Intelligent water cutting device for storage tank

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of oil-water separation, in particular to an intelligent water cutting device for a storage tank. The water cutting device comprises a water cutting device main body, an adjusting valve and a detection control module. The detection control module comprises first and second detection controllers, the two controllers are used for opening the valve to drain water when detecting that the oil content of water phase medium is lower than a threshold value, and the two controllers are used for closing the valve when detecting that the oil content is higher than the threshold value. A streamline pipeline is formed in the water cutting device main body. Through the double detection and control logic, the application effectively prevents the "oil running" accident caused by single-point detection failure, and improves the safety and reliability of the water cutting process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of oil-water separation technology, and in particular to an intelligent water cutter for storage tanks. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in many industrial sectors such as petroleum, chemical, and food processing, it is often necessary to automatically discharge the aqueous phase medium after sedimentation and separation from oil tanks. This process is known in the industry as "water cutting" or "dehydration." Traditional automatic water cutting methods mainly rely on mechanical float valves based on the density difference principle or single electronic level or oil-water interface sensors for control. Mechanical float valves use the rise and fall of a float to drive the valve opening and closing, thus achieving water cutting.

[0003] However, mechanical float valves suffer from problems such as easy jamming, poor sealing, and decreased sensitivity when the medium has high viscosity or contains many impurities, resulting in low reliability. While control systems using a single electronic sensor offer improved automation, their safety is highly dependent on the operating status of that single sensor. If the sensor misjudges due to oil contamination, malfunction, or signal interference, the control system will issue incorrect commands, leading to the direct discharge of wastewater containing excessive oil levels—an oil spill. This not only results in the loss of oil resources but also causes serious environmental pollution.

[0004] In summary, existing technologies, due to their reliance on single-point detection, generally suffer from insufficient reliability in the water-cutting process and are prone to safety hazards such as "oil spill" accidents. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the safety hazard of "oil spillage" caused by relying on single-point detection in the aforementioned related technologies, this application provides an intelligent water cut-off device for storage tanks.

[0006] On the one hand, this application provides an intelligent water cutter for storage tanks, which adopts the following technical solution: A smart water cutter for a storage tank includes a cutter body, a regulating valve, and a detection and control module. The cutter body is connected to an external oil tank and is used to receive an oil-water mixture and separate it into an aqueous phase and an oil phase. The regulating valve is mounted on the cutter body. The detection and control module is electrically connected to the regulating valve and is used to detect the oil content of the aqueous phase. The detection and control module includes a first detection controller and a second detection controller. When both the first and second detection controllers detect that the oil content of the aqueous phase is less than an oil content threshold, the detection and control module controls the regulating valve to open to discharge the aqueous phase. When at least one of the first and second detection controllers detects that the oil content of the aqueous phase is greater than or equal to the oil content threshold, the detection and control module controls the regulating valve to close.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution and utilizing the master and slave dual detection controllers and their specific control logic, a redundant safety barrier is constructed. When one detection controller fails or misjudges, the other controller can provide a safety backup, thereby effectively preventing "oil spill" accidents caused by single-point detection failure and significantly reducing operational risks.

[0008] Optionally, a streamlined pipe is formed inside the water cutter body, with a liquid inlet at the first end of the streamlined pipe and a liquid outlet at the second end; the liquid inlet is connected to the external oil tank, and the regulating valve is provided at the liquid outlet, wherein the installation height of the liquid inlet is higher than the installation height of the liquid outlet.

[0009] The above scheme provides a stable flow environment for oil-water separation through streamlined pipelines, while the setting of the inlet being higher than the outlet utilizes gravitational potential energy to assist in the flow and separation of the medium, thereby improving the separation efficiency.

[0010] Optionally, the intelligent water cutter for the storage tank also includes a direct discharge pipe, through which the main body of the water cutter is connected to the external oil tank.

[0011] The above solution provides a simple and low-resistance direct connection method for direct discharge pipelines, facilitating rapid feeding or emptying.

[0012] Optionally, the intelligent water cutter for the storage tank also includes a drive module, which can be selectively installed in the pipeline for conveying oil or water phase media to achieve active conveying of a specific phase medium.

[0013] The above solution enables the drive module to independently intervene in the oil or water phase, achieving precise control whether it is active oil return or active drainage, thereby greatly improving the flexibility and automation of the system operation.

[0014] Optionally, the intelligent water cutter for the storage tank also includes a siphon pipe, through which the main body of the water cutter is connected to the external oil tank.

[0015] The above scheme utilizes the siphon principle to achieve continuous liquid supply from external oil tanks to the water cutter without power or with low energy consumption, saving energy and ensuring stable operation.

[0016] Optionally, the intelligent water cutter for the storage tank further includes a return oil pipe for connecting the water cutter body to the external oil tank; wherein, the drive module is disposed on the return oil pipe and configured to drive the oil phase medium in the water cutter body to flow to the external oil tank via the return oil pipe.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution and installing a drive module on the return oil pipeline, the active recovery of the separated oil phase medium is achieved. This solution ensures that even under conditions of no differential pressure or low differential pressure, the oil phase medium can be reliably returned to the external oil tank, enhancing the system's adaptability to different operating conditions and ensuring the dynamic balance of materials.

[0018] Optionally, the intelligent water cutter for the storage tank further includes a water collection tank, which is connected to the liquid outlet of the water cutter body; wherein, the drive module is disposed between the liquid outlet and the water collection tank, and is configured to drive the aqueous medium in the water cutter body to flow to the water collection tank.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution and configuring a drive module and a water collection tank on the drainage pipeline, active pumping and collection of qualified aqueous media are achieved. This solution makes the drainage process no longer solely dependent on gravity, but can overcome pipeline resistance or achieve upward transport, greatly expanding the application scenarios of the equipment and facilitating centralized management and subsequent treatment of the discharged water.

[0020] Optionally, both the first and second detection controllers include: a control section disposed outside the streamlined pipe; and a detection section connected to the control section, the detection section extending into the streamlined pipe to detect the oil content of the aqueous medium, the detection section being provided with an anti-fouling coating.

[0021] Through the above solution, the anti-fouling coating can effectively reduce the adhesion of oil on the probe surface, avoid inaccurate detection signals caused by probe contamination, and ensure the long-term accuracy and stability of sensor detection.

[0022] Optionally, both the first and second detection controllers are equipped with ultrasonic transducers, which are used to clean the detection section; the main body of the water cutter is equipped with a steam jacket, which is used to heat the medium inside the water cutter to reduce the viscosity of the medium, thereby assisting the cleaning process of the ultrasonic transducer.

[0023] Through the above scheme, the ultrasonic transducer provides active physical cleaning, while steam heating reduces the viscosity of the oil to assist in cleaning. The two work together to achieve efficient online self-cleaning of the sensor probe, greatly reducing the amount of manual maintenance and ensuring the long-term stable operation of the system.

[0024] Optionally, a monitoring system is installed inside the streamlined pipe. The monitoring system includes an image acquisition device installed on the inner wall of the streamlined pipe and a display installed outside the streamlined pipe. The image acquisition device is communicatively connected to the display and is used to acquire images of the working conditions inside the pipe and transmit them to the display for real-time display to observe the water cutting situation.

[0025] The above solution enables visualized monitoring of the oil-water separation interface and process inside the water cutter, facilitating real-time inspection and fault diagnosis by operators, and improving the operability and safety of the system.

[0026] This application has at least the following beneficial effects: In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. By adopting a detection control module including a first detection controller and a second detection controller, and setting the control logic to open the regulating valve only when both detect that the oil content is below the threshold, and close the regulating valve when either detects that the oil content exceeds the threshold, a complete redundant protection mechanism is provided for the drainage operation, which effectively prevents the "oil spill" accident caused by single-point detection failure and significantly improves the safety and reliability of the water cutting process. 2. The streamlined pipe formed inside the water cutter body and the setting of its inlet being higher than its outlet create a stable flow environment for oil-water separation and facilitate gravity flow, which helps to improve separation efficiency. 3. By combining different components such as siphon pipes, direct discharge pipes, drive modules, return oil pipes, and water collection tanks, a variety of flexible configurations for media transportation, recovery, and management are achieved, improving the system's adaptability and automation level; 4. The anti-contamination coating on the detection section, combined with ultrasonic transducer cleaning and steam jacket heating, can effectively combat sensor probe contamination, ensuring long-term detection accuracy and continuous system operation. 5. By installing a monitoring system in the streamlined pipeline, the internal working condition of the water cutter can be visualized, which facilitates inspection and fault diagnosis and improves the operability and safety of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the intelligent water cutter for the storage tank according to Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the intelligent water cutter for the storage tank according to Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the intelligent water cutter for the storage tank according to Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10. Main body of the water cutter; 11. Liquid inlet; 12. Liquid outlet; 13. Streamlined pipe; 14. Steam jacket; 21. First detection controller; 22. Second detection controller; 31a. Air pump; 31b. Pressure gauge; 32. Drive pump set; 40. Regulating valve; 50. Oil return pipe; 60. Water collection tank; 61. Water collection tank outlet; 70. Explosion-proof junction box. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-3 This application will be described in further detail.

[0032] This application discloses an intelligent water cutter for storage tanks.

[0033] Example 1 Reference Figure 1 The intelligent water cutter for the storage tank includes a water cutter body 10, a detection and control module, and a regulating valve 40 disposed at the outlet 12. The water cutter body 10 is provided with an inlet 11 and an outlet 12; an external oil tank is connected to the inlet 11 through a direct discharge pipe, and the oil-water mixture in the external oil tank can flow into the water cutter body 10 from the inlet 11 through the direct discharge pipe; a streamlined pipe 13 is formed inside the water cutter body 10, and because the inlet 11 is set higher than the outlet 12, the oil-water mixture entering the streamlined pipe 13 can spontaneously flow to the outlet 12 by its own gravity.

[0034] The detection and control module is electrically connected to the regulating valve 40 to control the opening degree of the regulating valve. For safety, both the detection and control module and the regulating valve 40 are connected to the explosion-proof junction box 70. The detection and control module is used to detect the oil content of the aqueous medium.

[0035] Specifically, the detection control module includes a first detection controller 21 and a second detection controller 22, forming a dual-redundant detection system. The control logic of the detection control module is set as follows: when both the first detection controller 21 and the second detection controller 22 detect that the oil content of the aqueous medium is lower than a preset oil content threshold, the detection control module controls the regulating valve 40 to open to discharge the aqueous medium. Conversely, as long as at least one of the first detection controller 21 and the second detection controller 22 detects that the oil content of the aqueous medium is greater than or equal to the oil content threshold, the detection control module controls the regulating valve 40 to close.

[0036] To improve drainage efficiency, during the drainage process, the detection and control module can output an analog signal of, for example, 4 to 20 mA based on the detected content of the aqueous medium, and automatically adjust the opening of the regulating valve 40 to maintain the fastest water-cutting speed while ensuring safety. Furthermore, the intelligent water-cutting device for the storage tank also has an automated operation mode. After completing one water-cutting operation, the system enters a low-power sleep state; when the intelligent water-cutting device detects new medium entering the external oil tank, it automatically enters the working state; the system also supports manual intervention.

[0037] To ensure detection reliability, both the first detection controller 21 and the second detection controller 22 include a control section disposed outside the streamlined pipe 13 and a detection section extending into the streamlined pipe 13. The surface of the detection section is provided with an anti-fouling coating, and each detection section is equipped with an ultrasonic transducer for periodic or on-demand ultrasonic cleaning. To assist cleaning and ensure the fluidity of the medium in low-temperature environments, a steam jacket 14 is also provided on the outside of the water cutter body 10.

[0038] The implementation principle of the intelligent water cutter for storage tanks in Embodiment 1 of this application is as follows: Under the action of gravity, the oil-water mixture in the external oil tank flows into the streamlined pipe 13 of the intelligent water cutter through the direct discharge pipe. The oil-water mixture flows smoothly in the pipe, and the oil and water are further separated by density difference. The separated oil replaces the water at the bottom of the oil tank, and the oil phase medium automatically returns to the oil tank. The first detection controller 21 and the second detection controller 22 monitor the oil content of the water phase medium in real time. When both determine that the water quality is qualified, the detection control module opens the regulating valve 40 to drain water and automatically adjusts the valve opening according to the water volume to optimize the speed. If either controller detects that the oil content exceeds the standard, it immediately closes the valve to prevent oil leakage. After the water cutting is completed, the system automatically enters a sleep state; after detecting that the oil tank is refilled, it automatically wakes up and resumes operation. The entire system achieves safe, efficient, and automated water cutting operation through the coordinated cooperation of dual detection control, streamlined separation, and automatic adjustment.

[0039] Example 2 Reference Figure 2 The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that: The intelligent water cutter for the storage tank described in this embodiment also includes a drive module and a return oil pipe 50. The drive module is specifically a pneumatic drive device, which is connected in series in the return oil pipe 50 to pressurize and transport the fluid in the pipe. One end of the return oil pipe 50 is connected to the streamlined pipe 13, and the other end is connected to the oil return port located at the top of the external oil tank.

[0040] Specifically, the pneumatic drive device includes an air pump 31a and a pressure gauge 31b. The air pump 31a divides the oil return pipe 50 into a first section and a second section. The first section connects the streamlined pipe 13 to the inlet of the air pump 31a, and the second section connects the outlet of the air pump 31a to the oil tank return port. The pressure gauge 31b is directly connected to the air pump 31a and is used to monitor the air source pressure driving the air pump 31a, thereby visually reflecting its working status.

[0041] In this structure, the air pump 31a can actively pressurize the oil that has accumulated after being separated from the streamlined pipe 13 by consuming air source power, and force it to be pumped to the oil tank return port through the second pipe section.

[0042] Example 2 illustrates the implementation principle of an intelligent water cutter for storage tanks: In this example, the liquid inlet can be connected via a siphon pipe, utilizing the siphon effect to achieve unpowered transport of the oil-water mixture from the external oil tank to the intelligent water cutter. After oil-water separation is completed within the water cutter, the discharge logic for the aqueous phase is identical to that in Example 1, i.e., after passing dual detection, it is discharged under the control of regulating valve 40.

[0043] The key difference between this embodiment and Example 1 lies in the method of recovering the oil phase medium. In this embodiment, the separated oil phase medium accumulates at the top of the water cutter and is actively and forcibly pumped back to the oil return port at the top of the oil tank by the pneumatic drive device through the return oil pipe 50. This active oil return design ensures that even under conditions of no or low pressure differential, such as siphon-based liquid inlet, the separated oil phase medium can still be reliably recovered to the oil tank, thereby maintaining the dynamic balance of the system materials. This solution is particularly suitable for application scenarios where the intelligent water cutter of the storage tank uses a siphon-based liquid inlet method. The core dual detection and safety control logic of the system remains consistent with that of Example 1.

[0044] Example 3 Reference Figure 3 The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 2 is that... The drive module differs in its structure and working object. This embodiment omits the pneumatic drive device and return oil pipe 50 for active oil return; the drive module in this embodiment is specifically a drive pump assembly 32, which, along with the water collection tank 60, is located downstream of the outlet 12 of the water cutter body 10. Specifically, the inlet of the drive pump assembly 32 (e.g., a centrifugal pump) is connected to the outlet 12, and the outlet is connected to the water collection tank 60. Its function is to drive the separated and settled aqueous medium at the bottom of the water cutter body 10 and actively pump it into the water collection tank 60. The water collection tank 60 is further equipped with a water collection tank outlet 61 for the final discharge of treated water that meets standards.

[0045] The implementation principle of the intelligent water cutter for the storage tank in Embodiment 3 of this application is as follows: This embodiment also uses a siphon pipe to achieve unpowered transportation of the oil-water mixed medium. After the medium enters the water cutter, it is separated by gravity. Its core working process is "active water pumping and passive oil replacement". When the detection and control module (whose dual detection logic is the same as in Embodiment 1) confirms that the oil content of the bottom water phase medium meets the standard, it starts the drive pump group 32, which serves as the drive module, to actively pump the qualified water phase medium to the collection tank 60. This pumping action will generate negative pressure in the water cutter and the siphon pipe, thereby driving the oil-water mixed medium at the bottom of the external oil tank to be continuously sucked in. The key difference from Embodiment 2 is the oil phase medium recovery mechanism: This embodiment does not actively pump the oil phase, but uses the newly sucked, denser oil-water mixed medium to enter from below, replacing and lifting the floating, less dense, pure oil phase, so that it passively and automatically returns to the external oil tank through the connecting pipe.

Claims

1. A smart water cutter for storage tanks, characterized in that, include: The main body of the water cutter (10) is used to connect to an external oil tank, receive the oil-water mixture medium and separate the oil-water mixture medium into an aqueous phase medium and an oil phase medium; A regulating valve (40) is provided on the main body (10) of the water cutter; The detection control module is electrically connected to the regulating valve (40) and is used to detect the oil content of the aqueous medium. The detection control module includes a first detection controller (21) and a second detection controller (22). When both the first detection controller (21) and the second detection controller (22) detect that the oil content of the aqueous medium is less than the oil content threshold, the detection control module controls the regulating valve (40) to open to discharge the aqueous medium. When at least one of the first detection controller (21) and the second detection controller (22) detects that the oil content of the aqueous medium is greater than or equal to the oil content threshold, the detection control module controls the regulating valve (40) to close.

2. The intelligent water cutter for storage tanks according to claim 1, characterized in that, A streamlined pipe (13) is formed inside the main body (10) of the water cutter. The first end of the streamlined pipe (13) is provided with an inlet (11), and the second end of the streamlined pipe (13) is provided with an outlet (12). The inlet (11) is connected to the external oil tank, and the outlet (12) is provided with the regulating valve (40). The installation height of the inlet (11) is higher than the installation height of the outlet (12).

3. The intelligent water cutter for storage tanks according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A direct discharge pipe is used to connect the water cutter body (10) to the external oil tank.

4. The intelligent water cutter for storage tanks according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A drive module is disposed in a pipeline for discharging oil-phase media or water-phase media to actively transport the oil-phase media or water-phase media.

5. The intelligent water cutter for storage tanks according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A siphon pipe is used to connect the water cutter body to the external oil tank.

6. The intelligent water cutter for storage tanks according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: The return oil pipe (50) is used to connect the water cutter body (10) to the external oil tank; wherein the drive module is disposed on the return oil pipe (50) and is configured to drive the oil phase medium in the water cutter body (10) to flow to the external oil tank via the return oil pipe (50).

7. The intelligent water cutter for storage tanks according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: A water collection tank (60) is connected to the outlet (12) of the water cutter body (10); wherein, the driving module is disposed between the outlet (12) and the water collection tank (60) and is configured to drive the aqueous medium in the water cutter body (10) to flow to the water collection tank (60).

8. The intelligent water cutter for storage tanks according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the first detection controller (21) and the second detection controller (22) include: The control section is located outside the streamlined pipe (13); The detection section is connected to the control section and extends into the streamlined pipe (13) to detect the oil content of the aqueous medium. The detection section is provided with an anti-fouling coating.

9. The intelligent water cutter for storage tanks according to claim 8, characterized in that, Both the first detection controller (21) and the second detection controller (22) are equipped with ultrasonic transducers, which are used to clean the detection section; and / or, the main body of the water cutter is equipped with a steam jacket (14) for heating the medium inside the water cutter.

10. The intelligent water cutter for storage tanks according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: The monitoring system includes an image acquisition device disposed on the inner wall of the streamlined pipe (13) and a display disposed on the outside of the streamlined pipe (13); wherein the image acquisition device is communicatively connected to the display.

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