Heat recovery device for steam condensate
By using tower internals for direct contact heat transfer in the steam condensate heat recovery device, the problem of difficult transportation of low-pressure steam condensate is solved, achieving efficient recovery of heat and water resources and reducing energy consumption and costs.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520120220.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-13
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-01-17
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, the flash steam from low-pressure steam condensate is difficult to deliver to heating users, resulting in the phenomenon of "white steam" and serious waste of heat and water resources. Existing heat exchangers are also costly and inefficient.
A direct-contact steam condensate heat recovery device is adopted, which utilizes tower internals such as plate towers to achieve direct contact heat transfer between steam and condensate, combined with condensate pump pressurization, to achieve heat recovery and water conservation.
It achieves efficient recovery of heat from steam condensate, reduces water and energy consumption, and lowers the investment cost and operational complexity of heat exchangers.
Smart Images
Figure CN223795818U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of chemical technology and relates to a heat recovery device for steam condensate. Background Technology
[0002] Chemical production processes require significant energy consumption, with steam being a major contributor. The latent heat of steam during condensation provides heat to meet various production heating needs.
[0003] To improve steam utilization, chemical plants typically employ different pressure levels, such as high-pressure, medium-pressure, and low-pressure steam. Condensate from steam at different pressure levels can be flashed in flash tanks to produce a certain amount of lower-pressure steam, achieving cascaded utilization of flash steam. However, the flash steam from the lowest pressure level condensate is difficult to transport to the heating user due to pressure limitations; it must be vented, resulting in the phenomenon of "white steam." This venting of "white steam" not only leads to water resource loss but also increases energy consumption due to the latent heat of the steam, which carries away a significant amount of heat energy.
[0004] The commonly used technique is to add a heat exchanger and use a cold material (usually cooling water) to condense and cool the flash steam before venting, and then collect and recover the condensate. The disadvantages are twofold: first, as an indirect heat exchange device, the heat exchanger generally requires a temperature difference of more than 10°C, and the smaller the temperature difference, the higher the cost of the heat exchanger; second, if cooling water is used for heat exchange, the latent heat of the steam that produces the "white vapor" is not recovered, and the amount of cooling water used is increased, thus increasing the energy consumption of the equipment.
[0005] How to easily and efficiently recover and reuse this portion of heat energy and water has become an urgent problem to be solved. Utility Model Content
[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the above-mentioned problems by providing a heat recovery device for steam condensate.
[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0008] A heat recovery device for steam condensate includes a condensate tank, a cooling tank, tower internals, a condensate pump, a heat user, a steam condensate pipeline, and a cooling pipeline. The tower internals are located in the middle of the cooling tank. The outlet of the steam condensate pipeline is connected to the condensate tank. The top vapor outlet of the condensate tank is connected to the lower part of the cooling tank via a pipeline, and the bottom liquid outlet of the cooling tank is connected to the condensate tank via a pipeline. The liquid outlet of the condensate tank is connected to the upper part of the cooling tank via a cooling pipeline. The cooling pipeline is equipped with a condensate pump and a heat user.
[0009] In the aforementioned heat recovery device, the top gas phase outlet of the cooling tank is connected to the gas discharge pipeline; the cooling pipeline is connected to the condensate discharge pipeline.
[0010] In the aforementioned heat recovery device, the connection between the top gas phase outlet of the condensate tank and the lower part of the cooling tank is located below the tower internals, while the connection between the liquid phase outlet of the condensate tank and the upper part of the cooling tank is located above the tower internals.
[0011] In the aforementioned heat recovery device, the tower internals are plate-type tower internals.
[0012] In the aforementioned heat recovery device, the tower internals include sieve plates and tower plates.
[0013] A heat recovery device for steam condensate includes a condensate tank, tower internals, a condensate pump, a heat user, a steam condensate pipeline, and a cooling pipeline. The tower internals are located in the upper middle part of the condensate tank. The outlet of the steam condensate pipeline is connected to the lower middle part of the condensate tank. The bottom liquid phase outlet of the condensate tank is connected to the upper inlet through a cooling pipeline, and the cooling pipeline is equipped with a condensate pump and a heat user.
[0014] In the aforementioned heat recovery device, the top gas phase outlet of the condensate tank is connected to the gas discharge pipeline; the cooling pipeline is connected to the condensate discharge pipeline.
[0015] In the aforementioned heat recovery device, the connection between the steam condensate pipeline and the condensate tank is located below the tower internals; the connection between the cooling pipeline and the upper inlet of the condensate tank is located above the tower internals.
[0016] In the aforementioned heat recovery device, the tower internals are plate-type tower internals.
[0017] In the aforementioned heat recovery device, the tower internals include sieve plates and tower plates.
[0018] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this utility model are:
[0019] 1. This utility model can simultaneously recover heat and eliminate steam "white emission", thus reducing water consumption while saving energy.
[0020] 2. The condensate with recovered heat can be pressurized by the condensate pump and sent to various parts of the device, reducing the limitations on the use of recovered heat.
[0021] 3. The heat exchange process of this utility model is a direct contact type, which is highly efficient, has a small temperature difference, and does not require an additional heat exchanger, resulting in low investment and simple implementation.
[0022] Other advantages, objectives and features of this invention will be partly apparent from the following description, and partly understood by those skilled in the art through study and practice of this invention. Attached Figure Description
[0023] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.
[0024] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the present invention.
[0025] In the diagram: 1. Condensate tank; 2. Cooling tank; 3. Tower internals; 4. Condensate pump; 10. Heat user; 5. Steam condensate pipeline; 7. Cooling pipeline. Detailed Implementation
[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0027] Example 1
[0028] This invention provides a heat recovery device for steam condensate, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the system includes a condensate tank 1, a cooling tank 2, tower internals 3, a condensate pump 4, a heat user 10, a steam condensate pipeline 5, and a cooling pipeline 7. The tower internals 3 are located in the middle of the cooling tank 2. The outlet of the steam condensate pipeline 5 is connected to the condensate tank 1. The top vapor outlet of the condensate tank 1 is connected to the lower part of the cooling tank 2 via pipeline II, and the bottom liquid outlet of the cooling tank 2 is connected to the condensate tank 1 via pipeline III. The liquid outlet of the condensate tank 1 is connected to the upper part of the cooling tank 2 via cooling pipeline 7. The cooling pipeline 7 is equipped with the condensate pump 4 and the heat user 10. The medium in the cooling pipeline 7 is pressurized by the condensate pump 4 and transported to the heat user 10 for heat exchange. The top vapor outlet of the cooling tank 2 is connected to the gas discharge pipeline IV, and the cooling pipeline 7 is connected to the condensate discharge pipeline V.
[0029] The tower internals 3 provide a contact area for mass and heat transfer between the gas and liquid phases. It is a commonly used device in this technical field and should be well known to those skilled in the art. Any existing tower internals can be used in this invention. High-temperature flash steam and low-temperature condensate directly contact and transfer heat in the tower internals 3, and the required heat transfer temperature difference can be close to zero.
[0030] Heat user 10 refers to the location or equipment within the system that requires heating, such as a heat exchanger or a freeze protection / heat tracing device. It can be a single user, or multiple or multi-level users. A key feature is that the condensate transported in the cooling pipeline 7 experiences a temperature reduction before and after passing through heat user 10 due to heat exchange.
[0031] In this embodiment, the tower internals 3 are plate tower internals, and further, the tower internals 3 include 5 layers of bubble cap tower plates.
[0032] The connection between the top vapor outlet of condensate tank 1 and the lower part of cooling tank 2 is located below tower internals 3 (i.e., the connection between pipeline II and cooling tank 2 is located below tower internals 3), while the connection between the liquid outlet of condensate tank 1 and the upper part of cooling tank 2 is located above tower internals 3 (i.e., the connection between cooling pipeline 7 and cooling tank 2 is located above tower internals 3). The steam transported from pipeline II rises after entering cooling tank 2 and comes into contact with the condensate transported from cooling pipeline 7 at tower internals 3, undergoing mass and heat transfer to achieve heat exchange and cooling.
[0033] Furthermore, by setting appropriate instruments and valves, stable operation and automatic control can be achieved. Specifically, in this embodiment, a first valve a and a second valve b are provided. A flow meter is installed on the cooling pipeline 7, and a level gauge is installed on the condensate tank 1.
[0034] The liquid level in condensate tank 1 is adjusted by regulating the flow rate of condensate discharge pipeline V through the first valve a; the flow rate in cooling pipeline 7 is adjusted by regulating the flow rate of cooling pipeline 7 through the second valve b. Pipeline IV is led to a higher location for venting, maintaining cooling tank 2 at atmospheric pressure.
[0035] Taking the processing of 100 t / h of steam condensate from a certain unit as an example, the average pressure of the condensate in the steam condensate pipeline 5 is 1.0 barG, and the temperature is approximately 120℃. After flash evaporation at atmospheric pressure in the condensate tank 1, the temperature is approximately 102℃. The flash steam transported in pipeline II is approximately 3.3 t / h. The condensate at 102℃ is cooled to 70℃ after passing through heat user 10. 55 t / h of 70℃ condensate is transported to cooling tank 2 through cooling pipeline 7, where it comes into contact with the 3.3 t / h flash steam at the tower internals 3 for heat exchange, increasing the condensate temperature to approximately 102℃. Steam less than 0.1 t / h is discharged through pipeline IV. The condensate transported in pipeline III is approximately 58 t / h, and the condensate discharge pipeline V transports approximately 100 t / h. The heat exchange capacity of heat user 10 is approximately 5.8 MW.
[0036] Comparative Example 1
[0037] Referring to the method of Example 1, the tower internals 3 are eliminated, and the heat exchange capacity of heat user 10 is approximately 3.6 MW, which is reduced by approximately 38% compared to Example 1. The steam discharged in gas discharge pipeline IV is approximately 3.3 t / h, and the condensate transported in condensate discharge pipeline V is approximately 96.7 t / h.
[0038] Comparative Example 2
[0039] Referring to the method of Example 1, the internal component 3 of the tower is removed, and a heat exchanger is installed at the location of the internal component 3 for cooling with cooling water. The heat exchange capacity of the heat user 10 is about 3.8MW, which is reduced by about 35% compared with Example 1. At the same time, an additional 180t / h of cooling water is required.
[0040] Example 2
[0041] This utility model provides a heat recovery device for steam condensate, which is basically the same in structure and working principle as Embodiment 1. Referring to the content of Embodiment 1, the difference is that the cooling tank 2 is omitted, and the tower internals 3 are placed in the condensate tank 1. Figure 2 As shown, the system includes a condensate tank 1, tower internals 3, a condensate pump 4, a heat user 10, a steam condensate pipeline 5, and a cooling pipeline 7. The tower internals 3 are located in the middle of the condensate tank 1. The outlet of the steam condensate pipeline 5 is connected to the condensate tank 1. The bottom liquid phase outlet of the condensate tank 1 is connected to the upper inlet via the cooling pipeline 7. The medium in the cooling pipeline 7 is pressurized by the condensate pump 4 and transported to the heat user 10 for heat exchange. The top gas phase outlet of the condensate tank 1 is connected to the gas discharge pipeline IV. The cooling pipeline 7 is connected to the condensate discharge pipeline V.
[0042] Furthermore, the tower internals 3 include two layers of sieve trays. The connection between the steam condensate line 5 and the condensate tank 1 is located below the tower internals 3, while the connection between the cooling line 7 and the upper inlet of the condensate tank 1 is located above the tower internals 3. The flashed steam in the condensate tank 1 rises and comes into contact with the condensate transported from the cooling line 7 at the tower internals 3, where mass and heat transfer occur, achieving the purpose of heat exchange and cooling.
[0043] Furthermore, by setting appropriate instruments and valves, stable operation and automatic control can be achieved. Specifically, in this embodiment, a first valve a, a second valve b, and a fourth valve d are provided. The condensate tank 1 is equipped with a level gauge and a pressure gauge, and the cooling pipeline 7 is equipped with a flow meter.
[0044] The liquid level in condensate tank 1 is adjusted by regulating the flow rate of condensate discharge line V through the first valve a; the flow rate of cooling line 7 is adjusted by the second valve b; and the pressure in condensate tank 1 is adjusted by regulating the flow rate of gas discharge line IV through the third valve c.
[0045] Taking the processing of 100 t / h steam condensate from a certain device as an example, in Example 1, the temperature after flash evaporation at a pressure of 0.5 barG in condensate tank 1 is approximately 111°C, and the steam generated by flash evaporation is approximately 1.7 t / h. The condensate at 111°C is cooled to 80°C after passing through heat user 10. 25 t / h of 80°C condensate is transported to the upper part of condensate tank 1 via cooling pipeline 7, where it comes into contact with the 1.7 t / h flash steam at the tower internals 3 for heat exchange, increasing the condensate temperature to approximately 110°C. Approximately 0.2 t / h of steam is discharged through pipeline IV, and approximately 99.8 t / h of condensate is transported in condensate discharge pipeline V. The heat exchange capacity of heat user 10 is approximately 4.5 MW.
[0046] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples illustrating the spirit of this utility model. Those skilled in the art to which this utility model pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to replace them, without departing from the spirit of this utility model.
Claims
1. A heat recovery device for steam condensate, comprising a condensate tank (1), a cooling tank (2), a tower internal (3), a condensate pump (4), a heat user (10), a steam condensate pipeline (5) and a cooling pipeline (7), characterized in that, a tower internal (3) is arranged in the middle of the cooling tank (2); the outlet of the steam condensate pipeline (5) is connected with the condensate tank (1), the top gas phase outlet of the condensate tank (1) is connected with the lower part of the cooling tank (2) through a pipeline, and the bottom liquid phase outlet of the cooling tank (2) is connected with the condensate tank (1) through a pipeline; the liquid phase outlet of the condensate tank (1) is connected with the upper part of the cooling tank (2) through the cooling pipeline (7), and the condensate pump (4) and the heat user (10) are arranged on the cooling pipeline (7).
2. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, characterized by The top gas phase outlet of the cooling tank (2) is connected with a gas discharge pipeline; the cooling pipeline (7) is connected with a condensate discharge pipeline.
3. The heat recovery device according to claim 1, wherein The connection between the top gas phase outlet of the condensate tank (1) and the lower part of the cooling tank (2) is below the tower internal (3), and the connection between the liquid phase outlet of the condensate tank (1) and the upper part of the cooling tank (2) is above the tower internal (3).
4. The heat recovery device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The tower internal (3) is a plate tower internal.
5. The heat recovery device of claim 4, wherein The tower internal (3) comprises sieve tray plates.
6. A heat recovery device for steam condensate, comprising a condensate tank (1), a tower internal (3), a condensate pump (4), a heat user (10), a steam condensate pipeline (5) and a cooling pipeline (7), characterized in that, a tower internal (3) is arranged in the upper middle part of the condensate tank (1); the outlet of the steam condensate pipeline (5) is connected with the lower middle part of the condensate tank (1); the bottom liquid phase outlet of the condensate tank (1) is connected with the upper inlet through the cooling pipeline (7), and the condensate pump (4) and the heat user (10) are arranged on the cooling pipeline (7).
7. The heat recovery device of claim 6, wherein The top gas phase outlet of the condensate tank (1) is connected with a gas discharge pipeline; the cooling pipeline (7) is connected with a condensate discharge pipeline.
8. The heat recovery device of claim 6, wherein The connection port of the steam condensate pipeline (5) and the condensate tank (1) is below the tower internal (3); and the connection between the cooling pipeline (7) and the upper inlet of the condensate tank (1) is above the tower internal (3).
9. Heat recovery device according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that The tower internal (3) is a plate tower internal.
10. The heat recovery device of claim 9, wherein, The tower internal (3) comprises sieve tray plates.