Helium compressor system
By independently setting up a refrigeration system in the helium compressor system and using a plate heat exchanger to directly cool helium and lubricating oil, the problem of low cooling efficiency of the helium compressor system in high temperature environments is solved, and more efficient cooling and energy saving effects are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421861244.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-02
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-13
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-08-02
AI Technical Summary
When the existing helium compressor system is operating in a high temperature environment, the heat exchange efficiency of the cooling system decreases, resulting in frequent high-temperature alarms and shutdown protection for helium compressors. In addition, traditional cooling methods such as water cooling and air cooling have high power consumption, which makes energy-saving effects poor.
An independently-installed refrigeration system is designed, including a refrigeration compressor, condenser, throttling device and evaporator. The refrigerant is directly exchanged with helium and lubricant through a plate heat exchanger to achieve efficient cooling.
The helium compressor system can be effectively cooled at different ambient temperatures, reducing the demand for additional equipment, such as chillers or chillers, consumes about 20% less power than a single chiller unit, improving refrigeration efficiency and energy saving effect.
Smart Images
Figure CN222978381U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of cryogenic refrigeration, in particular to a helium compressor system. Background Art
[0002] A large-scale helium cryogenic refrigeration system refers to a large-scale helium cryogenic refrigeration system using a turboexpander with helium as the working medium, which is widely used in large scientific devices such as high magnetic fields, spallation neutron sources, positron-electron colliders, and superconducting tokamaks. The main purpose is to provide cooling capacity for superconducting coils. The helium compressor system is an important part of the helium cryogenic refrigeration system. The helium compressor system mainly includes components such as a helium compressor, an oil-gas separator, an adsorber, a cooling system, an electric control system, and an instrument system. The performance of its cooling system directly affects the normal operation of the helium cryogenic refrigeration system. The helium compressor system requires the cooling system to take away the heat generated by the helium compressor. When the temperature of the helium compressor is too high, the equipment will stop running. As the equipment is used for a longer time, the heat transfer efficiency of the cooling system begins to decline, and the heat of the helium compressor cannot be taken away by the cooling system in time. Especially in the extremely high-temperature weather in summer, when the helium cryogenic refrigeration system operates continuously, the helium compressor will frequently issue high-temperature alarms and shut down for protection. In the helium compressor system, the refrigeration medium is helium, which belongs to an inert gas with a liquefaction temperature of 4.23K. The inside of the helium compressor cannot reach such a low temperature. Therefore, during the operation of the helium compressor, it cannot be cooled like the outdoor unit of an air conditioner through the gas-liquid phase change of the refrigerant (helium) itself. In addition, in the helium compressor system, the lubricating oil and helium need to be separated. In addition to the lubricating function, the lubricating oil also needs to play a role in cooling the helium compressor. Therefore, the lubricating oil also needs to exchange heat with the outside to take away the heat generated by it.
[0003] At present, there are two cooling methods for the helium compressor system. One is water cooling, and the other is air cooling. The water cooling method is to use cooling water to circulate in the internal heat exchanger of the helium compressor system to take away heat. This method requires an external chiller or cooling tower to be added. The method of cooling with a chiller is relatively stable and effective, but the defect is obvious. The power consumption of the chiller needs to be greater than that of the helium compressor system, generally reaching more than 1.4 times to effectively cool the helium and lubricating oil of the helium compressor system. The cooling tower is more energy-efficient than the chiller, but building a cooling tower requires a relatively large site and upfront investment. The air cooling method is to install a finned heat exchanger and a fan inside the helium compressor system to take away heat. The air-cooled helium compressor system can operate on a transport vehicle, but the defect is that the heat transfer efficiency is not as high as that of the water cooling method, and the ambient temperature needs to be controlled at a relatively low level, otherwise heat cannot be exchanged with the environment. Generally, the application site of the air-cooled helium compressor system also needs to turn on the air conditioner additionally to ensure that the ambient temperature will not be too high. In this way, the power consumption is also very high. Summary of the Utility Model
[0004] The object of the present utility model is to solve the above-discussed technical problems, and thus provides a helium compressor system, which includes an independently arranged refrigeration system, capable of providing effective cooling at different ambient temperatures, without the need for additional chillers or cooling towers and with lower energy consumption, specifically as follows:
[0005] A helium compressor system includes a helium compressor, a plate heat exchanger, an oil separator, an adsorber, and a gas storage tank; the helium compressor includes a helium outlet, a lubricating oil outlet, a helium inlet, and a lubricating oil inlet; the plate heat exchanger includes a helium channel, a lubricating oil channel, and a refrigerant channel that are arranged in parallel and exchange heat with each other; wherein, the helium outlet of the helium compressor is communicated with one end of the helium channel of the plate heat exchanger, the lubricating oil outlet of the helium compressor is communicated with one end of the lubricating oil channel of the plate heat exchanger, the other end of the helium channel is communicated with the oil separator through a helium connection pipeline, the other end of the lubricating oil channel is communicated with the lubricating oil inlet of the helium compressor through an oil return pipeline, and a first throttle is arranged on the oil return pipeline; the oil separator includes an oil-gas mixing pipeline, the oil-gas mixing pipeline is communicated with the helium inlet of the helium compressor, and a second throttle is arranged in the oil-gas mixing pipeline; the oil separator further includes a helium outlet pipeline, the helium outlet pipeline is communicated with the adsorber, and the adsorber is communicated with the system outlet pipeline; the gas storage tank has a first gas storage tank inlet communicated with the system return air pipeline, and the gas storage tank outlet of the gas storage tank is communicated with the helium inlet of the helium compressor through a helium return air channel; a pressure relief bypass pipeline is further connected to the oil separator, and the pressure relief bypass pipeline is connected to a second gas storage tank inlet of the gas storage tank; and an independent refrigeration system is also provided, which includes a refrigeration compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, and an evaporator that are sequentially connected to form a refrigeration cycle, wherein the evaporator is constituted by the refrigerant channel of the plate heat exchanger in the helium compressor system, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant channel exchanges heat with the high-temperature helium and lubricating oil in the helium channel and the lubricating oil channel through the heat exchange structure of the plate heat exchanger.
[0006] Further, a valve group is arranged on the pressure relief bypass pipeline.
[0007] Further, the valve group on the pressure relief bypass pipeline is constituted by a bypass valve and a solenoid valve arranged in parallel.
[0008] The helium compressor system of the present utility model can be installed according to different on-site conditions, without being restricted by the site. The power consumption of the refrigeration system is about 20% less than that of a single chiller, which can save energy. At the same time, the refrigerant directly exchanges heat with helium and oil through the plate heat exchanger, without the need to exchange heat with water first and then with helium and oil like a chiller, which can also improve the refrigeration efficiency. Description of the Drawings
[0009] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present utility model, the attached drawings required for the technical solution of the present utility model will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the attached drawings described below are only the embodiments of the present utility model, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, they do not limit the scope of protection of the present utility model.
[0010] Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of the helium compressor system of the present utility model;
[0011] Reference numerals:
[0012] 1 - Helium compressor system; 2 - Refrigeration system; 11 - Helium compressor; 111 - Helium outlet; 112 - Lubricating oil outlet; 113 - Helium inlet; 114 - Lubricating oil inlet; 12 - Plate heat exchanger; 121 - Helium channel; 122 - Lubricating oil channel; 123 - Refrigerant channel; 124 - Helium connection pipeline; 13 - Oil separator; 131 - Oil-gas mixing pipeline; 132 - Helium outlet pipeline; 133 - Pressure-reducing bypass pipeline; 14 - Adsorber; 15 - Gas storage tank; 151 - First inlet of the gas storage tank; 152 - Gas outlet of the gas storage tank; 153 - Helium return air channel; 154 - Second inlet of the gas storage tank; 16 - Oil return pipeline; 17 - First throttle valve; 18 - Second throttle valve; 19 - Valve group; 191 - Bypass valve; 192 - Solenoid valve; 21 - Refrigeration compressor; 22 - Condenser; 23 - Throttling device; 24 - Evaporator; 31 - System return air pipeline; 32 - System outlet pipeline. Detailed implementation manners
[0013] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the attached drawings of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present utility model, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present utility model.
[0014] Figure 1The helium compressor system 1 of the present utility model is shown. The arrows in the figure indicate the flow directions of helium and lubricating oil in the helium compressor system 1 and the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigeration system 2. Specifically, the helium compressor system 1 of the present utility model includes components such as a helium compressor 11, a plate heat exchanger 12, an oil separator 13, an adsorber 14, and a gas storage tank 15. Specifically, the helium compressor 11 includes a helium outlet 111, a lubricating oil outlet 112, a helium inlet 113, and a lubricating oil inlet 114. The plate heat exchanger 12 includes three closed channels arranged in parallel: a helium channel 121, a lubricating oil channel 122, and a refrigerant channel 123. Heat exchange can be achieved between the above three channels. The helium outlet 111 is communicated with one end of the helium channel 121 of the plate heat exchanger 12, the lubricating oil outlet 112 is communicated with one end of the lubricating oil channel 122 of the plate heat exchanger 12. The other end of the helium channel 121 is communicated with the oil separator 13 through a helium connection pipe 124. The other end of the lubricating oil channel 122 is communicated with the lubricating oil inlet 114 of the helium compressor 11 through an oil return pipe 16. A first throttle 17 is provided on the oil return pipe 16. The oil separator 13 includes an oil-gas mixing pipe 131. The oil-gas mixing pipe 131 is communicated with the helium inlet 113 of the helium compressor 11. A second throttle 18 is provided in the oil-gas mixing pipe 131. The oil separator 13 further includes a helium outlet pipe 132. The helium outlet pipe 132 is communicated with the adsorber 14, and the adsorber 14 is communicated with the system outlet pipe 32. The gas storage tank outlet 152 of the gas storage tank 15 is communicated with the helium inlet 113 of the helium compressor 11 through a helium return channel 153. The gas storage tank 15 also has a first gas storage tank inlet 151 communicated with the system return pipe 31. In addition, in order to achieve decompression bypass to balance the system pressure, a decompression bypass pipe 133 is further connected to the oil separator 13. The decompression bypass pipe 133 is connected to the second gas storage tank inlet 154 of the gas storage tank 15. A valve group 19 composed of a bypass valve 191 and a solenoid valve 192 connected in parallel is provided on the decompression bypass pipe 133..
[0015] During operation, helium is compressed by the helium compressor 11 and discharged from the helium outlet 111. At the same time, lubricating oil is also discharged synchronously from the lubricating oil outlet 112. The helium and the lubricating oil enter the helium channel 121 and the lubricating oil channel 122 of the plate heat exchanger 12 respectively. The lubricating oil after heat exchange flows through the oil return pipe 16 and is throttled by the first throttle valve 17 on the oil return pipe 16 and then flows into the lubricating oil inlet 114, thus returning to the helium compressor 11. The helium cooled by heat exchange in the plate heat exchanger 12 enters the oil separator 13. The oil-gas mixture at the bottom of the oil separator 13 enters the oil-gas mixing pipe 131 and is throttled by the second throttle valve 18 provided thereon and then flows into the helium inlet 113 to return to the helium compressor 11. The helium coming out of the oil separator 13 enters the adsorber 14 through the helium outlet pipe 132, and then flows from the adsorber 14 into the system outlet pipe 32 as the system outlet of the helium compressor system 1 to enter the helium cryogenic refrigeration system for operation. The first inlet 151 of the gas storage tank 15 is communicated with the system return air pipe 31 for receiving the system return air from the helium cryogenic refrigeration system. The helium stored in the gas storage tank 15 returns to the helium compressor 11 through the helium return air channel 153. In addition, the solenoid valve 192 in the pressure relief bypass pipe 133 is closed during the operation of the helium compressor system 1 and opened when the helium compressor system 1 is shut down to balance the gas pressure; the bypass valve 191 is opened only when the pressure of the helium compressor system 1 is higher than 1.8 mpa to play a role in bypass pressure relief. The helium enters the gas storage tank 15 for storage through the second inlet 154 of the gas storage tank after passing through the valve group 19.
[0016] In order to cool the helium compressor system 1, the present utility model independently sets up a refrigeration system 2 for cooling the high-temperature helium and lubricating oil flowing out of the helium compressor 11 in the helium compressor system 1 to achieve the stable operation of the helium compressor 11. Specifically, the refrigeration system 2 is an independent refrigeration cycle system, which uses a conventional refrigerant as the circulating working medium, such as the refrigerant used in an air-conditioning refrigeration system. The refrigeration system 2 includes a refrigeration compressor 21, a condenser 22, a throttling device 23, and an evaporator 24 that are connected in sequence to form a refrigeration cycle. Among them, the evaporator 24 is composed of the refrigerant channel 123 of the plate heat exchanger 12 in the helium compressor system 1. The refrigerant in the refrigerant channel 123 exchanges heat with the high-temperature helium and lubricating oil in the helium channel 121 and the lubricating oil channel 122 through the heat exchange structure of the plate heat exchanger 12 to reduce the temperature of the helium and the lubricating oil.
[0017] The working principle of the present utility model lies in adding an independent refrigeration system 2 to the helium compressor system 1 with a plate heat exchanger 12. The conventional refrigerant is compressed into a refrigerant gas in a high-temperature and high-pressure state in the refrigeration compressor 21 and enters the condenser 22. The condenser 22 is equipped with a fan (not shown). The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas is converted into a high-pressure and low-temperature liquid after heat exchange in the condenser 22. The high-pressure and low-temperature liquid passes through the throttling device 23, is throttled and expanded to lower the temperature, and then enters the evaporator 24 (i.e., the refrigerant channel 123 of the plate heat exchanger 12). During this process, the refrigerant in the evaporator 24 can absorb the heat of the high-temperature helium and lubricating oil, and then return to the refrigeration compressor 21 for the next cycle.
[0018] It can be seen from this that the plate heat exchanger 12 of the present utility model has three channels, namely a helium channel 121, a lubricating oil channel 122, and a refrigerant channel 123. The three channels are each closed. Among them, the refrigerant in the refrigeration system 2, the lubricating oil of the helium compressor system 1, and the helium each flow through a flow channel. Among them, both the lubricating oil and the helium exchange heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant channel 123 to lower the temperature. The lubricating oil and helium after being compressed by the helium compressor 11 are in a high-temperature and high-pressure state. After flowing through the plate heat exchanger 12 and being cooled, the lubricating oil returns to the helium compressor 11 to play a role in lubrication and cooling. The helium then carries a small amount of oil into the oil-gas separator 13 for separation of oil and gas, and then enters the adsorber 14 for filtration. Finally, pure high-pressure normal-temperature helium is obtained and enters the helium low-temperature refrigeration system for operation.
[0019] The helium compressor system 1 with the above structure claimed by the present utility model does not need to be additionally equipped with a chiller and can be used normally when the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the internal temperature of the helium compressor. It is applicable to various harsh environments and can also be used as an on-vehicle helium compressor system. The refrigeration system 2 is similar to an outdoor unit system of an air conditioner and can be installed inside the helium compressor system 1 or outdoors. By connecting it to the water inlet and outlet interfaces of the plate heat exchanger 12 of the helium compressor system 1 through copper pipes, it can be installed according to different on-site conditions without being restricted by the site. The power consumption of the refrigeration system 2 is about 20% less than that of a single chiller unit, which can save energy. At the same time, the refrigerant directly exchanges heat with helium and oil through the plate heat exchanger 12, without first exchanging heat with water like a chiller and then exchanging heat with helium and oil, which can also improve the refrigeration efficiency.
[0020] The above has introduced in detail a helium compressor system provided by the present utility model. In this article, specific examples are used to elaborate on the principle and implementation manner of the present utility model. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of the present utility model. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the technical solution of the present utility model is not limited to the solution defined by the specific implementation manner. Technical solutions formed by other obvious changes that can be achieved based on the general technical knowledge in this field are all within the protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A helium compressor system, comprising a helium compressor, a plate heat exchanger, an oil separator, an adsorber and a gas storage tank; the helium compressor comprises a helium outlet, a lubricating oil outlet, a helium inlet and a lubricating oil inlet; the plate heat exchanger comprises a helium channel, a lubricating oil channel and a refrigerant channel which are arranged in parallel and exchange heat with each other; wherein, The helium outlet of the helium compressor is connected to one end of the helium channel of the plate heat exchanger, and the lubricating oil outlet of the helium compressor is connected to one end of the lubricating oil channel of the plate heat exchanger; the other end of the helium channel is connected to the oil separator through a helium connecting pipe, and the other end of the lubricating oil channel is connected to the lubricating oil inlet of the helium compressor through an oil return pipe, and a first throttle is provided on the oil return pipe; the oil separator includes an oil-gas mixing pipe, which is connected to the helium inlet of the helium compressor, and a second throttle is provided in the oil-gas mixing pipe; the oil separator also includes a helium outlet pipe, which is connected to the adsorber, and the adsorber is connected to the system outlet pipe; the gas storage tank has a first gas storage tank inlet connected to the system return pipe, and the gas storage tank outlet of the gas storage tank is connected to the helium inlet of the helium compressor through the helium return channel; it is characterized in that: The oil separator is further connected with a pressure reducing bypass pipeline, which is connected to the second inlet of the gas storage tank of the gas storage tank; and a refrigeration system is also independently provided, which includes a refrigeration compressor, a condenser, a throttling device and an evaporator which are sequentially connected to form a refrigeration cycle, wherein the evaporator is composed of a refrigerant channel of a plate heat exchanger in the helium compressor system, and the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant channel exchanges heat with the high-temperature helium and lubricating oil in the helium channel and the lubricating oil channel through the heat exchange structure of the plate heat exchanger.
2. The helium compressor system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A valve group is arranged on the pressure reducing bypass pipeline.
3. The helium compressor system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The valve group is composed of a bypass valve and a solenoid valve arranged in parallel.