Rectangular methanol daily cabinet

Abstract

This invention provides a rectangular methanol daily use tank. The tank has a receiving cavity divided into a methanol fuel zone and a methanol reflux zone by a partition. A gap exists between the top of the partition and the top of the tank, and the gases above the fuel zone and reflux zone are interconnected. The maximum methanol level in the fuel zone is lower than the top of the partition, while the maximum methanol level in the tank is higher than the top of the partition but lower than the top of the tank. A filling pipeline is located at the top of the tank corresponding to the fuel zone, and a delivery pipeline connected to the main engine is located at the bottom of one side of the tank, corresponding to the fuel zone. Methanol fuel can be added to the fuel zone through the filling pipeline, and the fuel fuel in the fuel zone can be delivered to the main engine through the delivery pipeline. The reflux zone collects methanol returning from the main engine's methanol supply pipeline and also collects waste liquid from methanol-containing pipelines. This invention provides a methanol daily use tank that integrates the function of collecting methanol reflux waste liquid. Its structure is simple and compact, meeting the conventional requirements of daily use tanks for methanol-fueled ships. As a novel fuel, methanol currently has few mature design solutions in related fields. This invention provides a daily use cabinet solution that has been put into practical application, filling the technological gap in related fields.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of methanol fuel ship technology, and more particularly to a rectangular methanol daily use cabinet. Background Technology

[0002] Existing methanol-fueled ships do not have the function of accepting returned methanol in their daily methanol tanks, so additional tanks are needed to collect residual methanol in the pipelines.

[0003] Due to the special properties of methanol, it cannot share tanks with other fuels. Existing methanol dual-fuel ships require additional tanks to receive residual methanol from pipelines when setting up daily methanol tanks, resulting in a very complex overall layout design that is not conducive to saving shipboard space. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a methanol daily use cabinet that integrates the function of collecting methanol reflux waste liquid to overcome the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] This invention provides a rectangular methanol daily use cabinet, comprising: The methanol daily use cabinet has a receiving cavity, which is divided into a methanol fuel area and a methanol reflux area by a partition. There is a gap between the top of the partition and the top of the methanol daily use cabinet. The gases above the methanol fuel area and the methanol reflux area are interconnected. The maximum methanol filling level in the methanol fuel zone is lower than the top of the partition, and the maximum methanol level in the methanol daily use tank is higher than the top of the partition but lower than the top of the methanol daily use tank. The top of the methanol daily use cabinet is provided with a filling pipeline corresponding to the methanol fuel area, and the bottom end of one side of the methanol daily use cabinet is provided with a conveying pipeline connected to the main unit corresponding to the methanol fuel area. Methanol fuel can be added to the methanol fuel area through the filling pipeline, and the methanol fuel in the methanol fuel area can be conveyed to the main unit through the conveying pipeline. The methanol reflux zone is used to collect methanol refluxed from the main unit's methanol supply pipeline, and also to collect waste liquid in the methanol-containing pipeline.

[0006] In some embodiments, a reflux filter well is provided on the top of the methanol daily use cabinet corresponding to the methanol reflux zone, and the methanol entering the methanol reflux zone through the pipeline is filtered by the reflux filter well.

[0007] In some embodiments, a reflux zone discharge pipe is provided at the bottom of the methanol daily use cabinet corresponding to the methanol reflux zone.

[0008] In some embodiments, the maximum methanol reflux level in the methanol reflux zone is lower than the maximum methanol injection level and lower than the bottom of the reflux filter well.

[0009] In some embodiments, a baffle is provided between the reflux filter well and the partition plate to block the methanol filtered by the reflux filter well.

[0010] In some embodiments, the top of the baffle is connected to the top of the methanol daily use cabinet; The bottom of the baffle is higher than the maximum methanol reflux level and lower than the bottom of the reflux filter well.

[0011] In some embodiments, the baffle is provided with a vent hole, which is located between the maximum liquid level of the methanol daily use cabinet and the top of the methanol daily use cabinet.

[0012] In some embodiments, when the methanol added to the methanol fuel zone exceeds the top of the baffle, the methanol can overflow into the methanol return zone.

[0013] In some embodiments, a fuel venting pipe is provided at the bottom of the methanol daily use cabinet corresponding to the methanol fuel area.

[0014] In some embodiments, a liquid level sensor and a liquid level switch are also included; The liquid level sensor is used to detect the liquid level height in the methanol fuel zone and the methanol reflux zone; When the level sensor detects that the methanol fuel filling level has reached the maximum methanol filling level, the level switch controls the filling pipeline to stop filling. When the level sensor detects that the level in the methanol reflux zone has reached the maximum level for methanol reflux, the level switch controls the flow of liquid back into the methanol reflux zone to cease. When the liquid level sensor detects that the liquid level has reached the maximum liquid level of the methanol daily use tank, the liquid level switch controls the stopping of methanol filling and backflow, and triggers an alarm.

[0015] The above embodiments of the present invention provide a methanol daily use cabinet that integrates the function of collecting methanol reflux waste liquid. Its structure is simple and compact, meeting the conventional requirements of daily use cabinets for methanol-fueled ships. As methanol is a new type of fuel, there are currently few mature design solutions in related fields. This invention provides a daily use cabinet solution that has been put into practical application, filling a technological gap in related fields. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example and not limitation, the various embodiments discussed herein.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] In order to gain a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this application, the implementation of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application.

[0019] In the embodiments described in this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise stated and limited, the term "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can be an electrical connection, or a connection between two internal components. It can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above term according to the specific circumstances.

[0020] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and "third" used in the embodiments of this application are merely used to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of objects. It is understood that "first," "second," and "third" can be interchanged in a specific order or sequence where permitted. It should be understood that the objects distinguished by "first," "second," and "third" can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0021] This invention provides a rectangular methanol daily use cabinet, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it includes: The methanol daily storage cabinet 100 has a containment cavity, which is divided into a methanol fuel zone 11 and a methanol reflux zone 12 by a partition. There is a gap between the top of the partition 13 and the top of the methanol daily storage cabinet 100, and the gases above the methanol fuel zone 11 and the methanol reflux zone 12 are interconnected. This design allows the two zones to share the same gas phase space, eliminating the need for separate venting pipes, simplifying the piping layout at the top of the cabinet, and reducing manufacturing costs and leakage risks. The methanol daily storage cabinet 100 has a rectangular cabinet structure and can be manufactured using welded steel plates.

[0022] The maximum methanol filling level in the methanol fuel zone 11 is lower than the top of the partition 13, while the maximum methanol level in the methanol daily use tank 100 is higher than the top of the partition 13 but lower than the top of the methanol daily use tank 100. By controlling the maximum methanol filling level below the top of the partition 13, it is ensured that the methanol fuel zone 11 and the methanol return zone 12 remain liquid-phase isolated during daily filling, avoiding cross-contamination between fuel and return waste liquid. At the same time, setting a maximum level higher than the top of the partition 13 serves as a safety redundancy, allowing methanol to overflow into the return zone in abnormal situations, preventing overpressure of the tank or methanol overflow that could cause safety hazards.

[0023] A filling pipe 21 is provided at the top of the methanol fuel tank 100 corresponding to the methanol fuel area 11. A conveying pipe 22 connected to the main engine is provided at the bottom side of the methanol fuel tank 100 corresponding to the methanol fuel area 11. Methanol fuel can be added to the methanol fuel area 11 through the filling pipe 21, and the methanol fuel in the methanol fuel area 11 can be conveyed to the main engine through the conveying pipe 22. In this embodiment, the main engine is the engine of a methanol-fueled ship. Placing the conveying pipe 22 at the bottom end allows for hydrostatic pressure-assisted feeding, reducing the suction resistance of the conveying pump and improving feeding stability; at the same time, bottom-mounted liquid extraction avoids the extraction of floating impurities, ensuring the cleanliness of the methanol fuel supplied to the main engine. Methanol reflux zone 12 is used to collect methanol refluxed from the main engine methanol supply pipeline, and also to collect waste liquid in methanol-containing pipelines. By centrally collecting refluxed methanol and pipeline waste liquid in the same area, unified management and treatment of waste liquid is achieved, avoiding the need to set up multiple collection devices on the ship, saving cabin space, and facilitating subsequent unified discharge or recycling.

[0024] In some embodiments, a reflux filter well 14 is provided at the top of the methanol daily use cabinet 100 corresponding to the methanol reflux zone 12. Methanol entering the methanol reflux zone 12 through the pipeline is filtered by the reflux filter well 14. The reflux filter well 14 can filter out mechanical impurities and contaminants in the methanol before it enters the reflux zone, preventing impurities from accumulating at the bottom of the reflux zone and causing blockage of the discharge pipeline, while avoiding contamination of the quality of the refluxed methanol, thus providing a guarantee for possible subsequent recycling and reuse.

[0025] In some embodiments, a reflux zone drain pipe 23 is provided at the bottom of the methanol daily use cabinet 100 corresponding to the methanol reflux zone 12. The reflux zone drain pipe 23 facilitates the regular cleaning and discharge of sedimented impurities and waste liquid, simplifies maintenance and operation, and effectively prevents the accumulation of dirt at the bottom of the reflux zone, which could lead to bacterial growth or corrosion of the cabinet bottom plate, thus extending the service life of the daily use cabinet.

[0026] In some embodiments, the maximum methanol reflux level in the methanol reflux zone 12 is lower than the maximum methanol filling level and lower than the bottom of the reflux filter well 14. This level relationship design ensures that the reflux filter well 14 is always in a gas phase environment, preventing the reflux liquid from flooding the filter well and causing filtration failure or liquid seal; at the same time, it maintains a sufficient level difference between the reflux zone and the fuel zone, forming a reliable physical isolation barrier to prevent reflux waste liquid from backflowing and contaminating the fuel zone.

[0027] In some embodiments, a baffle 15 is provided between the return filter well 14 and the baffle 13 to block the methanol filtered by the return filter well 14. The baffle 15 can buffer the methanol flow discharged from the return filter well 14, prevent the liquid from directly impacting the baffle 13 or splashing towards the fuel area, reduce liquid surface fluctuations and bubble entrainment, and improve the stability of system operation.

[0028] In some embodiments, the top of the baffle 15 is connected to the top of the methanol daily use cabinet 100. Sealing the top of the baffle 15 to the top of the cabinet forms a complete physical barrier, effectively preventing gaseous methanol from bypassing the baffle 15 and flowing directly through it, ensuring that the gas phase can only flow through a designated path, and enhancing the area isolation effect.

[0029] The bottom of baffle 15 is higher than the maximum methanol reflux level and lower than the bottom of reflux filter well 14. This height setting creates a gas channel between the bottom of baffle 15 and the liquid surface, ensuring gas-phase communication between the two areas while providing effective liquid-phase shielding during liquid level fluctuations; being lower than the bottom of reflux filter well 14 ensures that the liquid discharged from the filter well is always guided by baffle 15, preventing short-circuiting and direct flow to baffle 13.

[0030] In some embodiments, the baffle 15 is provided with a vent 16, which is located between the maximum liquid level of the methanol daily use tank 100 and the top of the methanol daily use tank 100. The vent 16 balances the gas phase pressure of the two areas, preventing excessive pressure difference due to temperature changes or filling / recirculation operations; setting the vent 16 above the maximum liquid level ensures that it is always in the gas phase space, preventing liquid from flowing through the vent 16 and maintaining functional separation of the areas.

[0031] In some embodiments, when the methanol level in the methanol fuel zone 11 exceeds the top of the baffle 13, the methanol can overflow into the methanol return zone 12. This overflow design serves as a safety protection mechanism, automatically diverting excess methanol to the return zone in abnormal operating conditions such as malfunction of the level sensor or level switch. This prevents the methanol level in the fuel zone from continuously rising and leaking from the filling pipe 21 or vent, significantly improving the system's safety redundancy and fault tolerance.

[0032] In some embodiments, a fuel zone drain pipe 24 is provided at the bottom of the methanol daily use cabinet 100 corresponding to the methanol fuel zone 11. The fuel zone drain pipe 24 facilitates the rapid emptying of methanol from the fuel zone during maintenance, cleaning, or emergencies, shortening maintenance time; at the same time, it allows for targeted cleaning when impurities accumulate at the bottom of the fuel zone, ensuring that the quality of methanol supplied to the main unit continuously meets the requirements.

[0033] In some embodiments, the methanol daily use cabinet 100 further includes a liquid level sensor and a liquid level switch.

[0034] The liquid level sensor is used to detect the liquid level in the methanol fuel zone 11 and the methanol reflux zone 12. By monitoring the liquid level in these two zones in real time, digital management of the methanol storage status can be achieved, providing accurate data support for automated control and reducing the frequency of manual inspections and the risk of misjudgment.

[0035] When the level sensor detects that the methanol fuel zone 11 has reached the maximum methanol filling level, the level switch controls the filling pipeline 21 to stop filling. This automatic control function can accurately control the filling amount in the fuel zone, prevent overfilling due to human error, achieve unattended safe filling, and improve operational efficiency and safety.

[0036] When the level sensor detects that the methanol reflux zone 12 has reached the maximum methanol reflux level, the level switch stops the reflux of liquid into the methanol reflux zone 12. Timely shut-off of the reflux prevents the reflux filter well 14 from flooding due to excessively high liquid level in the reflux zone or overflowing into the fuel zone, protecting the normal operation of the reflux filtration system and avoiding waste liquid contamination of the fuel zone.

[0037] When the level sensor detects that the methanol level has reached the maximum level of the methanol daily storage tank (100 tank), the level switch controls the cessation of methanol filling and backflow, and triggers an alarm. This highest-level safety interlock completely blocks liquid entry in extreme abnormal situations and issues audible and visual alarms to prompt operator intervention, forming multiple safety protections to minimize the risk of methanol leakage and overflow, ensuring the safe operation of the ship. Optionally, when the level sensor detects that the methanol level has reached the maximum level of the methanol daily storage tank (100 tank), all methanol-related systems can be stopped. Here, all methanol-related systems include the main engine and all pipelines for methanol filling, releasing, and backflow.

[0038] In some embodiments, the methanol daily use cabinet 100 is also equipped with a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor for temperature and pressure detection, and can perform customized detection according to monitoring needs.

[0039] The above embodiments of the present invention provide a methanol day-use tank 100 that integrates the function of collecting methanol reflux waste liquid. Its structure is simple and compact, meeting the conventional requirements of day-use tanks for methanol-fueled ships. As methanol is a new type of fuel, there are currently few mature design solutions in related fields. The present invention provides a day-use tank solution that has been put into practical application, filling a technological gap in related fields.

[0040] This invention provides a methanol-fueled vessel equipped with the rectangular methanol day tank 100 described in the above embodiment. Methanol-fueled vessels using this rectangular methanol day tank 100 eliminate the need for an additional independent methanol waste collection device on board, reducing equipment space requirements and pipeline connection points, thereby lowering overall vessel construction costs and leakage risks. Simultaneously, the integrated day tank design simplifies crew operations, improves the maintainability and operational reliability of the methanol fuel system, and facilitates the widespread application of methanol fuel in the marine industry.

[0041] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application can be combined arbitrarily without conflict.

[0042] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A rectangular methanol daily use cabinet, characterized in that, include: The methanol daily use cabinet has a receiving cavity, which is divided into a methanol fuel area and a methanol reflux area by a partition. There is a gap between the top of the partition and the top of the methanol daily use cabinet. The gases above the methanol fuel area and the methanol reflux area are interconnected. The maximum methanol filling level in the methanol fuel zone is lower than the top of the partition, and the maximum methanol level in the methanol daily use tank is higher than the top of the partition but lower than the top of the methanol daily use tank. The top of the methanol daily use cabinet is provided with a filling pipeline corresponding to the methanol fuel area, and the bottom end of one side of the methanol daily use cabinet is provided with a conveying pipeline connected to the main unit corresponding to the methanol fuel area. Methanol fuel can be added to the methanol fuel area through the filling pipeline, and the methanol fuel in the methanol fuel area can be conveyed to the main unit through the conveying pipeline. The methanol reflux zone is used to collect methanol refluxed from the main unit's methanol supply pipeline, and also to collect waste liquid in the methanol-containing pipeline.

2. The rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that, A reflux filter well is installed on the top of the methanol daily use cabinet corresponding to the methanol reflux zone. Methanol entering the methanol reflux zone through the pipeline is filtered by the reflux filter well.

3. The rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the methanol daily use cabinet is equipped with a reflux zone discharge pipe corresponding to the methanol reflux zone.

4. The rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that, The maximum methanol reflux level in the methanol reflux zone is lower than the maximum methanol injection level and lower than the bottom of the reflux filter well.

5. The rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to claim 4, characterized in that, A baffle is provided between the reflux filter well and the partition plate to block the methanol filtered by the reflux filter well.

6. The rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to claim 5, characterized in that, The top of the baffle is connected to the top of the methanol daily use cabinet; The bottom of the baffle is higher than the maximum methanol reflux level and lower than the bottom of the reflux filter well.

7. The rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to claim 6, characterized in that, The baffle is provided with a vent hole, which is located between the maximum liquid level of the methanol daily use tank and the top of the methanol daily use tank.

8. The rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the methanol added to the methanol fuel zone exceeds the top of the baffle, the methanol can overflow into the methanol return zone.

9. The rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the methanol daily use cabinet is equipped with a fuel area discharge pipe corresponding to the methanol fuel area.

10. The rectangular methanol daily use cabinet according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes level sensors and level switches; The liquid level sensor is used to detect the liquid level height in the methanol fuel zone and the methanol reflux zone; When the level sensor detects that the methanol fuel filling level has reached the maximum methanol filling level, the level switch controls the filling pipeline to stop filling. When the level sensor detects that the level in the methanol reflux zone has reached the maximum level for methanol reflux, the level switch controls the flow of liquid back into the methanol reflux zone to cease. When the liquid level sensor detects that the liquid level has reached the maximum liquid level of the methanol daily use tank, the liquid level switch controls the stopping of methanol filling and reflux, and triggers an alarm.

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