A device for preventing damage from pump seal water loss
By introducing a combination of circulating water tank, closed cooling tower and pressure transmitter into the brine lithium extraction production process, the problems of real-time leakage identification and temperature control of the mechanical seal water system were solved, the stable operation of the pump unit was achieved, and the production risk was reduced.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- QINGHAI DONGTAI JINEL LITHIUM RESOURCES CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing mechanical seal water systems have difficulty identifying seal failures and material backflow in real time during lithium extraction from brine. Furthermore, open cooling systems are greatly affected by ambient temperature and cannot stably control the mechanical seal water temperature, leading to unplanned downtime and production risks.
The system employs a circulating water tank, closed-loop cooling tower, spray pump, circulating pump, pump seal, and pressure transmitter, combined with a conductivity meter and controller, to achieve dual monitoring of the pressure difference and conductivity of the mechanical seal water. Through the cooling circulation of the closed-loop cooling tower and automated control, the stable operation of the pump unit is ensured.
It enables real-time leakage identification and stable temperature control of pump sealing water, reduces the risk of unplanned downtime, and ensures long-term stable operation of the pump unit.
Smart Images
Figure CN224413933U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of pump sealing water, and in particular to a device for preventing pump sealing water from being interrupted and damaged. Background Technology
[0002] In the brine lithium extraction production system, the pump unit, as the core power equipment for material transportation, directly determines the reliability of the entire process due to its operational stability. The mechanical seal water system is a key unit for ensuring the sealing function of the pump shaft end. By continuously providing multiple functions such as cooling, lubrication, sealing, and self-cleaning, it ensures the long-term stable operation of the mechanical seal pair. If the mechanical seal water flow is interrupted or the media cross-contaminates, such as backflow of process materials, it will lead to dry friction, overheating and carbonization, or even burning of the sealing surface, thereby causing significant production risks such as shaft seal failure, material leakage, and unplanned shutdowns.
[0003] Existing mechanical seal water systems have the following drawbacks: material backflow is difficult to identify in real time when the seal fails, often leading to unplanned shutdowns; the open cooling system is greatly affected by ambient temperature, making it impossible to stably control the mechanical seal water temperature. Although existing devices have a circulation structure, they lack a mechanism for coordinated monitoring of conductivity and pressure, making it difficult to achieve accurate protection under complex operating conditions. Utility Model Content
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by proposing a device to prevent damage to the pump seal from water flow interruption.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0006] A device for preventing damage to a pump seal from water flow interruption includes a circulating water tank, a closed-loop cooling tower, a spray pump, a circulating pump, a pump seal, and a pressure transmitter. The circulating water tank is connected to a conductivity meter. An outlet is located at the bottom of the circulating water tank, and a return outlet is located at the top. The outlet is connected to the closed-loop cooling tower via a pipe and the circulating pump. The closed-loop cooling tower is connected to the return outlet of the circulating water tank via a pipe and the pump seal. Pressure transmitters A and B are respectively installed on the pipes before and after the pump seal. The closed-loop cooling tower is connected to the spray pump in a closed loop via pipes.
[0007] The conductivity meter, pressure transmitter A, and pressure transmitter B are electrically connected to the controller, which is electrically connected to the alarm, pump unit, and valve.
[0008] The pump seal corresponds to the shaft seal point of the pump unit.
[0009] A pressure transmitter A is installed at the inlet end of the pump seal, and a pressure transmitter B is installed at the outlet end of the pump seal to monitor the pressure difference before and after sealing in real time to determine whether the sealing surface is leaking.
[0010] The closed cooling tower is equipped with a packing layer and a spraying device. The spraying pump draws water from the bottom of the tower and sprays it onto the packing layer through the spraying device to form a cooling cycle.
[0011] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: dual monitoring of pressure difference and conductivity greatly shortens the leakage identification time; the closed cooling tower is less affected by ambient temperature and can stably control the mechanical seal water temperature; through the synergy of mechanical design and automated control, the pump unit in the brine lithium extraction production is ensured to operate stably for a long period of time. Attached Figure Description
[0012] Figure 1 This is a connection diagram of the device structure of this utility model;
[0013] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the signal control of this utility model;
[0014] In the diagram: 1. Circulating water tank; 2. Closed-loop cooling tower; 3. Spray pump; 4. Circulating pump; 5. Conductivity meter; 6. Pressure transmitter A; 7. Pressure transmitter B; 8. Pump seal A; 9. Pump seal B; 10. Controller; 11. Alarm; 12. Pump unit; 13. Valve. Detailed Implementation
[0015] The technical solution of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.
[0016] Example 1
[0017] like Figure 1-2 As shown, this utility model provides a device to prevent damage to the pump seal from water flow interruption. Its structure includes a circulating water tank 1, a closed cooling tower 2, a spray pump 3, a circulating pump 4, a pump seal, and a pressure transmitter. The circulating water tank 1 is connected to a conductivity meter 5. The circulating water tank 1 has an outlet at the bottom and a return outlet at the top. The outlet is connected to the closed cooling tower 2 through a pipe and the circulating pump 4. The closed cooling tower 2 is connected to the return outlet of the circulating water tank 1 through a pipe and the pump seal. Pressure transmitters A6 and B7 are respectively installed on the pipes before and after the pump seal. The closed cooling tower 2 is connected to the spray pump 3 in a closed loop through a pipe.
[0018] Conductivity meter 5, pressure transmitter A6 and pressure transmitter B7 are electrically connected to controller 10, and controller 10 is electrically connected to alarm 11, pump unit 12 and valve 13.
[0019] The pump seals correspond to the shaft seal points of the pump unit 12, including pump seal A8 and pump seal B9.
[0020] A pressure transmitter A6 is installed at the inlet end of pump seal A8, and a pressure transmitter B7 is installed at the outlet end of pump seal B9 to monitor the pressure difference before and after the seal in real time to determine whether there is leakage at the sealing surface.
[0021] The closed cooling tower 2 is equipped with a packing layer and a spraying device. The spray pump 3 draws water from the bottom of the tower and sprays it onto the packing layer through the spraying device to form a cooling cycle.
[0022] Working principle:
[0023] The mechanical seal water in the circulating water tank is transported to the closed cooling tower by the circulating pump. After being cooled by the spray pump, it flows through the pump seal to cool and lubricate the shaft seal of the pump unit. Finally, it flows back to the circulating water tank through the return water port, forming a closed loop.
[0024] The controller has two preset protection thresholds: a first-level alarm is triggered when the monitored value of pressure transmitter A or pressure transmitter B is lower than 0.2MPa; a second-level shutdown is triggered when the pressure difference between pressure transmitter A and pressure transmitter B is <0.1MPa and the conductivity is >200% of the reference value.
[0025] Level 1 alarm: Pressure transmitters A and B transmit pressure signals before and after the pump seal to the controller. When the pressure is lower than the set value, the controller activates the alarm.
[0026] Level 2 shutdown: Pressure transmitters A and B transmit pressure signals before and after the pump seal to the controller. When the pressure difference between pressure transmitters A and B is <0.1MPa and the conductivity is >200% of the reference value, the controller controls the pump unit to shut down in an emergency.
[0027] The conductivity meter monitors the conductivity of the mechanical seal water in the circulating water tank.
[0028] When the conductivity increases instantaneously by more than 200% of the reference value, it is determined to be a seal failure or material leakage. The controller interlocks and closes the material-side valve, starts emergency venting, and stops the pump unit.
[0029] The basis for setting the benchmark value of conductivity is:
[0030] Pure water machine seal: conductivity ≤50μS / cm;
[0031] Brine medium: conductivity > 5000 μS / cm.
Claims
1. A device for preventing damage to the pump seal water flow due to interruption, characterized in that: The system includes a circulating water tank, a closed-loop cooling tower, a spray pump, a circulating pump, a pump seal, and a pressure transmitter. The circulating water tank is connected to a conductivity meter. The circulating water tank has an outlet at the bottom and a return outlet at the top. The outlet is connected to the closed-loop cooling tower via a pipe and the circulating pump. The closed-loop cooling tower is connected to the return outlet of the circulating water tank via a pipe and the pump seal. Pressure transmitters A and B are respectively installed on the pipes before and after the pump seal. The closed-loop cooling tower is connected to the spray pump in a closed loop via a pipe.
2. The device for preventing damage to the pump seal water flow interruption according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductivity meter, pressure transmitter A, and pressure transmitter B are electrically connected to the controller, which is electrically connected to the alarm, pump unit, and valve.
3. The device for preventing damage to the pump seal water flow interruption according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pump seal corresponds to the shaft seal point of the pump unit.
4. The device for preventing damage to the pump seal water flow interruption according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pressure transmitter A is installed at the inlet end of the pump seal, and a pressure transmitter B is installed at the outlet end of the pump seal.
5. The device for preventing damage to the pump seal water flow interruption according to claim 1, characterized in that: The closed cooling tower is equipped with a packing layer and a spraying device. The spraying pump draws water from the bottom of the tower and sprays it onto the packing layer through the spraying device to form a cooling cycle.