A device for collecting leaked liquid ammonia of an ammonia fuel ship
By designing an automated system for liquid ammonia collection tanks and control boxes, the problem of rapid collection after ammonia leaks from ships was solved, enabling rapid collection and storage of liquid ammonia, reducing the risk of ammonia vapor diffusion, and improving safety and efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHINA SHIP DESIGN & RES CENT
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, leaks from ammonia-fueled ships cannot be collected quickly, resulting in prolonged exposure and evaporation of liquid ammonia, posing a threat of ammonia vapor. Furthermore, relying on natural evaporation or passive dilution cannot effectively reduce the risk.
A device was designed that includes a liquid ammonia collection tank, a control box, an ammonia suction pipeline, a venting pipeline, and sensors. The device monitors the liquid level and ammonia detector through a PLC controller and automatically controls the diaphragm pump and valves to achieve rapid collection and storage of liquid ammonia.
It enables rapid collection and storage of liquid ammonia after a leak, reduces the risk of liquid ammonia exposure, minimizes the spread of ammonia vapor, and improves safety and efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN224311970U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of marine technology, and in particular to an apparatus for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from ammonia-fueled ships. Background Technology
[0002] In recent years, with the widespread use of liquid ammonia as a zero-carbon, environmentally friendly alternative fuel on ships, the risk of leakage has become increasingly prominent. Liquid ammonia and its vaporized ammonia vapor are toxic substances. Once a leak occurs, the low-temperature liquid ammonia will absorb heat from the environment and gradually evaporate, forming ammonia vapor. This vapor can then spread through the ventilation system, endangering the health and safety of crew members, polluting the environment, and even causing a fire.
[0003] In existing technologies, drip trays are installed at the bottom of various equipment in ammonia refueling stations and ammonia preparation rooms on ammonia-fueled ships, where large-scale leaks are most likely to occur. These drip trays are only used to temporarily contain leaked liquid ammonia, but no rapid collection solution is provided, resulting in prolonged exposure and evaporation of the liquid ammonia. Existing drip trays rely on natural evaporation or passive water dilution, which still poses a threat of ammonia vapor and raises the issue of subsequent manual handling. Utility Model Content
[0004] In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, this application provides a device for rapidly collecting leaked liquid ammonia from ammonia-fueled ships, so as to solve the problem that liquid ammonia cannot be handled and collected after leakage in the prior art.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of this application provides an apparatus for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from ammonia-fueled ships, comprising:
[0006] A liquid ammonia collection tank and a control box; the top of the liquid ammonia collection tank is connected to an ammonia suction pipeline, and a tank opening shut-off valve and a diaphragm pump are sequentially installed on the ammonia suction pipeline, with the other end of the ammonia suction pipeline extending into the bottom of the drip tray;
[0007] The top of the liquid ammonia collection tank is also connected to a venting pipe, and a venting valve is installed on the venting pipe; a relief valve is connected to the bottom of the liquid ammonia collection tank; a pressure sensor and a first liquid level sensor are installed inside the liquid ammonia collection tank; an ammonia detector and a second liquid level sensor are installed at the bottom of the drip tray; the control box includes a PLC controller, which is connected to the diaphragm pump, the tank opening shut-off valve and the tank opening venting valve, the pressure sensor and the first liquid level sensor, the ammonia detector and the second liquid level sensor.
[0008] As described above, the control box monitors the second liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector to control the diaphragm pump, ammonia suction pipeline, and venting pipeline to achieve rapid collection of leaked ammonia liquid, reducing the risk of liquid ammonia exposure; and monitors the safety and stability inside the liquid ammonia collection tank through the first liquid level sensor and the pressure sensor.
[0009] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, the diaphragm pump is a pneumatic diaphragm pump or an electric diaphragm pump.
[0010] Therefore, the type of diaphragm pump can be selected according to the installation conditions.
[0011] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, the ventilated duct is configured with its open end facing downwards to form a gooseneck shape.
[0012] As mentioned above, the opening of the vent pipe is bent downwards to prevent rainwater and other liquids from flowing back into the vent pipe.
[0013] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, the relief valve is a manually operated dual-valve tandem structure.
[0014] As described above, the vent valve is used to drain the liquid ammonia in the collection tank to the shore-based collection device. The double shut-off valve design provides double safety protection to prevent liquid ammonia leakage caused by accidental valve opening.
[0015] As one possible implementation of the first aspect, one end of the ammonia intake pipeline connected to the liquid ammonia collection tank extends into the bottom of the liquid ammonia collection tank.
[0016] As described above, the ammonia intake pipeline extends into the bottom of the tank to prevent liquid ammonia from splashing inside the tank and to accelerate evaporation.
[0017] In summary, the device for rapidly collecting leaked liquid ammonia from ammonia-fueled ships provided in this application, through the control logic of the PLC control box, can automatically determine the liquid ammonia leakage situation without manual intervention, and realize the collection, storage, and monitoring of the device's operating status of the leaked liquid ammonia. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system composition of this device;
[0019] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the operating steps of this device;
[0020] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the operating status of this device. Detailed Implementation
[0021] The technical solutions provided in this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the system architecture and business scenarios provided in the embodiments of this application are mainly for illustrating possible implementations of the technical solutions of this application and should not be construed as the sole limitation on the technical solutions of this application. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions provided in this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems as system architectures evolve and new business scenarios emerge.
[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of the invention only and is not intended to limit the invention.
[0023] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0024] like Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a structural design of an apparatus for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from an ammonia-fueled ship, according to a first embodiment of this application. The apparatus includes a liquid ammonia collection tank 10 and a control box 20. The top of the liquid ammonia collection tank 10 is connected to an ammonia suction pipe 11, on which a tank opening shut-off valve 12 and a diaphragm pump 13 are sequentially arranged. The other end of the ammonia suction pipe 11 extends into the bottom of a drip tray. The top of the liquid ammonia collection tank 10 is also connected to a venting pipe 14, on which a tank opening venting valve 15 is installed. The bottom of the liquid ammonia collection tank 10 is also connected to a venting valve 16. A pressure sensor 24 and a first liquid level sensor 25 are installed inside the liquid ammonia collection tank 10. An ammonia detector 22 and a second liquid level sensor 23 are installed at the bottom of the drip tray. The control box 20 includes a PLC controller connected to the diaphragm pump 13, the tank opening shut-off valve 12 and the tank opening venting valve 15, the pressure sensor 24 and the first liquid level sensor 25, the ammonia detector 22, and the second liquid level sensor 23.
[0025] In some embodiments, the liquid ammonia collection tank 10 is an integrally sealed pressure-resistant device by closing the tank opening shut-off valve 12, the tank opening vent valve 15, and the relief valve 16. The design pressure is based on the physical properties of liquid ammonia, and the pressure inside the pressure vessel reaches the saturated vapor pressure of liquid ammonia of 17.1 bar at a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. To cope with unforeseen operational fluctuations, the design pressure is not less than 1.1 times the maximum working pressure, which is 19 bar. The airtightness test pressure at the time of acceptance is 28.5 bar.
[0026] In some embodiments, the liquid ammonia collection tank 10 is designed to be made of SUS316 stainless steel or other materials that can withstand the corrosion of ammonia water, and is covered with 25mm thick insulating material; the capacity of the liquid ammonia collection tank is at least 1.25 times the capacity of the drip tray.
[0027] In some embodiments, the control box 20 is connected to a monitor 21 located in the ship's control room and uploads the operating status of the device to the monitor 21; the operating status includes the readings of the first liquid level sensor 25, the second liquid level sensor 23, the pressure sensor 24, and the ammonia detector 22, and the standby, running, and offline status of the diaphragm pump 13, the tank opening shut-off valve 12, and the tank opening vent valve 15.
[0028] In some embodiments, the diaphragm pump 13 is a pneumatic diaphragm pump or an electric diaphragm pump; the diaphragm pump 13 operates at a pressure of 7 to 8 bar, and its power source is from the ship's deck miscellaneous air system or the cabin power supply.
[0029] In some embodiments, the ammonia inhalation line 11 is a DN50 line.
[0030] In some embodiments, the venting pipe 14 is a DN65 pipe with the open end designed to face downwards in a gooseneck shape.
[0031] In some embodiments, the ammonia inhalation pipeline 11 and the ventilation pipeline 14 are designed to be made of SUS316 seamless stainless steel or other materials that can withstand ammonia corrosion; the pipelines are wrapped with 25mm thick insulation material.
[0032] In some embodiments, the relief valve 16 is a manual dual-valve tandem structure, with a copper warning sign above the valve handwheel stating "The container contains toxic substances. This valve must not be opened without authorization!"
[0033] In some embodiments, one end of the ammonia inhalation pipeline 11 connected to the liquid ammonia collection tank 10 extends into the bottom of the liquid ammonia collection tank 10.
[0034] like Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the steps of a method for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from an ammonia-fueled ship according to a second embodiment of this application, implemented using the apparatus of the first embodiment. The method includes steps S10-S60:
[0035] S10: The leaked liquid ammonia is collected by the drip tray. When the second liquid level sensor detects the liquid level, it sends a high-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box. When the ammonia detector detects ammonia vapor, it sends a high-level signal to the PLC controller of the control box.
[0036] S20: When the control box PLC logic determines that the signals from the second liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector are both high level, it sends high level signals to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank opening shut-off valve and the tank opening vent valve respectively.
[0037] S30: The pneumatic diaphragm pump starts in response to a high-level signal, and the tank opening shut-off valve opens in response to a high-level signal to draw the leaked liquid ammonia into the liquid ammonia collection tank through the ammonia suction pipeline; the tank opening vent valve opens in response to a high-level signal to discharge the air in the liquid ammonia collection tank through the vent pipeline;
[0038] S40: When the liquid ammonia in the drip tray is evacuated, the second liquid level sensor cannot detect the liquid level and sends a low-level signal to the PLC controller in the control box.
[0039] S50: When the control box PLC logic determines that the signals received from the second liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector are not both at high level, it sends low level signals to the pneumatic diaphragm pump, the tank opening shut-off valve and the tank opening vent valve respectively.
[0040] S60: The pneumatic diaphragm pump shuts off in response to a low-level signal, the tank opening shut-off valve shuts off in response to a low-level signal, and the tank opening vent valve shuts off in response to a low-level signal.
[0041] like Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a state diagram of a method for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from an ammonia-fueled ship, according to a third embodiment of this application, implemented using the apparatus of the first embodiment. The method includes:
[0042] S110: System standby: All valves are closed; the diaphragm pump is stopped; the first level sensor and ammonia detector are in monitoring mode, monitoring the liquid level and ammonia vapor concentration in the drip tray;
[0043] S120: Liquid ammonia leak detected: When liquid ammonia leaks into the drip tray, the first liquid level sensor detects the rise in liquid level, and at the same time the ammonia detector detects the presence of ammonia vapor. The first liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector send signals to the control box at the same time.
[0044] S130: System Start-up: After the control box receives signals from the first liquid level sensor and the ammonia detector simultaneously, it starts the pneumatic diaphragm pump; the inlet valve of the collection tank opens, allowing liquid ammonia to enter the liquid ammonia collection tank; the vent valve of the collection tank opens, allowing air in the collection tank to be discharged.
[0045] S140: Liquid ammonia collection: Liquid ammonia is pumped into the liquid ammonia collection tank by a pneumatic diaphragm pump through the liquid ammonia suction pipeline. The air in the collection tank is discharged through the vent valve and vent pipeline to ensure the pressure balance in the collection tank.
[0046] S150: Internal monitoring: Pressure sensor and second liquid level sensor monitor the pressure and liquid level in the collection tank to ensure that they are within the set range;
[0047] S160: System shutdown: When the liquid ammonia in the drip tray is emptied, the first liquid level sensor detects that the liquid level has dropped to the lowest point and sends a signal to the control box; after receiving the signal, the control box simultaneously closes the vent valve, the inlet valve of the collection tank and the pneumatic diaphragm pump, and the system enters standby mode, waiting for the next leakage event.
[0048] S170: Liquid ammonia venting and equipment restoration: After the ship docks, the vent valve is connected to the shore-based collection device. The liquid ammonia in the liquid ammonia collection tank is vented to the shore-based collection device by opening the vent valve. After venting, the vent valve is closed, and the device is restored to its initial state, ready for the next use.
[0049] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., used in the specification and claims are used only to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of objects. It is understood that a specific order or sequence may be interchanged where permitted, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.
[0050] In the above description, the labels of the steps, such as S1, S2, etc., do not mean that the steps will always be executed. The order of the steps can be interchanged or executed simultaneously if permitted.
[0051] The term "comprising" as used in the specification and claims should not be construed as limiting itself to what follows; it does not exclude other elements or steps. Therefore, it should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the mentioned feature, integral, step, or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the statement "device comprising means A and B" should not be limited to a device consisting solely of components A and B.
[0052] The terms "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" as used in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, the terms "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but may refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the particular features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.
[0053] Note that the above are merely preferred embodiments and the technical principles employed in this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, although this application has been described in detail through the above embodiments, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Many other equivalent embodiments may be included without departing from the concept of this application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. An apparatus for collecting leaked liquid ammonia from ammonia-fueled ships, characterized in that, This includes liquid ammonia collection tanks and control boxes; The top of the liquid ammonia collection tank is connected to an ammonia suction pipeline, and the ammonia suction pipeline is sequentially equipped with a tank opening shut-off valve and a diaphragm pump. The other end of the ammonia suction pipeline extends into the bottom of the drip tray. The top of the liquid ammonia collection tank is also connected to a venting pipe, and a venting valve is installed on the venting pipe at the tank opening. The bottom of the liquid ammonia collection tank is connected to a vent valve; A pressure sensor and a first liquid level sensor are installed inside the liquid ammonia collection tank. An ammonia detector and a second liquid level sensor are installed at the bottom of the drip tray; The control box includes a PLC controller, which is connected to the diaphragm pump, the tank opening shut-off valve and the tank opening vent valve, the pressure sensor and the first liquid level sensor, the ammonia detector and the second liquid level sensor.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diaphragm pump is a pneumatic diaphragm pump or an electric diaphragm pump.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ventilated pipe is configured with its open end facing downwards, forming a gooseneck shape.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The relief valve is a manually operated dual-valve tandem structure.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, One end of the ammonia inhalation pipeline is connected to the liquid ammonia collection tank and extends into the bottom of the liquid ammonia collection tank.