High-position humidifying device of air cooler

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of air coolers, and provides an air cooler high-position humidifying device which comprises a plurality of humidifying and cooling units arranged in an air inlet channel of an air cooler and arranged in an array in the cross section direction of the air inlet channel, and each humidifying and cooling unit comprises a water distribution branch pipe, a humidifying and cooling water curtain, a water collection tank and a water collection guide plate; the humidifying and cooling water curtain is arranged in the air inlet channel and extends in the air flowing direction. According to the humidifying and cooling water curtain, when high-temperature dry air passes through the humidifying and cooling water curtain, water in the water curtain evaporates and absorbs heat, the inlet air temperature of the air cooler is reduced, the water is completely dissolved in the air after being evaporated, small water drops are not prone to being mixed, and therefore the scaling and corrosion risks of the air cooler are reduced. Compared with an air cooler finned tube, the humidifying and cooling water curtain is easier to detach and clean, fresh air of the air cooler is washed and filtered, impurities such as dust and poplar catkin in ambient air can be blocked, and the blocking risk of the air cooler is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of air cooler technology, specifically relating to a high-level humidification device for air coolers. Background Technology

[0002] An air cooler, or simply air chiller, is a device that uses air as a cooling medium to cool process media to the required temperature. In hot, dry regions, summer temperatures are high, last for long periods, and humidity is low. When air alone is insufficient to cool the hot medium in summer, a spray system is usually added. However, when the medium temperature exceeds 80°C, scale easily forms on the fin surface, making a spray humidification system unsuitable. As the service life of an air cooler increases, its performance gradually declines. Furthermore, in situations where space is limited or increased production capacity is required, air coolers often fail to meet the operational requirements.

[0003] Existing technologies typically offer two solutions to the aforementioned problems: One is to add a spray humidification device. However, regardless of the spray's effectiveness, limited humidification space inevitably leads to small droplets hitting the finned tube surface, causing scaling over time. The second solution is to add an evaporative humidification and cooling device, i.e., a hydrophilic water curtain, to the air inlet face of the air cooler. Water evaporation from the water curtain surface lowers the air inlet temperature of the air cooler, thereby improving its heat transfer performance.

[0004] The following points will focus on the drawbacks of evaporative humidification and cooling devices:

[0005] 1. Impact on air volume and uniformity of air distribution: such as Figure 5-6 As shown, the existing evaporative humidification and cooling device 1 can only be installed on the air inlet face of the air cooler. This means that the bottom of the air cooler cannot be equipped with steel grating or other materials as the air inlet surface, which adversely affects the air volume and air distribution uniformity of the air cooler, reduces heat exchange performance, and increases fan energy consumption. Taking a 12-meter-long air cooler as an example, its column height is usually 3 meters. Assuming the average oncoming wind speed of the air cooler is 3 m / s, the average oncoming wind speed at the air inlet face is 6 m / s. Moreover, the oncoming wind speed at the air inlet face increases exponentially from bottom to top along the direction of the arrow, and the oncoming wind speed near the air cooler can even reach 10 m / s. This unevenness in the oncoming wind speed leads to two problems: First, excessively high local wind speeds can cause a sharp increase in the overall pressure drop of the equipment after passing through the evaporative humidification and cooling device, resulting in increased fan energy consumption. Second, the surface tension of water is insufficient to resist excessively high local wind speeds, causing severe water drift in the evaporative humidification and cooling device, making the equipment platform and surrounding facilities susceptible to corrosion. Some water droplets will be blown onto the fin surface, causing scaling and corrosion of the air cooler.

[0006] 2. Limitations of Anti-Drift Measures: Existing evaporative humidification and cooling devices also employ some anti-drift measures. For example, "CN201820341233 An Integrated Evaporative Cooling Water Curtain Unit for Reducing Humidity and Preventing Drift" mainly adds moisture-absorbing dry curtain paper to the leeward side of the wet curtain, attempting to absorb the water drifting out of the wet curtain. However, this solution overlooks a crucial point: the moisture-absorbing dry curtain paper is a hydrophilic material. During continuous operation, it quickly becomes saturated and loses its moisture-absorbing function, essentially turning into a wet curtain. In other words, the anti-drift measure using the moisture-absorbing dry curtain paper only works at the beginning of operation and quickly becomes ineffective. If hydrophobic materials are used, they lack moisture-absorbing capabilities, and the additional moisture-absorbing dry curtain paper increases the overall pressure drop of the equipment. For example, "CN202221112953.3 An Evaporative Humidification and Cooling Device" and "CN202321171119.6 A Pre-cooling and Humidifying Air Cooler" mainly rely on the gravity of the water itself to offset the water drift caused by excessively high local wind speeds through multi-stage water distribution, staggered arrangement, and inclined installation. However, regardless of the method, it is impossible to avoid the objective facts of excessively high local wind speeds, large overall pressure drop of the equipment, high energy consumption, and uneven air distribution of the air cooler, nor can it completely avoid the problem of water drift. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides a high-level humidification device for air coolers, which solves the problems of spray-type humidification devices that easily lead to scaling and corrosion of fins, and evaporative humidification and cooling devices that have problems such as uneven air distribution, high pressure drop and energy consumption, and poor water drift prevention.

[0008] The technical solution adopted in this invention is: a high-level humidification device for an air cooler, comprising a plurality of humidification and cooling units arranged in an array in the cross-sectional direction of the air cooler air inlet channel, each humidification and cooling unit comprising a water distribution branch pipe, a humidification and cooling water curtain, a water collection tank and a water collection guide plate.

[0009] The humidifying and cooling water curtain is installed in the air inlet channel and extends along the air flow direction. The water distribution branch pipe is connected to the upper end of the humidifying and cooling water curtain and is used to distribute water to the humidifying and cooling water curtain.

[0010] The water collection tank is located at the lower end of the humidifying and cooling water curtain and is used to collect the water that falls through the humidifying and cooling water curtain.

[0011] The water collection guide plate is set between two adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtains and is arranged at an angle. One end of the plate is connected to the water collection tank, and the other end extends upward and connects to the upper end of the adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtain.

[0012] The angle α between the water collection guide plate and the horizontal plane is ≥40°.

[0013] The air inlet height B of the humidifying and cooling water curtain is greater than or equal to the distance C between adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtains.

[0014] The water collection guide plate and the water collection tank are integrally formed.

[0015] The lower end of the water collection guide plate overlaps one side of the water collection tank, and the overlap length A between the water collection guide plate and the water collection tank is greater than 10mm.

[0016] It also includes a buffer water tank, a circulating water pump, an inlet water pipe, and a return water pipe. The inlet end of the circulating water pump is connected to the buffer water tank, and the outlet end is connected to the inlet water pipe. The other end of the inlet water pipe is connected to the water distribution branch pipe. One end of the return water pipe is connected to the water collection tank, and the other end is connected to the buffer water tank.

[0017] The air cooler is either an induced draft type or a forced draft type.

[0018] The humidifying and cooling water curtain is made of a hydrophilic material.

[0019] The cross-sectional shape of the water collection tank is U-shaped, semi-circular, or square.

[0020] The water collection guide plate is a flat plate structure or a corrugated plate structure with a wave-shaped shape.

[0021] Compared with existing spray humidification devices, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0022] 1. When hot, dry air passes through a humidifying and cooling water curtain, the water in the water curtain evaporates and absorbs heat, which lowers the intake air temperature of the air cooler. After evaporation, the water completely dissolves in the air and is less likely to be mixed with small water droplets, thereby reducing the risk of scaling and corrosion of the air cooler.

[0023] 2. Compared to the finned tubes of the air cooler, the humidifying and cooling water curtain is easier to disassemble and clean. It plays a role in washing and filtering the fresh air of the air cooler, blocking dust, poplar fluff and other impurities in the ambient air, and reducing the risk of blockage of the air cooler.

[0024] 3. In order to ensure the atomization effect, the spray humidification device must use a high-head, high-power water pump and requires additional space to arrange its large-volume pump set. However, the present invention adopts low-pressure water distribution and only uses a low-head, low-power water pump, which is more energy-efficient and saves space.

[0025] Compared with existing evaporative humidification and cooling devices, the advantages of this invention are as follows:

[0026] 1. The bottom of the air cooler can be equipped with a steel grating or other materials as the air inlet surface, which reduces the overall pressure of the equipment and the energy consumption. At the same time, since the bottom of the air cooler can be used as the air inlet surface, the air inlet uniformity of the air cooler is better and the heat exchange performance is higher.

[0027] 2. The array arrangement of the high-level humidification device plays a secondary role in the air distribution of the air cooler, further improving the uniformity of air intake of the air cooler.

[0028] 3. The air inlet at the bottom of the air cooler and the secondary air distribution of the high-level humidification device avoid the water drift caused by excessively high local wind speed in the existing evaporative humidification and cooling devices.

[0029] 4. The air inlet height B of the humidifying and cooling water curtain is greater than or equal to the distance C between adjacent high-level humidifying devices. That is, the oncoming wind speed of the humidifying and cooling water curtain is less than or equal to the oncoming wind speed of the air cooler. A lower oncoming wind speed can improve the evaporation efficiency of water in the humidifying and cooling water curtain, and its pressure drop is naturally smaller, so as not to cause a sharp increase in fan energy consumption.

[0030] 5. Even if the humidifying and cooling water curtain becomes partially blocked due to long-term use without cleaning, or if water drifts due to excessive local wind speed, the water collection and deflector plate can recover the drifted water to the buffer water tank for reuse.

[0031] An innovative high-level humidification device was designed to resolve the contradictions between the humidification and cooling requirements of the air cooler and the risks of scaling, overall energy consumption, fresh air filtration, air distribution uniformity, evaporative humidification and cooling efficiency, and water drift. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the high-level humidification device for an induced draft air cooler according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the high-level humidification device for a blower-type air cooler according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a partial schematic diagram of the humidification and cooling unit of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a partial schematic diagram of the humidification and cooling unit of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a front view of an existing evaporative humidification and cooling device.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a side view of an existing evaporative humidification and cooling device.

[0038] in:

[0039] 1. Evaporative humidification and cooling device in the prior art; 2. Exhaust fan; 3. Blower; 4. Air cooler; 5. Humidification and cooling unit; 51. Water distribution branch pipe; 52. Humidification and cooling water curtain; 53. Water collection guide plate; 54. Water collection tank; 6. Water inlet pipe; 7. Water return pipe; 8. Buffer water tank; 9. Circulating water pump. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] like Figure 1-4 As shown, an air cooler high-level humidification device includes a plurality of humidification and cooling units 5 disposed in the air inlet channel of the air cooler 4 and arranged in an array along the cross-sectional direction of the air inlet channel. In one embodiment, as shown... Figure 1 As shown, the air cooler 4 is an induced draft type structure, that is, an induced draft fan 2 is arranged above the air cooler 4. When the induced draft fan 2 is working, it creates a negative pressure environment inside the air cooler 4, and outside air enters the air inlet channel of the air cooler 4 from bottom to top under the action of pressure difference; in another embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the air cooler 4 is a blower-type structure. A blower 3 is arranged below the air cooler 4. When the blower 3 is working, it continuously supplies air into the air inlet channel of the air cooler 4, so that the air flows from bottom to top under positive pressure.

[0042] The humidification and cooling unit 5 is arranged in the air inlet channel of the air cooler 4, more specifically, it is arranged at the air inlet at the bottom of the air cooler 4. Each humidification and cooling unit 5 includes a water distribution branch pipe 51, a humidification and cooling water curtain 52, a water collection tank 54, and a water collection guide plate 53.

[0043] The humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is installed in the air inlet channel and extends along the airflow direction. In practice, the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is arranged vertically from top to bottom within the air cooler 4. The humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is made of hydrophilic material, such as cellulose-based materials (plant fiber paper, wood pulp fiber paper, etc.) or polymer composite materials (hydrophilically modified polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, etc.). The main body of the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 has a corrugated layered structure, with ventilation channels running horizontally between adjacent corrugations, allowing air to pass through the water curtain laterally.

[0044] The water distribution branch pipe 51 is connected to the upper end of the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 and is used to distribute water to the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52.

[0045] The water collection tank 54 is located at the lower end of the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52. The cross-sectional shape of the water collection tank 54 is a U-shaped, semi-circular or square trough structure, which is mainly used to collect water falling through the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52.

[0046] A water collection guide plate 53 is positioned between two adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtains 52 and is arranged at an angle. One end of the guide plate is connected to a water collection trough 54, and the other end extends upward and connects to the upper end of the adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtain 52. Specifically, the angle α between the water collection guide plate 53 and the horizontal plane is ≥40°. Figure 3-4 As shown, the effective air inlet area of ​​the air cooler 4 is determined by the distance C between adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtains 52 and the number of humidifying and cooling units 5. It can also be understood that the oncoming wind speed of the air cooler 4 is the wind speed of the fluid at the distance C between adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtains 52. The airflow enters the interior of the air cooler 4 from the ambient space under the action of the induced draft fan 2. It first passes through the humidifying and cooling water curtains 52, and then enters the heat exchange area of ​​the air cooler 4 through the gap between adjacent humidifying and cooling units 5. The humidifying and cooling unit 5 can be simplified as a right-angled triangle structure. When the angle α between the water collection backflow plate and the horizontal plane is 45°, the air inlet height B of the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is equal to the distance C between adjacent water curtains. At this time, the triangle is an isosceles right-angled triangle, which is conducive to the uniform acceleration of the airflow in the channel, and theoretically, a better flow state can be obtained. If the angle between the water collection guide plate 53 and the horizontal plane is too small, it will cause the wind to "suddenly contract" (when flowing through B) and "suddenly expand" (when flowing through C), thereby causing additional kinetic energy loss and increasing the system pressure drop, affecting the overall ventilation efficiency. Therefore, the angle between the water collection guide plate 53 and the horizontal plane is limited to α≥40°, which ensures the rationality of fluid dynamics while reserving the necessary design tolerance for engineering installation space and actual application conditions.

[0047] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3-4 As shown, the lower end of the water collection guide plate 53 overlaps one side of the water collection tank 54, and the overlap length A between the water collection guide plate 53 and the water collection tank 54 is greater than 10mm. Since the water collection tank 54 needs to store water for a long time and bear a certain structural support function, while the water collection guide plate 53 mainly plays the role of guiding flow and preventing deformation, there are usually differences between the two in terms of material selection and plate thickness design. In order to balance structural stability and assembly reliability, the overlap length A between the lower end of the water collection guide plate 53 and the water collection tank 54 is limited to be greater than 10mm to meet the installation strength and reliability requirements when using conventional fastening methods such as self-tapping screws.

[0048] Understandably, in another embodiment, the water collection guide plate 53 and the water collection tank 54 can be designed as an integrally formed structure.

[0049] Specifically, the water collection guide plate 53 is a flat plate structure or a corrugated plate structure with a wave-shaped shape, and the water collection guide plate 53 can also be made of metal or non-metal materials.

[0050] Specifically, the air inlet height B of the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is greater than or equal to the distance C between adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtains 52. This is mainly to ensure that the oncoming wind speed passing through the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is less than or equal to the oncoming wind speed of the air cooler 4. Similar to the principle of limiting the angle between the water collection guide plate 53 and the horizontal plane to α ≥ 40°, this is mainly to prevent the problems of "sudden contraction" and "sudden expansion" of the wind. It is used to ensure that the oncoming wind speed passing through the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is less than or equal to the oncoming wind speed of the air cooler 4. Following the basic principles of fluid mechanics, during forced ventilation, the fluid is uniformly accelerated to the target value. At the same time, the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 has a large air inlet height and area, which allows lower wind speeds to flow through it, resulting in higher evaporation efficiency and less water drift.

[0051] The high-level humidification device of the air cooler 4 also includes a buffer water tank 8, a circulating water pump 9, an inlet water pipe 6, and a return water pipe 7. The inlet end of the circulating water pump 9 is connected to the buffer water tank 8, and the outlet end is connected to the inlet water pipe 6. The other end of the inlet water pipe 6 is connected to the water distribution branch pipe 51. One end of the return water pipe 7 is connected to the water collection tank 54, and the other end is connected to the buffer water tank 8, which can be used to form an open circulation loop.

[0052] When this type of high-level humidification device for air coolers is working, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, fresh air Q can enter the humidification and cooling unit 5 through the end face and bottom of the air cooler 4, making the air distribution of the air cooler 4 more uniform. The buffer water tank 8, circulating water pump 9, water inlet pipe 6, humidification and cooling unit 5, and return water pipe 7 form an open circulation loop. The spray water in the buffer water tank 8 is pumped by the circulating water pump 9 and transported to the humidification and cooling unit 5 through the water inlet pipe 6. Figure 3 In the water distribution branch pipe 51 shown, water is distributed above the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52. Water in the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 flows downwards into the water collection tank 54 under gravity. Fresh air Q, driven by a fan, passes through the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52, completing an isenthalpic humidification and cooling heat exchange process with the water film in the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52, thus obtaining fresh air at a lower temperature for heat exchange in the air cooler 4. Unevaporated water in the water collection tank 54 falls back into the buffer water tank 8 through the return water pipe 7 under gravity, achieving reuse. Figure 4 As shown, the water collection guide plate 53 overlaps with the water collection tank 54, forming a certain angle α. The water collection guide plate 53 serves two purposes: firstly, it acts as a seal and guides the airflow, redistributing the fresh air flow to make the air intake of the air cooler 4 more uniform; secondly, even if the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 becomes partially blocked due to prolonged use without cleaning, or if excessive local wind speed causes water to drift, the water collection guide plate 53 can collect the drifted water back into the water collection tank 54, and finally back into the buffer water tank 8, achieving reuse. Figure 3-4As shown, the air inlet height B of the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is greater than or equal to the distance C between two adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtains 52, to ensure that the oncoming wind speed passing through the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is less than or equal to the oncoming wind speed of the air cooler 4. The fresh air Q passes through the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 at a lower wind speed, resulting in a smaller pressure drop and preventing a sharp increase in fan energy consumption. Simultaneously, the water evaporation efficiency in the humidifying and cooling water curtain 52 is higher, and it can better filter out large particulate impurities in the fresh air.

[0053] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-level humidification device for an air cooler, characterized in that, It includes several humidification and cooling units (5) arranged in an array in the cross-sectional direction of the air inlet channel of the air cooler (4). Each humidification and cooling unit (5) includes a water distribution branch pipe (51), a humidification and cooling water curtain (52), a water collection tank (54), and a water collection guide plate (53). The humidifying and cooling water curtain (52) is installed in the air inlet channel and extends along the air flow direction. The water distribution branch pipe (51) is connected to the upper end of the humidifying and cooling water curtain (52) and is used to distribute water to the humidifying and cooling water curtain (52). A water collection tank (54) is located at the lower end of the humidifying and cooling water curtain (52) to collect water falling through the humidifying and cooling water curtain (52); The water collection guide plate (53) is set between two adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtains (52) and is arranged at an angle. One end of the plate is connected to the water collection tank (54), and the other end extends upward and is connected to the upper end of the adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtain (52). The angle α between the water collection guide plate (53) and the horizontal plane is ≥40°.

2. The high-level humidification device for an air cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air inlet height B of the humidifying and cooling water curtain (52) is greater than or equal to the distance C between adjacent humidifying and cooling water curtains (52).

3. The high-level humidification device for an air cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water collection guide plate (53) and the water collection tank (54) are integrally formed.

4. The high-level humidification device for an air cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the water collection guide plate (53) overlaps on one side of the water collection tank (54), and the overlap length A between the water collection guide plate (53) and the water collection tank (54) is greater than 10 mm.

5. The high-level humidification device for an air cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a buffer water tank (8), a circulating water pump (9), an inlet water pipe (6) and a return water pipe (7). The inlet end of the circulating water pump (9) is connected to the buffer water tank (8), and the outlet end is connected to the inlet water pipe (6). The other end of the inlet water pipe (6) is connected to the water distribution branch pipe (51). One end of the return water pipe (7) is connected to the water collection tank (54), and the other end is connected to the buffer water tank (8).

6. The high-level humidification device for an air cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air cooler (4) is an induced draft type or a forced draft type.

7. The high-level humidification device for an air cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The humidifying and cooling water curtain (52) is made of hydrophilic material.

8. The high-level humidification device for an air cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-sectional shape of the water collection tank (54) is a U-shaped, semi-circular or square tank structure.

9. The high-level humidification device for an air cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water collection guide plate (53) is a flat plate structure or a corrugated plate structure with a wave-shaped shape.

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