An instrument air handling system

Abstract

This invention provides an instrument air treatment system, comprising an instrument air pipeline consisting of a purified instrument air storage tank, a non-purified instrument air storage tank, a main dryer, and a backup dryer; a nitrogen pipeline consisting of a nitrogen generator and a nitrogen buffer tank; and a nitrogen flushing pipeline located between the instrument air pipeline and the nitrogen pipeline. The nitrogen flushing pipeline includes a nitrogen storage tank, a nitrogen pump, a flushing pipe, a return pipe, and a vent valve. The inlet of the nitrogen storage tank is connected to the nitrogen buffer tank, and the outlet of the nitrogen storage tank is connected to the nitrogen pump and then to the flushing pipe. The flushing pipe is connected to the instrument air pipeline, and both ends of the return pipe are connected to the instrument air pipeline and the vent valve, respectively. The flow direction of nitrogen in the nitrogen flushing pipeline is opposite to the flow direction of instrument air in the instrument air pipeline. This invention removes condensate accumulated in the instrument air pipeline by using counter-current nitrogen flow, achieving automatic condensate removal from the instrument air pipeline, improving the practicality of the instrument air treatment system, and increasing the efficiency of chemical production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of pneumatic instrument application technology, specifically to an instrument air handling system. Background Technology

[0002] Instrument air, also known as instrument gas, primarily supplies air to pneumatic instruments. Common instrument air sources include compressed air and nitrogen. When compressed air is used, the air is processed by an air compressor, dried by a dryer, and then filtered. The filtered instrument air then enters the main instrument air duct within the station for use by related pneumatic equipment. However, during instrument air processing, condensation may occur in certain areas of the pipeline due to incomplete moisture removal. Incomplete or untreated condensation will affect the pressure in the compressed gas pipeline and may cause equipment to malfunction. Low local temperatures can also cause condensation on equipment or valves in the pipeline, obstructing instrument air delivery and even affecting the normal output of compressed air from the air compressor. Generally, it is necessary to shut down the system for inspection to determine the condensation point, or to drain the condensation through control valves in the pipeline. This shutdown and water removal process severely impacts the efficiency of chemical production.

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides an instrument air handling system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This utility model provides an instrument air handling system that optimizes existing instrument air handling systems and solves the problem of condensation accumulation in instrument air supply systems using compressed air as the air source, which is inconvenient for automatic handling.

[0005] Specifically, this utility model discloses an instrument air treatment system, including an instrument air pipeline consisting of a purified instrument air storage tank, a non-purified instrument air storage tank, a main dryer, and a backup dryer; a nitrogen pipeline consisting of a nitrogen generator and a nitrogen buffer tank; and a nitrogen flushing pipeline disposed between the instrument air pipeline and the nitrogen pipeline.

[0006] The nitrogen flushing pipeline includes a nitrogen storage tank, a nitrogen pump, a flushing pipe, a return pipe, and a vent valve. The inlet of the nitrogen storage tank is connected to the nitrogen buffer tank, and the outlet of the nitrogen storage tank is connected to the nitrogen pump and then to the flushing pipe. The flushing pipe is connected to the instrument air duct. The two ends of the return pipe are connected to the instrument air duct and the vent valve, respectively. The flow direction of nitrogen in the nitrogen flushing pipeline is opposite to the flow direction of instrument air in the instrument air duct.

[0007] As described above, the instrument air treatment system of this utility model includes an instrument air pipeline, a nitrogen pipeline, and a nitrogen flushing pipeline. By separating the nitrogen in the nitrogen pipeline and allowing it to flow in the opposite direction to remove the condensate accumulated in the instrument air pipeline, the automatic removal of condensate in the instrument air pipeline is achieved. This prevents the condensate from affecting the pressure in the instrument air pipeline and causing the gas equipment to malfunction, thereby improving the practicality of the instrument air treatment system and increasing the efficiency of chemical production.

[0008] Optionally, the main dryer and the backup dryer are connected in parallel between the non-purified instrument air storage tank and the purified instrument air storage tank. The non-purified instrument air storage tank is used to connect to the air compressor, and the purified instrument air storage tank has multiple parallel outlets that are used to connect to different instrument air application ducts.

[0009] In this design, by setting up two parallel main dryers and a backup dryer, the unpurified instrument air output from the unpurified instrument air storage tank can enter different dryers for drying. This avoids the inability to properly dry the compressed air supplied by the compressor due to a single dryer malfunction, thus preventing subsequent water removal pressure and avoiding abnormal dew point in the pipeline. Furthermore, the dried instrument air is sent to different instrument air application corridors through multiple parallel outlets on the purified instrument air storage tank. This parallel design serves two purposes: firstly, to ensure equal instrument air pressure in each application corridor; and secondly, to prevent an abnormality in one application corridor from affecting the normal air supply to other application corridors.

[0010] Optionally, the nitrogen flushing line is connected to the outlet lines of the main dryer and the standby dryer, respectively.

[0011] In this design, nitrogen flushing pipelines will be installed at the outlets of the main dryer and the standby dryer to independently handle different compressed air pipelines and reduce the impact of flushing pipeline operations on other pipelines.

[0012] Optionally, the nitrogen flushing pipeline is located between the main dryer, the pipeline connecting the backup dryer, and the purification instrument air storage tank.

[0013] In this design, compared to the aforementioned setup, the compressed air dried by the main dryer and the backup dryer is combined into a delivery pipeline, and then a nitrogen flushing pipeline is connected to this combined delivery pipeline. This allows for the simultaneous treatment of condensate accumulation points in the outlet pipelines of different dryers, thereby improving flushing efficiency.

[0014] Optionally, the nitrogen pipeline further includes an adsorption tower, which is located between the nitrogen generator and the nitrogen buffer tank. The adsorption tower contains a molecular sieve, and the adsorption chamber containing the molecular sieve is a vacuum chamber.

[0015] In this design, an adsorption tower is installed in the nitrogen pipeline to control the humidity and temperature of the nitrogen gas. The temperature and humidity of the purging nitrogen are controlled according to the temperature and humidity requirements of the compressed air instrument ventilation system. Additionally, the molecular sieve inside the adsorption tower is placed in a vacuum chamber to enhance its dehumidification quality.

[0016] Optionally, the instrument air duct also includes a regeneration heater, which is located at the front end of the main dryer and the backup dryer.

[0017] In this design, a regenerative heater is installed in the instrument air duct to adjust the temperature and humidity of the instrument air before drying it.

[0018] In addition, the aforementioned instrument air ducts and nitrogen ducts all include dew point detectors. Dew point detectors are the primary monitoring devices for monitoring the dew point in various areas of the ductwork, used to determine whether condensation has accumulated in the duct. The entire system controls the nitrogen flushing of the instrument air ducts at the corresponding locations based on the dew point detection value.

[0019] Optionally, it also includes an air flushing line, which includes a booster pump and a reverse flushing line. The booster pump is connected to the outlet of the purification instrument air storage tank, and the reverse flushing line is used to communicate with the nitrogen line. The flow direction of the pressurized air in the reverse flushing line is opposite to the flow direction of the nitrogen in the nitrogen line.

[0020] In this design, an air flushing line is installed to use compressed air to flow in the opposite direction to treat the accumulation of condensate in the nitrogen pipeline area, and to prevent the nitrogen pipeline from condensing due to excessively low local dew point temperature or changes in ambient temperature. In other words, compressed air is used to adjust the temperature of the nitrogen pipeline and clean up any condensate that may accumulate in the nitrogen pipeline.

[0021] Optionally, the instrument air duct includes several gas control valves, the nitrogen duct includes several nitrogen control valves, and the nitrogen flushing duct includes an electronic inlet valve and a check valve, with the check valve connected in series with the vent valve. The valve body is an important control component of the system designed in this utility model. The check valve in the nitrogen flushing duct is used to prevent condensate from flowing back into the instrument air duct during the dewatering flushing process.

[0022] In summary, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0023] This utility model provides an instrument air treatment system that optimizes existing instrument air treatment systems. By separating nitrogen from the nitrogen pipeline and allowing it to flow in the opposite direction, the system removes condensate accumulated in the instrument air pipeline. This achieves automatic condensate removal from the instrument air pipeline, preventing condensate from affecting the pressure in the instrument air pipeline and causing the gas equipment to malfunction. This improves the practicality of the instrument air treatment system and enhances the efficiency of chemical production. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This application provides a schematic diagram of an instrument air handling system.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an instrument air handling system including an air flushing pipeline provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] In the picture:

[0027] 1: Instrument air duct; 1-1: Purified instrument air storage tank; 1-2: Non-purified instrument air storage tank; 1-3: Main dryer; 1-4: Standby dryer;

[0028] 2: Nitrogen pipeline; 2-1: Nitrogen generator; 2-2: Nitrogen buffer tank;

[0029] 3: Nitrogen flushing pipeline; 3-1: Nitrogen storage tank; 3-2: Return pipe; 3-3: Exhaust valve;

[0030] 4: Air flushing line. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the application will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in one embodiment" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0032] Instrument air, also known as instrument gas, primarily supplies air to pneumatic instruments. Common instrument air sources include compressed air and nitrogen. When compressed air is used, the air is processed by an air compressor, dried by a dryer, and then filtered. The filtered instrument air then enters the main instrument air duct within the station for use by related pneumatic equipment. However, during instrument air processing, condensation may occur in certain areas of the pipeline due to incomplete moisture removal. Incomplete or untreated condensation will affect the pressure in the compressed gas pipeline and may cause equipment to malfunction. Low local temperatures can also cause condensation on equipment or valves in the pipeline, obstructing instrument air delivery and even affecting the normal output of compressed air from the air compressor. Generally, it is necessary to shut down the system for inspection to determine the condensation point, or to drain the condensation through control valves in the pipeline. This shutdown and water removal process severely impacts the efficiency of chemical production.

[0033] In view of this, the present invention provides an instrument air handling system, as described in the following details.

[0034] This utility model discloses an instrument air handling system, such as Figure 1 As shown, the system includes an instrument air pipeline 1 consisting of a purified instrument air storage tank 1-1 (containing purified instrument air), a non-purified instrument air storage tank 1-2 (containing non-purified instrument air), a main dryer 1-3, and a standby dryer 1-4; a nitrogen pipeline 2 consisting of a nitrogen generator 2-1 and a nitrogen buffer tank 2-2 (used to buffer a portion of nitrogen); and a nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 located between the instrument air pipeline 1 and the nitrogen pipeline 2. The nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 includes a nitrogen storage tank 3-1, a nitrogen pump, a flushing pipe, a return pipe 3-2, and an air vent valve 3-3. The inlet of the nitrogen storage tank 3-1 is connected to the nitrogen buffer tank 2-2. The outlet of the nitrogen storage tank 3-1 is connected to the nitrogen pump and then to the flushing pipe. The flushing pipe is connected to the pipeline of the instrument air pipeline 1. The two ends of the return pipe 3-2 are connected to the instrument air pipeline 1 and the air vent valve 3-3, respectively. The flow direction of nitrogen in the nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 is opposite to the flow direction of instrument air in the instrument air pipeline 1.

[0035] It should be noted that both the aforementioned instrument air duct 1 and nitrogen duct 2 include dew point detectors. The dew point detector is the main monitoring device for monitoring the dew point in various areas of the duct, used to determine whether condensation has accumulated in the duct. The entire system controls the nitrogen flushing duct 3 at the corresponding location to treat the condensation in the instrument air duct 1 based on the dew point detection value.

[0036] In addition, the instrument air duct 1 includes several air control valves, the nitrogen duct 2 includes several nitrogen control valves, and the nitrogen flushing duct 3 includes an electronic air inlet valve and a check valve, with the check valve connected in series with the vent valve 3-3. The valve body is an important control component of the system designed in this utility model. The check valve in the nitrogen flushing duct 3 is used to prevent condensate from flowing back into the instrument air duct 1 during the dewatering flushing process.

[0037] As described above, the instrument air treatment system of this utility model includes an instrument air pipeline 1, a nitrogen pipeline 2, and a nitrogen flushing pipeline 3. By diverting nitrogen from the nitrogen pipeline 2 to flow in the opposite direction to remove condensate accumulated in the instrument air pipeline 1, automatic dewatering of condensate in the instrument air pipeline is achieved. This prevents condensate from affecting the pressure in the instrument air pipeline and causing equipment malfunction, thus improving the practicality of the instrument air treatment system and increasing the efficiency of chemical production. The operation of the nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 is determined based on the detection value of the dew point detector, which is related to the actual instrument air parameters; this embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this. When the nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 is operating, the air valve chamber of the instrument air pipeline 1 to be cleaned is closed, and it automatically reopens after cleaning. The corresponding nitrogen control valve opens when cleaning and dewatering begins, and closes after dewatering is completed.

[0038] In addition, in this embodiment, the main dryer 1-3 and the standby dryer 1-4 are connected in parallel between the non-purified instrument air storage tank 1-2 and the purified instrument air storage tank 1-1. The non-purified instrument air storage tank 1-2 is used to connect to the air compressor, and the purified instrument air storage tank 1-1 has multiple parallel outlets that are used to connect to different instrument air application corridors (i.e., multiple pipelines that apply instrument air).

[0039] In this design, by setting up two parallel main dryers 1-3 and a standby dryer 1-4, the non-purified instrument air output from the non-purified instrument air storage tank 1-2 can enter different dryers (i.e., Figure 1 The main dryer 1-3 and the backup dryer 1-4 in the pipeline are used for drying to prevent the compressor from failing to dry the compressed air due to the malfunction of a single dryer, which would put pressure on the dehydration process later and prevent abnormal dew point in the pipeline. In addition, the dried instrument air is sent to different instrument air application corridors through multiple parallel outlets on the purified instrument air storage tank 1-1. The parallel design here serves two purposes: firstly, to ensure that the instrument air pressure in each instrument air application corridor is equal, and secondly, to prevent an malfunction in one instrument air application corridor from affecting the normal air supply to other instrument air application corridors.

[0040] In some embodiments, the nitrogen purging line 3 is connected to the outlet lines of the main dryer 1-3 and the standby dryer 1-4, respectively.

[0041] In this embodiment, nitrogen flushing pipelines 3 are respectively installed at the outlets of the main dryer 1-3 and the backup dryer 1-4 to independently handle different compressed air pipelines and reduce the impact of flushing pipeline operations on other pipelines.

[0042] In addition, the nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 can also be located between the pipeline where the main dryer 1-3 and the standby dryer 1-4 converge and the purified instrument air storage tank 1-1. In this embodiment, compared with the aforementioned arrangement, by combining the compressed air dried by the main dryer 1-3 and the standby dryer 1-4 into a delivery pipeline, and then connecting the nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 to this converged delivery pipeline, the condensate accumulation points in the outlet pipelines of different dryers can be treated simultaneously to improve flushing efficiency.

[0043] In some embodiments, the aforementioned nitrogen pipeline 2 further includes an adsorption tower, which is located between the nitrogen generator 2-1 and the nitrogen buffer tank 2-2. The adsorption tower contains a molecular sieve, and the adsorption chamber containing the molecular sieve is a vacuum chamber.

[0044] In this embodiment, an adsorption tower is installed in the nitrogen pipeline 2 to control the humidity and temperature of the nitrogen. The temperature and humidity of the rinsing nitrogen are controlled according to the temperature and humidity requirements of the compressed air instrument ventilation system. In addition, the molecular sieve inside the adsorption tower has the same molecular motion speed within the vacuum chamber, which reduces the escape of moisture after adsorption and effectively improves the dehumidification quality of the molecular sieve.

[0045] In some embodiments, a regenerative heater may also be installed in the instrument air duct 1, located upstream of the main dryer 1-3 and the standby dryer 1-4. The regenerative heater is used to adjust the temperature and humidity of the instrument air before drying it, and simultaneously to dry the instrument air.

[0046] In other embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, it also includes an air flushing line 4, which includes a booster pump and a reverse flushing line. The booster pump is connected to the outlet of the purification instrument air storage tank 1-1, and the reverse flushing line is used to connect with the nitrogen line 2. The flow direction of the pressurized air in the reverse flushing line is opposite to the flow direction of the nitrogen in the nitrogen line 2.

[0047] In this embodiment, the air flushing line 4 is used to use compressed air to flow in the opposite direction to treat the accumulation of condensate in the nitrogen line 2 area, and to prevent the nitrogen line 2 from being condensed due to excessively low local dew point temperature or changes in ambient temperature. That is, the compressed air is used to adjust the temperature of the nitrogen line 2 and clean the condensate that may accumulate in the nitrogen line 2.

[0048] Finally, this utility model provides an instrument air treatment system, including an instrument air pipeline 1 consisting of a purified instrument air storage tank 1-1, a non-purified instrument air storage tank 1-2, a main dryer 1-3, and a standby dryer 1-4; a nitrogen pipeline 2 consisting of a nitrogen generator 2-1 and a nitrogen buffer tank 2-2; and a nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 located between the instrument air pipeline 1 and the nitrogen pipeline 2. The nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 includes a nitrogen storage tank 3-1, a nitrogen pump, a flushing pipe, a return pipe 3-2, and an air vent valve 3-3. The inlet of the nitrogen storage tank 3-1 is connected to the nitrogen buffer tank 2-2, and the outlet of the nitrogen storage tank 3-1 is connected to the nitrogen pump and then to the flushing pipe. The flushing pipe is connected to the pipeline of the instrument air pipeline 1. The two ends of the return pipe 3-2 are connected to the instrument air pipeline 1 and the air vent valve 3-3, respectively. The flow direction of nitrogen in the nitrogen flushing pipeline 3 is opposite to the flow direction of instrument air in the instrument air pipeline 1. This invention removes condensate accumulated in instrument air duct 1 by diverting nitrogen from nitrogen pipeline 2 and allowing it to flow in the opposite direction. This achieves automatic condensate removal from the instrument air duct, improves the practicality of the instrument air treatment system, and enhances the efficiency of chemical production.

[0049] It should be noted that all the above embodiments belong to the same inventive concept, and the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. Where the description in a particular embodiment is not exhaustive, please refer to the description in other embodiments. The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually.

[0050] The above embodiments merely illustrate the implementation of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An instrument air handling system characterized by, It includes an instrument air duct (1) consisting of a purified instrument air storage tank (1-1), a non-purified instrument air storage tank (1-2), a main dryer (1-3), and a standby dryer (1-4); a nitrogen pipeline (2) consisting of a nitrogen generator (2-1) and a nitrogen buffer tank (2-2); and a nitrogen flushing pipeline (3) located between the instrument air duct (1) and the nitrogen pipeline (2). The nitrogen flushing pipeline (3) includes a nitrogen storage tank (3-1), a nitrogen pump, a flushing pipe, a return pipe (3-2), and an air vent valve (3-3). The inlet of the nitrogen storage tank (3-1) is connected to the nitrogen buffer tank (2-2). The outlet of the nitrogen storage tank (3-1) is connected to the nitrogen pump and then to the flushing pipe. The flushing pipe is connected to the pipeline of the instrument air pipeline (1). The two ends of the return pipe (3-2) are connected to the instrument air pipeline (1) and the air vent valve (3-3) respectively. The flow direction of nitrogen in the nitrogen flushing pipeline (3) is opposite to the flow direction of instrument air in the instrument air pipeline (1).

2. The instrument air handling system of claim 1, wherein, The main dryer (1-3) and the backup dryer (1-4) are connected in parallel between the non-purified instrument air storage tank (1-2) and the purified instrument air storage tank (1-1). The non-purified instrument air storage tank (1-2) is used to connect to the air compressor. The purified instrument air storage tank (1-1) has multiple parallel outlets that are used to connect to different instrument air application ducts.

3. The instrument air handling system of claim 2, wherein, The nitrogen flushing pipeline (3) is connected to the outlet pipelines of the main dryer (1-3) and the standby dryer (1-4), respectively.

4. The instrument air handling system of claim 2, wherein, The nitrogen flushing pipeline (3) is located between the main dryer (1-3), the backup dryer (1-4) and the purification instrument air storage tank (1-1).

5. The instrument air handling system of claim 1, wherein, The nitrogen pipeline (2) also includes an adsorption tower, which is located between the nitrogen generator (2-1) and the nitrogen buffer tank (2-2).

6. The instrument air handling system of claim 1, wherein, The instrument air duct (1) also includes a regeneration heater, which is located at the front end of the main dryer (1-3) and the backup dryer (1-4).

7. The instrument air handling system of claim 5, wherein, The adsorption tower is equipped with a molecular sieve, and the adsorption chamber in which the molecular sieve is located is a vacuum chamber.

8. The instrument air handling system of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein, Both the instrument air duct (1) and the nitrogen duct (2) include dew point detectors.

9. The instrument air handling system of claim 1, wherein, It also includes an air flushing line (4), which includes a booster pump and a reverse flushing line. The booster pump is connected to the outlet of the purification instrument air storage tank (1-1). The reverse flushing line is used to connect with the nitrogen line (2), and the flow direction of the pressurized air in the reverse flushing line is opposite to the flow direction of the nitrogen in the nitrogen line (2).

10. The instrument air handling system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The instrument air duct (1) includes several air control valves, the nitrogen duct (2) includes several nitrogen control valves, and the nitrogen flushing duct (3) includes an electronic air inlet valve and a check valve, with the check valve connected in series with the vent valve (3-3).

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