Liquid separator for separating liquid from gas and heat exchanger with liquid separator

Abstract

The present application relates to a liquid separator for separating liquid from gas and a heat exchanger with a liquid separator. A liquid separator (2) for separating liquid from gas, characterized in that the liquid separator (2) is composed of a plurality of assemblies (14) of plate-like liquid separation elements (15) which extend parallel to each other and are oriented vertically during use of the liquid separator (2), which assemblies (14) are stacked vertically on top of each other during use of the liquid separator (2), wherein a liquid collector (19) is arranged below each assembly (4), which liquid collector has a storage portion (20) for collecting liquid separated by the liquid separation elements (15) from the respective assembly (14) and discharging it to a discharge chamber (21).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a liquid separator for separating liquids from gases.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention aims to use a heat exchanger with a liquid separator to separate and discharge the liquid in the cooled gas after cooling. Background Technology

[0003] As is well known, in compressor equipment, low-pressure gas (such as ambient air) is compressed into high-pressure gas.

[0004] This process generates heat, causing the temperature of the compressed gas to exceed the required temperature, thus requiring cooling.

[0005] Compressor equipment typically contains multiple successive compressor elements or compression stages, in which gas is compressed in different steps.

[0006] The gas is cooled between different compression stages and after the last compression stage.

[0007] This cooling occurs between compression stages to improve the efficiency of the next compression stage.

[0008] After the final compression stage, cooling is performed to ensure that the supplied compressed gas has the required temperature.

[0009] It is also known that when compressed gas is cooled, the liquid present in the gas can condense as vapor.

[0010] This liquid in compressed gas can cause problems in the next compression stage or in consumer networks.

[0011] Therefore, it is important to remove moisture or condensate from the compressed gas before it flows to the next compression stage or consumer network.

[0012] Several solutions are known for cooling compressed gas and removing moisture from the cooled gas.

[0013] The first solution consists of a heat exchanger with a cooler for cooling compressed gas, wherein a liquid separator, such as a cyclone liquid separator, is located outside the heat exchanger.

[0014] This type of cyclone liquid separator results in relatively large frictional losses, which in turn lead to pressure losses.

[0015] Some liquid separators use gravity to separate condensate from the gas stream.

[0016] Although the pressure loss generated here is small, it is inefficient at high airflow rates. Therefore, they must be implemented in relatively large quantities.

[0017] As described in BE 1015880, heat exchangers equipped with cooling units and integrated liquid separators are also known.

[0018] The liquid separator includes a series of vertical corrugated walls arranged adjacent to the cooling section of the heat exchanger.

[0019] The advantage of this heat exchanger is that it can not only be manufactured in a compact and relatively inexpensive manner, but it can also be easily assembled or integrated into compressor units.

[0020] When the heat exchanger and condensate separator are connected to each other as two separate components, the additional frictional losses that usually occur between the heat exchanger and condensate separator are also eliminated.

[0021] This type of heat exchanger is used in a horizontal position, wherein the heat exchanger extends in a horizontal plane and is positioned, for example, at the top of a compressor unit near the top wall.

[0022] The height of the heat exchanger (i.e., its vertical dimension) is limited at this location. Therefore, the height of the vertical corrugated wall located immediately adjacent to the cooling section is also limited.

[0023] This means that the condensate separated by the vertical corrugated walls only needs to travel a limited distance, at most equal to the height of these walls, before it can finally enter the designated liquid collector.

[0024] However, not all compressor units allow the heat exchanger to be integrated on top of the compressor unit and in a horizontal position.

[0025] Sometimes, due to insufficient space or other limitations or constraints, heat exchangers must be installed in a vertical position, wherein the heat exchanger is tilted 90° so that the heat exchanger extends in a vertical plane.

[0026] The disadvantage of this type of heat exchanger with an integrated liquid separator is that it cannot be installed in a vertical position.

[0027] In principle, there will not be much difference if the cooling section of the heat exchanger extends in a vertical plane rather than a horizontal plane.

[0028] However, tilting the heat exchanger by 90° means that the vertical walls must also be tilted or rotated by 90°.

[0029] This means that liquids separated by the wall can no longer be separated by gravity, because the wall is now horizontally extended.

[0030] To solve this problem, the wall can be moved back to a vertical position, where the wall extends along the entire height of the heat exchanger, and by tilting it 90°, the height of the heat exchanger is now much higher than in the traditional horizontal position.

[0031] Therefore, this also means that condensate separated from the walls, especially at the top of these walls, must travel a longer distance before finally entering the drain pipe and being discharged.

[0032] As a result, at least some of the formed droplets will be carried by the cooled compressed gas flowing over the wall at a relatively high speed and will eventually return to the compressed gas.

[0033] This means that, in this vertical position, the efficiency of separating the liquid can never reach the same efficiency as that of the heat exchanger in a horizontal position. Summary of the Invention

[0034] The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the above and other disadvantages by providing a liquid separator that can be installed in a vertical position without significantly reducing the efficiency of liquid separation.

[0035] The present invention relates to a liquid separator for separating liquid from gas, characterized in that the liquid separator is composed of a plurality of components consisting of generally plate-shaped liquid separation elements, which extend generally parallel to each other and are vertically oriented during use of the liquid separator, and the components are stacked vertically on top of each other during use of the liquid separator, wherein a liquid collector is provided below each component, the liquid collector having a storage section for collecting the liquid separated by the liquid separation elements from the respective component and discharging it into a discharge chamber provided for this purpose.

[0036] The advantage is that by providing a stacked assembly of liquid separation elements, with a liquid collector below each assembly, the condensate separated by the liquid separation elements must travel a limited distance before finally entering the storage section.

[0037] Once the liquid enters the storage section, it cannot be carried back by the airflow.

[0038] Since the condensate only needs to travel a limited distance before finally entering the storage section, this means that once the condensate forms, it will quickly eventually enter the storage section, making the chance of the condensate being carried away by the airflow almost zero.

[0039] The efficiency of a vertical heat exchanger with this liquid separator is equivalent to that of a known horizontal heat exchanger with a liquid separator.

[0040] In one practical embodiment, the discharge chamber is formed as a discharge pipe extending on the sidewall of the liquid separator at at least a portion of the height of the liquid separator, the sidewall of the liquid separator extending parallel to the direction of gas flow through the liquid separator during use.

[0041] By not only setting a discharge chamber at the bottom of the liquid separator, but also allowing it to extend along the height of the liquid separator and be combined with a liquid collector, the separated condensate can be discharged at various points.

[0042] The discharge chamber should be located on the side wall of the liquid separator, extending between the inlet and outlet. In other words, the discharge chamber should not be located on the same side as the inlet or outlet of the liquid separator.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the sidewall of the liquid separator is formed by a partition wall between a stacked assembly of liquid separation elements and a discharge chamber, the partition wall providing a seal between the assembly and the discharge chamber.

[0044] According to a preferred feature of the invention, the liquid collector is configured as a container serving as a storage section, the container having a top wall and a bottom, wherein the top wall is provided with holes or channels to allow liquid separated by the liquid separation element to be discharged into the storage section.

[0045] The holes or channels on the top wall will ensure that the liquid condensate separated by the components above and then flowing down through the liquid separation element until it can finally enter the container or storage section.

[0046] Once the condensate reaches the container, it is shielded from airflow. This means it can no longer be carried away by the airflow, or in other words, once the condensate finally enters the container, it has been effectively separated.

[0047] Preferably, when the liquid separator is in use, the bottom of the container extends at an angle relative to the horizontal plane and slopes downward toward the discharge chamber.

[0048] The slope at the bottom will ensure that all separated condensate is quickly and smoothly guided into the discharge chamber under the influence of gravity.

[0049] In this case, the container of the liquid collector may have multiple upright sides between the top wall and the bottom, wherein the container has a channel near the bottom of the storage section on the first side of these upright sides, and the first side faces the discharge chamber.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the liquid separation element is constructed as a corrugated plate, on which laterally extending hook-shaped ribs are provided, the hook-shaped ribs forming vertical straight channels extending over the entire height or almost the entire height of the liquid separation element.

[0051] The present invention also relates to a heat exchanger with a liquid separator, wherein the liquid separator is the liquid separator according to the present invention, wherein the heat exchanger further includes a cooling section and a separation section, wherein the cooler is integrated into the cooling section for cooling gas and has an inlet for the gas to be cooled and an outlet for the cooled gas; wherein the liquid separator is integrated into the separation section for separating liquid from the cooled gas and has an inlet for the cooled gas and an outlet for the cooled gas; wherein a cooler outlet element is disposed between the cooling section and the separation section, and the cooler outlet element connects the outlet of the cooler to the inlet of the liquid separator. Attached Figure Description

[0052] To better illustrate the features of the invention, some preferred embodiments of the liquid separator according to the invention and a heat exchanger having such a liquid separator are described below by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0053] Figure 1 A heat exchanger with a liquid separator according to the present invention is schematically shown in a perspective view;

[0054] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The heat exchanger has a liquid separator, but the sides are partially cut off;

[0055] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic 3D view of the interior of a liquid separator;

[0056] Figure 4a A three-dimensional diagram schematically illustrates... Figure 3 Liquid collector in the middle;

[0057] Figure 4b It shows Figure 4a Alternative embodiments of fluid collectors;

[0058] Figure 5a It schematically shows the following based on Figure 3 The view indicated by the middle arrow F5;

[0059] Figure 5b It shows Figure 5a Details. Detailed Implementation

[0060] exist Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates a heat exchanger 1 with a liquid separator 2 according to the present invention.

[0061] exist Figure 2 The same heat exchanger 1 is shown in the figure, wherein, in this case, a portion of the housings 3a, 3b, and 3c are omitted.

[0062] According to the present invention, the heat exchanger 1 having the liquid separator 2 includes a cooling section 4 and a separation section 5.

[0063] Cooler 6 is integrated into cooling section 4 to cool the gas.

[0064] The cooler 6 has an inlet 7 for the gas to be cooled, which is typically connected to or may be connected to the outlet of a compressor or compressor element for receiving warm or hot gas from the compressor or compressor element.

[0065] The cooler 6 is also provided with an outlet 8 for the cooled gas that has been cooled after passing through the cooler 6.

[0066] In this case, cooler 6 is an air-cooled cooler, which means that air is used as the cooling medium to cool the gas.

[0067] Liquid separator 2 is integrated into separation section 5 to separate liquid from cooled gas.

[0068] The liquid separator 2 includes an inlet 9 and an outlet 10 for cooled gas.

[0069] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a cooler outlet element 11 is provided between the cooling section 4 and the separation section 5, or therefore between the cooler 6 and the liquid separator 2, which connects the outlet 8 of the cooler 6 to the inlet 9 of the liquid separator 2.

[0070] Therefore, the cooler outlet element 11 guides the gas from the outlet 8 of the cooler 6 to the inlet 9 of the liquid separator 2.

[0071] In the example shown, but not necessarily required for the present invention, the outlet 8 of the cooler 6 is at an angle to the inlet 9 of the liquid separator 2. Or, more precisely, the direction of the airflow leaving the cooler 6 via the outlet 8 is different from the direction that the airflow must have to flow into the liquid separator via the inlet 9 of the liquid separator 2.

[0072] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in the example shown, the cooling section 4 and the separation section 5 each have their own housings 3a and 3c, and the cooling outlet element 11 also has a housing 3b.

[0073] The present invention does not exclude the fact that the heat exchanger 1 with liquid separator 2 is provided with a housing 3a, 3b, 3c, and a cooling section 4, a separation section 5 and a cooler outlet element 11 are provided in the housing.

[0074] According to the present invention, the liquid separator 2 extends in a vertical plane during use.

[0075] This means that the maximum dimension extends in the vertical plane.

[0076] "Usage period" means when the liquid separator 2 or heat exchanger 1 is installed for use, and therefore not during, for example, the production or transportation of the liquid separator 2 or heat exchanger 1.

[0077] When “vertical” is mentioned below, it refers to the vertical direction or dimension of the liquid separator 2 or heat exchanger 1 during its use.

[0078] like Figure 1 As shown, the cooler 6 is shaped like a beam with height H, length L, and width B, where height H and length L are the maximum dimensions. Height H extends in a vertical plane, while width B and length L extend in a horizontal plane.

[0079] Thus, heat exchanger 1 can be considered upright. This contrasts sharply with known heat exchangers with integrated liquid separators, which extend in a horizontal plane and are therefore considered horizontal.

[0080] As a result, the largest sidewall 13 of the cooler 6 also extends vertically, i.e., upright. This is also the plane through which the cooling gas will flow, i.e., the cooling gas flows perpendicular to the largest sidewall 13, while the gas to be cooled will flow parallel to the sidewall 13 through the cooler 6—in the figure, from the right side where the inlet 7 is located to the left side where the outlet 8 is located.

[0081] Due to the construction or structure of the heat exchanger 1, the liquid separator 2 will also extend in a vertical plane.

[0082] According to the present invention, the liquid separator 2 is composed of a plurality of components 14 consisting of generally plate-shaped liquid separation elements 15, which are generally parallel to each other and vertically oriented during the use of the heat exchanger 1.

[0083] exist Figure 2 In China, especially Figure 3 In the middle, these components 14 are clearly visible.

[0084] In the diagram shown, there are five components 14, but there may be more or fewer than five components 14.

[0085] According to the present invention, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when the liquid separator 2 is in use, that is, when the liquid separator 2 extends in a vertical plane, these components 14 are stacked vertically on top of each other.

[0086] The liquid separation element 15 is constructed as a corrugated plate with laterally extending hook-shaped ribs 16, which form vertical straight channels 17 that extend over the entire or almost the entire height of the liquid separation element 15.

[0087] The flow channels 17 are located on both sides of the corrugated plate, and they are alternately arranged on one side and the other side, such as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0088] The vertical straight channel 17 has a generally semi-circular cross-section, but this is not necessary for the present invention, wherein the open side faces the direction of the incoming airflow.

[0089] In the example shown, each liquid separation element 15 has four ribs 16 with associated flow channels 17, and each assembly 14 has nine liquid separation elements 15, but this is not necessary for the present invention.

[0090] The number of flow channels 17 and the number of liquid separation elements 15 will depend on the size and characteristics of the liquid separator 2 and / or heat exchanger 1.

[0091] exist Figure 5a As can be clearly seen, the outermost liquid separation element 15' of each component 14, that is, the liquid separation element located at the edge of component 14 and abutting against the sidewall 18 of liquid separator 2, is only a partial liquid separation element 15', wherein the flow channel 17 or rib 16 pointing to the sidewall 18 has been removed or is missing from these liquid separation elements 15'. Or, in other words, the rib 16 on the outermost liquid separation element 15' located on the side opposite to the other liquid separation elements 15 is missing or has been removed. Therefore, in these outermost liquid separation elements 15', the flow channel 17 is only located on one side of the liquid separation element 15'.

[0092] This is to avoid a dead zone in component 14 between the side wall 18 of the liquid separator 2 and the liquid separation element 15', so that cooled gas cannot enter the dead zone.

[0093] Furthermore, according to the invention, a liquid collector 19 is disposed below each component 14 and has a storage section 20 for collecting condensate or liquid separated by the liquid separation element 15 from the respective component 14 and discharging it into a discharge chamber 21 provided for this purpose.

[0094] In this case, the discharge chamber is formed as a discharge pipe that extends over at least a portion of the height of the liquid separator 2, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown.

[0095] In the example shown, the discharge pipe extends over the entire height of the liquid separator 2.

[0096] In the example shown in the accompanying drawings, but not essential for the present invention, the discharge chamber 21 is located on the side wall 18 of the liquid separator 2, which extends parallel to the direction of gas flow through the liquid separator 2.

[0097] Alternatively, in other words, the sidewall 18 extends between the inlet 9 and the outlet 10 of the liquid separator 2. In other words, the discharge chamber 21 is not located on the same side as the inlet 9 or the outlet 10 of the liquid separator 2.

[0098] In this configuration, the sidewall 18 of the liquid separator 2 is formed by a partition wall 22 between the stacked assembly 14 of the liquid separation element 15 and the discharge chamber 21, providing a seal between them. Figure 3 In the middle, the partition wall 22 is clearly visible.

[0099] The partition wall 22 ensures that the separated condensate is isolated from the cooled gas flow passing through the liquid separator 2, thereby preventing the condensate or condensate droplets from being reabsorbed into the gas flow.

[0100] The fluid collector 19 is configured as a container 24 that serves as a storage section 20. They are in... Figures 4a to 5b It is shown in more detail below.

[0101] In this case, the liquid collector 19 has the shape of a tray, wherein the liquid collector has a limited height.

[0102] Container 24 includes a top wall 25, a bottom 26, and four upright sides 27a, 27b, 27c, and 27d.

[0103] A hole 28 or channel is provided in the top wall 25 to allow the liquid or condensate separated by the liquid separation element 15 to drain into and be collected in the storage section 20.

[0104] It can be said that the liquid separation element 15 is provided on the top wall 25, so that the condensate captured by the liquid separation element 15, especially by the flow channel 17, flows to the top wall 25 under the action of gravity, and then finally flows into the storage section 20 below the top wall 25 through these holes 28.

[0105] In order to discharge the liquid into the discharge chamber 21, the container 24 of the liquid collector 19 is provided with a channel 29 in the upright first side 27d near the bottom 26 of the container 24, with the first side 27d facing the discharge chamber 21.

[0106] In this case, the first side 27d will form part of or overlap with the partition wall 22.

[0107] Alternatively, the first side 27d may also be adjacent to or abut against the partition wall 22, and the partition wall 22 may be provided with a corresponding passage.

[0108] exist Figure 4a In one embodiment, when using the liquid separator 2, the bottom 26 of the container 24 extends at an angle relative to the horizontal plane and is inclined toward the discharge chamber 21.

[0109] In other words, the bottom 26 is inclined toward the channel 29. This will help the condensate discharged into the storage section 20 to flow toward the channel 29 under gravity, and then further toward the discharge chamber 21.

[0110] exist Figure 4b An alternative embodiment of the bottom 26 is shown, wherein the bottom 26 is inclined toward both the first side 27d and the opposite side 27b. The channel 29 is also disposed in the opposite side 27b.

[0111] In this embodiment, the discharge chamber 21 will be disposed on the opposite side 27b, or a flow channel or conduit will be provided extending from the channel 29 in the opposite side 27b to the discharge chamber 21 on the first side 27d.

[0112] The operation of liquid separator 2 is very simple, as described below.

[0113] Gas, such as compressed air from a compressor, compressor element or compressor unit, enters a heat exchanger 1 having a liquid separator 2 via an inlet 7 of a cooler 6 in a cooling section 4.

[0114] The compressed gas that needs to be cooled along Figure 1 The flow direction of the middle arrow P passes through the cooler 6 in the cooling section.

[0115] Figure 1 Arrow P in the diagram shows the path taken by the compressed gas in heat exchanger 1.

[0116] exist Figure 1 In the example, compressed gas flows from right to left through cooler 6.

[0117] Meanwhile, cooling gas flows through a heat exchanger, more specifically through cooler 6. The purpose of this cooling gas is to extract heat from the compressed gas.

[0118] Cooling gas flows through cooler 6 in a direction perpendicular to compressed gas, as shown by arrow R.

[0119] When the compressed gas passes through the cooler 6, the compressed gas will be cooled by transferring its heat to the cooling gas in a known manner.

[0120] When the compressed gas reaches the outlet 8 of the cooler 6, it will have the required temperature.

[0121] After passing through cooler 6, the cooled compressed gas enters cooler outlet element 11.

[0122] As the airflow passes through component 14, flow channel 17 will capture condensate droplets from the airflow.

[0123] The condensate droplets will flow downwards through the flow channel 17 and be collected on the top wall 25 of the liquid collector 19.

[0124] Then, the cooled compressed gas will leave the liquid separator 2 through outlet 10.

[0125] The condensate that terminates on the top wall 25 of the liquid collector will eventually enter the container 24 through the hole 28 in the top wall 25, and will be guided through the inclined bottom 26 to the channel 29, and then into the discharge chamber 21.

[0126] For example, the discharge pipe 30 is connected to the discharge chamber 21 to allow further discharge of condensate.

[0127] When the cooled compressed gas leaves the liquid separator 2 through outlet 10, it will be free of condensate or moisture, and it can be passed to subsequent compressor stages or compressed gas consumer networks.

[0128] The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described by way of example and shown in the accompanying drawings, but rather, liquid separators or heat exchangers having liquid separators according to the invention can be implemented in various shapes and sizes without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A liquid separator (2) for separating liquid from gas, characterized in that, The liquid separator (2) is composed of multiple components (14) consisting of plate-shaped liquid separation elements (15). During the use of the liquid separator (2), the liquid separation elements extend parallel to each other and are vertically oriented. During the use of the liquid separator (2), the components (14) are stacked vertically on top of each other. A liquid collector (19) is provided below each component (14). The liquid collector has a storage section (20) for collecting the liquid separated by the liquid separation elements (15) from the corresponding component (14) and discharging it into the discharge chamber (21).

2. The liquid separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge chamber (21) is formed as a discharge pipe that extends on the side wall (18) of the liquid separator (2) at least a portion of the height of the liquid separator (2) during use of the liquid separator (2).

3. The liquid separator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sidewall (18) of the liquid separator (2) is formed by a partition wall (22) between the stacked assembly (14) of the liquid separation elements (15) and the discharge chamber (21), which provides a seal between the assembly and the discharge chamber.

4. The liquid separator according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The liquid collector (19) is configured as a container (24) serving as a storage section (20), the container having a top wall (25) and a bottom (26), wherein the top wall (25) is provided with a hole (28) to allow liquid separated by the liquid separation element (15) to be discharged into the storage section (20).

5. The liquid separator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The container (24) of the liquid collector (19) has multiple upright sides (27a, 27b, 27c, 27d) between the top wall (25) and the bottom (26), wherein the container (24) has a channel (29) in the first side (27d) of these upright sides (27a, 27b, 27c, 27d) near the bottom (26) of the storage section (20), and the first side (27d) faces the discharge chamber (21).

6. The liquid separator according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the use of the liquid separator (2), the bottom (26) of the container (24) extends at an angle relative to the horizontal plane and is inclined toward the discharge chamber (21).

7. The liquid separator according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The liquid separation element (15) is constructed as a corrugated plate, on which a laterally extending hook-shaped rib (16) is provided, the hook-shaped rib forming a vertical straight channel (17) extending over the entire height of the liquid separation element (15).

8. A heat exchanger with a liquid separator (2), characterized in that, The liquid separator is a liquid separator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heat exchanger (1) is further provided with a cooling section (4) and a separation section (5), wherein the cooler (6) is integrated into the cooling section (4) for cooling gas and has an inlet (7) for the gas to be cooled and an outlet (8) for the cooled gas; wherein the liquid separator (2) is integrated into the separation section (5) for separating liquid from the cooled gas and has an inlet (9) for the cooled gas and an outlet (10); wherein the cooler outlet element (11) is disposed between the cooling section (4) and the separation section (5) and the cooler outlet element connects the outlet (8) of the cooler (6) to the inlet (9) of the liquid separator (2).

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