Test system for gas-water separator

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of for gas-water separator's test system, belong to fuel cell auxiliary equipment performance test technical field.The system includes gas supply device, liquid water supply device, test piece installation interface and data acquisition device.Gas supply device provides thermodynamic saturated wet air by gas humidification device, and liquid water supply device injects atomized droplet by water mist generating device;Test piece installation interface is used to install the gas-water separator to be measured, so that wet air and droplet mix after flowing through the measured piece;Data acquisition device obtains input liquid quantity and collected liquid quantity after separation.The system is heat-protected by pipeline to ensure that the dew point temperature of wet air is at least 2 ℃ lower than the pipeline wall temperature, which physically eliminates the imbalance of liquid quantity caused by secondary condensation or evaporation.The utility model realizes high-precision testing through physical structure improvement, does not rely on specific control program, solves the problem of existing test benchmark distortion, and has the advantages of high testing precision and good working condition reproducibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of performance testing technology for fuel cell auxiliary equipment, and in particular to a testing system for gas-water separators. Background Technology

[0002] The gas-liquid separator plays a crucial role in hydrogen fuel cell engines, and its performance directly affects the system's durability and efficiency. Existing testing technologies suffer from the following key shortcomings: The testing methods rely on engine test benches and lack dedicated testing equipment, resulting in high testing costs, long testing cycles, and difficulty in obtaining accurate and repeatable data specific to the separator body. The test conditions are severely distorted, making it impossible to achieve dew point control under constant temperature and positive pressure. Unsaturated gases undergo additional condensation or evaporation in the pipeline due to temperature gradients, resulting in "addition liquid weight ≠ actual liquid weight reaching the test specimen," leading to inaccurate calculation benchmarks for separation efficiency. The lack of a water mist generator with controllable particle size makes it impossible to simulate the water mist state in the 10μm to millimeter range of hydrogen fuel cell exhaust. The structural design failed to address the compatibility issue between positive pressure and insulation. Under high pressure, the insulation layer is prone to compression failure, leading to localized thermal bridges and temperature drop at sealing points, which in turn disrupts the gas saturation state.

[0003] The aforementioned defects are interconnected, resulting in a serious disconnect between the testing system and the actual application scenarios of the product, making it impossible to provide reliable data support for the design iteration of the gas-liquid separator. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a testing system for gas-water separators, which solves the problem of test benchmark distortion caused by uncontrolled gas state in the prior art through physical structure improvement.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A testing system for a gas-liquid separator includes a gas supply device, a liquid water supply device, a test piece mounting interface, and a data acquisition device. The gas supply device is used to provide humid air in a thermodynamically saturated state to the test piece mounting interface; The liquid water supply device is used to inject atomized liquid droplets into the test piece mounting interface; the test piece mounting interface is used to install the gas-water separator to be tested, and to allow the humid air to mix with the liquid droplets and flow through the gas-water separator to be tested; the data acquisition device is used to acquire the input liquid volume and the liquid volume collected after separation. All pipelines between the gas supply device and the test piece mounting interface, as well as the test piece mounting interface itself, are provided with pipeline thermal insulation protection. The pipeline thermal insulation protection is configured to ensure that the dew point temperature of the humid air is at least 2°C lower than the pipe wall temperature at any point along its flow path.

[0006] By ensuring that the humid air is thermodynamically saturated and its dew point temperature is at least 2°C lower than the pipe wall temperature, liquid volume imbalance caused by secondary condensation or evaporation during the test is fundamentally eliminated, allowing the separation efficiency calculation to be based on true mass conservation. This effect is achieved through a physical insulation structure and does not depend on any specific control strategy.

[0007] Preferably, the pipeline thermal insulation treatment includes a metal pressure-bearing inner pipe, a prefabricated insulation sleeve, and a sealing insulation flange. The metal pressure-bearing inner pipe is made of seamless 316L stainless steel with a wall thickness of 3-5mm. The prefabricated insulation sleeve is made of aluminum silicate fiber prefabricated components with a thickness ≥20mm and a thermal conductivity ≤0.035W / (m·K), and is co-pressed with the metal pressure-bearing inner pipe. The sealing insulation flange has a 5-10mm thick polytetrafluoroethylene composite insulation gasket embedded in its sealing surface, and the outer edge of the flange is wrapped with an insulation layer. This structure integrates pressure bearing and insulation functions, solving the problem of insulation layer compression failure under high pressure conditions.

[0008] Preferably, the liquid water supply device includes a heating water tank, a water pump, a throttling valve, and a water mist generator. The water mist generator is configured based on the principle of high-pressure micro-orifice injection, with a micro-orifice diameter of 0.05–0.5 mm and an injection pressure of 0.2–1.0 MPa, to generate droplets with a particle size range of 10 μm–1 mm. This structure can accurately reproduce the complex water mist spectrum characteristics of fuel cell exhaust.

[0009] Preferably, the data acquisition device includes a heating water tank weight sensor located at the liquid water supply end and a collection water tank weight sensor located at the liquid water collection end; both the heating water tank weight sensor and the collection water tank weight sensor have a measuring range of 0–10 kg and an accuracy of ±1 g. The direct weighing method avoids flow rate estimation errors, making the separation efficiency a repeatable and verifiable quantitative indicator.

[0010] Preferably, the gas humidification device is a bubble-type water bath humidification tank with a tank volume ≥50L, built-in microporous aeration head, and equipped with an independent temperature control system to control the water temperature inside the tank at 30~80℃, so that the relative humidity of the outlet gas reaches a thermodynamic saturation state of 95%~100%RH.

[0011] This utility model has the following technical advantages: Innovative Testing Principle: A new principle for separation efficiency testing based on a "zero-error benchmark" has been established. By pre-treating the gas into saturated humid air and supplementing it with a full-pipeline thermal insulation structure, the thermodynamic state of the gas remains constant throughout the entire process, fundamentally eliminating the secondary condensation problem caused by pipeline temperature differences, and significantly improving the metering accuracy of the input water volume compared to the past.

[0012] Process control innovation: Droplet size is transformed from an uncontrollable interference factor into a core test variable that can be precisely set. The high-pressure micro-orifice jet device can generate fine droplets with adjustable particle size and uniform distribution within the range of 10μm to 1mm under a positive pressure environment of 0 to 600kPa, filling the gap in the industry in the field of controllable particle size testing.

[0013] Structural Integration Innovation: The inherent contradiction of "high pressure makes insulation difficult, and insulation makes pressure resistance difficult" is solved through the "pressure-resistant and heat-insulating integrated" structure. The prefabricated insulation sleeve and the metal pressure-bearing inner tube are co-pressed and formed, and the heat-insulating gasket is embedded in the sealing and heat-insulating flange. The pressure-bearing function and the heat-insulating function are integrated at the physical level, avoiding dew point drift caused by the compression failure of the insulation layer under high pressure.

[0014] The testing system boasts high precision: the separation efficiency calculation is based on a "zero-error benchmark," combined with controllable particle size and the ability to reproduce positive pressure conditions, enabling the testing accuracy to reach an industry-leading level (repeatability relative standard deviation <0.15%). This completely eliminates the dependence on engine test benches, forming a dedicated device that can operate independently and is fully automated throughout the entire process. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the test system used for the gas-water separator in this utility model.

[0016] Explanation of markings in the diagram: 3: Gas-liquid mixing pipe section; 11: Gas source; 12: Gas heating device; 13: Gas humidification device; 21: Heating water tank; 22: Water pump; 23: Water mist generator; 25: Heating water tank weight sensor; 26: Humidification outlet pressure sensor; 27: Humidification outlet temperature sensor; 28: Humidity sensor; 29: Heating water tank temperature sensor; 40: Gas-liquid separator under test (also known as "test piece"); 52: Collection water tank; 61: Collection water tank weight sensor; 62: Test piece inlet temperature sensor; 63: Differential pressure sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0017] I. Terminology and Marking Explanation.

[0018] The terms, component markings, and technical parameters used in this specification are defined as follows: Gas supply device: including gas source 11, gas heating device 12, gas humidification device 13 and throttling valve, gas processing and conveying unit, its function is to provide the system with humid air with controllable flow, temperature, humidity and pressure.

[0019] Liquid water supply device: including a heating water tank 21, a water pump 22, a throttle valve, and a liquid atomization unit of a water mist generator 23.

[0020] Pipeline thermal insulation protection: A pressure-resistant and thermally insulated integrated structure covering the outside of the gas-liquid mixing pipeline, including a metal pressure-bearing inner pipe, a prefabricated thermal insulation sleeve and a sealed thermal insulation flange. Its function is to maintain the pipeline wall temperature above the gas dew point temperature and prevent secondary phase change.

[0021] Thermodynamic saturation state: refers to the state in which the partial pressure of water vapor in a gas is equal to the saturated vapor pressure of water at the current temperature and system pressure, with a relative humidity of 100%RH.

[0022] II. Overall Implementation Approach and Working Principles.

[0023] The core of this invention lies in constructing a high-fidelity gas-water separator testing system that uses dew point locking as the physical benchmark and positive pressure condition reproduction as the application goal. Its technical logic is as follows: The gas supply device processes clean compressed air to thermodynamic saturation through the gas humidification device 13, so that the gas dew point temperature is equal to its current temperature; Saturated humid air enters the transmission pipeline, which is fully covered with thermal insulation protection. This structure ensures that the temperature at any point on the pipeline wall is higher than the gas dew point temperature +2℃, thus preventing secondary condensation caused by local overcooling or evaporation caused by overheating. The liquid water supply device generates uniformly distributed droplets with a particle size of 10μm to 1mm through the water mist generator 23, and mixes them with saturated humid air to form a controllable gas-liquid two-phase flow. The mixture flows through the separator under a positive pressure of 0–600 kPa. The separated liquid water is collected and weighed by the collection tank 52, and the gas side parameters are monitored in real time by the sensor.

[0024] III. Example: Basic Dew Point Locking System (Open-Loop Physical Structure).

[0025] This embodiment provides a simplified basic testing system that can realize the technical concept of this utility model, focusing on the implementation scheme of dew point locking through physical structure alone.

[0026] 3.1 System composition and basic configuration.

[0027] The testing system includes: Gas supply device: An industrial air compressor (rated pressure 0.8MPa, flow rate 500L / min) is used as the gas source 11, and the pressure is stabilized to an adjustable range of 0~600kPa by a pressure reducing valve; Gas heating device 12 adopts a 3kW stainless steel finned electric heating tube, equipped with a solid-state relay power regulator, and the temperature control accuracy is ±0.5℃; Gas humidification device 13 is a bubble-type water bath humidification tank (tank volume 50L, built-in microporous aerator head), and the water temperature in the tank is maintained in the range of 30~80℃ by an independent temperature control system, which is synchronized with the target gas temperature, and the relative humidity of the outlet gas reaches 95%~100%RH.

[0028] Liquid water supply device: A 20L heated water tank 21 is used, with a built-in 2kW immersion heating tube and a water temperature control accuracy of ±0.5℃. An S-type weight sensor 25 (range 10kg, accuracy ±1g) is installed at the bottom of the water tank. The water pump 22 is a miniature DC pump (flow rate adjustable from 0.1 to 10L / min). The throttle valve is a precision needle valve.

[0029] Test piece installation interface 4: adopts DN50 standard flange interface, which is compatible with baffle type, filter type and cyclone type air-water separator; the length of the straight pipe section before and after the interface is not less than 5 times the pipe diameter (i.e. 250mm).

[0030] Data acquisition device: A humidification outlet pressure sensor 26 (0~1MPa, ±0.25%FS) and a humidity sensor 28 (0~100%RH, ±2%) are installed at the outlet of the gas humidification device 13; a differential pressure sensor 63 (0~1MPa, ±0.25%FS) and a specimen inlet temperature sensor 62 (0~100℃, ±0.1℃) are installed at the front and rear ends of the test specimen mounting interface 4, respectively; an S-type weight sensor 61 (range 10kg, accuracy ±1g) is configured at the bottom of the water collection tank 52.

[0031] Pipeline thermal insulation protection: The pipeline adopts an integrated pressure-resistant and thermal insulation structure. The inner metal pressure-bearing pipe is a seamless 316L stainless steel pipe (outer diameter 25mm, wall thickness 3mm, pressure resistance 1.0MPa); the prefabricated insulation sleeve is an aluminum silicate fiber prefabricated component (inner diameter 25mm, outer diameter 65mm, thickness 20mm, thermal conductivity λ≤0.035W / (m·K)), which is co-pressed with the inner metal pipe in the factory; the sealing and thermal insulation flange is made of 304 stainless steel, and the sealing surface is embedded with a 5mm thick polytetrafluoroethylene composite thermal insulation gasket. The gasket has a pressure resistance ≥1MPa and a temperature resistance ≥150℃. The outer edge of the flange is wrapped with an insulation layer.

[0032] 3.2 Implementation steps.

[0033] Step S1: Gas pretreatment. Turn on the air compressor and adjust the pressure reducing valve to the target test pressure (e.g., 300 kPa). Start the gas heating device 12 and set the gas temperature to 50°C. Simultaneously start the heating system of the gas humidification device 13 and set the water temperature in the humidification tank to 50°C, so that the gas reaches thermodynamic saturation (dew point temperature = 50°C) after passing through the water bath.

[0034] Step S2: Pipeline preheating and status confirmation. After the gas has circulated through the pipeline for 5 minutes, use an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature at multiple points on the outer wall of the pipeline to ensure that the wall temperature is not lower than 52℃ (dew point temperature + 2℃ safety margin). If the wall temperature is found to be too low, the gas heating temperature or the humidifier water temperature can be appropriately increased until T_wall ≥ T_dew + 2℃ is met.

[0035] Step S3: Droplet Injection and Mixing. Start water pump 22 and adjust the throttle valve to stabilize the liquid flow rate at 2L / min. Liquid water enters water mist generator 23 (in this embodiment, a high-pressure nozzle with a micropore diameter of 0.1mm and a jet pressure of 0.5MPa is used), generating droplets with a particle size of about 50μm, which mix with saturated humid air in the pipeline to form a gas-liquid two-phase flow.

[0036] Step S4: Separation Test and Efficiency Calculation. Install the cyclone gas-liquid separator under test onto the test piece mounting interface 4. Record the weight of the heating water tank 21, W1initial, at this point. Turn on the gas-liquid mixture flow and continue for 3 minutes, then turn it off. Record the final weight of the heating water tank 21, W1final, and the weight of the collection water tank 52, W2. Calculate the separation efficiency η = W2 / (W1initial-W1final)×100%.

[0037] 3.3 Verification of technical effectiveness.

[0038] Under the conditions of 300 kPa, 50℃, gas flow rate of 200 m³ / h, and liquid flow rate of 2 L / min, the test was repeated three times, and the separation efficiencies were measured to be 92.1%, 92.3%, and 92.0%, respectively, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.11%. This indicates that the high repeatability of the test benchmark can be achieved solely through physical insulation and saturated gas generation. Compared with the comparative test without thermal insulation (RSD=3.5%), the accuracy is improved by more than 30 times, verifying the core contribution of dew point locking.

[0039] IV. Optional Solutions and Variations

[0040] 4.1 Alternative to the gas humidification device 13.

[0041] Spray humidification: High-pressure atomizing nozzles are added to the pipeline to spray micron-level water mist into the dry air, and the humidity is adjusted by controlling the amount of water sprayed.

[0042] Membrane osmosis humidification: Nafion tubular humidifiers are used, with dry air flowing inside the tubes and hot water circulating outside. Water molecules permeate through the membrane to achieve droplet-free humidification.

[0043] 4.2 Alternative principle of water mist generator 23.

[0044] Ultrasonic atomization: A high-frequency ultrasonic transducer (1.7MHz) is used to generate 10-50μm droplets without the need for high pressure.

[0045] Two-fluid atomization: Compressed air and liquid are mixed in the nozzle, and the liquid film is sheared by a high-speed airflow to generate droplets with a particle size of 5 to 500 μm.

[0046] 4.3 Alternative solutions for pipe insulation materials.

[0047] Aerogel insulation: Silica aerogel felt is used, with a thermal conductivity as low as 0.016 W / (m·K) and a thickness as low as 10 mm.

[0048] Vacuum insulation panel (VIP): thermal conductivity <0.004W / (m·K), suitable for insulation of straight pipe sections.

[0049] V. Industrial Applicability.

[0050] The system costs approximately 150,000 to 250,000 RMB, with consumables costing less than 50 RMB per test and a testing time of less than 1 hour (5 to 8 operating points), significantly shortening product development cycles. By changing flange specifications, it can test various separators with diameters from DN25 to DN100, making it suitable for performance evaluation, design optimization, and quality inspection in the hydrogen fuel cell engine industry chain, and possessing broad industrial application value.

[0051] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate and not limit the technical solutions of this utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model. Any modifications or partial substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A test system for a gas-water separator, characterized by: It includes a gas supply device, a liquid water supply device, a test piece mounting interface (4), and a data acquisition device; The gas supply device is used to supply humid air in a thermodynamically saturated state to the test piece mounting interface (4); The liquid water supply device is used to inject atomized liquid droplets into the test piece mounting interface (4); the test piece mounting interface (4) is used to install the gas-water separator (40) to be tested, and to make the humid air mix with the liquid droplets and flow through the gas-water separator (40); the data acquisition device is used to acquire the input liquid volume and the liquid volume collected after separation. All pipelines between the gas supply device and the test piece mounting interface (4), as well as the test piece mounting interface (4) itself, are provided with pipeline thermal insulation protection treatment. The pipeline thermal insulation protection treatment is configured to make the dew point temperature of the humid air at least 2°C lower than the pipe wall temperature at any point in its flow path.

2. The test system for a water and air separator of claim 1, wherein: The pipeline thermal insulation protection treatment includes a metal pressure-bearing inner pipe, a prefabricated insulation sleeve, and a sealing and heat-insulating flange; the metal pressure-bearing inner pipe is made of 316L stainless steel seamless pipe with a wall thickness of 3-5mm; the prefabricated insulation sleeve is made of aluminum silicate fiber prefabricated component with a thickness of 20mm to 50mm, and is co-pressed with the metal pressure-bearing inner pipe; the sealing and heat-insulating flange has a 5-10mm thick polytetrafluoroethylene composite heat-insulating gasket embedded in its sealing surface, and the outer edge of the flange is wrapped with an insulation layer.

3. The test system for a water and air separator of claim 1, wherein: The liquid water supply device includes a heating water tank (21), a water pump (22), a throttle valve, and a water mist generator (23); the water mist generator (23) is configured based on the principle of high-pressure micro-orifice injection, with a micro-orifice diameter of 0.05 to 0.5 mm and an injection pressure of 0.2 to 1.0 MPa, to generate droplets with a particle size range of 10 μm to 1 mm.

4. The testing system for a gas-liquid separator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The data acquisition device includes a heating water tank weight sensor (25) located at the liquid water supply end and a collection water tank weight sensor (61) located at the liquid water collection end; the range of the heating water tank weight sensor (25) and the collection water tank weight sensor (61) are both 0 to 10 kg and the accuracy is ±1 g.

5. The test system for a water and air separator of claim 1, wherein: The gas supply device includes a gas source (11), a gas heating device (12), and a gas humidification device (13); the gas humidification device (13) is a bubble-type water bath humidification tank with a tank volume ≥50L, a built-in microporous aeration head, and an independent temperature control system to control the water temperature in the tank at 30~80℃.

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