Hydrogen compressor heating device

Abstract

The application relates to a hydrogen compressor heating device, and aims to solve the technical problem of hydrogen leakage caused by seal failure of a hydrogen compressor in a low-temperature environment. According to the technical scheme of the application, three-stage indirect heat conduction protection is formed by fin heat exchange pipes, working medium pipes and heat conduction materials, so that the leakage of working medium in the heat conduction assembly is effectively prevented from causing pollution of the working medium of a hydrogen compressor water chilling unit. The heater is integrated with the heat conduction assembly, the heat transfer path is shortened, quick response is realized, and the start-stop safety of the hydrogen compressor is ensured. Meanwhile, a PLC controller is used for monitoring the heating temperature in real time and feeding back control of start-stop of the heating device, automatic switching of the heating device is realized, all-weather operation is adapted, and the economy of a hydrogen supply system of a hydrogen refueling station is significantly improved. In addition, the heater has an anti-explosion performance and meets the anti-explosion certification, and is suitable for safety standards of the hydrogen refueling station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of hydrogen refueling station technology, specifically to a hydrogen compressor heating device. Background Technology

[0002] The rapid development of the hydrogen energy industry has driven the large-scale construction of hydrogen refueling stations. As a core piece of equipment in these stations, the diaphragm compressor's operational stability directly impacts hydrogen supply safety. Currently, diaphragm compressors generally use chillers to regulate the hydrogen inlet temperature. However, in cold regions (such as northern China where winter temperatures are ≤0℃), this reveals several serious drawbacks: low temperatures harden the sealing materials and components of the hydrogen compressor, leading to a surge in hydrogen leakage rates. Traditional chillers only have unidirectional hydrogen cooling capabilities and cannot actively heat hydrogen in low-temperature environments. Existing solutions involve adding a heating jacket to the hydrogen compressor cavity, but this results in a long heat transfer path and an inability to quickly respond to sudden changes in inlet temperature.

[0003] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the background technology of this disclosure and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of at least one of the above technical problems, this application discloses a hydrogen compressor heating device, which aims to solve the technical problem of hydrogen leakage caused by the failure of hydrogen compressor seals in low temperature environments.

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a hydrogen compressor heating device is provided, including a mounting frame, a heat-conducting component fixed to the mounting frame for transferring heat, and a heating component fixed within the heat-conducting component for generating heat. The heat-conducting component includes a finned heat exchange tube, a working fluid tube embedded inside the finned heat exchange tube with a gap between the working fluid tube and the working fluid tube, a heat-conducting material filling the gap between the finned heat exchange tube and the working fluid tube, heat-conducting oil filled inside the working fluid tube, and sealing plates fixed at both ends of the finned heat exchange tube. The working fluid tube is provided with a regulating component for monitoring and feeding back the temperature of the heat-conducting oil to control the start and stop of the heating component.

[0006] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the sealing plate at one end of the finned heat exchange tube is provided with a heating hole and a monitoring hole, and the heating assembly includes a heating element that extends into the working fluid tube through the heating hole and is an explosion-proof heater with the heating end fixed to the corresponding sealing plate.

[0007] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a sealing gasket is provided between the heating end of the explosion-proof heater and the sealing plate, and is fixed to the sealing plate by bolts.

[0008] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the control component includes a thermocouple that extends into the working fluid tube through a monitoring hole to monitor the temperature of the heat transfer oil, and a PLC controller for receiving the heat transfer oil temperature feedback from the thermocouple to control the start and stop of the explosion-proof heater.

[0009] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the mounting bracket includes a base and clamps that are fixed to the base by a support frame and fitted onto the two ends of the finned heat exchange tube.

[0010] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the thermally conductive material is a low-temperature resistant silicone grease with a temperature resistance range of -50°C to 200°C.

[0011] One or more technical solutions provided in this application have at least one of the following technical effects or advantages: The technical solutions of this application form a three-level indirect thermal protection system through finned heat exchange tubes, working fluid tubes, and thermally conductive materials, effectively preventing working fluid contamination of the hydrogen compressor chiller unit due to working fluid leakage within the thermally conductive components. Furthermore, by integrating the heater with the thermally conductive components, the heat transfer path is shortened, thereby achieving rapid response and ensuring the safe start-up and shutdown of the hydrogen compressor. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the hydrogen compressor heating device in one embodiment of this application.

[0013] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of a hydrogen compressor heating device in one embodiment of this application.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a PLC logic control diagram of a hydrogen compressor heating device in one embodiment of this application.

[0015] In the above figures, 1 is a finned heat exchange tube, 2 is a working fluid tube, 3 is a sealing plate, 4 is an explosion-proof heater, 5 is a heating hole, 6 is a bolt, 7 is a sealing gasket, 8 is a thermocouple, 9 is a monitoring hole, 10 is a base, 11 is a support frame, and 12 is a clamp. Detailed Implementation

[0016] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "vertical," "horizontal," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "connection" and "linkage" in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages).

[0017] Unless otherwise specified, the unit modules, components, structures, mechanisms, or sensors involved in the following embodiments are all commercially available products.

[0018] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the above technical solution will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0019] To address the technical problem of hydrogen leakage caused by seal failure in hydrogen compressors at low temperatures, this embodiment discloses a hydrogen compressor heating device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the system includes a mounting bracket, a heat-conducting component, a heating component, and a control component. The mounting bracket provides a platform for the heat-conducting component, heating component, and control component. The heating device is installed inside the chiller tank of the diaphragm compressor at the hydrogen refueling station. It exchanges heat with the working fluid in the chiller tank, raising the working fluid's temperature. This allows the working fluid in the chiller tank to exchange heat with the hydrogen inlet gas of the diaphragm compressor through a heat exchanger, raising the hydrogen inlet temperature and preventing the diaphragm compressor's sealing material from failing, thus reducing the occurrence of hydrogen leakage.

[0020] Considering that the entire unit is located inside the chiller tank of the diaphragm compressor at the hydrogen refueling station, any leakage of the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer components would contaminate the working medium in the chiller tank, affecting the hydrogen supply safety of the refueling station. Therefore, the heat transfer components include finned heat exchange tubes 1, working medium tubes 2, and heat-conducting materials. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the working fluid tube 2 is embedded inside the finned heat exchange tube 1 with a gap between it and the interior of the finned heat exchange tube 1. Thermally conductive material fills the gap between the finned heat exchange tube 1 and the working fluid tube 2. The finned heat exchange tube 1, the working fluid tube 2, and the thermally conductive material form a three-stage indirect thermal protection system, effectively preventing leakage of the working fluid inside the finned heat exchange tube 1 onto the pipe wall and reducing the possibility of working fluid contamination in the chiller unit's water tank. Specifically, the finned heat exchange tube 1 is a finned heat exchanger with an inner diameter of 154mm, an outer diameter of 160mm, and a total length of 612mm. Its surface is provided with reinforced heat transfer fins with a height of 30mm and a spacing of 15mm, increasing the heat transfer area and heat exchange area. To enhance heat transfer efficiency, the working fluid tube 2 is a spirally coiled, 135mm outer diameter circular straight tube structure wound inside the finned heat exchange tube 1. This increases the heat transfer area of ​​the working fluid tube wall, increases the working fluid capacity within the tube, provides strong pressure resistance, facilitates placement within the chiller unit's tank, and is easier to manufacture, making it suitable for large-scale applications. Furthermore, to withstand cold winter weather and ensure normal heat transfer of the heat-conducting components, the thermally conductive material is a low-temperature resistant silicone grease with a temperature range of -50℃ to 200℃. In addition, to ensure the sealing at both ends of the finned heat exchange tube 1, matching sealing plates 3 are welded to both ends of the finned heat exchange tube, effectively preventing leakage of the working fluid at the ports and further reducing the possibility of working fluid contamination within the chiller unit's water tank.

[0021] In this embodiment, the heating component serves as the heat source for the entire device and is fixed inside the working fluid tube 2. To improve the heat transfer efficiency between the heating component and the working fluid tube, heat transfer oil is filled inside the working fluid tube, and the heating component is heated within the heat transfer oil inside the working fluid tube 2. Simultaneously, considering that the chiller tank of the diaphragm compressor in the hydrogen refueling station contains a flammable and explosive environment with hydrogen gas, to ensure the absolute safety of the heating component in this flammable and explosive environment, in this embodiment, as... Figure 2 As shown, the heating assembly includes an explosion-proof heater 4. The heating element of the explosion-proof heater 4 extends into the working fluid tube 2 through a heating hole 5 on the sealing plate 3 and contacts the heat transfer oil. The heating end of the explosion-proof heater 4 is fastened to the corresponding sealing plate 3 by bolts 6 and is located outside the heat transfer assembly. To further improve the sealing performance of the device, a sealing gasket 7 is provided between the heating end of the explosion-proof heater 4 and the sealing plate 3. Specifically, the outer shell structure of the explosion-proof heater 4 is an explosion-proof structure with good sealing performance. Its heating element is specially designed and made of high-temperature resistant and high-insulation materials, with a generally low surface load, making it suitable for flammable and explosive environments such as hydrogen.

[0022] To avoid the risk of seal failure or explosion of the diaphragm compressor at the hydrogen refueling station due to abnormal temperature, a regulating component is installed in the heat transfer oil inside the working fluid pipe 2. In this embodiment, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the control components include a thermocouple 8 for real-time monitoring of the heat transfer oil temperature and a PLC controller for receiving the heat transfer oil temperature feedback from the thermocouple 8 to control the start and stop of the explosion-proof heater 4. Specifically, a monitoring hole 9 is also provided on the sealing plate 3 corresponding to the installation of the explosion-proof heater 4. The thermocouple 8 is fixed on the corresponding sealing plate 3 and extends into the heat transfer oil in the working fluid pipe 2 through the monitoring hole 9; at the same time, the thermocouple 8 is connected to the PLC controller in the hydrogen refueling station for controlling the chiller unit. Figure 3 As shown, the PLC controller is based on existing conventional technology. Through feedback control of the PLC controller, when the chiller's working fluid temperature reaches 8℃ or the heat transfer oil temperature rises to 50℃ and the system detects an abnormal temperature rise rate exceeding 5℃ / min, the explosion-proof heater automatically shuts off and stops working. When the hydrogen inlet temperature is detected to be ≤0℃, the PLC immediately starts the explosion-proof heater.

[0023] In order to enable the heat transfer components to be installed in the water tank of the chiller unit of the diaphragm compressor in the hydrogen refueling station, the mounting bracket includes a base 10, a support frame 11 and a clamp 12. The clamp 12 is fixed at both ends of the finned heat exchange tube 1. The two sides of the clamp 12 are fixed to the base 10 through the corresponding support frame 11. This modular design allows the heating device to be directly installed in the water tank of the chiller unit, which is convenient, quick and easy to modify and has a short modification cycle.

[0024] In other embodiments, for existing hydrogen refueling station chiller units, a self-heating heat exchanger module of the same specification can be embedded in the water tank, and the temperature data of the working fluid in the chiller unit's water tank can be collected in real time through a temperature transmitter. Simultaneously, based on existing conventional PLC control programs, the PLC controller uses a PID algorithm to dynamically adjust the power output of the heating device, precisely controlling the temperature in the water tank within the range of 0–10°C; and when the ambient temperature in the water tank rises above 10°C, it automatically controls the heating device to shut down and switches to cooling circulation mode, achieving all-weather temperature control balance.

[0025] Although some preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this disclosure.

[0026] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of its inventive concept. Therefore, if such modifications and variations to this disclosure fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A heating device for a hydrogen compressor, characterized in that, The device includes a mounting bracket, a heat-conducting component fixed to the mounting bracket for heat transfer, and a heating component fixed within the heat-conducting component for heat generation. The heat-conducting component includes a finned heat exchange tube, a working fluid tube embedded inside the finned heat exchange tube with a gap between them, a heat-conducting material filling the gap between the finned heat exchange tube and the working fluid tube, heat-conducting oil filled inside the working fluid tube, and sealing plates fixed at both ends of the finned heat exchange tube. The working fluid tube is equipped with a control component for monitoring and feeding back the temperature of the heat-conducting oil to control the start and stop of the heating component.

2. The hydrogen compressor heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing plate at one end of the finned heat exchange tube has a heating hole and a monitoring hole. The heating assembly includes a heating element that extends into the working fluid tube through the heating hole and is an explosion-proof heater with the heating end fixed to the corresponding sealing plate.

3. The hydrogen compressor heating device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The explosion-proof heater has a sealing gasket between the heating end and the sealing plate, and is fixed to the sealing plate by bolts.

4. The hydrogen compressor heating device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control components include a thermocouple that extends into the working fluid tube through a monitoring hole to monitor the temperature of the heat transfer oil, and a PLC controller that receives the heat transfer oil temperature feedback from the thermocouple to control the start and stop of the explosion-proof heater.

5. The hydrogen compressor heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting bracket includes a base and clamps that are fixed to the base by a support frame and fitted onto the two ends of the finned heat exchange tube.

6. The hydrogen compressor heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermally conductive material is a low-temperature resistant silicone grease with a temperature resistance range of -50℃ to 200℃.

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