the sewage tank to achieve forward flushing of the cooler.

8. A method for online flushing of a cooler, characterized in that, Based on the online cooler cleaning system according to any one of claims 1-7, the method includes the following steps: Distilled water is obtained from the water replenishment unit and stored as rinsing water in the second water storage tank; Connect the flushing unit to the first valve or the second valve, open the fifth valve to inject a preset amount of flushing water into the first water storage tank, introduce the polluted nitrogen gas into the first water storage tank, and when the flushing water temperature is lower than the preset temperature threshold, open the third valve and the fourth valve, close the inlet valve on the cooling water inlet pipe of the cooler and the outlet valve on the cooling water outlet pipe, and start the high-pressure water pump. When the flushing unit is connected to the first valve, forward flushing is performed. The flushing water flow rate is controlled by adjusting the first valve, and the flushing water is discharged by opening the second valve. When the flushing unit is connected to the second valve, reverse flushing is performed. The flushing water flow rate is controlled by adjusting the second valve, and the flushing water is discharged by opening the first valve.

9. The online flushing method for a cooler according to claim 8, characterized in that, The flushing unit is alternately connected to the first valve and the second valve, and the steps of the online flushing method for the cooler as described in claim 8 are repeated to perform several forward and reverse flushes.

10. The online flushing method for a cooler according to claim 8, characterized in that, Each rinse should last at least 30 minutes.

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