Connecting pipe structure and pump outlet supporting structure

Abstract

The utility model provides a connecting pipe structure and a pump outlet supporting structure. The connecting pipe structure is used for connecting a pump connector and a bent pipe. The pump defines an axial direction and a lateral direction. In the connecting pipe structure, the straight pipe extends in the axial direction to connect the connector and the bent pipe, and fluid of the connector and fluid of the bent pipe are communicated with each other. The supporting piece is provided with an inner end and an outer end in the lateral direction, and the inner end of the supporting piece is connected to the outer pipe face of the straight pipe. The movable part is connected to the outer end of the supporting part and is movably arranged on the supporting base in the axial direction. The connecting pipe structure can provide reliable support for the connector of the pump.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a connecting pipe structure, and more particularly to a pump outlet supporting structure used for an air separation device. Background Art

[0002] Cryogenic liquid pumps are typically multi-stage pumps. Due to the high pressure at the outlet, flexible hoses are rarely used in their outlet piping. Furthermore, the piping is typically laid relatively straight to avoid excessive pressure loss. This presents significant challenges for stress calculations, making stress verification at the pump outlet nozzle difficult. Consequently, additional support structures are often required to address this issue.

[0003] International patent application WO2018218398A1 discloses a curved pipe support structure that reduces nozzle load. However, during actual operation, the inventors discovered that in some cases, this support structure was insufficient to support the nozzle at the pump outlet. After the device operated for a period of time, a large gap would appear between the pipe support and the supporting short pipe. Furthermore, the inventors believe that this support structure is relatively difficult to manufacture.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for an improved design to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned deficiencies. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a pipe structure, which can provide more reliable support for the interface of the pump, such as the outlet.

[0006] The utility model provides a pipe connection structure for connecting a pump interface and an elbow. The pump defines an axial direction and a lateral direction. In the pipe connection structure, a straight pipe extends axially, connecting the interface and the elbow, thereby allowing fluid communication between the interface and the elbow. A support member has an inner end and an outer end along the lateral direction, with the inner end of the support member connected to the outer surface of the straight pipe. A movable member is connected to the outer end of the support member and is axially movable on a support base.

[0007] In one embodiment, the pipe structure includes two supporting members and two movable members respectively connected to the two supporting members. The two supporting members are symmetrically distributed relative to the central axis of the straight pipe.

[0008] In one embodiment, the support member is a pipeline extending laterally.

[0009] In one embodiment, the connecting pipe structure further includes an auxiliary member. The auxiliary member is mounted on the supporting base to provide an axial sliding groove. The movable member is adapted to fit in the axial sliding groove to enable axial sliding.

[0010] In one embodiment, the support base provides a support plane extending in an axial direction. The support plane defines a transverse direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The auxiliary component includes two stoppers and a spacer located laterally between the two stoppers, with the two stoppers respectively providing two groove side surfaces of the axial slide groove. The spacer is configured such that the coefficient of friction between the spacer and the support plane is less than a predetermined value. The two stoppers and the spacer are both made of a first material, and the movable component and the support base are both made of a second material, wherein the first material is different from the second material.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first material is polytetrafluoroethylene material, and the second material is stainless steel material.

[0012] In one embodiment, the auxiliary member further comprises two L-shaped steels. The two L-shaped steels are located laterally outside the two limiting members relative to the spacer. The two limiting members are sandwiched between the two L-shaped steels fixed to the support plane.

[0013] In one embodiment, the portion of the support plane located between the two limiting members directly constitutes the bottom surface of the axial sliding groove. The movable member is fixedly connected to the spacer, so that the movable member and the spacer are slidably arranged in the axial sliding groove together.

[0014] In one embodiment, the spacer is fixed to the support plane, thereby providing a groove bottom surface of the axial sliding groove.

[0015] The utility model also provides a pump outlet support structure for use in an air separation plant. The air separation plant comprises a cryogenic liquid pump and a support frame. The pump outlet support structure includes the aforementioned connecting pipe structure. The straight pipe of the connecting pipe structure connects the outlet of the cryogenic liquid pump to the curved pipe, and the movable parts of the connecting pipe structure are movably supported on the support frame.

[0016] When using the aforementioned pipe structure and pump outlet support structure, the support member cooperates with the axially extending straight pipe to provide axially movable support. The support point can be very close to the pump interface, especially the outlet, thereby providing more reliable support for the pump interface, especially the outlet. At the same time, it can meet the requirement of stress relief to reduce fatigue risk.

[0017] Furthermore, the supporting connection of the pipe structure is a straight pipe, and the movable connection can also adopt a flat sliding surface, which is easier to manufacture and can maintain a gap-free fit for a long time, further increasing the reliability of the supporting structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The advantages and spirit of the present invention can be further understood through the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary pump outlet support structure, in which the pump itself is also shown.

[0020] Figure 2 It is an exemplary enlarged view of a portion of the pipe structure, especially the vicinity of its movable parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following describes in detail the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and the technical concept of the present invention can be implemented in combination with other known technologies or functions, or other technologies that are the same as those known technologies.

[0022] Unless otherwise indicated, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by the ordinary skill in the art to which this utility model belongs. It should also be understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be understood to have meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and related fields, and should not be understood in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly provided for in the text. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or configurations may not be described in detail. In addition, the term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0023] As mentioned above, the inventors analyzed and determined that the support point position of existing elbow support structures is not ideal, not close enough to the pump interface, resulting in inadequate support. Furthermore, they are difficult to manufacture and prone to gaps between moving parts after prolonged operation. Therefore, the present invention's pipe connection structure 10 and pump outlet support structure 100 were designed.

[0024] Figure 1 An exemplary configuration of a pipe connection structure 10 is shown. The pipe connection structure 10 is used to connect the port 201 of a pump 20 and the elbow 30. The pump 20 defines an axial direction X0 and a lateral direction L0. For the cylindrical pump or circular pipe shown, the axial direction X0 is parallel to the central axis O1 of the cylinder (also the central axis shared by the straight pipe 1 described later). The lateral direction L0 is also the radial direction defined by the corresponding circle. Therefore, lateral inward and lateral outward are also radially inward and radially outward, if a distinction between outward and inward directions is required.

[0025] It should be understood that the drawings in this article are only for examples and are not necessarily drawn in proportion. They should not be used to limit the actual scope of protection required by the present utility model.

[0026] Pump 20 is a machine for conveying or pressurizing fluid. Port 201 can be the outlet of pump 20 as shown, but it can also be the inlet of pump 20. As the name suggests, curved pipe 30 is a pipeline that allows fluid to flow through, extending in a non-straight direction but curved, such as a roughly quarter-circle arc in the figure. Straight pipe 1, described later, is also a pipeline that extends in a generally straight direction.

[0027] The pipe structure 10 includes a straight pipe 1, a support member 2, and a movable member 3. The straight pipe 1 extends along the axial direction X0, connecting the interface 201 and the bent pipe 30, so that the fluids of the interface 201 and the bent pipe 30 are in communication with each other.

[0028] The support member 2 has an inner end 21 and an outer end 22 along the lateral direction L0, ie, a proximal end and a distal end relative to the straight pipe 1. The inner end 21 of the support member 2 is connected to the outer pipe surface 11 of the straight pipe 1.

[0029] The movable member 3 is connected to the outer end 22 of the support member 2 and is movably disposed on the support base 40 along the axial direction X0 .

[0030] The above-mentioned connecting pipe structure 10 can move along the axial direction X0 relative to the supporting base 40 through the movable part 3, thereby relieving the stress caused by the operation of the pump 20 and reducing the risk of fatigue. At the same time, the straight pipe 1 is connected to the interface 201 of the pump 20, and the straight pipe 1 and the movable part 3 are connected through the support member 2, so that the support point is particularly close to the interface 201 of the pump 20, thereby achieving good support. In addition, this horizontal and vertical connection structure makes manufacturing and assembly particularly easy and can remain stable for a long time. All of these can increase the overall strength and reliability of the pump support structure.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the pipe structure 10 includes two supporting members 2 and two movable members 3 respectively connected to the two supporting members 2. Figure 1 As shown, the two supports 2 are symmetrically distributed relative to the central axis O1 of the straight tube 1. In essence, the two supports 2 are symmetrically distributed relative to a meridian plane passing through the central axis O1 and parallel to the lateral direction L0. This arrangement can further enhance reliability.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the support member 2 can be a pipeline extending along the lateral direction L0. In this way, the pipeline can be fully utilized for layout, further increasing convenience.

[0033] Combine Figure 1 and Figure 2 The pipe structure 10 may further include an auxiliary member 4. The auxiliary member 4 is mounted on the support base 40, thereby providing an axial slot 44. The movable member 3 fits into the axial slot 44, thereby being able to slide along the axial direction X0. This ensures freedom in the axial direction X0.

[0034] See also Figure 2 The supporting base 40 may provide a supporting plane 401 extending along the axial direction X0, and a lateral direction D0 perpendicular to the axial direction X0 is defined on the supporting plane 401.

[0035] The auxiliary part 4 includes two limit members 41 and a spacer 42 located between the two limit members 41 in the transverse direction D0, and the two limit members 41 respectively provide two groove side surfaces 441 of the axial slide groove 44. The spacer 42 is configured so that the friction coefficient between the spacer 42 and the support plane 401 is less than a predetermined value, for example, 0.2. The two limit members 41 and the spacer 42 mentioned above can both be made of a first material. The movable part 3 and the support base 40 can both be made of a second material. The first material and the second material are different. The first material can be, for example, a polytetrafluoroethylene material, often referred to as PTFE. The second material can be, for example, a stainless steel material. In this way, the friction coefficient between the two is around 0.1. The above arrangement can achieve the axial degree of freedom X0 with a simple structure.

[0036] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and do not refer to the limitation of time sequence, quantity, or importance. They cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features, but are only for distinguishing one technical feature from another technical feature in the technical solution. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more than two (that is, more than two), unless otherwise clearly specified. Similarly, the qualifiers similar to "one" appearing in the text do not refer to the limitation of quantity, but describe technical features that have not appeared in the previous text. Similarly, unless it is a noun modified by a specific quantitative quantifier, it should be regarded as including both singular and plural forms in the text, and the technical solution can include both singular and plural technical features. Similarly, when "less than", "about" and similar expressions appear near a numeral in the text, they all include the endpoint value, that is, they include the number itself, and their specific meaning should be understood in conjunction with the context.

[0037] Auxiliary component 4 also includes two L-shaped steels 43, which are located outside the two stoppers 41 relative to spacer 42 in the transverse direction D0. It should be understood that although "steel" is used here, it does not limit the specific material. Instead, L-shaped steel, a common term in the industry, is used to indicate the component's characteristics, and other materials such as aluminum and iron are not excluded.

[0038] The two stoppers 41 can be sandwiched between two L-shaped steel bars 43 fixed to the support plane 401. In other words, the outer side of each stopper 41 (the side farther from the other stopper 41 in the transverse direction D0) can be positioned by abutting against one outer surface of the corresponding L-shaped steel bar 43 (the vertical surface standing upright relative to the support plane 401). The other outer surface of the L-shaped steel bar 43, which forms an L-shape with the aforementioned outer surface, is the flat surface that mates with the support plane 401.

[0039] In one embodiment, the portion of the support plane 401 located between the two stoppers 41 directly forms the bottom surface 442 of the axial sliding groove 44. The movable member 3 is fixedly connected to the spacer 42, so that the movable member 3 and the spacer 42 are slidably disposed together in the axial sliding groove 44. As indicated by the solid line pointing to the reference numeral 442, the two surfaces of the sliding fit are provided by the spacer 42 and (the support plane 401 of) the support base 40, respectively.

[0040] In another embodiment, the spacer 42 can be fixed to the support plane 401 to provide a groove bottom surface 442 of the axial sliding groove 44. As shown by the dotted line pointing to the number 442, the two sliding fitting surfaces are provided by the spacer 42 and the movable member 3 respectively.

[0041] When the materials of the spacer 42, the movable member 3, etc. are mentioned above, it is intended that the friction coefficient between the two slidingly engaged surfaces be set to, for example, 0.2 or less, so as to enable smooth sliding.

[0042] Figure 1 The present invention essentially illustrates a pump outlet support structure 100. Pump outlet support structure 100 is used in an air separation plant. The air separation plant includes a cryogenic liquid pump (as an example of the aforementioned pump 20) and a support frame (as an example of the aforementioned support base 40). Pump outlet support structure 100 includes the aforementioned pipe structure 10.

[0043] Cryogenic liquid pumps are commonly used to transport liquid products in air separation plants. Depending on the liquid product, they are referred to as liquid oxygen pumps, liquid nitrogen pumps, liquid argon pumps, etc., and are also referred to as cryogenic pumps. The support frame is the steel structure used to support the air separation plant.

[0044] The straight pipe 1 of the connecting pipe structure 10 connects the outlet of the cryogenic liquid pump (as an example of the interface 201 ) with the bent pipe 30 , and the movable part 3 of the connecting pipe structure 10 is movably supported on the supporting frame.

[0045] The above-mentioned pump outlet support structure 100 adopts a connecting pipe structure 10. By adding a small section of straight pipe between the outlet nozzle and the elbow, and connecting the bracket composed of the support member 2, the auxiliary member 4, etc. to the straight pipe section, the support point position can be optimized and a good protective effect can be achieved. The bracket is closer to the nozzle, providing better support for the pump body. In addition, it can well meet the requirements of stress calculation and is more sturdy and durable than the existing pipe support structure. The bracket is closer to the nozzle. The gap-free fit between the components in the bracket is more conducive to the manufacturing process. Moreover, it has high strength and reliability. At the same time, the axially movable design makes it possible to release concentrated stress and reduce fatigue risks.

[0046] Unless clearly indicated to the contrary, each aspect or embodiment defined herein can be combined with any other aspect or embodiments. In particular, any feature indicated as preferred or advantageous can be combined with any other feature indicated as preferred or advantageous.

[0047] The present invention is described in this specification as a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The above embodiments are intended only to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any technical solution that can be obtained by a person skilled in the art through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation based on the concept of the present invention should be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipe structure for connecting the interface and elbow of a pump, wherein the pump is limited in axial and lateral directions, characterized in that: The takeover structure includes: a straight pipe extending in the axial direction, connecting the interface and the bent pipe so that the fluids of the interface and the bent pipe are in communication with each other; a support member having an inner end and an outer end in a lateral direction, the inner end of the support member being connected to the outer pipe surface of the straight pipe; and The movable member is connected to the outer end of the supporting member and is movably arranged on the supporting base along the axial direction.

2. The pipe structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It comprises two supporting members and two movable members respectively connected with the two supporting members; The two support members are symmetrically distributed relative to the central axis of the straight tube.

3. The connecting pipe structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The support member is a pipeline extending laterally.

4. The pipe connection structure according to claim 1, wherein: Also included is an auxiliary member, the auxiliary member being mounted on the support base to provide an axial slideway; The movable member is adapted to fit in the axial sliding groove so as to be able to slide axially.

5. The connecting pipe structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The support base provides a support plane extending in the axial direction, and a lateral direction perpendicular to the axial direction is defined on the support plane; The auxiliary member includes two limiting members and a spacer located between the two limiting members in the transverse direction, wherein the two limiting members respectively provide two groove side surfaces of the axial sliding groove; The spacer is arranged so that the friction coefficient between the spacer and the supporting plane is less than a predetermined value; The two limiting members and the spacer are both made of a first material, and the movable member and the supporting base are both made of a second material, wherein the first material is different from the second material.

6. The connecting pipe structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first material is polytetrafluoroethylene, and the second material is stainless steel.

7. The connecting pipe structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The auxiliary member further comprises two L-shaped steels, and the two L-shaped steels are located on the outside of the two limiting members relative to the spacer in the transverse direction; The two limiting members are sandwiched between the two L-shaped steels fixed to the supporting plane.

8. The connecting pipe structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The portion of the support plane located between the two limiting members directly constitutes the bottom surface of the axial sliding groove; The movable member is fixedly connected to the spacer, so that the movable member and the spacer are slidably arranged in the axial sliding groove together.

9. The connecting pipe structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The spacer is fixed to the supporting plane, thereby providing a groove bottom surface of the axial sliding groove.

10. A pump outlet support structure for an air separation plant having a cryogenic liquid pump and a support frame, characterized in that: The pump outlet support structure comprises a pipe structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The straight pipe of the connecting pipe structure connects the outlet of the cryogenic liquid pump with the bent pipe, and the movable part of the connecting pipe structure is movably supported on the supporting frame.

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