System for heating molecular sieve by using waste heat of air compressor

Abstract

The utility model discloses a system for heating a molecular sieve by waste heat of an air compressor and belongs to the field of air separation. The device comprises a molecular sieve purifier, a heat exchanger, an air compressor, an electric heater and a fractionating tower, the air compressor is connected with a first inlet of the heat exchanger, a second inlet of the heat exchanger is connected with an outlet of the fractionating tower, and a first outlet of the heat exchanger is connected with an inlet of the molecular sieve purifier; a second outlet of the heat exchanger is connected with a molecular sieve purifier through an electric heater; an outlet of the molecular sieve purifier is connected with an inlet of the fractionating tower. The molecular sieve regeneration device solves the problem that the existing molecular sieve regeneration mainly uses a heater to heat and needs high energy consumption, utilizes the waste heat of the air compressor to heat the molecular sieve, reduces the consumption of traditional energy, and reduces the operation cost. And in a long term, remarkable economic benefits are brought to enterprises, the energy utilization efficiency of the whole compressed air system is improved, energy circulation in the system is smoother, and unnecessary energy waste is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a system for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor, belonging to the field of air separation. Background Technology

[0002] The air separation process of an air compressor mainly involves compressing air using an air compressor, then cooling the compressed air before sending it to a molecular sieve purifier for purification. The purified air then enters a fractionation tower for fractionation to produce the desired product. Molecular sieves require regeneration after a period of use before they can be reused. Currently, molecular sieve regeneration is primarily achieved through heating with an electric heater at 180-220 degrees Celsius, which requires relatively high energy consumption.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need to propose a system for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem of high energy consumption in the current regeneration of molecular sieves, which mainly relies on heating with a heater. A brief overview of this invention is provided below to offer a basic understanding of certain aspects. It should be understood that this overview is not an exhaustive summary of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or essential parts of the invention, nor is it intended to limit its scope.

[0005] The technical solution of this utility model:

[0006] Option 1: A system for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor, comprising a molecular sieve purifier, a heat exchanger, an air compressor, an electric heater, and a fractionation tower. The air compressor is connected to the first inlet of the heat exchanger, the second inlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the outlet of the fractionation tower, the first outlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the inlet of the molecular sieve purifier, the second outlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the molecular sieve purifier via the electric heater, and the outlet of the molecular sieve purifier is connected to the inlet of the fractionation tower.

[0007] Preferably, the number of molecular sieve purifiers is multiple, and they are arranged in parallel.

[0008] Option 2: A method for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor, based on the aforementioned system for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor, characterized by comprising:

[0009] Compressed air from the air compressor is cooled and heated by a heat exchanger. The cooled compressed air then enters the molecular sieve purifier and is used as regeneration gas in a fractionation tower for fractionation. The fractionated regeneration gas then enters the heat exchanger for heating and heat exchange. The heated regeneration gas is then heated a second time by an electric heater and then circulated back into the molecular sieve purifier for further heating, purification, and regeneration.

[0010] Preferably, after the regenerated gas exits the fractionation tower, its temperature is raised from 10°C to 14°C through a heat exchanger to 95-130°C, and then it enters an electric heater for heating to 180-220°C before entering a molecular sieve purifier for heating, purification, and regeneration.

[0011] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0012] 1. Air compressors generate a large amount of waste heat during the air compression process. This waste heat is often wasted through radiators or other means if not utilized. This invention utilizes the waste heat from the air compressor to heat molecular sieves, maximizing the use of this otherwise wasted heat energy and thus saving energy. The recovery and utilization of waste heat not only reduces energy waste but also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with the goals of green and sustainable development.

[0013] 2. During the adsorption process, molecular sieves adsorb moisture or other gaseous impurities. Over time, the adsorption capacity of the molecular sieves in a molecular sieve purifier gradually decreases. To restore the adsorption performance of the molecular sieves, regeneration through heating is required, which typically necessitates a certain amount of heat. This invention utilizes the waste heat from an air compressor as a heat source during the regeneration process, providing the necessary temperature and thereby improving the regeneration efficiency and performance recovery speed of the molecular sieve purifier.

[0014] 3. This invention utilizes the waste heat of the air compressor to heat the molecular sieve purifier, helping to maintain the equipment in a more ideal operating state. The regeneration process of the molecular sieve purifier is effectively managed, reducing performance degradation or equipment damage caused by incomplete or untimely regeneration, thereby extending the service life of both the molecular sieve purifier and the air compressor.

[0015] 4. This invention utilizes the waste heat of the air compressor to heat the molecular sieve, reducing the consumption of traditional energy and lowering operating costs. In the long run, this will bring significant economic benefits to enterprises, improve the energy utilization efficiency of the entire compressed air system, make the energy flow within the system smoother, and reduce unnecessary energy waste. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a system that uses waste heat from an air compressor to heat molecular sieves.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the reverse osmosis filtration device 6 of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the resetting and extrusion device of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the reverse osmosis filtration device of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram, 1-molecular sieve purifier, 2-heat exchanger, 3-air compressor, 4-electric heater, 5-fractionation tower, 6-reverse osmosis filtration device, 21-first inlet, 22-second inlet, 23-first outlet, 24-second outlet, 61-outer shell, 62-reset extrusion device, 63-extrusion mesh layer, 64-fixed filter core, 65-filter element layer, 621-cylinder fixing cover, 622-push-pull slider, 623-I-shaped connecting rod, 624-slide seat, 625-reset spring, and 626-cylinder. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model is described below with reference to specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the present utility model.

[0022] The connections mentioned in this utility model are divided into fixed connections and detachable connections. Fixed connections, also known as non-detachable connections, include but are not limited to conventional fixed connection methods such as folded connections, riveted connections, adhesive connections, and welded connections. Detachable connections include but are not limited to conventional disassembly methods such as threaded connections, snap-fit ​​connections, pin connections, and hinged connections. When a specific connection method is not explicitly defined, it is assumed that at least one existing connection method can always be found to achieve the function, and those skilled in the art can choose according to their needs. For example, a welded connection can be chosen for fixed connections, and a hinged connection can be chosen for detachable connections.

[0023] Specific implementation method one: Combining Figures 1-3This embodiment describes a system for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor. The system includes a molecular sieve purifier 1, a heat exchanger 2, an air compressor 3, an electric heater 4, and a fractionation tower 5. The air compressor 3 is connected to the first inlet 21 of the heat exchanger 2, the second inlet 22 of the heat exchanger 2 is connected to the outlet of the fractionation tower 5, the first outlet 23 of the heat exchanger 2 is connected to the inlet of the molecular sieve purifier 1, the second outlet 24 of the heat exchanger 2 is connected to the molecular sieve purifier 1 via the electric heater 4, and the outlet of the molecular sieve purifier 1 is connected to the inlet of the fractionation tower 5.

[0024] The number of molecular sieve purifiers 1 is multiple, and they are arranged in parallel.

[0025] When an air compressor compresses air, it releases a large amount of heat. This heat is discharged through a cooler, and the waste heat is used to heat the molecular sieve that needs to be regenerated. Therefore, a heat exchanger 2 is added between the air compressor 3 and the molecular sieve purifier 1. The main purpose is to exchange the heat of the compressed air from the air compressor 3, i.e., the high-temperature compressed gas with a final exhaust temperature of 100℃~140℃, through the heat exchanger 2. The compressed gas after heat exchange then enters the dual-tower nitrogen generation process.

[0026] Specific Implementation Method Two: Combining Figures 1-4 This embodiment, based on specific embodiment one, describes a system for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor. It further includes a reverse osmosis filter 6 installed between the second inlet 22 of the heat exchanger 2 and the outlet of the fractionation tower 5. Since the gas discharged from the fractionation tower 5 may contain some solid carbon dioxide molecules, i.e., dry ice, if not filtered and dried, the accumulation of these solid carbon dioxide molecules may directly affect the service life of the connected heat exchanger 2 and pipelines. Therefore, a reverse osmosis filter 6 is required to permeate and filter the solid carbon dioxide molecules in the gas and has a certain self-cleaning function when the system is shut down, thereby extending the service life of the device.

[0027] The reverse osmosis filtration device 6 includes an outer shell 61, a resetting extrusion device 62, an extrusion mesh layer 63, a fixed filter core 64, and a filter element layer 65. A fixed filter core 64 is fixedly installed in the middle of the outer shell 61. The top inner side of the fixed filter core 64 is connected to the outlet of the fractionation tower 5. An air outlet is opened on the side wall of the outer shell 61, and the air outlet is connected to the second inlet 22 of the heat exchanger 2. The extrusion mesh layer 63 is slidably installed inside the outer shell 61 and is located outside the fixed filter core 64. The pressing device 62 is fixedly installed on the outer shell 61 and is fixedly connected to the extrusion mesh layer 63. A filter element layer 65 is provided between the extrusion mesh layer 63 and the fixed filter core 64. The resetting pressing device 62 drives the extrusion mesh layer 63 to move back and forth. When the resetting pressing device 62 drives the extrusion mesh layer 63 close to the fixed filter core 64, the fixed filter core 64 and the resetting pressing device 62 work together to squeeze the filter element layer 65, squeezing out the water, oil and impurities accumulated in the filter element layer 65, thereby achieving a cleaning effect.

[0028] An inlet is provided on the outer shell 61 at the top of the filter element layer 65, which is connected to a pressurized cleaning fluid or an air pump. An outlet is provided on the outer shell 61 at the bottom of the filter element layer 65, which is connected to a valve via a pipeline. When the reverse osmosis filtration device 6 requires self-cleaning, the system is shut down, the bottom valve is opened, and the inlet is connected to the pressurized cleaning fluid. The pressurized cleaning fluid flushes the filter element layer 65. At the same time, the reset squeezing device 62 drives the squeezing screen layer 63 to move back and forth. The fixed filter core 64 and the reset squeezing device 62 work together to squeeze the filter element layer 65. The oil and cleaning fluid adhering to the filter element layer 65 flow out from the valve connected to the outlet along with the squeezing action. Then, the inlet is connected to the air pump, and high-pressure gas enters the filter element layer 65 from the inlet to flush it. The residual cleaning fluid on the filter element layer 65 is flushed out by the high-pressure gas to the valve connected to the outlet until the filter element layer 65 is dry. Then, the inlet and the valve are closed, and the system is restarted.

[0029] The reset and compression device 62 includes a cylinder fixing cover 621, a push-pull slider 622, an I-beam connecting rod 623, a slide block 624, a reset spring 625, and a cylinder 626. The cylinder fixing cover 621 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the outer shell 61, while the slide block 624 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the outer shell 61 at the corresponding position. The cylinder 626 is fixedly installed inside the cylinder fixing cover 621. The push-pull slider 622 is slidably installed on the side wall of the outer shell 61 through a sliding sealing assembly. The output end of the cylinder 626 is fixedly connected to one end of the push-pull slider 622, and the other end of the push-pull slider 622 is slidably installed in the slide groove of the slide block 624, with the end... One end of the I-beam connecting rod 623 is fixedly connected to the other end of the I-beam connecting rod 623, which is slidably mounted on the slide block 624. The other end of the I-beam connecting rod 623 passes through the slide block 624 and is fixedly connected to the extruded mesh layer 63. A return spring 625 is fitted on the outside of the slide block 624. The two ends of the return spring 625 are fixedly connected to the ends of the slide block 624 and the I-beam connecting rod 623, respectively. When the cylinder 626 performs a push-pull movement, the output end of the cylinder 626 drives the I-beam connecting rod 623 to perform a push-pull reciprocating movement through the push-pull slider 622. At the same time, the extruded mesh layer 63, which is fixedly connected to the I-beam connecting rod 623, performs repeated extrusion. The return spring 625 plays a role in reset and shock absorption.

[0030] Specific implementation method three: Combining Figures 1-4 This embodiment, based on specific embodiment one, describes a method for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor. This method relies on the aforementioned system for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor, and includes:

[0031] Compressed air from air compressor 3 is cooled and heated by heat exchanger 2. The cooled compressed air enters molecular sieve purifier 1 and then enters fractionation tower 5 as regeneration gas for fractionation. The fractionated regeneration gas enters heat exchanger 2 for heating and heat exchange. The heated regeneration gas is then heated a second time by electric heater 4 and then circulated back into molecular sieve purifier 1 for heating, purification and regeneration.

[0032] After exiting the fractionation tower 5, the regenerated gas temperature is raised from 10℃ to 14℃ through heat exchanger 2 to 95-130℃, and then enters electric heater 4 for further heating to 180-220℃ before entering molecular sieve purifier 1 for further purification and regeneration. Because the regenerated gas temperature entering electric heater 4 is high, the heating power of electric heater 4 can be reduced.

[0033] Before compressed air enters the molecular sieve purifier 1, it needs to be cooled by a pre-cooler. In this improved embodiment, the compressed air is pre-cooled by heat exchanger 2, which can reduce the cooling capacity of the pre-cooler or eliminate the pre-cooler altogether, reducing equipment investment and saving energy. Since both pre-cooling and heating reduce electrical energy consumption, the heating energy consumption of the molecular sieve purifier 1 in this embodiment is reduced by about 50% to 70% compared to the original method.

[0034] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, as long as the technical solutions are not contradictory, they can be arranged and combined. Those skilled in the art can exhaust all possibilities based on the mathematical knowledge of permutation and combination. Therefore, this utility model will not describe the technical solutions after permutation and combination one by one, but it should be understood that the technical solutions after permutation and combination have been disclosed by this utility model.

[0035] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A system for heating molecular sieves using waste heat from an air compressor, characterized in that: The device comprises a molecular sieve purifier (1), a heat exchanger (2), an air compressor (3), an electric heater (4) and a fractionating tower (5), the air compressor (3) is connected with the first inlet (21) of the heat exchanger (2), the second inlet (22) of the heat exchanger (2) is connected with the outlet of the fractionating tower (5), the first outlet (23) of the heat exchanger (2) is connected with the inlet of the molecular sieve purifier (1), the second outlet (24) of the heat exchanger (2) is connected with the molecular sieve purifier (1) through the electric heater (4), and the outlet of the molecular sieve purifier (1) is connected with the inlet of the fractionating tower (5).

2. The system for heating the molecular sieve with the waste heat of the air compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the molecular sieve purifiers (1) is multiple, and the molecular sieve purifiers (1) are arranged in parallel.

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