An industrial steam supply system and method based on thermo-chemical heat pipes

Abstract

The application discloses an industrial steam supply system and method based on thermo-chemical heat pipe, which comprises an energy supply system, a thermo-chemical reaction unit, a steam supply module, an industrial heat user and a standby electric boiler, wherein the energy supply system is communicated with the thermo-chemical reaction unit, the thermo-chemical reaction unit is communicated with the steam supply module, and the steam supply module and the standby electric boiler are communicated with the industrial heat user. The system and method can be compatible with low-valley electricity and external waste heat, can store heat from multiple heat sources, and can maintain stable steam parameter output throughout the whole process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of thermochemical energy storage and industrial steam supply technology, and relates to an industrial steam supply system and method based on thermochemical heat pipes. Background Technology

[0002] In industrial production, many processes require a continuous and stable supply of medium- and low-pressure process steam as a heat source. The stability of steam parameters such as pressure and temperature directly determines the smoothness of industrial production conditions and product quality. Frequent fluctuations in steam parameters can easily lead to imbalances in the heat exchange efficiency of process heat exchange equipment, production condition disruptions, reduced product qualification rates, and increased raw material losses. In severe cases, it can trigger the interlocking protection mechanism of production equipment, causing unplanned shutdowns of the production line and resulting in significant economic losses for enterprises. Therefore, a stable, continuous, and controllable steam supply is the core foundation for the safe, long-term, and reliable operation of industrial plants. Currently, mainstream steam supply solutions in the industrial sector have significant technical defects, making it difficult to simultaneously meet the industrial demands for efficient energy utilization, low-cost operation, and stable steam supply. Among them, the traditional direct steam production method using electric boilers requires real-time matching of electricity consumption and steam production loads, and can only consume electricity to produce steam during the user's steam consumption period. High-grade electrical energy is directly used for steam preparation, resulting in extremely poor energy utilization flexibility. This method cannot effectively absorb surplus electricity from the power grid during off-peak hours, making it difficult to reduce enterprise energy costs through peak-shaving and valley-filling operations. Furthermore, it cannot absorb off-peak electricity locally, further exacerbating the pressure on power grid peak-valley regulation. Compared to traditional electric boilers, thermochemical thermal storage and steam supply technology can achieve spatiotemporal decoupling of heat generation and steam supply through energy storage, and is compatible with diverse thermal storage methods such as off-peak electricity heating and industrial waste heat recovery, possessing potential for energy efficiency and economical operation. However, existing thermochemical thermal storage and steam supply systems have inherent technical shortcomings. Thermochemical reactions have highly dynamic and nonlinear characteristics; during the exothermic process, the reaction rate and material conversion rate continuously change with the reaction progress, leading to continuous fluctuations in the gas phase pressure inside the reactor. If the steam produced by the reactor is directly transported to the outside, the pressure and temperature of the output steam will fluctuate periodically. This not only fails to meet the stringent requirements of industrial processes for steam parameters, but the fluctuating steam medium will also continuously impact thermal equipment such as steam pipelines, regulating valves, and heat exchangers, causing problems such as pipeline vibration and aging and leakage of equipment seals. This significantly reduces the service life of thermal equipment and pipeline networks, increases equipment maintenance costs, and raises production safety risks. In summary, the industry currently lacks a steam supply system and corresponding control method that is compatible with off-peak electricity, external waste heat, and multiple heat sources for heat storage, and can maintain stable steam parameter output throughout the entire process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an industrial steam supply system and method based on thermochemical heat pipes. This system and method can be compatible with off-peak electricity and external waste heat storage, and can maintain stable steam output parameters throughout the process.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention discloses an industrial steam supply system based on a thermochemical heat pipe, comprising an energy supply system, a thermochemical reaction unit, a steam supply module, an industrial heat user, and a backup electric boiler, wherein the energy supply system is connected to the thermochemical reaction unit, the thermochemical reaction unit is connected to the steam supply module, and the steam supply module and the backup electric boiler are connected to the industrial heat user.

[0005] Furthermore, the shell side of the thermochemical reaction unit includes a water space at the bottom and a gas phase space at the top. A collecting cylinder is provided on the side of the shell side of the thermochemical reaction unit, and a thermochemical heat pipe is provided inside the shell side of the thermochemical reaction unit. The thermochemical heat pipe is connected to the collecting cylinder, and an electric heater is provided inside the thermochemical heat pipe. The outlet of the gas phase space is connected to the collecting cylinder via a steam inlet valve, and the return steam valve is located in the water space. The outlet of the collecting cylinder is connected to the return steam valve.

[0006] Furthermore, the return steam valve and the inlet steam valve are interlocked.

[0007] Furthermore, the steam supply module includes a heat pump, a flash tank, a steam-water separator, a buffer tank, and a return water valve; The water space is connected to the inlet of the flash tank via the heat pump. The steam outlet of the flash tank is connected to the inlet of the steam-water separator. The water outlet of the flash tank is connected to the inlet of the buffer water tank. The outlet of the buffer water tank is connected to the water space via the return water valve. The steam outlet of the steam-water separator is connected to the industrial heat user. The water outlet of the steam-water separator is connected to the inlet of the buffer water tank. The condensate outlet of the industrial heat user is connected to the buffer water tank.

[0008] Furthermore, the steam outlet of the steam-water separator is connected to the industrial heat user via the first steam pressure regulating valve.

[0009] Furthermore, the outlet of the buffer tank is connected to the inlet of the standby electric boiler, and the steam outlet of the standby electric boiler is connected to the industrial heat user.

[0010] Furthermore, the steam outlet of the standby electric boiler is connected to the industrial heat user via a second steam pressure regulating valve.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a steam supply controller, which is connected to a first steam pressure regulating valve, a second steam pressure regulating valve, a standby electric boiler, a return steam valve, an inlet steam valve, and a heat pump.

[0012] Furthermore, the energy supply system includes a power generation system and an external waste heat generator. The power generation system is connected to an electric heater, and the external waste heat generator is connected to a water space.

[0013] This invention discloses an industrial steam supply method based on thermochemical heat pipes, and an industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes, comprising the following steps: The process of thermal storage and pressure building is as follows: the steam inlet valve is closed and the return steam valve is opened. The electric heater is driven by off-peak electricity / grid to dehydrate the thermal storage material in the thermal chemical heat pipe and generate steam. The steam is then collected in the collecting cylinder and sent to the water space for condensation and recovery through the return steam valve. The water temperature in the water space and the gas pressure in the gas phase space increase. When the gas pressure in the gas phase space reaches the preset value, thermal storage is stopped and the return steam valve is closed.

[0014] The flash steam supply process is as follows: the heat pump sends pressurized high-temperature water from the water space into the flash tank, the flash tank maintains the set flash pressure, and the high-temperature water is depressurized and flashed to produce steam; the steam enters the steam-water separator for separation, and the separated steam is stabilized by the first steam pressure stabilizing valve and fed into the user's main pipe, and finally enters the industrial heat user. During the steam supply process, the steam supply controller adjusts the flow rate of the heat pump and the flash pressure of the flash tank according to the pressure of the user's main pipe. When the gas pressure in the gas phase space decreases as heat is released, the steam inlet valve is opened and the steam return valve is closed to supply steam to the thermochemical heat storage material to release heat and maintain the water temperature and steam supply capacity of the water space.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes: flash evaporation wastewater, condensate from the steam-water separator, and user condensate being recycled into a buffer tank. The water outlet from the buffer tank is returned to the water space via a return water valve according to the liquid level in the water space. The opening of the return water valve is controlled based on the liquid level difference between the water space and the buffer tank.

[0016] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: In the specific operation of the industrial steam supply system and method based on thermochemical heat pipes described in this invention, a heat pump delivers pressurized high-temperature water from the water space into a flash tank. The flash tank maintains a set flash pressure, and the high-temperature water undergoes depressurization flash evaporation to generate steam. The steam enters a steam-water separator for separation. The separated steam is pressure-stabilized by a first steam pressure-regulating valve and then fed into the user's main pipe, ultimately reaching the industrial heat user. The steam outlet of the standby electric boiler is connected to the industrial heat user via a second steam pressure-regulating valve. With a thermochemical heat storage and release reaction unit as the core, and using pressurized high-temperature water on the reactor shell side for depressurization flash evaporation to generate steam, industrial steam is supplied in this way, achieving the goal of maintaining stable steam parameters throughout the process. At the same time, the energy supply system includes a power generation system and an external waste heat generator. The power generation system is connected to an electric heater, and the external waste heat generator is connected to the water space. It is compatible with off-peak electricity and external waste heat for multi-source heat storage, making it highly practical. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present invention.

[0019] Among them, 1 is the thermochemical reaction unit, 11 is the gas phase space, 12 is the thermochemical heat pipe, 13 is the steam inlet valve, 14 is the steam return valve, 15 is the heat pump, 2 is the steam supply module, 21 is the flash tank, 22 is the steam-water separator, 231 is the first steam pressure regulating valve, 232 is the second steam pressure regulating valve, 24 is the water return valve, 25 is the steam supply controller, 26 is the standby electric boiler, 27 is the buffer water tank, and 3 is the industrial heat user. Detailed Implementation

[0020] 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, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. 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.

[0021] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0022] It should also be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0023] It should also be further understood that the term "and / or" as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes such combinations. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this invention generally indicates that the preceding and following objects have an "or" relationship.

[0024] It should be understood that although terms such as first, second, third, etc., may be used in the embodiments of the present invention to describe the preset range, these preset ranges should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the preset ranges from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present invention, the first preset range may also be referred to as the second preset range, and similarly, the second preset range may also be referred to as the first preset range.

[0025] Depending on the context, the word "if" as used here can be interpreted as "when," "when," "in response to determination," or "in response to detection." Similarly, depending on the context, the phrase "if determination" or "if detection (of the stated condition or event)" can be interpreted as "when determination," "in response to determination," "when detection (of the stated condition or event)," or "in response to detection (of the stated condition or event)."

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, 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, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] The accompanying drawings illustrate various structural schematic diagrams according to embodiments disclosed in this invention. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0028] refer to Figure 1The industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes of the present invention includes a thermochemical reaction unit 1. The shell side of the thermochemical reaction unit 1 includes a water space at the bottom and a gas phase space 11 at the top. A collecting cylinder is provided on the side of the shell side of the thermochemical reaction unit 1. A thermochemical heat pipe 12 is provided inside the shell side of the thermochemical reaction unit 1. The thermochemical heat pipe 12 is connected to the collecting cylinder. An electric heater is provided inside the thermochemical heat pipe 12. The outlet of the gas phase space 11 is connected to the collecting cylinder via a steam inlet valve 13, which introduces gas phase steam into the thermochemical heat pipe 12, so that the thermochemical heat storage material in the thermochemical heat pipe 12 undergoes hydration and heat release. A return steam valve 14 is located in the water space. The outlet of the collecting cylinder is connected to the return steam valve 14. During heat storage, the steam generated by the dehydration of the thermochemical heat storage material is collected by the collecting cylinder and then sent into the water space for condensation and recovery via the return steam valve 14. The return steam valve 14 and the steam inlet valve 13 are interlocked and both are equipped with check valves. The water space is connected to the inlet of the flash tank 21 via the heat pump 15. The steam outlet of the flash tank 21 is connected to the inlet of the steam-water separator 22. The water outlet of the flash tank 21 is connected to the inlet of the buffer water tank 27. The outlet of the buffer water tank 27 is connected to the water space via the return water valve 24. The steam outlet of the steam-water separator 22 is connected to the industrial heat user 3 via the first steam pressure regulating valve 231. The water outlet of the steam-water separator 22 is connected to the inlet of the buffer water tank 27. The outlet of the buffer water tank 27 is connected to the inlet of the standby electric boiler 26. The steam outlet of the standby electric boiler 26 is connected to the industrial heat user 3 via the second steam pressure regulating valve 232. The condensate outlet of the industrial heat user 3 is connected to the buffer water tank 27.

[0029] The power generation system is connected to the electric heater, and the external waste heat exchanger is connected to the water space. The steam supply controller 25 is connected to the first steam pressure regulating valve 231, the second steam pressure regulating valve 232, the standby electric boiler 26, the return steam valve 14, the inlet steam valve 13, and the heat pump 15.

[0030] The industrial steam supply method based on thermochemical heat pipes described in this invention includes heat storage and pressure building, flash steam supply, and supplementary heating to maintain the cycle operation; The process of thermal storage and pressure building is as follows: Close the steam inlet valve 13 and open the return steam valve 14. The electric heater is driven by off-peak electricity / grid power, which causes the thermochemical heat storage material in the thermochemical heat pipe 12 to dehydrate and generate steam. The steam is then collected in the collecting cylinder and sent to the water space for condensation and recovery through the return steam valve 14. The water temperature in the water space and the gas pressure in the gas phase space 11 increase. When the gas pressure in the gas phase space 11 reaches the preset value, heat storage stops and the return steam valve 14 is closed.

[0031] The flash steam supply process is as follows: Heat pump 15 delivers pressurized high-temperature water from the water space into flash tank 21. Flash tank 21 maintains a set flash pressure (corresponding to the required steam saturation temperature). The high-temperature water undergoes pressure reduction and flash evaporation to generate steam. The steam enters steam-water separator 22 for separation. The separated steam is stabilized by first steam pressure regulating valve 231 and fed into the user's main pipe, ultimately reaching industrial heat user 3. During the steam supply process, steam controller 25 adjusts the flow rate of heat pump 15 and the flash pressure of flash tank 21 according to the pressure of the user's main pipe. If the pressure of the user's main pipe is low, the flow rate of heat pump 15 is increased / the flash pressure is adjusted; conversely, it is decreased. First steam pressure regulating valve 231 operates in a closed loop according to the pressure of the user's main pipe, absorbing fluctuations on the flash side and ensuring stable steam parameters on the user side. When the gas pressure in the gas phase space 11 decreases as heat is released, the steam inlet valve 13 is opened and the return steam valve 14 is closed to supply steam to the thermochemical heat storage material to release heat and maintain the water temperature and steam supply capacity of the water space.

[0032] The process of water-side closure and water replenishment is as follows: The residual water from flash evaporation, the condensate from the steam-water separator 22, and the user's condensate are collected and fed into the buffer water tank 27. The water outlet from the buffer water tank 27 is returned to the water space via the return water valve 24 according to the liquid level of the water space. The opening of the return water valve 24 is controlled according to the liquid level difference between the water space and the buffer water tank 27 to prevent water backflow.

[0033] The process of heat replenishment and maintenance is as follows: When the heat storage is depleted, the steam supply is insufficient, or the reaction unit is under maintenance, the standby electric boiler 26 is started to directly supplement steam to the user's main pipe. The steam supply controller 25 uniformly schedules the thermochemical steam supply and standby supplementary steam to ensure continuous steam supply. When the standby electric boiler 26 is put into operation, the steam inlet valve 13 and the return steam valve 14 are closed, and the thermochemical logic is exited.

[0034] The safety interlock process is as follows: when any of the following conditions are met, such as the reactor gas / shell side pressure reaching the upper limit, the liquid level being low, the electric heater overheating, the heat pump 15 malfunctioning and the water side temperature being high, or an emergency stop, the electric heater will stop immediately; the steam inlet valve 13 and the return steam valve 14 are always interlocked, and before opening, it is confirmed that the other valve is closed; when the flash tank 21 is overpressurized, it will operate according to the pressure relief logic.

[0035] It should be noted that the present invention has the following characteristics: This invention provides a reactor based on a thermochemical heat pipe 12. High-temperature water under pressure on the shell side is sent to a flash tank 21 via a heat pump 15 for depressurized flash steam generation. The thermochemical heat release and external steam supply are decoupled on the water side, which can effectively prevent the gas phase pressure fluctuation of the reactor from being directly transmitted to the user side, and the output steam parameters are stable. In this invention, the steam supply controller 25 achieves independent adjustment of steam supply and steam parameters through a multi-parameter closed loop of the heat pump 15 flow rate, flash tank 21 flash pressure and steam pressure regulating valve; This invention can utilize off-peak electricity / waste heat storage to generate steam, with stable steam supply parameters, continuous steam supply, closed-loop water-side recovery, low equipment pressure requirements, and a combination of low cost and high reliability.

[0036] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and disclosure of the invention. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0037] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

[0038] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any limitation on the present invention. Any simple modifications, alterations, or equivalent structural changes made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes, characterized in that, It includes an energy supply system, a thermochemical reaction unit (1), a steam supply module (2), an industrial heat user (3), and a backup electric boiler (26). The energy supply system is connected to the thermochemical reaction unit (1), the thermochemical reaction unit (1) is connected to the steam supply module (2), and the steam supply module (2) and the backup electric boiler (26) are connected to the industrial heat user (3).

2. The industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shell side of the thermochemical reaction unit (1) includes a water space at the bottom and a gas phase space (11) at the top. A collecting cylinder is provided on the side of the shell side of the thermochemical reaction unit (1). A thermochemical heat pipe (12) is provided inside the shell side of the thermochemical reaction unit (1). The thermochemical heat pipe (12) is connected to the collecting cylinder. An electric heater is provided inside the thermochemical heat pipe (12). The outlet of the gas phase space (11) is connected to the collecting cylinder via a steam inlet valve (13). The return steam valve (14) is located in the water space. The outlet of the collecting cylinder is connected to the return steam valve (14). The return steam valve (14) is interlocked with the steam inlet valve (13).

3. The industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steam supply module (2) includes a heat pump (15), a flash tank (21), a steam-water separator (22), a buffer tank (27), and a return water valve (24). The water space is connected to the inlet of the flash tank (21) via the heat pump (15). The steam outlet of the flash tank (21) is connected to the inlet of the steam-water separator (22). The outlet of the flash tank (21) is connected to the inlet of the buffer water tank (27). The outlet of the buffer water tank (27) is connected to the water space via the return water valve (24). The steam outlet of the steam-water separator (22) is connected to the industrial heat user (3). The outlet of the steam-water separator (22) is connected to the inlet of the buffer water tank (27). The condensate outlet of the industrial heat user (3) is connected to the buffer water tank (27).

4. The industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steam outlet of the steam-water separator (22) is connected to the industrial heat user (3) via the first steam pressure regulating valve (231).

5. The industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outlet of the buffer tank (27) is connected to the inlet of the standby electric boiler (26), and the steam outlet of the standby electric boiler (26) is connected to the industrial heat user (3).

6. The industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes according to claim 5, characterized in that, The steam outlet of the standby electric boiler (26) is connected to the industrial heat user (3) via the second steam pressure regulating valve (232).

7. The industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a steam supply controller (25), which is connected to a first steam pressure regulating valve (231), a second steam pressure regulating valve (232), a standby electric boiler (26), a return steam valve (14), an inlet steam valve (13), and a heat pump (15).

8. The industrial steam supply system based on thermochemical heat pipes according to claim 4, characterized in that, The energy supply system includes a power generation system and an external waste heat generator. The power generation system is connected to an electric heater, and the external waste heat generator is connected to a water space.

9. An industrial steam supply method based on thermochemical heat pipes, characterized in that, The industrial steam supply system based on a thermochemical heat pipe as described in claim 6 includes the following steps: The process of heat storage and pressure building is as follows: close the steam inlet valve (13), open the return steam valve (14), and drive the electric heater with off-peak electricity / grid to dehydrate the thermochemical heat storage material in the thermochemical heat pipe (12) to produce steam. After being collected by the collecting cylinder, the steam is sent to the water space for condensation and recovery through the return steam valve (14). The water temperature in the water space and the gas pressure in the gas phase space (11) increase. When the gas pressure in the gas phase space (11) reaches the preset value, heat storage is stopped and the return steam valve (14) is closed. The process of flash steam supply is as follows: the heat pump (15) sends the pressurized high-temperature water in the water space into the flash tank (21), the flash tank (21) maintains the set flash pressure, and the high-temperature water is depressurized and flash steam is generated; the steam enters the steam-water separator (22) for separation, and the separated steam is stabilized by the first steam pressure stabilizing valve (231) and fed into the user's main pipe, and finally enters the industrial heat user (3). During the steam supply process, the steam supply controller (25) adjusts the flow rate of the heat pump (15) and the flash pressure of the flash tank (21) according to the pressure of the user's main pipe. When the gas pressure in the gas phase space (11) decreases as heat is released, the steam inlet valve (13) is opened and the return steam valve (14) is closed to supply steam and release heat to the thermochemical heat storage material, thereby maintaining the water temperature and steam supply capacity of the water space.

10. The industrial steam supply method based on thermochemical heat pipes according to claim 9, characterized in that, Also includes: The residual water from flash evaporation, the condensate from the steam-water separator (22), and the user's condensate are collected and fed into the buffer water tank (27). The water outlet of the buffer water tank (27) is returned to the water space through the return water valve (24) according to the liquid level of the water space. The opening degree of the return water valve (24) is controlled according to the liquid level difference between the liquid level of the water space and the liquid level of the buffer water tank (27).

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