Liquid sulfur single tank heat storage device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a liquid sulfur single tank heat storage device, and relates to the technical field of energy storage, which has a closed heat exchange chamber, a sulfur injection port for injecting liquid sulfur into the heat exchange chamber and an electric heater for heating the liquid sulfur, a closed liquid discharge chamber and a liquid inlet chamber are sequentially arranged above the heat exchange chamber, a heated medium discharge port is arranged on the liquid discharge chamber, a plurality of outer tubes with open top ends and closed bottom ends are arranged at the bottom of the liquid discharge chamber and extend into the heat exchange chamber, a heated medium inlet is arranged on the liquid inlet chamber, inner tubes with open top ends and open bottom ends are arranged at the bottom of the liquid inlet chamber and extend into the outer tubes, the inner tubes and the outer tubes correspond to each other, and a heated medium channel is formed between the outer side walls of the inner tubes and the inner walls of the outer tubes for the heated medium to pass through. The utility model integrates heat storage and heat exchange in a single tank, and can realize efficient heat storage of liquid sulfur and efficient heat exchange between the liquid sulfur and the heated medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of energy storage technology, specifically a liquid sulfur single-tank thermal storage device. Background Technology

[0002] Thermal energy storage technology is a key means to improve energy utilization efficiency and realize the spatial and temporal transfer of energy, and it has wide applications in solar thermal power generation, industrial waste heat recovery, and district heating. Currently, medium- and high-temperature thermal energy storage systems generally use molten salt as the thermal storage medium, and are often arranged in a dual-tank configuration, with independent cold and hot tanks, using pumps to achieve molten salt circulation and heat exchange. Although molten salt thermal energy storage technology is relatively mature, it still faces challenges such as high medium costs, system complexity, large equipment investment, and demanding operation and maintenance requirements. In particular, molten salt has a certain degree of corrosiveness to materials, further increasing system costs and safety risks.

[0003] Liquid sulfur, as a common industrial medium with low cost and high latent heat, has a heat storage capacity comparable to molten salt, but at a significantly lower price, making it a potential heat storage medium. However, the viscosity of liquid sulfur increases sharply in the mid-temperature range (160-300℃), and its fluidity deteriorates significantly. If a traditional dual-tank heat storage system is used, liquid sulfur is prone to blockage and uneven flow during transportation and circulation, resulting in low system reliability and making it difficult to promote in practice.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of heat storage device that is adapted to the physical properties of liquid sulfur, has a compact structure, and is reliable in operation. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a single-tank heat storage device for liquid sulfur, which can achieve efficient and economical heat storage and heat exchange of liquid sulfur.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the specific solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: a liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device, having a closed heat exchange chamber, a sulfur injection port for injecting liquid sulfur into the heat exchange chamber and an electric heater for heating the liquid sulfur, a closed drain chamber and a liquid inlet chamber are sequentially distributed above the heat exchange chamber, the drain chamber has a discharge outlet for the medium to be heated, and several outer tubes with their top ends connected to the drain chamber and their bottom ends closed and extending into the heat exchange chamber are distributed at the bottom of the drain chamber; the liquid inlet chamber has a medium to be heated inlet, and inner tubes with their top ends connected to the inlet chamber and their bottom ends open and extending into the outer tubes are distributed at the bottom of the liquid inlet chamber; the inner tubes correspond one-to-one with the outer tubes, and a medium channel for the medium to be heated is formed between the outer wall of the inner tube and the inner wall of the outer tube.

[0007] As an optimized solution of the above-mentioned liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device: the liquid inlet chamber, the liquid outlet chamber and the heat exchange chamber are distributed vertically in a shell, and the outer wall of the shell is covered with a heat insulation layer.

[0008] As another optimized solution for the above-mentioned liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device: the liquid inlet chamber and the liquid outlet chamber inside the shell are separated by a first partition plate, and the liquid outlet chamber and the heat exchange chamber are separated by a second partition plate.

[0009] As another optimized solution for the above-mentioned liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device: the first partition plate is provided with a plurality of first mounting holes corresponding one-to-one with the inner tube, the top end of the inner tube passes through the first mounting hole and is flush with the upper surface of the first partition plate, and the outer side wall of the inner tube is fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the first mounting hole.

[0010] As another optimized solution for the above-mentioned liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device: the second partition plate is provided with a plurality of second mounting holes corresponding one-to-one with the outer tube, the top end of the outer tube passes through the second mounting hole and is flush with the upper surface of the second partition plate, and the outer side wall of the outer tube is fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the second mounting hole.

[0011] As another optimized solution for the above-mentioned liquid sulfur single-tank thermal storage device: a support frame is provided on the outside of the shell, and the support frame is fixedly connected to the shell through a support.

[0012] As another optimized solution for the above-mentioned liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device: the bottom end of the outer tube is fixedly connected to the tube bundle support, and there is a gap between the edge of the tube bundle support and the inner wall of the heat exchange chamber.

[0013] As another optimized solution for the above-mentioned liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device: an inner tube fixing structure is provided at the lower part of the channel for the medium to be heated.

[0014] As another optimized solution for the above-mentioned liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device: the inner tube fixing structure is a positioning block, the number of positioning blocks is multiple, and they are evenly distributed along the circumference of the outer tube, and there is a gap between two adjacent positioning blocks for the medium to be heated to pass through.

[0015] As another optimized solution for the above-mentioned liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device: the inner tube fixing structure is an annular plate, the center of the annular plate has a fixing hole for the inner tube to pass through, and multiple through holes for the medium to be heated are arranged around the fixing hole.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1) This utility model includes a heat exchange chamber. An electric heater at the bottom of the heat exchange chamber directly heats the liquid sulfur in the heat exchange chamber to maintain stable liquid sulfur heat storage. The medium to be heated enters the inner tube from the liquid inlet chamber. When it flows downward through the inner tube, it is indirectly heated by the outer tube (which is connected to high-temperature liquid sulfur on the outside) to achieve preheating. After preheating, the medium enters the annular medium to be heated channel between the inner and outer tubes (which increases the heat exchange area) and directly exchanges heat with the high-temperature liquid sulfur on the outside of the outer tube. Finally, it rises to the liquid outlet chamber and is discharged from the medium outlet, thus realizing efficient heat exchange between the medium to be heated and the liquid sulfur in the heat exchange chamber. 2) A tube bundle support is fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer tube. This structure makes the entire tube bundle a stable whole module, which can effectively prevent fluid-induced tube bundle vibration. 3) The outer shell is equipped with a support frame, which can realize modular stacking and be flexibly adjusted as needed. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is an enlarged view of the heat exchange component of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the annular plate in embodiment 3; Reference numerals: 1. Shell, 101. Heat exchange chamber, 102. Sulfur injection port, 103. Electric heater, 104. Drainage chamber, 105. Liquid inlet chamber, 106. Heated medium outlet, 107. Heated medium inlet, 108. First partition plate, 109. Second partition plate, 201. Inner tube, 202. Outer tube, 203. Positioning block, 204. Annular plate, 205. Fixing hole, 206. Through hole, 207. Tube bundle support, 208. Heated medium channel, 209. Arc plate, 210. Liquid sulfur channel, 3. Support frame, 301. Support. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. Parts not described or disclosed in detail in the following embodiments of this utility model should be understood as prior art known or should be known by those skilled in the art, such as the specific connection method of the cylinder and the end cap connected by flange, the structure of the flange pipe, the structure of the electric heater, and the specific connection method of the lug support and the shell, etc.

[0019] Example 1 Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 This utility model provides a liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device. The device has a closed heat exchange chamber 101, the shape of which can be set according to requirements, preferably a vertical cylindrical shape, and the height is 2 to 5 times the diameter. The upper side wall of the heat exchange chamber 101 has a sulfur injection port 102 for injecting liquid sulfur into it, and the sulfur injection port 102 adopts a flange connection structure. An electric heater 103 is provided at the bottom of the heat exchange chamber 101, and its heating component is located inside the heat exchange chamber 101. The liquid sulfur level injected into the heat exchange chamber 101 reaches 85%-95% of the total height of the heat exchange chamber 101 to ensure the heating effect.

[0020] Above the heat exchange chamber 101, there are a closed drain chamber 104 and a liquid inlet chamber 105 arranged in sequence. The shapes of the two can be flexibly set. Preferably, they are cylindrical with the same diameter as the heat exchange chamber 101, and the height of each is about 0.5-2 times the diameter.

[0021] The side wall of the drain chamber 104 has a drain outlet 106 for the medium to be heated, which adopts a flange connection structure. Several outer tubes 202 are evenly distributed at its bottom, with a number of 20-25 tubes. The top ends of the outer tubes 202 communicate with the drain chamber 104, and the bottom ends are closed and extend into the heat exchange chamber 101. Gaps are left between adjacent outer tubes 202, forming liquid sulfur channels 210. The closure of the bottom ends of the outer tubes 202 can be achieved in various ways, such as welding a circular plate or an arc-shaped plate 209. In this embodiment, an arc-shaped plate 209 is welded to the bottom of the outer tube 202. The length of the outer tube 202 is 0.5-0.8 times the height of the heat exchange chamber 101, and its diameter is 0.1-0.15 times the diameter of the heat exchange chamber 101.

[0022] The liquid inlet chamber 105 has a heating medium inlet 107 at its top, which adopts a flange connection structure for easy sealing connection with external pipelines. Several inner tubes 201 are arranged at the bottom of the liquid inlet chamber 105. The top of the inner tube 201 is connected to the liquid inlet chamber 105, and the bottom is open and extends into the corresponding outer tube 202. The inner tube 201 and the outer tube 202 are coaxially arranged and correspond one-to-one. The diameter of the inner tube 201 is 0.5 to 0.7 times the diameter of the outer tube 202. This size ratio can ensure that a uniform annular space is formed between the outer wall of the inner tube 201 and the inner wall of the outer tube 202. This space is the heating medium channel 208 for the flow of the heating medium.

[0023] The above are the basic embodiments of this utility model. Further improvements, optimizations, and limitations can be made based on the above to obtain the following embodiments: Example 2 This embodiment is an improvement on embodiment 1. Its main structure is the same as that of embodiment 1, but the improvement lies in: The liquid inlet chamber 105, liquid outlet chamber 104, and heat exchange chamber 101 are integrated vertically within the same cylindrical shell 1, wherein the volume of the heat exchange chamber 101 is much larger than that of the liquid inlet chamber 105 and the liquid outlet chamber 104; both ends of the shell 1 are sealed by end caps, and the connection between the end caps and the shell can be either welding or flange connection. In this embodiment, flange connection is preferred to facilitate subsequent maintenance and inspection operations; the outer wall of the shell 1 is wrapped with a heat insulation layer, which can effectively reduce heat loss.

[0024] The chambers within the shell 1 are divided by partition plates: the liquid inlet chamber 105 and the liquid outlet chamber 104 are separated by a first partition plate 108, and the liquid outlet chamber 104 and the heat exchange chamber 101 are separated by a second partition plate 109. The first partition plate 108 is fixedly connected to the shell 1 and located at the junction of the upper end cap and the cylinder. The first partition plate 108 also functions as a flange, being fastened to the flange of the shell 1 by bolts, nuts, and gaskets. The first partition plate 108 has multiple first mounting holes corresponding one-to-one with the inner tube 201. The top end of the inner tube 201 passes through the first mounting hole and remains flush with the upper surface of the first partition plate 108. The outer wall of the inner tube 201 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the first mounting hole (e.g., by welding).

[0025] The second partition plate 109 is fixed to the shell 1 by welding. Multiple second mounting holes corresponding to the outer tube 202 are opened on its plate surface. After the top end of the outer tube 202 passes through the second mounting hole, it remains flush with the upper surface of the second partition plate 109, and the outer side wall of the outer tube 202 is fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the second mounting hole (such as by welding).

[0026] Example 3 This embodiment is an improvement on embodiment 2. Its main structure is the same as embodiment 2, but the improvement lies in the following: a support frame 3 is provided on the outside of the shell 1. This support frame 3 adopts a rectangular frame structure and is made of carbon steel, possessing good load-bearing capacity and structural stability. The support frame 3 is fixedly connected to the shell 1 via lug supports 301. The lug supports 301 are connected in two ways: firstly, by welding the lug legs to the support frame 3; and secondly, by welding the arc-shaped plate 209 to the outer wall of the shell 1. This double-welded structure ensures the robustness of the support connection.

[0027] The number of ear-type supports 301 can be selected as 2 or 4 according to the actual load-bearing requirements. In this embodiment, 2 are preferred. From the perspective of force balance, the connection position between the ear-type supports 301 and the shell 1 is selected as the middle area of ​​the shell 1 to achieve stable support for the overall device.

[0028] Example 4 This embodiment is an improvement on embodiment 1. Its main structure is the same as that of embodiment 1. The improvement is that the bottom end of the outer tube 202 is fixedly connected to a tube bundle support 207. The tube bundle support 207 has a mesh structure. The nodes of the tube bundle support 207 are welded to the bottom end of the outer tube 202. There is a gap between the edge of the tube bundle support 207 and the inner wall of the heat exchange chamber 101. The tube bundle support 207 has a channel for liquid sulfur to pass through, which does not affect the convective heat transfer.

[0029] Example 5 This embodiment is an improvement on Embodiment 1. Its main structure is the same as Embodiment 1, but the improvement lies in the following: The lower part of the channel 208 for the heated medium is provided with an inner tube fixing structure, which is a positioning block 203. Multiple positioning blocks 203 are provided, evenly distributed along the circumference of the outer tube 202. A gap is left between adjacent positioning blocks 203 for the heated medium to pass through. In this embodiment, two positioning blocks 203 are specifically provided. The positioning blocks 203 are square in shape, with their edge length matching the width of the channel 208, ensuring a proper fit between the positioning blocks 203 and the channel. The positioning blocks 203 are welded and fixed to the outer wall of the inner tube 201, thus achieving a stable and defined relative position between the inner tube 201 and the outer tube 202.

[0030] Example 6 This embodiment is an improvement on embodiment 1. Its main structure is the same as that of embodiment 1, but the improvement lies in the following: the lower part of the heated medium channel 208 is provided with an inner tube fixing structure, which is an annular plate 204. (Refer to...) Figure 3 The annular plate 204 has a fixing hole 205 at its center for the inner tube 201 to pass through, and multiple through holes 206 evenly arranged around the fixing hole 205 for the flow of the medium to be heated, ensuring that the flow path of the medium is unobstructed. The diameter of the annular plate 204 is the same as the inner diameter of the outer tube 202, so that it can fit tightly against the inner wall of the outer tube 202; the diameter of the fixing hole 205 is the same as the outer diameter of the inner tube 201, so that the inner tube 201 and the annular plate 204 can be precisely matched, thereby stably defining the relative position of the inner tube 201 and the outer tube 202 through the annular plate 204.

[0031] Working principle of liquid sulfur single-tank thermal storage device: The liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device operates by integrating heat storage and heat exchange functions in a single tank. First, liquid sulfur is injected into the upper part of the heat exchange chamber through the sulfur injection port (the liquid level reaches 85%-95% of the total height of the heat exchange chamber 101). The electric heater is started to stabilize the liquid sulfur temperature within a specific range to prevent solidification and maintain flow, thereby completing heat storage. The sulfur vapor generated by the heated liquid sulfur flows upward along the liquid sulfur channel between the outer pipes, balancing the temperature at the top and bottom of the chamber to prevent the liquid sulfur at the top from solidifying.

[0032] After the medium to be heated enters the liquid inlet chamber through the medium inlet, it is indirectly preheated by the outer tube (which contacts the high-temperature liquid sulfur on the outside) as it flows downward through the inner tube. Then it enters the medium channel between the inner and outer tubes and directly exchanges heat with the high-temperature liquid sulfur (the inner tube is fixed by a structure such as a positioning block or annular plate to ensure the stability of the tube position and the flow of the medium; there are 20-25 outer tubes with a length of 0.7-0.8 times the height of the chamber to increase the heat exchange area). After heat exchange, the medium rises along the channel to the liquid outlet chamber and is discharged from the medium outlet.

[0033] Meanwhile, the bottom of the outer tube is fixed by a tube bundle support connected to the inner wall of the heat exchange chamber, and the carbon steel rectangular frame support frame outside the shell is supported by ear-type supports (connected to the middle of the shell) to achieve overall stable support and can be stacked in modules to adapt to different production capacities.

[0034] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A liquid sulfur single-tank heat storage device, comprising a closed heat exchange chamber (101), wherein the heat exchange chamber (101) is provided with a sulfur injection port (102) for injecting liquid sulfur into the chamber and an electric heater (103) for heating the liquid sulfur, characterized in that: Above the heat exchange chamber (101), there are a closed drain chamber (104) and a liquid inlet chamber (105) arranged in sequence. The drain chamber (104) is provided with a discharge outlet (106) for the medium to be heated. The bottom of the drain chamber (104) is provided with a number of outer tubes (202) whose top ends are connected to the drain chamber (104), whose bottom ends are closed and extend into the heat exchange chamber (101). The liquid inlet chamber (105) is provided with a liquid inlet (107) for the medium to be heated. The bottom of the liquid inlet chamber (105) is provided with an inner tube (201) whose top ends are connected to the inner tube (201), whose bottom ends are open and extend into the outer tube (202). The inner tube (201) corresponds to the outer tube (202) one by one, and a channel (208) for the medium to be heated is formed between the outer wall of the inner tube (201) and the inner wall of the outer tube (202).

2. The liquid sulfur single-tank thermal storage device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid inlet chamber (105), liquid outlet chamber (104) and heat exchange chamber (101) are distributed vertically within a shell (1), and the outer wall of the shell (1) is covered with a heat insulation layer.

3. The liquid sulfur single-tank thermal storage device as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The liquid inlet chamber (105) and the liquid outlet chamber (104) in the housing (1) are separated by a first partition plate (108), and the liquid outlet chamber (104) and the heat exchange chamber (101) are separated by a second partition plate (109).

4. A single-tank liquid sulfur thermal storage device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The first partition plate (108) has a plurality of first mounting holes corresponding one-to-one with the inner tube (201). The top end of the inner tube (201) passes through the first mounting hole and is flush with the upper surface of the first partition plate (108), and the outer side wall of the inner tube (201) is fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the first mounting hole.

5. A single-tank liquid sulfur thermal storage device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The second partition plate (109) has a plurality of second mounting holes corresponding one-to-one with the outer tube (202). The top end of the outer tube (202) passes through the second mounting hole and is flush with the upper surface of the second partition plate (109), and the outer side wall of the outer tube (202) is fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the second mounting hole.

6. A single-tank liquid sulfur thermal storage device as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The shell (1) is provided with a support frame (3) on the outside, and the support frame (3) is fixedly connected to the shell (1) through a support (301).

7. A single-tank liquid sulfur thermal storage device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom ends of the outer tube (202) are fixedly connected to the tube bundle support (207), and there is a gap between the edge of the tube bundle support (207) and the inner wall of the heat exchange chamber (101).

8. A single-tank liquid sulfur thermal storage device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lower part of the channel (208) for the medium to be heated is provided with an inner tube fixing structure.

9. A single-tank liquid sulfur thermal storage device as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The inner tube fixing structure is a positioning block (203). There are multiple positioning blocks (203) and they are evenly distributed along the circumference of the outer tube (202). There is a gap between two adjacent positioning blocks (203) for the medium to be heated to pass through.

10. A single-tank liquid sulfur thermal storage device as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The inner tube fixing structure is an annular plate (204). The annular plate (204) has a fixing hole (205) at the center for the inner tube (201) to pass through, and multiple through holes (206) for the medium to be heated are arranged around the fixing hole (205).

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