Space special efficient helium recovery and purification system and space device

Abstract

The application provides a high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system special for aerospace and an aerospace device, and belongs to the field of gas purification. The system comprises a helium recovery airbag containing waste helium after aerospace launching, an adsorption device connected to the helium recovery airbag, used for receiving the waste helium and performing first adsorption on a first gas in the waste helium to output first purified helium, a low-temperature device connected to the adsorption device, used for receiving the first purified helium and performing low-temperature liquefaction on a second gas in the first purified helium to output second purified helium, and a dehydrogenation device connected to the low-temperature device, used for receiving the second purified helium and performing second adsorption on hydrogen in the second purified helium to output third purified helium. The application considers advanced purification indexes and recovery volume of a launching site, and designs a three-stage filtration system, so that the helium recovery rate is effectively improved. In addition, the application is designed to remove a small amount of hydrogen in raw gas, so that efficient and large-scale recovery and high-purity of waste helium of the launching site are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of gas purification, specifically to a high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system and aerospace device. Background Technology

[0002] Helium is a non-renewable rare gas and an indispensable strategic resource for national defense, military industry, and high-tech sectors. It is widely used in aerospace launches, nuclear industry, and other high-tech fields. However, my country's helium resources are quite scarce, with limited quantities and low content of helium-containing natural gas. my country relies heavily on imports of helium from countries such as the United States, Qatar, and Europe, resulting in a very serious helium security situation. Current domestic helium production is far from meeting the demand of my country's rapidly developing aerospace industry.

[0003] Helium, due to its rarity, is largely recycled and reused. However, high-purity helium often becomes contaminated with various impurities during use, necessitating complete removal during recovery. This is particularly problematic in space launch sites where helium contains trace amounts of hydrogen. Existing methods for hydrogen removal present a fundamental challenge: the evaporation temperatures of hydrogen and helium are extremely close, making it difficult for cold trap separation methods to effectively remove hydrogen from helium, thus affecting the purity of the recovered helium. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system and aerospace device specifically for aerospace applications, which can achieve efficient large-scale recovery and high purification of waste helium from launch sites.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system for aerospace launch sites, comprising: a helium recovery gasbag containing waste helium after a space launch; an adsorption device connected to the helium recovery gasbag for receiving the waste helium and performing a first adsorption on a first gas therein to output first purified helium; a cryogenic device connected to the adsorption device for receiving the first purified helium and cryogenically liquefying a second gas therein to output second purified helium; and a dehydrogenation device connected to the cryogenic device for receiving the second purified helium and performing a second adsorption on hydrogen therein to output third purified helium.

[0006] Optionally, the adsorption device includes an oil-water separator and a dryer, and the first gas includes CO2 and H2O.

[0007] Optionally, the helium recovery and purification system further includes: a helium recovery compressor, located between the helium recovery gasbag and the adsorption device, for introducing the waste helium into the adsorption device; and a membrane compressor, located after the dehydrogenation device, for introducing the third purified helium into a high-purity helium storage tank or returning it to the upstream for re-purification.

[0008] Optionally, the helium recovery and purification system further includes: a detector for detecting the purity of the third purified helium; a helium buffer tank located between the dehydrogenation device and the membrane compressor; and a controller for controlling the introduction of the third purified helium into a high-purity helium storage tank when the purity of the third purified helium is greater than or equal to the set value; or controlling the return of the third purified helium to the upstream stage for re-purification along a branch when the purity of the third purified helium is less than the set value.

[0009] Optionally, the second gas includes O2 and N2, and the cryogenic device has a pre-cooling mode and an operating mode.

[0010] Optionally, the cryogenic device further includes: a purifier with an operating temperature of 70-77 K; a liquid nitrogen integrated grid with an operating pressure of 15-20 MPa for precooling the purifier in the precooling mode; and a liquid nitrogen storage tank for continuously cooling the purifier in the operating mode, so that the operating temperature of the purifier is maintained at 70-77 K.

[0011] Optionally, the liquid nitrogen consumption in the pre-cooling mode is 80-90 L for 16-18 h, and the liquid nitrogen consumption in the working mode is 10-15 L / h, and the capacity of the liquid nitrogen storage tank is greater than 300 L.

[0012] Optionally, the dehydrogenation device includes a metal dehydrogenation getter and / or an active chemical oxide, wherein the dehydrogenation efficiency of the metal dehydrogenation getter is greater than that of the active chemical oxide, and the minimum dehydrogenation concentration of the active chemical oxide is less than that of the metal dehydrogenation getter.

[0013] Optionally, the metal dehydrogenating getter is zirconium, vanadium, iron, titanium, or copper, and the active chemical oxide is palladium, manganese, and / or aluminum oxide.

[0014] On the other hand, this application also provides a space device for a space launch site, including: a space-specific high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system as described above.

[0015] Through the above technical solutions, the system provided in this application is advanced. Considering the advanced purification indicators and the large volume of helium recovery at the launch site, a three-stage filtration system is designed, achieving an effective recovery rate of over 95%, effectively improving the helium recovery rate. Furthermore, this application incorporates a dehydrogenation design to deeply remove trace amounts of hydrogen from the raw material gas, enabling efficient and large-scale recovery and high purification of waste helium from the launch site, with the recovered helium purity reaching up to 99.999%.

[0016] This application, by conducting research on helium recovery adapted to space launch sites, provides a guarantee for the rational planning of helium resources, improving mission efficiency, reducing usage costs, and preventing emergencies, thereby significantly enhancing space launch support capabilities.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the embodiments of this application, but do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system for aerospace applications according to an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a helium recovery and purification system provided according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figures 3a-3b This is a schematic diagram of a helium recovery and purification system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a helium purifier provided according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figures 5a-5b This is a structural diagram of a dehydrogenation apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a helium recovery and purification system provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The specific embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application.

[0026] Based on the requirement that the helium purity at the launch site must meet 99.99%, and considering the advanced purification indicators and the launch site recovery volume, the applicant designed a fusion-type dedicated helium purification device to achieve helium purification at the launch site.

[0027] Specifically, this application first provides a high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system 100 for aerospace applications, which can be used in aerospace launch sites, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the structural composition diagram, the system 100 may include:

[0028] Helium recovery gasbag 110 contains waste helium gas after a space launch.

[0029] The adsorption device 120 is connected to the helium recovery bag and is used to receive waste helium and perform a first adsorption on the first gas therein to output the first purified helium.

[0030] Cryogenic device 130, connected to adsorption device, is used to receive first purified helium gas and cryogenically liquefy a second gas therein to output second purified helium gas; and

[0031] The dehydrogenation unit 140, connected to the cryogenic unit, is used to receive the second purified helium and perform a second adsorption of hydrogen therein to output the third purified helium.

[0032] This method employs a three-stage filtration system. The first stage involves adsorption purification, where the first gas includes CO2, H2O, etc., to remove H2O, CO2, grease, etc., through adsorbents and adsorption materials. The second stage involves low-temperature purification, where the second gas includes O2, N2, etc., utilizing the low boiling point of helium, for example, by using liquid nitrogen as a cold source to condense and separate impurities such as nitrogen and oxygen from the mixed gas. The third stage utilizes metal getters and chemically active oxide adsorbents for dehydrogenation purification to remove other impurities and obtain high-purity helium. The product gas purity is ≥99.995%, reaching a maximum of 99.999%, with an effective recovery rate exceeding 95%.

[0033] In one embodiment, such as Figures 3a-3b As shown, the helium recovery and purification system 100 may further include: a helium recovery compressor (or helium recovery compressor / recovery gas compressor), located between the helium recovery gasbag 110 and the adsorption device 120, for introducing waste helium into the adsorption device 120; and a membrane compressor, located after the dehydrogenation device 140, for introducing the third purified helium into the high-purity helium storage tank or returning it to the upstream for re-purification.

[0034] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the adsorption device 120, also known as the primary adsorber, includes an oil-water separator and a dryer. The helium recovery and purification system also includes: a detector for detecting the purity of the third-stage purified helium; a helium buffer tank located between the dehydrogenation device 140 and the membrane compressor; and a controller for controlling the flow of the third-stage purified helium into a high-purity helium storage tank when the purity is greater than or equal to a set value; or for controlling the return of the third-stage purified helium along a branch path to the upstream stage for re-purification when the purity is less than the set value.

[0035] In one embodiment, the cryogenic device 130 may also be referred to as a secondary purifier, and may have a pre-cooling mode and an operating mode. Additionally, the cryogenic device 130 further includes: Figure 4The purifier shown operates at a temperature of 70-77 K, for example, 77 K; the liquid nitrogen integrated grid operates at a pressure of 15-20 MPa and is used to pre-cool the purifier in pre-cooling mode; and the liquid nitrogen storage tank is used to continuously cool the purifier in working mode, so that the operating temperature of the purifier is maintained at 70-77 K.

[0036] The system functional indicators of this utility model include: a processing capacity of up to 30 Nm. 3 / hour; can work continuously for 20 hours. Maximum recovery capacity per operation: 600 Nm 3 Helium is used. The liquid nitrogen consumption in this case is as follows: 80-90 L of liquid nitrogen is consumed during the initial cooling in pre-cooling mode, with a duration of 16-18 h; while the liquid nitrogen consumption in working mode is 10-15 L / h. The capacity of the liquid nitrogen storage tank can be set according to the maximum liquid nitrogen demand for a single operation. For example, if it is greater than 300 L, it can be set to 500 L.

[0037] The dehydrogenation unit 140, also known as a three-stage purifier, has the following appearance: Figures 5a-5b As shown. In one embodiment, the dehydrogenation device 140 can be a quick and convenient helium dehydrogenation separation device, ensuring that the hydrogen content in helium is ≤0.5ppm. Specifically, the device can use adsorption + chemical methods to remove hydrogen from helium, suitable for metered removal when the hydrogen content in helium is ≤1000ppm. For example, the dehydrogenation device 140 may include a metal dehydrogenation getter (high-efficiency hydrogen getter) and / or an active chemical oxide. The dehydrogenation efficiency of the metal dehydrogenation getter should be greater than that of the active chemical oxide, and the minimum dehydrogenation concentration of the active chemical oxide should be less than that of the metal dehydrogenation getter. In one embodiment, the main formulation components of the metal dehydrogenation getter are: zirconium, vanadium, iron, titanium, and copper; theoretical dehydrogenation efficiency: 2600L / kg; designed hydrogen absorption efficiency: 1000L / kg; and operating temperature: -50℃ to +40℃. The main components of the active chemical oxide are palladium, manganese and / or aluminum oxide. The theoretical dehydrogenation efficiency is 100 L / kg, the designed hydrogen absorption efficiency is 50 L / kg, and the operating temperature is -50℃ to +40℃.

[0038] This purification design employs a high-efficiency hydrogen-absorbing getter combined with chemically active oxides to adsorb hydrogen into the activated getter (the getter adsorbs at room temperature and low temperature; at high temperatures, some hydrogen is released). The amount of getter used in this purification process needs to be determined based on the basic purity of hydrogen in helium. This is because high-efficiency hydrogen-absorbing getters are relatively expensive, and although they have a large getter capacity, they have certain technical requirements regarding space velocity and total hydrogen content. Furthermore, the adsorption process curve has some overlap with that of helium, requiring precise control of the adsorption process. To address this, active chemical oxides can be added for deeper removal. This ensures that even with imperfect getter control, hydrogen in the helium can still be deeply removed. After this purification, the hydrogen content in the helium can be ≤0.5 ppm, achieving 99.999% high-purity helium.

[0039] The working principle of this scheme is as follows: the waste helium gas recovered by the recovery bag 110 is pretreated by the first-stage adsorber and then enters the second-stage purification condenser. Liquid nitrogen is used to cool the condenser. After the waste helium gas enters the condenser, the impurity gas is cooled and precipitated, leaving only helium gas to be discharged. After passing through the third-stage purifier for dehydrogenation, it is compressed, filled into a bottle, and stored for reuse.

[0040] The helium recovery and purification process flow chart is as follows: Figure 6 As shown: First, the purifier is pre-cooled using helium from the helium integrated grid (e.g., 16MPa) (liquid nitrogen enters the purifier to reach 77K, approximately 16-18 hours). After the purifier cools down, helium (containing some nitrogen and residual hydrogen) from the recovery gas bag 110 is fed into the helium integrated grid via the recovery compressor (6-20MPa), and then, after pressure stabilization, enters the first-stage adsorber (removing H2O, CO2, etc.). The purified helium then enters the second-stage purifier (causing the O2 and N2 in the helium to be liquefied and discharged; the purifier is equipped with a 500L liquid nitrogen Dewar tank to provide the required liquid nitrogen for operation). Then, the helium enters the third-stage dehydrogenation purifier (removing residual H2). The purified helium then enters the helium buffer tank (equipped with a high-precision detector; if the purity does not meet the standard, it returns to the previous stage for re-purification via a branch after the diaphragm compressor). The qualified helium then enters the diaphragm compressor (16-20MPa) to fill the product helium cylinder group for later use.

[0041] In summary, the system provided in this application is advanced, featuring a three-stage filtration system. The first stage is adsorption purification, where the adsorbent and adsorbent materials remove H2O, CO2, oils, etc. The second stage is low-temperature purification, utilizing the low boiling point of helium and employing liquid nitrogen as a cold source to condense and separate impurities such as nitrogen and oxygen from the mixed gas. The third stage, with a dehydrogenation design, removes trace amounts of hydrogen from the feed gas. Metal getters and chemically active oxide adsorbents are used for dehydrogenation purification to remove other impurities and obtain high-purity helium. The product gas purity can reach up to 99.999%, and the effective recovery rate can reach over 95%.

[0042] On the other hand, this application also provides a space device that can be used at a space launch site, which may include the space-specific high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system described above.

[0043] This application, by conducting research on helium recovery adapted to space launch sites, provides a guarantee for the rational planning of helium resources, improving mission efficiency, reducing usage costs, and preventing emergencies, thereby significantly enhancing space launch support capabilities.

[0044] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0045] The above are merely embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system for aerospace applications, used at space launch sites, characterized in that: include: Helium recovery gasbag, which contains waste helium after a space launch; An adsorption device, connected to the helium recovery bag, is used to receive the waste helium and perform a first adsorption on the first gas therein to output the first purified helium. A cryogenic device, connected to the adsorption device, is used to receive the first purified helium gas and liquefy the second gas therein at low temperature to output the second purified helium gas. as well as A dehydrogenation device, connected to the cryogenic device, is used to receive the second purified helium and perform a second adsorption of hydrogen therein to output the third purified helium.

2. The helium recovery and purification system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adsorption device includes an oil-water separator and a dryer, and the first gas includes CO2 and H2O.

3. The helium recovery and purification system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The helium recovery and purification system also includes, A helium recovery compressor, located between the helium recovery airbag and the adsorption device, is used to introduce the waste helium into the adsorption device; as well as A membrane compressor, located after the dehydrogenation unit, is used to pass the third purified helium into a high-purity helium storage tank or return it to the upstream unit for re-purification.

4. The helium recovery and purification system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The helium recovery and purification system also includes: A detector is used to detect the purity of the third purified helium gas; A helium buffer tank is located between the dehydrogenation unit and the membrane compressor; and The controller is configured to, when the purity of the third purified helium is greater than or equal to a set value, control the introduction of the third purified helium into a high-purity helium storage tank; or, when the purity of the third purified helium is less than the set value, control the return of the third purified helium along a branch to the upstream stage for re-purification.

5. The helium recovery and purification system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second gas includes O2 and N2, and the cryogenic device has a pre-cooling mode and a working mode.

6. The helium recovery and purification system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cryogenic device also includes: Purifier, operating temperature 70-77 K; A liquid nitrogen integrated grid, operating at a pressure of 15-20 MPa, is used to pre-cool the purifier in the pre-cooling mode; and A liquid nitrogen storage tank is used to continuously cool the purifier in the said operating mode, so that the operating temperature of the purifier is maintained at 70-77 K.

7. The helium recovery and purification system according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the pre-cooling mode, the liquid nitrogen consumption is 80-90 L, and the duration is 16-18 h. The liquid nitrogen consumption in the operating mode is 10-15 L / h, and the capacity of the liquid nitrogen storage tank is greater than 300L.

8. The helium recovery and purification system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dehydrogenation device includes a metal dehydrogenation getter and / or an active chemical oxide. The dehydrogenation efficiency of the metal dehydrogenating getter is greater than that of the active chemical oxide, and the minimum dehydrogenation concentration of the active chemical oxide is less than that of the metal dehydrogenating getter.

9. The helium recovery and purification system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The metal dehydrogenating getter is zirconium, vanadium, iron, titanium, or copper, and the active chemical oxide is palladium, manganese, and / or aluminum oxide.

10. A spacecraft device for use at a space launch site, characterized in that, include: The aerospace-specific high-efficiency helium recovery and purification system according to any one of claims 1-9.

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