A helium recovery and purification device with low loss

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of helium recovery purification equipment of low loss, including condensing cylinder;Condensing cylinder is provided with cooling runner in, and the outer wall of condensing cylinder is provided with cooling member, cooling member is used to cool cooling runner;Cooling runner is provided with impurity removal assembly, and impurity removal assembly includes filter screen, and filter screen is fixed in cooling runner by vibration rod, and the front of vibration rod is provided with the linear array of multiple blunt body rods, and impurity removal assembly further includes the high-pressure air nozzle of circumferential array on cooling runner, and the output end of high-pressure air nozzle is towards blunt body rod;Impurity removal assembly includes the drop chute of being opened in cooling runner and being located below filter screen, and drop chute is used to collect the impurity falling from filter screen;Cooling runner is provided with rotatable collection ring outside, and collection ring is provided with multiple collection cavities corresponding drop chute. By high-pressure gas pulse impact blunt body rod vortex vibration is generated, makes filter screen high-frequency vibration, can on-line, quickly remove adhered solid impurities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of helium recovery and purification, specifically a low-loss helium recovery and purification device. Background Technology

[0002] Helium, with its unique rarity and exceptional inertness, plays an indispensable role in numerous high-tech fields. In low-temperature physics, it is frequently used to achieve superconductivity and extremely low-temperature environments; in semiconductor manufacturing, helium is used as a protective gas to ensure a pure environment for chip production; and in medical imaging, liquid helium is a key coolant in superconducting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment. Given the significant applications of helium, the recovery and purification of helium from industrial waste gases is particularly important. This not only significantly saves resource costs but also effectively reduces environmental emissions, aligning with the principles of sustainable development.

[0003] Currently, the mainstream method for industrial helium recovery and purification utilizes cryogenic technology. This method lowers the temperature of the helium mixture, causing hydrocarbon impurities (such as carbon dioxide and light hydrocarbons) to undergo a phase change, first liquefying and then further condensing into solid particles. These solid impurities are then trapped by filters, thus achieving initial purification of the helium.

[0004] However, existing technologies still face some challenges in practical applications. A major problem is that dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) easily accumulates in large quantities on the filter screen, and these dry ice particles are firmly attached and difficult to remove. When dry ice accumulates to a certain extent, it can clog the filter screen, significantly reducing gas throughput and directly affecting helium purification efficiency. To restore the filter screen's permeability, operators have to frequently shut down the machine for cleaning. Unfortunately, the cleaning process often results in the release and loss of large amounts of helium, which not only wastes valuable resources but also significantly increases operating costs. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model aims to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a low-loss helium recovery and purification device. Its purpose is to solve the problems of low purification efficiency, frequent shutdown for cleaning, serious helium loss and high operating costs caused by dry ice clogging the filter screen in the existing cryogenic helium purification process.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A low-loss helium recovery and purification device includes a condenser cylinder; a cooling channel is provided inside the condenser cylinder, and a cooling element is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the condenser cylinder to cool the cooling channel;

[0008] The cooling channel is equipped with a cleanup component, which includes a filter screen. The filter screen is fixed in the cooling channel by a vibrating rod. A linear array of multiple blunt rods is arranged in front of the vibrating rod. The cleanup component also includes a high-pressure air nozzle arranged in a circumferential array on the cooling channel, with the output end of the high-pressure air nozzle facing the blunt rod.

[0009] The impurity removal component includes a drop trough formed on the cooling channel and located below the filter screen, the drop trough being used to collect impurities falling from the filter screen; a rotatable collection ring is provided outside the cooling channel, the collection ring having a plurality of collection chambers corresponding to the drop trough.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment, the cooling channel is spiral-shaped, and valves are installed at both ends of the cooling channel. This helps to extend the residence time of the gas in the cooling zone, improve heat exchange efficiency, and facilitate the isolation and maintenance of the equipment.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, the number of collection chambers is two, and a heating pad is provided on the side of each collection chamber away from the cooling channel. One collection chamber is used to collect impurities, while the other can simultaneously perform heating and sublimation treatment, enabling continuous operation.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, a suction pump is connected to the collection chamber via a one-way valve. This pump is used to extract impurity gases (such as CO2) after heating and sublimation, preventing them from flowing back into the cooling channel.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, the condenser cylinder is covered with an insulation container, and the space between the condenser cylinder and the insulation container is filled with a porous material. This effectively reduces heat loss, maintains a low-temperature environment inside the equipment, and lowers energy consumption.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages:

[0015] 1. Achieve online dust removal without downtime: By using high-pressure gas pulses to impact the blunt rod to generate vortex vibration, the filter screen vibrates at high frequency, which can remove attached solid impurities online and quickly, avoiding the interruption of the entire purification process to clean the filter screen, and greatly improving the effective operating time of the equipment.

[0016] 2. Extremely low helium consumption, saving costs: The dust removal process uses a short (e.g., 100-300 milliseconds) high-pressure helium pulse. Compared with the traditional shutdown and depressurization cleaning method, the amount of helium consumed is negligible, which significantly reduces the loss of precious helium and operating costs.

[0017] 3. High cleaning efficiency and high degree of automation: Utilizing the intense vibration generated by the Karman vortex street effect, it can effectively peel off firmly attached dry ice particles. The entire cleaning process is automatically triggered and executed by differential pressure sensors and controllers, requiring no manual intervention and ensuring stable and reliable operation.

[0018] 4. Compact structure and continuous impurity treatment: Through the rotatable collection ring and the collection chamber with heating function, the automatic collection, temporary storage and discharge of impurities are realized. The whole process is closed and continuous, which further reduces the complexity of operation and potential waste of resources. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0023] 1. Condenser; 2. Cooling channel; 3. Cooling component; 4. Impurity removal assembly; 5. Filter screen; 6. Vibrating rod; 7. Blunt rod; 8. High-pressure nozzle; 9. Drop trough; 10. Collection ring; 11. Valve; 12. Collection chamber; 13. Heating pad; 14. Check valve; 15. Insulated container; 16. Porous material. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent. To better illustrate this embodiment, some parts in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual dimensions of the product.

[0025] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that certain well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the accompanying drawings. The technical solution of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0026] like Figure 1As shown, the main body of the device is a condenser cylinder 1, and its outer wall is equipped with cooling components 3 (such as a chiller coil or liquid nitrogen jacket) for deep cooling of the interior of the condenser cylinder 1. A cooling channel 2 is provided inside the condenser cylinder 1. In this embodiment, the cooling channel 2 is preferably a spiral structure to increase the gas flow path and heat exchange area. Valves 11 are provided at the inlet and outlet of the channel to control the gas flow. The outermost layer of the condenser cylinder 1 is covered with an insulation tank 15, and the space between the two is filled with a porous material 16 (such as perlite, foam glass, etc.) as an insulation layer.

[0027] A helium mixture carrying industrial exhaust impurities enters from the inlet of cooling channel 2. Under low temperature conditions, impurities such as carbon dioxide (CO2) condense into solid particles.

[0028] A key impurity removal component 4 is located in the middle and downstream position of the cooling channel 2. At the core of this component is a filter screen 5, used to intercept solid impurity particles moving with the airflow. The filter screen 5 is fixed to a frame supported by vibrating rods 6. In front of the filter screen 5, facing the airflow direction, there is a linear array of multiple blunt rods 7 (which can be cylindrical or have other non-streamlined cross-sections).

[0029] On the inner wall of the cooling channel 2, multiple high-pressure air nozzles 8 are arranged around the circumference of the blunt rod 7 array, and the nozzles of these air nozzles are precisely oriented towards the blunt rod 7.

[0030] Directly below the filter screen 5, a drop trough 9 is provided at the bottom of the cooling channel 2. A rotatable collection ring 10 is coaxially arranged outside the cooling channel 2. Two or more collection chambers 12 are evenly distributed on the collection ring 10; by rotating the collection ring 10, the opening of any collection chamber 12 can be aligned with the drop trough 9. A heating pad 13 is provided on the outer wall of each collection chamber 12 on the side away from the cooling channel. Furthermore, a suction pump is connected to each collection chamber 12 via a one-way valve 14.

[0031] The workflow of this utility model is as follows:

[0032] Step 1: Normal Filtration Stage

[0033] The equipment is started, and the cooling component 3 begins operation, bringing the temperature required for impurity solidification (e.g., -100°C to -196°C) within the cooling channel 2. The inlet valve 11 is opened, and a cryogenic helium mixture containing solid CO2 particles enters through the inlet, flowing smoothly towards the impurity removal component 4 at a relatively low velocity (e.g., 0.5-2 m / s). As the airflow passes through, the solid CO2 particles are effectively captured by the filter screen 5 and gradually accumulate on its windward surface. The pure helium passes through the filter screen 5 and flows out through the outlet, proceeding to subsequent storage or use stages. At this stage, the low flow velocity is insufficient to generate significant vortex-induced vibrations (i.e., Karman vortex streets) on the blunt rod 7.

[0034] Step 2: Dust Removal Trigger Phase

[0035] As CO2 solids accumulate on filter 5, the gas pressure difference (ΔP) before and after filter 5 gradually increases. A differential pressure sensor (not shown) is installed on the equipment to monitor this pressure difference in real time. When ΔP reaches a preset trigger threshold (e.g., 50 kPa) of the controller (not shown), the controller determines that filter 5 is clogged and requires immediate cleaning.

[0036] Step 3: Pulse Vibration Dust Removal Stage

[0037] Upon receiving the trigger signal, the controller immediately sends a command to the high-speed solenoid valve (not shown) controlling the high-pressure nozzle 8. The solenoid valve opens for an extremely short time (e.g., 100-300 milliseconds). A small stream of high-pressure pure helium gas (a small portion of which can be drawn back from the purified product gas) forms a high-speed airflow pulse through the high-pressure nozzle 8, violently impacting the array of blunt rods 7.

[0038] As the high-speed airflow passes around the blunt rod 7, it generates a violent Karman vortex street behind it, with alternating shedding particles. This intense unsteady fluid force causes the blunt rod 7, as well as the rigidly connected vibrating rod 6 and filter screen 5 frame, to produce high-frequency, large-amplitude lateral vibrations. The solid CO2 particles attached to the filter screen 5 are instantly shaken off by the enormous inertial force, completing the dust removal process.

[0039] Step 4: Settlement and Recovery Stage

[0040] After the high-pressure pulse ends, the high-speed solenoid valve closes. The shaken-off CO2 particles, under their own gravity, fall through the lower drop trough 9 into the aligned collection chamber 12. As the blockage is cleared, the pressure difference across the filter screen 5 quickly returns to normal, and the equipment seamlessly switches back to the normal filtration operation state of step 1.

[0041] Step 5: Impurity Removal Stage

[0042] When the controller determines that the collection chamber 12 has collected enough impurities based on the preset cleaning cycle or the level gauge signal in the collection chamber, it will drive the motor (not shown) to rotate the collection ring 10 by an angle, turning the collection chamber 12 filled with impurities away from the drop trough 9, and at the same time turning an empty collection chamber 12 directly below the drop trough 9, in preparation for the next collection.

[0043] For the displaced collection chamber 12, the heating pad 13 is energized and begins to heat, sublimating the solid CO2 inside the chamber into a gaseous state. Simultaneously, a suction pump starts, extracting the sublimated CO2 gas through a one-way valve 14 and discharging it to the waste gas treatment system. After emptying, the collection chamber 12 can be used for the next collection cycle.

[0044] Obviously, the above embodiments of this utility model are merely examples for clearly illustrating this utility model, and are not intended to limit the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A low-loss helium recovery and purification device, comprising a condenser; a cooling channel is provided inside the condenser, and a cooling element is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the condenser, the cooling element being used to cool the cooling channel; characterized in that: The cooling channel is equipped with a cleanup component, which includes a filter screen. The filter screen is fixed in the cooling channel by a vibrating rod. A linear array of multiple blunt rods is arranged in front of the vibrating rod. The cleanup component also includes a high-pressure air nozzle arranged in a circumferential array on the cooling channel, with the output end of the high-pressure air nozzle facing the blunt rod. The impurity removal component includes a drop trough formed on the cooling channel and located below the filter screen, the drop trough being used to collect impurities falling from the filter screen; a rotatable collection ring is provided outside the cooling channel, the collection ring having a plurality of collection chambers corresponding to the drop trough.

2. The helium recovery and purification apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The cooling channel is spiral-shaped, and valves are provided at both ends of the cooling channel.

3. The helium recovery and purification apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The number of collection chambers is two, and a heating pad is provided on the side of the collection chamber away from the cooling channel.

4. The helium recovery and purification apparatus of claim 3, wherein A suction pump is connected to the collection chamber via a one-way valve.

5. The low-loss helium recovery and purification equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outside of the condenser cylinder is covered with an insulation barrel, and the space between the condenser cylinder and the insulation barrel is filled with a porous material.

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