A tank temperature control device

Abstract

The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a tank temperature control device, which comprises a controller, a first valve assembly, a second valve assembly, a material circulation assembly and a heat exchange pipe in a specific embodiment. The material circulation assembly comprises a fifth valve and a circulating pump. The heat exchange pipe is spirally wound on a part of the side wall of the tank close to the tank bottom. The controller is used for controlling the first valve assembly to control the communication of an external heat source with the first input end and the first output end of the heat exchange pipe, controlling the second valve assembly to control the communication of an external cold source with the second input end and the second output end of the heat exchange pipe, and controlling the material circulation assembly to take material from the first discharge port of the tank and deliver the material to the first feed port of the tank. In this embodiment, the heat exchange pipe is spirally wound on the part of the side wall of the tank close to the tank bottom, and the energy of the heat source or the cold source is almost entirely used for heat exchange with the material, thereby greatly saving the operation cost and effectively breaking the temperature stratification caused by insufficient natural convection through the material circulation assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of storage tank temperature control. More specifically, it relates to a storage tank temperature control device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the chemical production fields of paints, coatings, adhesives, etc., storage tanks are widely used to store raw materials such as resins. The viscosity of these raw materials is temperature-dependent. For example, in winter or cold regions, a drop in ambient temperature can cause the resin viscosity to increase and its flowability to decrease. This not only makes it difficult to pump the raw materials out of the storage tank, seriously affecting subsequent production processes, but may also cause a series of problems such as pipeline blockage, inaccurate metering, and uneven mixing, ultimately affecting product quality and production efficiency.

[0003] To address this issue, a common practice in existing technologies is to install heat exchange coils inside or outside the storage tank. These tanks typically require heating and cooling operations based on seasonal changes or different stages of the production process to maintain the material within a suitable process temperature range. Therefore, it is common practice to configure two systems for the same storage tank on-site: one supplied with steam or hot water for heating, and the other supplied with cold water for cooling.

[0004] However, traditional coils often cover the entire side wall of the storage tank. But in actual production, the liquid level in the tank is not always full; it is often half-full or even lower. When the liquid level is low, the coils above the liquid surface exchange heat with the air inside the tank. This energy is wasted and cannot be effectively transferred to the material, resulting in significant energy loss and high operating costs.

[0005] Furthermore, due to the lack of effective forced circulation within the storage tank, heat transfer of the material inside mainly relies on natural heat transfer. As a result, the material temperature is high near the coil and low further away, creating a significant temperature gradient. This leads to uneven temperature distribution within the tank, affecting the overall quality and stability of the material. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a storage tank temperature control device that provides uniform heating and high heating efficiency, in order to solve at least one of the problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a storage tank temperature control device, comprising:

[0009] The system includes a controller, a first valve assembly, a second valve assembly, a material circulation assembly, and a heat exchange tube, wherein the material circulation assembly includes a fifth valve and a circulation pump.

[0010] The heat exchange tubes are spirally wound around the side wall of the storage tank near the bottom.

[0011] The controller is used to control the connection between the external heat source and the first input and first output ends of the heat exchange tube by controlling the first valve assembly; to control the connection between the external cold source and the second input and second output ends of the heat exchange tube by controlling the second valve assembly; and to control the material circulation assembly to take material from the first discharge port of the storage tank and transport it to the first inlet port of the storage tank.

[0012] Furthermore, the first valve assembly includes a first valve and a second valve;

[0013] The first valve is located between the output end of the external heat source and the first input end of the heat exchange tube.

[0014] The second valve is located between the recovery end of the external heat source and the first output end of the heat exchange tube.

[0015] Furthermore, the second valve assembly includes a third valve and a fourth valve;

[0016] The third valve is located between the output end of the external cold source and the second input end of the heat exchange tube.

[0017] The fourth valve is located between the recovery feed of the external cold source and the second output end of the heat exchange tube.

[0018] Furthermore, the material circulation assembly also includes external piping;

[0019] The interface of the circulating pump is connected to the first discharge port and the first inlet port of the storage tank through external pipelines; the fifth valve is located between the first discharge port of the storage tank and the circulating pump.

[0020] Furthermore, the first valve, the second valve, the third valve, the fourth valve, and the fifth valve are respectively pneumatic valves or solenoid valves.

[0021] Furthermore, the space occupied by the heat exchange tube along the axial direction of the storage tank is 20% to 30% of the total length of the storage tank along its axial direction.

[0022] Furthermore, the first discharge port is located on the side wall of the storage tank near the bottom of the tank;

[0023] The first feed inlet is located on the side wall of the storage tank near the top of the tank.

[0024] Furthermore, the outer surface of the storage tank includes an insulation strip; the heat exchange pipe is disposed between the storage tank and the insulation strip.

[0025] Furthermore, the temperature control device also includes a temperature sensor installed inside the storage tank.

[0026] Furthermore, the temperature sensor is located at the bottom of the storage tank.

[0027] The beneficial effects of this disclosure are as follows:

[0028] This invention involves spirally winding the heat exchange tube around the side wall of the storage tank near the bottom. This ensures that almost all the energy from the heat or cold source is used for heat exchange with the material, avoiding the energy waste caused by traditional full-tank coils exchanging heat with the air inside the tank, and greatly saving operating costs.

[0029] Furthermore, this invention utilizes a material circulation component to forcibly extract material from the bottom of the tank and return it through the inlet at the top, creating a strong, directional circulation flow within the tank. This effectively breaks down temperature stratification (cold at the top and hot at the bottom or vice versa) caused by insufficient natural convection, resulting in a highly uniform temperature throughout the tank. The circulation flow prevents materials from overheating and denaturing due to prolonged stagnation on the heat exchanger walls or from insufficient cooling in areas far from the cold source, effectively ensuring material stability and product quality.

[0030] In addition, concentrating the heat exchange area at the bottom of the tank, which is relatively low, facilitates maintenance. It also reduces the length of the heat exchange tubes used, lowers the initial manufacturing and material costs, and reduces potential future maintenance points and leakage risks. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the tank temperature control device disclosed herein is shown.

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the connection structure of the controller of the control device of this disclosure is shown.

[0034] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram showing the installation location of the thermal insulation tape of this disclosure is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To more clearly illustrate this disclosure, the following description, in conjunction with embodiments and accompanying drawings, provides further insight. Similar components in the drawings are indicated by the same reference numerals. Those skilled in the art should understand that the specific description below is illustrative rather than restrictive and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a temperature control device for a storage tank 90, comprising:

[0037] The system includes a controller 60, a first valve assembly, a second valve assembly, a material circulation assembly, and a heat exchange tube 100, wherein the material circulation assembly includes a fifth valve 50 and a circulation pump 70.

[0038] The heat exchange tube 100 is spirally wound around the side wall of the storage tank 90 near the bottom of the tank;

[0039] The controller 60 is used to control the connection between the external heat source and the first input and first output ends of the heat exchange tube 100 by controlling the first valve assembly; to control the connection between the external cold source and the second input and second output ends of the heat exchange tube 100 by controlling the second valve assembly; and to control the material circulation assembly to take material from the first discharge port of the storage tank 90 and transport it to the first inlet port of the storage tank 90.

[0040] This invention involves spirally winding the heat exchange tube 100 around the side wall of the storage tank 90 near the bottom. This ensures that almost all the energy from the heat or cold source is used for heat exchange with the material, avoiding the energy waste caused by traditional full-tank coils exchanging heat with the air inside the tank, and greatly saving operating costs.

[0041] Furthermore, this invention utilizes a material circulation component to forcibly extract material from the bottom of the tank and return it through the inlet at the top, creating a strong, directional circulation flow within the tank. This effectively breaks down temperature stratification caused by insufficient natural convection, resulting in a highly uniform temperature throughout the tank. The circulation flow prevents the material from overheating and deteriorating due to prolonged stagnation on the heat exchange tube 100mm wall, or from insufficient cooling in areas far from the cold source, effectively ensuring material stability and product quality.

[0042] In addition, concentrating the heat exchange area at the bottom of the tank, which is relatively low, facilitates maintenance. Furthermore, it reduces the length of the heat exchange tubes 100, lowering initial manufacturing and material costs, and also reducing potential future maintenance points and leakage risks.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the first valve assembly includes a first valve 10 and a second valve 20;

[0044] The first valve 10 is located between the output end of the external heat source and the first input end of the heat exchange tube 100;

[0045] The second valve 20 is located between the recovery end of the external heat source and the first output end of the heat exchange tube 100.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the second valve assembly includes a third valve 30 and a fourth valve 40;

[0047] The third valve 30 is located between the output end of the external cold source and the second input end of the heat exchange tube 100;

[0048] The fourth valve 40 is located between the recovery feed of the external cold source and the second output end of the heat exchange tube 100;

[0049] In a specific example, the first input end of the heat exchange tube 100 is higher than the first output end, and the second input end is higher than the second output end.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the material circulation assembly includes a circulation pump 70, a fifth valve 50, and external piping;

[0051] The interface of the circulating pump 70 is connected to the first discharge port and the first inlet port of the storage tank 90 through external pipelines; the fifth valve 50 is located between the first discharge port of the storage tank 90 and the circulating pump 70.

[0052] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, a material circulation assembly consisting of a circulation pump 70, a fifth valve 50, and external piping enables forced circulation of materials within the tank. Its core effect lies in its ability to draw material from the bottom of the storage tank 90 and pump it back to the top, creating a strong directional circulation within the tank. This completely breaks down temperature stratification caused by natural convection, ensuring highly uniform material temperature across all areas of the tank and effectively preventing localized overheating or undercooling, thus guaranteeing product quality stability. Simultaneously, this forced circulation allows material to flow at a high velocity through the heat exchange tube 100 area, significantly increasing the convective heat transfer coefficient between the tube wall and the material, and substantially improving the overall heat exchange efficiency of the system. Furthermore, the fifth valve 50 not only facilitates flexible adjustment of the circulation flow rate to adapt to different operating conditions but also isolates and protects the circulation pump 70, enhancing the system's controllability, safety, and ease of maintenance. This assembly, in conjunction with the unique bottom heat exchange tube 100 layout and intelligent control system, constitutes a highly efficient, uniform, and reliable temperature control system for the storage tank 90.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the first valve 10, the second valve 20, the third valve 30, the fourth valve 40, and the fifth valve 50 are respectively pneumatic valves or solenoid valves.

[0054] In this embodiment, each valve is either a pneumatic valve or a solenoid valve. The opening and closing speeds of pneumatic and solenoid valves are typically on the order of milliseconds to seconds, far exceeding the action speed of manual valves and electrically controlled regulating valves. Upon receiving a command from the controller 60, the valves can act instantaneously, promptly adjusting the flow rate of steam, cold water, or materials. This allows the system to react instantly to minute changes in the temperature sensor 80, significantly reducing the lag time in temperature regulation. Whether it's requiring rapid replenishment of heat to cope with a sudden drop in temperature or quickly cutting off the heat source to prevent temperature overshoot, the system can easily achieve these requirements, thus ensuring the dynamic stability and smoothness of the temperature control process.

[0055] Pneumatic and solenoid valves are the most mature and economical actuator options in industrial automation, with their purchase costs far lower than more complex equipment such as electric control valves. Furthermore, compared to electric control valves, pneumatic and solenoid valves have simpler, more robust, and durable drive mechanisms, making them more adaptable to complex industrial environments and resulting in lower failure rates. They operate reliably without frequent maintenance, thus having a longer service life. This not only saves on the cost of the valve itself but also reduces the costs of subsequent manual maintenance and valve repair.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the space occupied by the heat exchange tube 100 along the axial direction of the tank 90 is 20% to 30% of the total length of the tank 90 in its axial direction.

[0057] In this embodiment, the heat exchange tubes 100 are extremely short and concentrated in the core area at the bottom of the tank. This means that the heat exchange area is compressed to the absolute minimum necessary. With the help of forced circulation, a large heat exchange area is not required; only a highly efficient heat exchange core is needed. The concentration of the heat exchange tubes 100 at the bottom of the tank also means that the highest heat exchange efficiency can be guaranteed as long as the material content in the tank is greater than 30%. The shorter length of the heat exchange tubes 100, combined with the powerful forced circulation, forms a high-intensity, high-efficiency heat exchange core area at the bottom of the tank. Furthermore, the circulation pump 70 forces the material to flow through this narrow spiral tube area at a high velocity, greatly improving the convective heat transfer coefficient between the material and the tube wall, breaking down the thermal resistance of the material boundary layer, significantly increasing the heat transfer rate, and ensuring uniform heating of the material within the storage tank 90.

[0058] In one possible implementation, the first discharge port is located on the side wall of the storage tank 90 near the bottom; the first inlet port is located on the side wall of the storage tank 90 near the top. A bottom-in, top-out circulation structure is formed by the circulation pump 70. This circulation structure acts like a stirrer, completely breaking down temperature stratification and rapidly achieving a highly uniform material temperature in all areas of the tank. This effectively avoids localized overheating or undercooling, ensuring the stability of material quality.

[0059] In one possible implementation, the outer surface of the storage tank 90 includes an insulation strip 110; the heat exchange pipe 100 is disposed between the storage tank 90 and the insulation strip 110.

[0060] In one possible implementation, the temperature control device further includes a temperature sensor 80 disposed within the storage tank 90. ​​In a specific example, the data acquisition terminal of the controller 60 is connected to the temperature sensor 80.

[0061] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 3As shown, the temperature sensor 80 is installed at the bottom of the storage tank 90. ​​The insulation tape 110 forms a highly efficient insulation layer wrapped around the heat exchange tube 100. The heat or cold transferred from the heat exchange tube 100 to the tank wall of the storage tank 90 cannot be lost to the external environment and is almost entirely used to heat or cool the material inside the tank. This solves the biggest energy waste problem of traditional external coil systems, and the heat dissipation or absorption of heat by the coil to the ambient air results in extremely significant energy savings.

[0062] In a specific example, the insulation strip 110 can be made of organic insulation materials, such as polyurethane foam, EPS, XPS, phenolic foam, etc.

[0063] In a specific example, such as Figure 2 The controller 60 has its first output terminal connected to the first valve 10; its second output terminal connected to the second valve 20; its third output terminal connected to the third valve 30; its fourth output terminal connected to the fourth valve 40; its fifth output terminal connected to the fifth valve 50; its sixth output terminal connected to the circulating pump 70; and its data acquisition terminal connected to the temperature sensor 80.

[0064] Following the example above, in this embodiment, the controller 60 uses a temperature controller with a contactor output function. The upper temperature limit of the temperature controller is 35°C, and the lower temperature limit is 25°C. The material is resin. The temperature controller reads the temperature inside the storage tank 90 through the temperature sensor 80. In winter, if the temperature inside the storage tank 90 is less than 25°C, the controller 60 controls the first valve 10, the second valve 20, the fifth valve 50, and the circulation pump 70 to open, while the third valve 30 and the fourth valve 40 are closed. On one hand, the circulation pump 70 drives the resin in the tank to start circulating. On the other hand, the first valve 10 and the second valve 20 are opened, connecting the external heat source to the heat exchange pipe 100. The resin in the storage tank 90 begins to exchange heat with the heat exchange pipe 100, starting to heat the resin until it is heated to 30°C. Then, the first valve 10, the second valve 20, the fifth valve 50, and the circulation pump 70 are closed. It should be noted that in this embodiment, heating to 30°C instead of 35°C or 25°C is to provide a temperature difference for temperature rise or fall, avoiding frequent start-ups and shutdowns of the equipment. In summer, if the temperature inside the storage tank 90 exceeds 35°C, the controller 60 controls the third valve 30, the fourth valve 40, the fifth valve 50, and the circulation pump 70 to open, while the first valve 10 and the second valve 20 are closed. On one hand, the circulation pump 70 drives the resin inside the tank to start circulating. On the other hand, the third valve 30 and the fourth valve 40 are opened, connecting the external cold source to the heat exchange pipe 100. The resin inside the storage tank 90 begins to exchange heat with the heat exchange pipe 100, starting to cool the resin until it is cooled to 30°C. Then, the first valve 10, the second valve 20, the fifth valve 50, and the circulation pump 70 are closed.

[0065] Following the example above, in this embodiment, the external heat source is hot steam and / or hot water; the external cold source is cold water.

[0066] In another specific example, controller 60 can also be a distributed control system (DCS), where personnel input a target temperature range, such as a lower limit of 25°C and a higher limit of 35°C. In summer, the DCS is configured for cooling. When the tank temperature exceeds 35°C, the DCS closes the first valve 10 and the second valve 20 for steam inlet and outlet, and opens the third valve 30, the fourth valve 40, the fifth valve 50, and the circulation pump 70 to cool the material inside the tank while simultaneously circulating and mixing the hot and cold materials evenly. When the tank temperature drops to 25°C, the third valve 30, the fourth valve 40, the fifth valve 50, and the circulation pump 70 are closed.

[0067] In winter, the DCS is configured for heating. When the temperature inside the tank is below 25°C, the DCS closes the third valve 30 and the fourth valve 40 for cold water inlet and outlet, and opens the first valve 10, the second valve 20, the fifth valve 50 and the circulation pump 70 to heat the material inside the tank and circulate and mix the hot and cold materials evenly. When the temperature inside the tank drops to 25°C, the first valve 10, the second valve 20, the fifth valve 50 and the circulation pump 70 are closed.

[0068] When tank 90 is cleaned or shut down, the DCS is configured to shut down, and all valves and circulation pump 70 are closed.

[0069] This invention fully realizes the automatic control of the temperature of the storage tank 90. ​​Only the personnel need to configure the DCS to different functions to automatically maintain the temperature of the storage tank 90 within the target range, and the material temperature is uniform. This saves labor costs to the greatest extent and solves the problem of uneven heating of materials.

[0070] It should be noted that the above working principle is only an example to illustrate the specific implementation process of this utility model, and the specific control logic of the controller 60 is not limited in this disclosure.

[0071] It should be noted that in the above example, the controller 60 can use a temperature controller with contactor or relay output function. When using a temperature controller without relay or contactor output function, the temperature controller controls the circulating pump 70 and various valves by driving a relay or contactor. This embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0072] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can be fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can be mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; they can be internal connections between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0073] It should also be noted that, in the description of this disclosure, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0074] Obviously, the above embodiments of this disclosure are merely examples for clearly illustrating this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the implementation of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is impossible to exhaustively list all implementation methods here. Any obvious variations or modifications derived from the technical solutions of this disclosure are still within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A storage tank temperature control device, characterized in that, include: Controller, first valve assembly, second valve assembly, material circulation assembly, and heat exchange tubes; The heat exchange tubes are spirally wound around the side wall of the storage tank near the bottom. The controller is used to control the connection between the external heat source and the first input and first output ends of the heat exchange tube by controlling the first valve assembly; to control the connection between the external cold source and the second input and second output ends of the heat exchange tube by controlling the second valve assembly; and to control the material circulation assembly to take material from the first discharge port of the storage tank and transport it to the first inlet port of the storage tank. The material circulation assembly includes a fifth valve and a circulation pump.

2. The storage tank temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first valve assembly includes a first valve and a second valve; The first valve is located between the output end of the external heat source and the first input end of the heat exchange tube. The second valve is located between the recovery end of the external heat source and the first output end of the heat exchange tube.

3. The storage tank temperature control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second valve assembly includes a third valve and a fourth valve; The third valve is located between the output end of the external cold source and the second input end of the heat exchange tube. The fourth valve is located between the recovery feed of the external cold source and the second output end of the heat exchange tube.

4. The storage tank temperature control device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The material circulation assembly also includes external pipelines; The interface of the circulating pump is connected to the first discharge port and the first inlet port of the storage tank through external pipelines; the fifth valve is located between the first discharge port of the storage tank and the circulating pump.

5. The storage tank temperature control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first valve, the second valve, the third valve, the fourth valve, and the fifth valve are respectively pneumatic valves or solenoid valves.

6. The storage tank temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The space occupied by the heat exchange tube along the axial direction of the storage tank is 20% to 30% of the total length of the storage tank along its axial direction.

7. The storage tank temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first discharge port is located on the side wall of the storage tank near the bottom of the tank; The first feed inlet is located on the side wall of the storage tank near the top of the tank.

8. The storage tank temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the storage tank includes an insulation strip; the heat exchange tube is disposed between the storage tank and the insulation strip.

9. The storage tank temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature control device also includes a temperature sensor installed inside the storage tank.

10. The storage tank temperature control device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The temperature sensor is installed at the bottom of the storage tank.

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