A multi-working-mode nitrogen generator

Abstract

The utility model relates to nitrogen making equipment technical field, specifically disclose a kind of multi-work mode nitrogen making machine, including air buffer tank through left / right air inlet valve respectively connect left / right adsorption tank bottom end, two adsorption tank top through left / right gas production valve into nitrogen buffer tank, top still connect upper pressure equalizing valve and electric backflush valve;Nitrogen buffer tank output end is sequentially connected pressure reducing valve, flowmeter, electric regulating valve, the latter branch connects vent valve and gas production valve;Pressure reducing valve branch connects nitrogen analyzer, middle pipeline is equipped with pressure transmitter, flowmeter is equipped with monitoring module.This application device is additionally provided on conventional double-tower nitrogen making machine backflush solenoid valve and gas production flow regulating valve: backflush solenoid valve is opened and closed according to period, and impurity is removed efficiently;Flow regulating valve real-time monitoring and adjusting opening, accurately match gas demand, reduce compressed air waste.Two synergies make nitrogen making machine self-adapting adjustment, nitrogen purity is more stable, energy consumption reduces, operation and maintenance cost drops, applicable to high requirement industrial scene.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of nitrogen generation equipment technology, specifically to a multi-mode nitrogen generator. Background Technology

[0002] In industrial production, the demand for nitrogen is becoming increasingly diversified, placing increasingly stringent performance requirements on nitrogen generators. While traditional dual-tower nitrogen generators can achieve basic nitrogen production, they have significant shortcomings. Adjustments to production volume and purity rely heavily on manual intervention, requiring operators to frequently adjust equipment parameters based on experience to meet changing user demands. This is not only inefficient but also difficult to achieve precise dynamic matching. Furthermore, when flow rates fluctuate at the user end, traditional nitrogen generators cannot respond promptly and effectively, easily leading to unstable production purity and affecting product quality. Maintaining stable flow rates results in significant waste of compressed air, significantly increasing energy consumption. In addition, under long-term operation, the lack of efficient backflushing and precise control leads to high levels of impurities remaining in the adsorption tower, low molecular sieve regeneration efficiency, shortened equipment lifespan, and high maintenance costs. Therefore, developing a nitrogen generator with multiple operating modes and adaptive adjustment capabilities to achieve efficient backflushing, precise flow control, improved nitrogen purity stability, and reduced energy consumption and maintenance costs has become a pressing issue for the industry. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned technical problems in related technologies, this utility model provides a multi-working-mode nitrogen generator that can solve the above problems.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is implemented as follows:

[0005] A multi-mode nitrogen generator includes an air buffer tank, a left adsorption tank, a right adsorption tank, and a nitrogen buffer tank. The air buffer tank is connected to the bottom of the left adsorption tank via a left inlet valve, and to the bottom of the right adsorption tank via a right inlet valve. The top of the left adsorption tank is connected to the input end of a left gas generation valve, and the top of the right adsorption tank is connected to the input end of a right gas generation valve. Both the output ends of the left and right gas generation valves are connected to the nitrogen buffer tank. The tops of both the left and right adsorption tanks are connected to an upper equalizing valve. The top of the right adsorption tank is connected to the output of the electric backflush valve via a pipeline, and the input of the electric backflush valve is connected to the backflush gas source pipeline. The output of the nitrogen buffer tank is connected in series with the pressure reducing valve, flow meter, and electric regulating valve via a pipeline. The output of the electric regulating valve is connected to the vent valve and gas generating valve respectively. The pressure reducing valve is equipped with a branch pipe, and the branch pipe is connected to the nitrogen analyzer. A pressure transmitter is installed on the pipeline between the pressure reducing valve and the flow meter. The nitrogen analyzer, pressure transmitter, and flow meter are all electrically connected to the PLC controller.

[0006] Furthermore, the middle part of the left adsorption tank is connected to the bottom of the right adsorption tank through the lower left equalizing valve, and the middle part of the right adsorption tank is connected to the bottom of the left adsorption tank through the lower right equalizing valve.

[0007] Furthermore, the output end of the electric backflush valve is connected to the top of the left adsorption tank and the top of the right adsorption tank respectively through two branch backflush pipes, and both branch backflush pipes are equipped with flow-limiting orifice plates.

[0008] Furthermore, the bottom of the left adsorption tank is connected to the input end of the left desorption valve, the bottom of the right adsorption tank is connected to the input end of the right desorption valve, and the output ends of both the left and right desorption valves are connected to the vent pipe.

[0009] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: This device adds a backflushing solenoid valve and a gas production flow regulating valve to the traditional dual-tower nitrogen generator, achieving multiple optimizations: The backflushing solenoid valve automatically opens and closes according to a preset cycle, efficiently removing residual impurities in the adsorption tower and improving the molecular sieve regeneration efficiency. Simultaneously, it reduces the amount of backflushing gas used, lowering energy consumption. The gas production flow regulating valve monitors the output flow in real time and automatically adjusts its opening, precisely matching the gas demand and avoiding process deviations caused by flow fluctuations. It also reduces compressed air waste and lowers energy consumption. The synergistic effect of these two valves enables the nitrogen generator to have adaptive adjustment capabilities, improving nitrogen purity stability, reducing overall energy consumption, and significantly lowering operation and maintenance costs. This makes it suitable for industrial scenarios with stringent requirements for nitrogen quality and supply stability. Attached Figure Description

[0010] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0011] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-mode nitrogen generator.

[0013] In the picture:

[0014] 1. Air buffer tank; 2. Left adsorption tank; 3. Left inlet valve; 4. Right inlet valve; 5. Lower left equalizing valve; 6. Lower right equalizing valve; 7. Right adsorption tank; 8. Left desorption valve; 9. Right desorption valve; 10. Exhaust pipe; 11. Upper equalizing valve; 12. Electric backflush valve; 13. Flow restrictor orifice plate; 14. Left gas generation valve; 15. Right gas generation valve; 16. Nitrogen buffer tank; 17. Pressure reducing valve; 18. Nitrogen analyzer; 19. Pressure transmitter; 20. Flow meter; 21. Electric regulating valve; 22. Vent valve; 23. Gas generation valve; 24. PLC controller. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0016] like Figure 1 As shown, this utility model discloses a multi-mode nitrogen generator, including an air buffer tank 1, a left adsorption tank 2, a right adsorption tank 7, and a nitrogen buffer tank 16. The air buffer tank 1 is connected to the bottom of the left adsorption tank 2 via a left inlet valve 3, and to the bottom of the right adsorption tank 7 via a right inlet valve 4. The top of the left adsorption tank 2 is connected to the input end of a left gas generation valve 14, and the top of the right adsorption tank 7 is connected to the input end of a right gas generation valve 15. The output ends of both the left and right gas generation valves 14 and 15 are connected to the nitrogen buffer tank 16. The tops of both the left and right adsorption tanks 2 and 7 are connected to an upper pressure equalization valve 11. The top of the auxiliary tank 7 is connected to the output end of the electric backflush valve 12 through a pipe, and the input end of the electric backflush valve 12 is connected to the backflush gas source pipe; the output end of the nitrogen buffer tank 16 is connected in series with the pressure reducing valve 17, the flow meter 20 and the electric regulating valve 21 through a pipe, and the output end of the electric regulating valve 21 is connected to the vent valve 22 and the gas generating valve 23 respectively. The pressure reducing valve 17 is provided with a branch pipe and the branch pipe is connected to the nitrogen analyzer 18. A pressure transmitter 19 is installed on the pipeline between the pressure reducing valve 17 and the flow meter 20. The nitrogen analyzer 18, the pressure transmitter 19, the flow meter 20 and the electric regulating valve 21 are all electrically connected to the PLC controller 24.

[0017] Example 1:

[0018] I. System Hardware Architecture

[0019] Based on the initial design specifications of a dual-tower nitrogen generator with a capacity of 100 Nm³ / h and a purity of 99.990%, the following core components were added:

[0020] Backflush system: The top of the left / right adsorption tank is connected to an electric backflush valve 12 via a pipe. When one adsorption tank is adsorbing, the other adsorption tank is pulsed and purged (the duration and frequency are adjusted according to the adsorption cycle).

[0021] Gas output pipeline: Nitrogen buffer tank 16 → Pressure reducing valve 17 (set output pressure 0.6MPa) → Flow meter 19 (range 0-150Nm³ / h) → Electric regulating valve 21 (pneumatic proportional valve, opening degree 0-100%).

[0022] The regulating valve output is divided into two paths: vent valve 22 (normally closed) is used for the discharge of substandard gas; gas generating valve 23 (normally open) is connected to the user's pipeline network.

[0023] Monitoring and transmission module: Pressure transmitter 19 (range 0-1.0MPa) monitors the pressure after the pressure reducing valve; flow meter 20 collects flow data in real time and uploads it to PLC; nitrogen analyzer 18 (accuracy 0.001%) analyzes the purity of the produced gas; PLC controller 24: equipped with a machine learning model (LSTM neural network), receives sensor data, calculates appropriate control parameters, and outputs control signals to each control valve.

[0024] II. Implementation of Fixed Output Mode (Taking a target output of 100 Nm³ / h as an example)

[0025] 1. Initial parameter settings

[0026] User input target output: 100 Nm³ / h; purity range: 99.990%~99.993%.

[0027] The PLC calls the historical database to match the optimal parameters under similar operating conditions: adsorption cycle: 45 seconds (based on the direct proportional relationship between adsorption time and output); backflushing frequency: in each adsorption cycle, the backflushing duty cycle is 60%, for a total of 3 times.

[0028] 2. Dynamic start-up and purity control

[0029] Start-up phase: The adsorption tanks alternate in a 45-second cycle. The initial gas produced is discharged through the vent valve 22 (purity < 99.990%). The nitrogen analyzer 18 monitors the purity in real time. When the purity is ≥ 99.990%, the PLC closes the vent valve and opens the gas production valve 23 to output qualified nitrogen.

[0030] Steady-state operation: Flow meter 21 monitors the actual flow rate. If the flow rate fluctuates outside the range of 95~105 Nm³ / h, the PLC adjusts the opening of the electric regulating valve 24 (opening it by 1% when the flow rate is low, and decreasing it when the flow rate is high). If the purity rises to 99.993% and continues to rise, the PLC shortens the adsorption time by 1 second every 6 cycles (e.g., 48s→47s→46s) until the purity drops back to 99.993%. If the purity drops to 99.991%, the PLC extends the adsorption time by 1 second every 6 cycles at the beginning of the next cycle (e.g., 45s→46s→47s) until the purity rises to 99.993%. The PLC records the flow rate (Q), purity (Pr), pressure (P), and adsorption time (t) during steady-state operation.

[0031] 3. Production change control (target production reduced to 80 Nm³ / h)

[0032] PLC recalculates the adsorption period:

[0033] Based on the approximate linear relationship between adsorption time t and yield Q, t=Ak*Q, with preset values ​​A=165 and k=1.2, then t=165-1.2*80=69 seconds (the values ​​of A and k will be optimized through historical data and dynamically adjusted according to steady-state operation logic).

[0034] Backflush optimization: Switch to intermittent backflush, keep the backflush duty cycle unchanged at 60%, and increase the number of backflush cycles to 4 per adsorption cycle.

[0035] III. Adaptive production mode implementation (purity set at 99.990%~99.993%)

[0036] 1. Initial adaptive operation

[0037] The equipment is started up at the design specifications (100 Nm³ / h), and gas supply begins after the gas production meets the requirements.

[0038] After the user starts using gas, the PLC calculates the average flow rate (Q) at the end of each adsorption cycle and adjusts the adsorption time.

[0039] If Q increases by 5%, the adsorption time will be shortened by 6 seconds (e.g., 60s → 54s).

[0040] If Q decreases by 5%, the adsorption time is extended by 6 seconds (e.g., 50s → 56s).

[0041] 2. Handling sudden surges in gas consumption (e.g., the addition of new gas-consuming equipment)

[0042] Event detection: The flow meter (21) detected a sudden increase in flow rate from 60 Nm³ / h to 80 Nm³ / h.

[0043] Emergency Response: The PLC immediately switches the adsorption time to 45 seconds (the shortest safe period) to ensure purity ≥ 99.990%.

[0044] Simultaneous calculation of theoretical adsorption time:

[0045] t = Ak * Q = 165 - 1.2 * 80 = 69 (seconds)

[0046] Adjustment per cycle: Increase by 0.1 × (69 - 45) = 2.4 seconds per cycle until it reaches 69 seconds.

[0047] Purity verification: During the adjustment process, the purity fluctuation range was controlled within 99.988%~99.992%.

[0048] 3. Handling sudden reductions in gas consumption (temporary equipment shutdown)

[0049] Event detection: The flow rate dropped from 100 Nm³ / h to 70 Nm³ / h.

[0050] Response logic: The purity increases due to the short adsorption time (e.g., reaching 99.995%). The PLC calculates the theoretical adsorption time: t = Ak * Q = 165 - 1.2 * 70 = 81 seconds.

[0051] Extend the cycle by cycle: increase by 0.1×(81-45)=3.6 seconds per cycle until it reaches 81 seconds.

[0052] Energy saving effect: After the adsorption time is extended, the energy consumption per unit output is reduced by 15% (reducing ineffective adsorption / desorption cycles).

[0053] IV. Machine Learning-Assisted Energy Saving Optimization

[0054] 1. Data Acquisition and Preprocessing

[0055] The PLC records the following data:

[0056] Inputs: Flow rate (Q), purity (P), pressure (Pr);

[0057] Outputs: adsorption time (t), regulating valve opening (V), backflushing frequency (F);

[0058] Data cleaning: Remove outliers with purity <99.990% or flow rate >120% of the design value.

[0059] 2. Model Training and Prediction

[0060] Predicting the optimal adsorption time using an LSTM network:

[0061] Input layer: [Q, P, Pr] of the past 10 cycles;

[0062] Output layer: adsorption time (t) for the next cycle.

[0063] Training objective: Minimize purity fluctuation (MAE < 0.001%) and energy consumption (kW·h / Nm³).

[0064] Field verification: The model prediction accuracy reached 92%, and it saves 11% energy compared to traditional PID control.

[0065] This solution achieves efficient and energy-saving operation of the nitrogen generator in fixed / adaptive modes by dynamically matching adsorption time and output, using machine learning predictive control, and optimizing backflushing gas, thus meeting the industrial demand for high-purity nitrogen production.

[0066] In the preferred technical solution, the middle of the left adsorption tank 2 is connected to the bottom of the right adsorption tank 7 through the lower left pressure equalization valve 5, and the middle of the right adsorption tank 7 is connected to the bottom of the left adsorption tank 2 through the lower right pressure equalization valve 6. This achieves gradual pressure equalization between adsorption towers, avoids airflow impact caused by traditional direct pressure equalization, and extends the molecular sieve life. During the desorption stage, the bottom residual pressure is used for reverse purging to enhance impurity desorption and reduce product gas purity fluctuations.

[0067] In the preferred technical solution, the output end of the electric backflush valve 12 is connected to the top of the left adsorption tank 2 and the top of the right adsorption tank 7 through two branch backflush pipes respectively. Both branch backflush pipes are equipped with flow-limiting orifice plates 13. The flow-limiting orifice plates 13 can accurately control the backflush gas velocity and flow rate, avoiding the direct impact of high-pressure gas flow on the molecular sieve and causing pulverization; balancing the backflush intensity of the two towers to ensure consistent regeneration effect; and in conjunction with the pulse backflush strategy, further reducing ineffective gas consumption and lowering backflush gas consumption by about 15%~20%, thereby improving the overall system stability and energy efficiency.

[0068] In the preferred technical solution, the bottom of the left adsorption tank 2 is connected to the input end of the left desorption valve 8, and the bottom of the right adsorption tank 7 is connected to the input end of the right desorption valve 9. The output ends of both the left desorption valve 8 and the right desorption valve 9 are connected to the vent pipe 10, which realizes the directional discharge of impurity gas, rapidly reduces the pressure inside the tank during the desorption stage, and enhances the molecular sieve regeneration efficiency; avoids cross-contamination, and the independent vent design prevents impurities from mixing between the left and right tanks; optimizes the system response speed, shortens the adsorption-desorption switching cycle, increases the gas production rate by 5%~8%, and reduces compressed air energy consumption.

[0069] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A multi-mode nitrogen generator, characterized in that, It includes an air buffer tank (1), a left adsorption tank (2), a right adsorption tank (7) and a nitrogen buffer tank (16). The air buffer tank (1) is connected to the bottom of the left adsorption tank (2) through a left air inlet valve (3), and the air buffer tank (1) is connected to the bottom of the right adsorption tank (7) through a right air inlet valve (4). The top of the left adsorption tank (2) is connected to the input end of the left gas generating valve (14), the top of the right adsorption tank (7) is connected to the input end of the right gas generating valve (15), the output ends of the left gas generating valve (14) and the right gas generating valve (15) are both connected to the nitrogen buffer tank (16), the top of the left adsorption tank (2) and the top of the right adsorption tank (7) are both connected to the upper equalizing valve (11), the top of the left adsorption tank (2) and the top of the right adsorption tank (7) are both connected to the output end of the electric backflush valve (12) through pipes, and the input end of the electric backflush valve (12) is connected to the backflush gas source pipe; The output end of the nitrogen buffer tank (16) is connected in series with the pressure reducing valve (17), the flow meter (20), and the electric regulating valve (21) through a pipeline. The output end of the electric regulating valve (21) is connected to the vent valve (22) and the gas generating valve (23) respectively. The pressure reducing valve (17) is provided with a branch pipe and the branch pipe is connected to the nitrogen analyzer (18). A pressure transmitter (19) is provided on the pipeline between the pressure reducing valve (17) and the flow meter (20). The electric regulating valve (21), the pressure transmitter (19), the flow meter (20), and the nitrogen analyzer (18) are all electrically connected to the PLC controller (24).

2. A multi-mode nitrogen generator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The middle part of the left adsorption tank (2) is connected to the bottom of the right adsorption tank (7) through the lower left pressure equalization valve (5), and the middle part of the right adsorption tank (7) is connected to the bottom of the left adsorption tank (2) through the lower right pressure equalization valve (6).

3. A multi-mode nitrogen generator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output end of the electric backflush valve (12) is connected to the top of the left adsorption tank (2) and the top of the right adsorption tank (7) through two branch backflush pipes respectively. Both branch backflush pipes are equipped with flow-limiting orifice plates (13).

4. A multi-mode nitrogen generator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the left adsorption tank (2) is connected to the input end of the left desorption valve (8), the bottom of the right adsorption tank (7) is connected to the input end of the right desorption valve (9), and the output ends of the left desorption valve (8) and the right desorption valve (9) are both connected to the vent pipe (10).

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