Electric heater system for hydrogen purification

Abstract

The utility model provides an electric heater system for hydrogen purification, which relates to the technical field of hydrogen purification electric heating and comprises a PLC (programmable logic controller), a power regulator and a plurality of drying units. The power regulator is connected with a power supply and receives power supply input; the power regulator is connected with the plurality of drying units and outputs power to the plurality of drying units, and each drying unit receives the power output by the power regulator to work; the PLC is connected with the power regulator and the multiple drying units. The PLC obtains temperature information in each dryer and generates a control instruction based on the temperature information to control the output power of the power regulator. According to the technical scheme, the PLC is used for controlling the power regulator to output power to the dryer based on the temperature information of the dryer, then the working condition of the dryer is controlled, and accurate control over the power of the dryer is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of hydrogen purification electric heating, in particular to an electric heater system for hydrogen purification. Background Art

[0002] Hydrogen energy is considered to be the most promising secondary clean energy in the field of sustainable development, and green hydrogen is the main direction of future development of hydrogen energy.

[0003] The hydrogen production process undergoes a purification step. Typically, this process involves three electrically heated dryers. These dryers are filled with molecular sieves, which effectively remove moisture from the crude hydrogen. Once the molecular sieves are saturated with water, they are heated to release the water, allowing it to be used again. By switching pneumatic three-way valves, the three drying towers sequentially perform a cycle of "regeneration, drying, and adsorption" to ensure complete water removal from the crude hydrogen.

[0004] At present, the composition of the heating circuit is analyzed as follows:

[0005] Existing Structure: The dryer's power supply and control circuits typically include AC contactors and thermal relays. These circuits are controlled by a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) within the hydrogen production control cabinet, responsible for starting and stopping the dryer.

[0006] Problems: This power supply and control method suffers from low precision, making it impossible to adjust power, requiring frequent manual intervention and resulting in inefficient energy utilization. Furthermore, large temperature fluctuations can affect purification effectiveness. High dryer power levels can easily generate sparks, posing a risk of personal injury. If the current in the circuit is excessive, the circuit may not be disconnected in time, compromising safe operation of the equipment. Utility Model Content

[0007] The embodiments of the present invention provide an electric heater system for hydrogen purification, so as to achieve precise control of the dryer power, improve the drying effect of the dryer, and thus enhance the efficiency of the hydrogen purification process.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from the practice of the present invention.

[0009] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present utility model, an electric heater system for hydrogen purification includes: a PLC controller, a power regulator, and a plurality of drying units;

[0010] The power regulator is connected to the power supply and receives power input;

[0011] The power regulator is connected to the plurality of drying units and outputs power to the plurality of drying units, and each drying unit receives the power output by the power regulator to operate;

[0012] The PLC controller is connected to the power regulator and the plurality of drying units respectively. The PLC controller obtains temperature information in each dryer and generates a control instruction based on the temperature information to control the power output by the power regulator.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, based on the aforementioned solution, a control switch is provided between the power regulator and each drying unit;

[0014] The control switch is connected to the PLC control and controls the closing / opening of the circuit between the power regulator and the drying unit based on the control instructions issued by the PLC controller.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, based on the above solution, the control switch is a contactor.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, based on the aforementioned solution, the dryer unit includes: an electric heater and a temperature sensor;

[0017] The temperature sensor is arranged inside the electric heater and is used to obtain temperature information of the electric heater;

[0018] The temperature sensor is connected to the PLC controller and transmits the acquired temperature information to the PLC controller;

[0019] The electric heater is connected to the power regulator via the control switch and receives power output by the power regulator to operate.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, based on the above solution, a circuit breaker is provided between the power supply and the power regulator.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, based on the aforementioned solution, the power regulator is a power regulator. The technical solution of the present invention utilizes a PLC controller to control the power output of the power regulator to the dryer based on the dryer's temperature information, thereby controlling the dryer's operating conditions and achieving precise control of the dryer's power.

[0022] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrating embodiments of the present invention and, together with the specification, explaining the principles of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 The figure shows a structural schematic diagram of an electric heater system for hydrogen purification according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete and will fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0026] In addition, the described features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, many specific details are provided to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical solutions of the present invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, devices, steps, etc. can be adopted. In other cases, well-known methods, devices, implementations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the present invention.

[0027] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clear, the following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings to describe some embodiments of the present invention in detail. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0029] In order to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art, the utility model introduces a power regulator into the electric heater circuit and uses the power regulator and the temperature information of the dryer to cooperate to achieve precise control of the dryer power.

[0030] Specifically, an embodiment of the present utility model provides an electric heater system for hydrogen purification, the system comprising: a PLC controller, a power regulator and a plurality of drying units;

[0031] The power regulator is connected to the power supply and receives power input;

[0032] The power regulator is connected to the plurality of drying units and outputs power to the plurality of drying units, and each drying unit receives the power output by the power regulator to operate;

[0033] The PLC controller is connected to the power regulator and the plurality of drying units respectively. The PLC controller obtains temperature information in each dryer and generates a control instruction based on the temperature information to control the power output by the power regulator.

[0034] It is understood that when the dryer receives the power output of the power regulator and operates, it will generate a corresponding temperature. The PLC controller generates control instructions based on the dryer's temperature information to adjust the power output of the power regulator. For example, when the dryer temperature is too high, the PLC controller will issue a control instruction to reduce the power output of the power regulator. When the dryer temperature is too low, the PLC controller will issue a control instruction to increase the power output of the power regulator, thereby achieving precise control of the dryer. This method does not require manual operation and is automatic, convenient, and reliable.

[0035] In addition, the present application uses one power regulator to regulate the power of multiple drying units, thereby reducing equipment costs.

[0036] In some feasible embodiments, based on the above solution, a control switch is provided between the power regulator and the drying unit;

[0037] The control switch is connected to the PLC control and controls the closing / opening of the circuit between the power regulator and the drying unit based on the control instructions issued by the PLC controller.

[0038] In some feasible embodiments, based on the aforementioned solution, the dryer unit includes: an electric heater and a temperature sensor;

[0039] The temperature sensor is arranged inside the electric heater and is used to obtain temperature information of the electric heater;

[0040] The temperature sensor is connected to the PLC controller and transmits the acquired temperature information to the PLC controller;

[0041] The electric heater is connected to the power regulator via the control switch and receives power output by the power regulator to operate.

[0042] It should be noted that the temperature sensor is not limited to being arranged inside the electric heater, and can also be arranged at other locations, but needs to be close to the electric heater to ensure that the temperature information of the electric heater can be obtained.

[0043] For example, see Figure 1 , shows a structural schematic diagram of an electric heater system for hydrogen purification according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0044] like Figure 1 The figure shows an electric heater system for hydrogen purification. The system comprises a PLC controller, a power regulator, three control switches, and dryers A, B, and C, each connected to the three control switches. The power regulator is a power regulator; the control switches are contactors. Dryer A includes an electric heater A and a temperature sensor A; dryer B includes an electric heater B and a temperature sensor B; and dryer C includes an electric heater C and a temperature sensor C. Electric heaters A, B, and C are each connected to the power regulator via a contactor. Temperature sensors A, B, and C are all connected to the PLC controller.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the PLC controller is connected to the power regulator and issues control commands to adjust the power output in the circuit. Each electric heater is equipped with a temperature sensor, and data from all three temperature sensors is transmitted to the PLC controller. The PLC controller uses the PID control algorithm to calculate control commands based on the temperature data collected by the three temperature sensors. The PLC controller then outputs these control commands to the power regulator to adjust the power output. This in turn adjusts the operating status of the electric heaters to ensure that the heater temperature is maintained at the set target temperature.

[0046] In this example, only one of the three electric heaters is operating at any given time, depending on the process flow. Each heater is connected to a power regulator via a separate contactor, which controls and selects the appropriate heater for operation. The power regulator is connected to a circuit breaker, which in turn receives power, enabling multiplexing of the power regulator and circuit breaker.

[0047] It can be understood that, in this example, one circuit breaker is used to control the power supply of the entire system, which physically avoids the risks brought about when multiple heaters are started at the same time, thereby improving safety.

[0048] In this example, the rated capacity of the power regulator and circuit breaker is only sufficient to support the operation of one electric heater. Once this capacity is exceeded, the system will automatically disconnect to protect the equipment. This prevents two electric heaters from operating simultaneously due to contactor failure or control logic errors, thereby adding a layer of protection to system safety at the physical level.

[0049] In this example, when the dryer is operating, the corresponding contactor is first closed, then the power output of the power regulator is gradually increased. When the dryer stops operating, the power of the power regulator is slowly reduced until it stops completely, and then the contactor is opened. The same start and stop procedure is followed when the three dryers switch between operations to avoid violent sparks caused by high current when the contactors are closed or opened. This measure not only improves safety but also significantly extends the service life of the components.

[0050] During the process of the power regulator adjusting the power to make the dryer reach the target temperature, the PLC controller selects the measurement value of the corresponding dryer temperature sensor as the feedback input of the PID control algorithm.

[0051] In an emergency, when the dryer needs to be stopped immediately, the power regulator and circuit breaker will be disconnected at the same time. Since the power regulator and circuit breaker are connected in series, this further ensures that the electric heater can be stopped reliably.

[0052] Those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the present invention after considering the specification and practicing the embodiments disclosed herein. The present invention is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of the present invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present invention. 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 the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electric heater system for hydrogen purification, characterized in that: include: PLC controller, power regulator and multiple drying units; The power regulator is connected to the power supply and receives power input; The power regulator is connected to the plurality of drying units and outputs power to the plurality of drying units, and each drying unit receives the power output by the power regulator to operate; The PLC controller is connected to the power regulator and the plurality of drying units respectively. The PLC controller obtains temperature information in each dryer and generates a control instruction based on the temperature information to control the power output by the power regulator.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: A control switch is provided between the power regulator and each drying unit; The control switch is connected to the PLC control and controls the closing / opening of the circuit between the power regulator and the drying unit based on the control instructions issued by the PLC controller.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The control switch is a contactor.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein: The drying unit includes: an electric heater and a temperature sensor; The temperature sensor is arranged inside the electric heater and is used to obtain temperature information of the electric heater; The temperature sensor is connected to the PLC controller and transmits the acquired temperature information to the PLC controller; The electric heater is connected to the power regulator via the control switch and receives power output by the power regulator to operate.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: A circuit breaker is provided between the power supply and the power regulator.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The power regulator is a power regulator.

Images