Protection system for drain treatment machine

Abstract

To provide a protection system for a drain treatment machine capable of more suitably protecting and managing the drain treatment machine by more suitably monitoring pressure change of a system related to drain discharge treatment.SOLUTION: A protection system for a drain treatment machine includes: a drain discharge valve 20 which is provided to be intermittently opened so as to discharge drain from a drain generation source 10 and supply the drain to the drain treatment machine 70; a treatment tank 71 which is loaded with a filter medium of the drain treatment machine 70; an orifice 60 which is provided in a drain flow passage 30 between the treatment tank 71 and the drain discharge valve 20; a pressure sensor 40 for detecting a pressure inside the drain flow passage 30 between the orifice 60 and the treatment tank 71; a downstream side solenoid valve 50 which is provided to open and close the drain flow passage 30 between the pressure sensor 40 and the treatment tank 71; and a management device 80 which has management means including pressure change monitoring means, control means for controlling opening and closing of the downstream side solenoid valve 50, and alarm information output means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drain treatment machine that purifies drain generated by condensation of moisture contained in compressed gas and discharged by the pressure of the compressed gas in a treatment tank filled with a filter material, and to a protection system for the drain treatment machine configured to protect the drain treatment machine. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of a conventional device for monitoring the valve body of a drain trap, a drain trap has been proposed that includes a discharge detection means disposed on the secondary side of the valve body of the drain trap and notifying when the pressure or flow rate exceeds a predetermined set value, a first timer and a second timer that are count-up timers and have a longer time measurement than the first timer, a time delay means that delays or smooths the detection signal sent by the discharge detection means and then resets the first timer, and a negation means that negates (NOT) the signal of the discharge detection means and finally resets either the first timer or the second timer, and that outputs an alarm when the first timer or the second timer has completed counting up for a predetermined time (see Patent Document 1).This makes it possible to provide a drain trap that is used in a compressed air circuit and is capable of detecting both valve opening failure and valve closing failure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-116963 A (Page 1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved regarding the protection system for drain treatment machines is that, in the above-mentioned prior art, an alarm is output if an abnormality occurs in the valve body of the drain trap, but no system has been proposed that can more appropriately protect and manage the drain treatment machine by more appropriately monitoring pressure changes in the system related to drain discharge treatment, including the drain treatment machine connected to the drain source via a drain discharge valve.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a protection system for a drain treatment machine that can more appropriately protect and manage the drain treatment machine by more appropriately monitoring pressure changes in a system related to drain discharge treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration. According to one embodiment of the drain treatment machine protection system of the present invention, there is provided a drain treatment machine that purifies drain generated by condensation of moisture contained in compressed gas and discharged by the pressure of the compressed gas in a treatment tank loaded with a filter material, the protection system being configured to protect the drain treatment machine, the protection system including a drain discharge valve connected to a drain generation source and intermittently opened in order to discharge the drain from the drain generation source and supply it to the drain treatment machine, a treatment tank loaded with the filter material of the drain treatment machine, and an open valve provided in a drain flow path between the treatment tank and the drain discharge valve. the orifice, a pressure sensor arranged to detect the pressure inside the drain flow path between the orifice and the treatment tank, a downstream solenoid valve arranged in the drain flow path between the pressure sensor and the treatment tank so as to open and close the drain flow path, and a management device having management means including a pressure change monitoring means which receives detection information from the pressure sensor and outputs monitoring information relating to pressure changes in the drain flow path, a control means which controls the opening and closing of the downstream solenoid valve based on the monitoring information relating to the pressure changes, and an alarm information output means which outputs an alarm based on the monitoring information relating to the pressure changes.

[0007] Furthermore, according to one form of the protection system for a drain treatment machine of the present invention, in the management device, when the pressure change monitoring means outputs information that the pressure in the drain passage continues to rise for at least a set time related to abnormal conditions that is longer than the set time during normal operation for opening the drain discharge valve, the control means closes the downstream solenoid valve and the alarm information output means outputs an alarm, and then the control means controls the downstream solenoid valve to open intermittently.

[0008] Furthermore, according to one form of the protection system for a drain treatment machine of the present invention, in the management device, when the pressure change monitoring means outputs information that the pressure in the drain passage, which has reached the upper limit value, intermittently decreases as the control means controls the downstream solenoid valve to open intermittently after the pressure in the drain passage reaches an upper limit value derived from condition elements including the pressure of the drain generation source and the diameter of the orifice, the management device can determine that a valve malfunction has occurred, in which the drain discharge valve does not close.

[0009] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the protection system for a drain treatment machine of the present invention, in the management device, when the pressure change monitoring means outputs information that the pressure in the drain passage, which has reached the upper limit value, does not change even when the control means controls the downstream solenoid valve to open intermittently after the pressure in the drain passage reaches an upper limit value derived from condition elements including the pressure of the drain generation source and the diameter of the orifice, it can be characterized in that the management device determines that the defect is due to a blockage downstream of the pressure sensor 40 in the drain flow.

[0010] In addition, according to one embodiment of the protection system for a drain treatment machine of the present invention, the drain discharge valve can be a normally closed solenoid valve, and the downstream solenoid valve can be a normally open solenoid valve. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The drain treatment machine protection system according to the present invention has the particularly advantageous effect of being able to more appropriately protect and manage the drain treatment machine by more appropriately monitoring pressure changes in the system related to drain discharge treatment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a circuit diagram (block diagram) showing a schematic diagram of an example of a protection system for a drain treatment machine according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a time chart showing an operating state of the protection system for the drain treatment machine of FIG. 1 under normal conditions. [Diagram 3] 4 is a time chart showing an operation state of the protection system of the drain treatment machine of FIG. 1 when a drain discharge valve is defective. [Figure 4] 4 is a time chart showing an operation state of the protection system of the drain treatment machine of FIG. 1 when an orifice is clogged. [Diagram 5] 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the protection system for the drain treatment machine of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 4 is a time chart showing an operation state of the monitoring system for the drain treatment machine of FIG. 1 when determining whether a filter medium is clogged. [Figure 7] 4 is a time chart showing a pressure change in a drain pipe when the life of a filter medium is determined by the monitoring system of the drain treatment machine of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the monitoring system for the drain treatment machine of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a system for protecting and monitoring a drain treatment machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings (FIGS. 1 to 8). First, an embodiment of a protection system for a drain treatment machine according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0014] The drain treatment machine protection system according to the present invention is configured to protect a drain treatment machine 70 that purifies drainage generated by condensation of moisture contained in compressed gas and discharged by the pressure of the compressed gas in a treatment tank loaded with a filter material. A typical example of the filter material according to the present invention is an adsorbent material made of fibers or porous material that removes oil from the drainage and purifies it. A typical example of the compressed gas is compressed air, and the gas is, for example, hydrogen, which is a product gas generated by decomposing water.

[0015] In addition, drainage generated by condensation of moisture contained in compressed gas is, as a typical example, moisture contained in gas such as air that is cooled and condensed in the housing of the compressed gas dehumidifier, and liquefied in the housing (drainage water), and generally contains oil and the like as contaminants. In this case, the compressed gas dehumidifier becomes the drainage source 10. In addition, for example, in a gas filter device or flow path through which compressed gas passes, moisture contained in gas such as air is condensed at a fluid contact part such as a filter material or an inner surface of a pipe, and thus drainage is generated, so that such a gas filter device or flow path also becomes the drainage source 10. In addition, the pressure of the compressed gas in this drainage source 10 is, for example, due to an air compression device (compressor), and is generally, for example, 0.7 MPa.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the protection system for the drain treatment machine according to the present invention includes a drain discharge valve 20 connected to the drain generation source 10 and intermittently opened in order to discharge the drain from the drain generation source 10 and supply it to the drain treatment machine 70, a treatment tank 71 in which the filter material of the drain treatment machine 70 is loaded, an orifice 60 provided in the drain flow path 30 between the treatment tank 71 and the drain discharge valve 20, and a pressure sensor 40 provided to detect the pressure of the drain flow path 30 (for example, a flow path formed by a drain pipe) between the orifice 60 and the treatment tank 71. That is, the pressure sensor 40 is disposed downstream of the flow of the drain from the orifice 60. The orifice 60 can appropriately restrict the flow of the drain to be discharged, so that a sudden rise in pressure downstream of the flow of the drain from the orifice 60 can be prevented, and the pressure sensor 40 can appropriately detect the rise and fall of the pressure (pressure change). Furthermore, this orifice 60 can prevent the drain from flowing suddenly, thereby protecting the treatment tank 71. The size (hole diameter size) of the orifice 60 in this embodiment is set to a diameter of 5 mm as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it can be naturally set appropriately depending on the operating specifications.

[0017] The drain discharge valve 20 may be a normally closed solenoid valve that is normally closed and opens when energized. The time chart shown in FIG. 2 shows an example of a situation in which the drain discharge processing device system is operating normally, and as an example, the drain discharge valve 20 configured by a solenoid valve is controlled to open for one second per minute. (That is, the set time during normal operation for opening the drain discharge valve is, for example, one second.) The drain discharge valve 20 opens, triggering an increase in pressure in the drain pipe (drain passage 30), and the drain discharge valve 20 closes to return the pressure in the drain passage 30 to its original state. The pressure waveform is monitored. In addition, when the drain discharge processing device system is operating normally, the downstream solenoid valve 50 described later remains open and is in an OFF state in which no alarm is output. The drain discharge valve 20 according to the present invention is not limited to a solenoid valve device (solenoid valve), and may be of any type, such as a disk type or a float type.

[0018] The drain treatment machine protection system according to the present invention further comprises a downstream solenoid valve 50 provided in the drain passage 30 between the pressure sensor 40 and the treatment tank 71 (the drain passage 30 downstream of the drain discharge valve 20) so as to be capable of opening and closing the drain passage 30. An orifice having a smaller hole diameter than the orifice 60 described above may be additionally provided in the drain passage 30 downstream of the downstream solenoid valve 50 and leading to the treatment tank 71. This makes it possible to protect the treatment tank 71 by preventing the drain from flowing suddenly.

[0019] The protection system for the drain treatment machine according to the present invention includes a management device 80 including a management means including a pressure change monitoring means for receiving detection information from the pressure sensor 40 and outputting monitoring information related to pressure changes in the drain passage 30, a control means for controlling the opening and closing of the downstream solenoid valve 50 based on the monitoring information related to the pressure change, and an alarm information output means for outputting an alarm based on the monitoring information related to the pressure change. The downstream solenoid valve 50 is controlled by the management device 80 connected to the pressure sensor 40 and the downstream solenoid valve 50 as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the protection device 45, which is composed of the orifice 60, the pressure sensor 40, and the downstream solenoid valve 50, can be connected to a system related to drain discharge treatment as a unit. The protection device 45 is basically connected to one drain discharge valve 20 connected to the drain generation source 10, but as shown in FIG. 1, multiple drain discharge valves 20 can be connected. A check valve 31 is connected between the protection device 45 and the drain discharge valve 20 to prevent the drain from flowing back.

[0020] According to the drain treatment machine protection system of the present invention, pressure changes in the system related to drain discharge treatment can be more appropriately monitored so that the drain treatment machine 70 can be operated appropriately within the required specification range, and the drain treatment machine can be more appropriately protected and managed, which is a special advantageous effect. That is, according to the drain treatment machine protection system of the present invention, the pressure sensor 40 and the pressure change monitoring means arranged as described above can more appropriately monitor pressure changes in the drain passage 30, so that abnormalities in the valve operation of the drain discharge valve 20 and abnormalities in the drain passage 30 downstream of the pressure sensor 40 can be more appropriately detected. Then, based on that information, the downstream solenoid valve 50 can be controlled to open and close, and an alarm can be output, so that the drain treatment machine can be more appropriately protected and managed.

[0021] The management device 80 can be appropriately configured by selectively employing an information processing device (computer system). Of course, the management device 80 can be configured by a main information processing device that controls a system related to drain discharge processing including the drain discharge valve 20, by installing a computer information processing program according to the present invention in the main information processing device.

[0022] Furthermore, in the protection system for the drain treatment machine of this embodiment, when the pressure change monitoring means in the management device 80 outputs information that the pressure in the drain flow path continues to rise for at least a set time (t) relating to abnormal conditions that is longer than the set time during normal operation for opening the drain discharge valve 20, the control means closes the downstream solenoid valve 50 and the alarm information output means outputs an alarm, and then the control means controls the downstream solenoid valve 50 to open intermittently.

[0023] That is, as shown in the time charts of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, when the pressure in the drain passage 30 provided by the drain pipe continues to rise for longer than the set time (t) related to the abnormality, it can be determined that the drain discharge valve 20 is in a valve failure state of being in a continuous blowing state (valve does not close) as shown in Fig. 3, or that the drain discharge valve 20 is in a malfunction due to clogging (clogging or blockage downstream of the pressure sensor 40 in the flow of the drain) as shown in Fig. 4, and at that point, the downstream solenoid valve 50 is closed to prevent excessively high-pressure compressed gas from continuing to flow into the drain treatment device 70, thereby preventing processing failure and protecting the drain treatment device 70. Note that in the case of "clogging" as shown in Fig. 4, it is not necessary to close the downstream solenoid valve 50 to protect the drain treatment device 70, but since it cannot be determined whether the abnormal pressure rise is due to the drain discharge valve 20 being in a continuous blowing state or a "clogging" downstream, the downstream solenoid valve 50 is temporarily closed to protect the drain treatment device 70. In this embodiment, the set time for opening the drain discharge valve 20 during normal operation is set to 1 second, and the set time (t) for abnormal operation is set to 4 seconds, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is of course possible to set the time appropriately according to the operating specifications. In this embodiment, together with the control for closing the downstream solenoid valve 50, an alarm is output by the alarm information output means. Then, after that, within the range of conditions that do not cause processing defects in the drain processing machine (oil-water separator, etc.), the downstream solenoid valve 50 is controlled to open for a certain time in a certain period of time (intermittent opening control) to transport and discharge the drain. Note that the opening and closing control of the downstream solenoid valve 50 can be, for example, an intermittent opening control such as opening for 1 second every 4 seconds.

[0024] In the protection system for the drain treatment machine of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, when the pressure change monitoring means in the management device 80 outputs information that the pressure in the drain passage 30, which has reached the upper limit, intermittently drops as the control means controls the downstream solenoid valve 50 to open intermittently (information that there is a pressure fluctuation), after the pressure in the drain passage 30 reaches the upper limit derived from condition elements including the pressure of the drain source 10 and the diameter of the orifice 60, the drain discharge valve 20 does not close, which is a valve failure. This makes it possible to output an alarm that the drain discharge valve 20 does not close, which is a valve failure. The upper limit of the pressure in the drain passage 30 varies depending on the pressure of the drain source 10, the time the drain discharge valve 20 opens, the diameter of the orifice 60, and the like. As an example, when the drain source pressure is 0.7 MPa, the drain discharge valve 20 is opened for 0.5 seconds once every 60 seconds, and the orifice is φ2, the upper limit is 0.5 MPa.

[0025] According to this, it is possible to accurately grasp that the cause of the malfunction is a valve malfunction in which the drain discharge valve 20 does not close, and the malfunction can be appropriately dealt with. Then, when the valve malfunction in which the drain discharge valve 20 does not close is eliminated by performing malfunction processing (such as repairing or replacing the drain discharge valve 20), as shown in FIG. 3, the pressure in the drain passage 30 drops below the required set pressure (P1) when the drain discharge valve 20 is closed, and it can be confirmed that normal operation has been restored. Also, when normal operation is confirmed, the control of the opening and closing operation of the downstream solenoid valve 50 is stopped, and the downstream solenoid valve 50 is controlled to maintain an open state (normally open state). At the same time, the output of the alarm is canceled. Note that, as an example of the required set pressure (P1), it is set to 0.03 MPa in this embodiment, but it is not limited to this, and it can be set appropriately according to various specifications. In addition, when a valve malfunction occurs in which the drain discharge valve 20 does not open, this can be determined by the fact that the pressure in the drain passage 30 does not increase even when the drain discharge valve 20 is opened, and measures such as replacing the drain discharge valve 20 can be taken.

[0026] 4, in the protection system for the drain treatment machine of this embodiment, when the pressure change monitoring means in the management device 80 outputs information that the pressure in the drain passage 30 that has reached the upper limit value does not change (information of no pressure change) even if the control means controls the downstream solenoid valve 50 to open intermittently after the pressure in the drain passage 30 has reached the upper limit value derived from condition elements including the pressure of the drain generation source 10 and the diameter of the orifice 60, it can be determined that the defect is due to a blockage downstream of the pressure sensor 40 in the drain flow. This allows the alarm information output means to output an alarm that the defect is due to a blockage downstream.

[0027] According to this, it is possible to accurately grasp that the cause of the malfunction is a malfunction due to a blockage on the downstream side, and the malfunction can be appropriately dealt with. Then, when the malfunction due to the blockage on the downstream side is eliminated by performing malfunction processing (processing for eliminating the blockage on the downstream side, such as cleaning the flow path, unfreezing the flow path, and unbending the pipe), as shown in FIG. 4, the pressure in the drain flow path 30 drops below the required set pressure (P1) when the drain discharge valve 20 is closed, and it can be confirmed that normal operation has been restored. Also, when normal operation is confirmed, the control of the opening and closing operation of the downstream solenoid valve 50 is stopped, and the downstream solenoid valve 50 is controlled to maintain an open state (normally open state). At the same time, the alarm is released. This drain flow path may be clogged not only by dirt or a highly viscous substance, but also by freezing.

[0028] The drain treatment machine protection system of this embodiment can be characterized in that the drain discharge valve 20 is a normally closed solenoid valve, and the downstream solenoid valve 50 is a normally open solenoid valve. This allows the operation of the drain discharge valve 20 and the downstream solenoid valve 50 in the drain treatment machine protection system of this embodiment to be used so as to shorten the energization time, reducing energy consumption and extending the life of the device.

[0029] Next, the flow of the control process (management method) by the protection system for the drain treatment machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0030] First, the "protection device operation" is started, and the pressure in the drain passage 30 is measured and detected by the pressure sensor 40, and the "constant pressure monitoring" is started, in which the pressure change monitoring means monitors the pressure. If the [pressure rise continues for t or more], the [downstream solenoid valve protective operation begins and an alarm is output] is performed, and if the [pressure rise does not continue for t or more], the process moves to the [life determination (separate flow)] step. After [Downstream solenoid valve protective operation begins and alarm is output], if [the pressure falls below P1] the system returns to [constant pressure monitoring] and the above process cycle is restarted; if [the pressure does not fall below P1], the system proceeds to a process to check whether or not [there is a pressure fluctuation when the downstream solenoid valve opens].

[0031] If there is a pressure fluctuation when the downstream solenoid valve opens, an alarm will be output "Drain discharge valve failure", and if there is no pressure fluctuation when the downstream solenoid valve opens, an alarm will be output "Clogging". Then, in response to the above alarm output, the [troubleshooting] process is carried out and [the pressure falls below P1], which then results in [downstream solenoid valve protective operation completed and alarm reset], and the system returns to [constant pressure monitoring] and the above process cycle is restarted. Also, if the [pressure does not drop below P1] even after performing the [troubleshooting] process, proceed to the process of checking again whether or not [there is a pressure fluctuation when the downstream solenoid valve is opened]. The above cycle is repeated to operate the protection device (45).

[0032] Next, an embodiment of the monitoring system for a drain treatment machine according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0033] The drain treatment machine monitoring system according to the present invention differs from the configuration of the drain treatment machine protection system described above in that it does not require the configuration of the downstream solenoid valve 50 and the control means for controlling the opening and closing of the downstream solenoid valve 50. The drain treatment machine monitoring system according to the present invention can also employ the configuration of the drain treatment machine protection system described above, and can be realized by keeping the downstream solenoid valve 50 in an open state at all times.

[0034] The drain treatment machine monitoring system according to the present invention has the special advantageous effect of more appropriately monitoring and managing the life of the filtration material and system operation of the drain treatment machine 70 by more appropriately monitoring pressure changes in the system related to drain discharge treatment so that the drain treatment machine 70 can operate appropriately within the required specification range. That is, it is possible to output an alarm related to the life of the filtration material and to control the change in the time for which the drain discharge valve 20 is opened, thereby optimizing the operation of the drain treatment machine.

[0035] In addition, in the monitoring system for the drain processing machine of this embodiment, as shown in the time chart of Fig. 6, when the pressure change monitoring means outputs information that the minimum pressure in the drain passage 30 while the drain discharge valve 20 is closed is higher than the preset minimum pressure (P2) set in advance, the warning information output means outputs a warning regarding the life of the filter material. The minimum pressure in the drain passage 30 gradually increases due to clogging of the filter material, and the moment when it becomes higher than the preset minimum pressure (P2) can be a state in which the pressure exceeds the preset minimum pressure (P2) for a predetermined period of time or more, as shown in Fig. 6. In addition, the preset minimum pressure (P2) is set to 0.1 MPa as an example in this embodiment, but it is not limited to this, and it can be set appropriately according to various specifications.

[0036] This allows the service life of the filter material, which is made of an adsorbent or the like, to be measured and monitored accurately and appropriately over time, allowing the filter material to be replaced at the appropriate time, thereby optimizing the operation of the drain treatment machine.

[0037] Furthermore, in the monitoring system for the drain treatment machine of this embodiment, as shown in the time chart of FIG. 7, when the pressure change monitoring means in the management device 80 outputs information on the pressure gradient in the drain flow path while the drain discharge valve 20 is open, which is gentler than the preset pressure gradient Q set in advance, it is determined that liquid drain is flowing, and the total amount of drain is calculated by integrating the amount of drain that can be calculated from parameter elements including the length of time during which the pressure gradient is gentler than the preset pressure gradient Q set in advance, the pressure information of the drain flow path 30 including the degree of the pressure gradient during that time, and the size of the orifice 60 as the drain discharge valve 20 opens intermittently, and when it is determined that the total amount of drain exceeds the preset total amount of drain (L) set in advance, the warning information output means outputs a warning regarding the life of the filter material.

[0038] That is, in the calculation of the total drain amount, first, in the peak-shaped waveform of the pressure change measured and monitored in a triggered manner by the pressure sensor 40 and the pressure change monitoring means when the drain discharge valve 20 in the drain passage 30 is intermittently opened, if the gradient of the peak-shaped waveform (hereinafter referred to as the "peak gradient") is steeper than the preset pressure gradient Q set as a condition (state of FIG. 7(a)), it is determined that only compressed gas is flowing through the drain passage 30 and being discharged, and the drain amount is not added to the calculation of the total drain amount. Then, if only compressed gas continues to be discharged (state of FIG. 7(a)) or if the period during which the gradient of the peak is gentle is short (state of FIG. 7(d)), it is determined that compressed gas is being consumed wastefully, as described later, and the time for which the drain discharge valve 20 is opened can be reviewed to be shortened.

[0039] In addition, in the calculation of the total amount of drain, if the gradient of the peak is gentler than the preset pressure gradient Q during the period when the drain discharge valve 20 is open, it is determined that liquid drain is flowing through the drain passage 30 during the period when the pressure gradient is gentle (states of Figs. 7(b), (c), and (d)), and the amount of drain is calculated from parameters such as the pressure, orifice diameter, and time, and the amount of drain is added to the total amount of drain. When only drain (liquid) continues to be discharged (state of Fig. 7(b)), it is determined that the amount of drain generation exceeds the amount of drain discharge, as described later, and the time for opening the drain discharge valve 20 can be revised to be longer. Note that the state shown in Fig. 7(b) shows that the pressure gradient to the peak pressure (P3) continues to be gentle throughout the entire period (t3) when the drain discharge valve 20 is open, and liquid drain is flowing. In addition, the states shown in Figures 7(c) and (d) respectively show that during the initial period (t4, t5) when the drain discharge valve 20 is open, the pressure gradient is gentle, and liquid drain flows until the pressure rises to the pressure (P4, P5) corresponding to that period, and then compressed gas flows, resulting in a two-stage pressure gradient.

[0040] According to this, the end of the life of the filter material made of adsorbent or the like can be indirectly measured and detected by calculating the total amount of drain over time, and can be appropriately monitored. Therefore, the filter material can be replaced at an appropriate time, and the operation of the drain treatment machine can be optimized.

[0041] Furthermore, in the drain treatment machine monitoring system of this embodiment, when the pressure change monitoring means in the management device 80 outputs information indicating that the pressure gradient information for the drain passage 30 is gentler than the preset pressure gradient Q set in advance during the entire time that the drain discharge valve 20 is open, it is determined that the drain discharge is stagnating, and control is performed to shorten the interval at which the drain discharge valve 20 is intermittently opened or to lengthen the time for which the drain discharge valve 20 is open.

[0042] According to this, when it is determined that a large amount of drain is being generated and that only drain will continue to be discharged, an alarm can be output to request that the drain discharge time be reviewed, and the time that the drain discharge valve 20 is open can be adjusted to be longer, so that the drain can be discharged appropriately, a decrease in operating efficiency can be prevented, and the operating capacity of the entire system can be maintained appropriately.

[0043] Furthermore, in the drain treatment machine monitoring system of this embodiment, when the pressure change monitoring means in the management device 80 outputs information on the pressure gradient for the drain passage 30 that is steeper than the preset pressure gradient Q set as a pre-condition during the entire time that the drain discharge valve 20 is open or for a period of time longer than the set required time, it is determined that little drain is being generated, and control is performed to lengthen the interval at which the drain discharge valve 20 is intermittently opened or to shorten the time for which the drain discharge valve 20 is open.

[0044] According to this, when it is determined that the generation of drain is small and that the discharge of compressed gas is greater than the set amount, an alarm can be output to request that the drain discharge time be reviewed, and the time that the drain discharge valve 20 is open can be adjusted to be shorter. Since the drain can be discharged appropriately, it is possible to prevent the compressed gas from being discharged unnecessarily and a decrease in operating efficiency, and to properly maintain the operating capacity of the entire system.

[0045] Next, the flow of the monitoring process (management method) by the monitoring system for the drain treatment machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. According to this, the monitoring process is executed so that the pressure in the drain passage 30 is measured by the pressure sensor 40 and monitored by the pressure change monitoring means, the life of the filtering material such as the adsorbent is judged, and a warning (alarm) is output.

[0046] The aforementioned [Protection device operation] (see Figure 5) is started, and [Continuous pressure monitoring] begins in which the pressure in the drain passage 30 is measured by the pressure sensor 40 and monitored by the pressure change monitoring means. If the pressure increase does not continue for more than t, the process moves to the [Lifespan determination (separate flow)] step. In the "lifespan judgment" of the present invention, if "pressure P2 or above continues," an "alarm (lifespan / clogging)" is issued, and "the alarm is reset after the adsorbent is replaced," resulting in "returning to constant pressure monitoring." If "pressure P2 or above does not continue," the system will directly "return to constant pressure monitoring."

[0047] In the "lifespan judgment" according to the present invention, in parallel with the above-mentioned monitoring process, the information on the pressure gradient in the drain passage that occurs while the drain discharge valve is open is "judged to be the gradient of the peak", and if the gradient is only gentle, "judged to be only drain", and the calculation is performed to "convert the amount of drain and add it to the total amount of drain", and if the "total amount of drain is L or more", a warning is issued as "alarm (lifespan / amount of drain)", and the alarm is reset after replacing the adsorbent, so that "constant pressure monitoring is resumed", and if the "total amount of drain is not L or more", the "constant pressure monitoring is resumed directly". Note that (L) in "total amount of drain is L or more" refers to the total amount of drain that is set as a condition in advance, and is the total amount of drain that is assumed to be treatable by the drain treatment device before the lifespan of the filter material is reached. In addition, the slope of the peak is determined, and if the slope changes from a gentle state to a steep state, it is determined that it is a mixture of drain and compressed air, and a calculation is performed to convert the drain volume and add it to the total drain volume. If the total drain volume becomes L or more, an alarm (lifespan / drain volume) is issued, and the alarm is reset after the adsorbent is replaced, resulting in a return to constant pressure monitoring. If the total drain volume is not L or more, it will directly return to constant pressure monitoring. Then, the slope of the peak is judged, and if the slope is steep, only the compressed air is judged, and it is not added up to the total drain amount. Therefore, normally the total drain amount is L or more and there is no change, and the system directly returns to constant pressure monitoring.

[0048] Although the present invention has been described above in various preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it goes without saying that many modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10. Sources of drainage 20 Drain discharge valve 30 Drain passage 31 Check valve 40 Pressure Sensor 45 Protective devices 50 Downstream solenoid valve 60 Orifice 70 Drain treatment machine 71 Treatment tank 80 Management device

Claims

1. A drain treatment machine that purifies drain generated by condensation of moisture contained in compressed gas and discharged by the pressure of the compressed gas in a treatment tank loaded with a filter medium, comprising: a drain treatment machine protection system configured to protect the drain treatment machine, a drain discharge valve connected to the drain generation source and intermittently opened to discharge the drain from the drain generation source and supply the drain to the drain treatment machine; an orifice provided in a drain passage between the treatment tank and the drain valve; a pressure sensor provided to detect a pressure inside a drain passage between the orifice and the treatment tank; a downstream solenoid valve provided in a drain passage between the pressure sensor and the treatment tank so as to open and close the drain passage; a management device having management means including a pressure change monitoring means for receiving detection information from the pressure sensor and outputting monitoring information related to pressure changes in the drain passage, a control means for controlling the opening and closing of the downstream solenoid valve based on the monitoring information related to the pressure changes, and an alarm information output means for outputting an alarm based on the monitoring information related to the pressure changes.

2. 2. The protection system for a drain treatment machine as described in claim 1, wherein, in the management device, when the pressure change monitoring means outputs information that the pressure in the drain passage continues to rise for a set time related to abnormal operation or more that is longer than the set time during normal operation for opening the drain discharge valve, the control means closes the downstream solenoid valve and the alarm information output means outputs an alarm, and then the control means controls to intermittently open the downstream solenoid valve.

3. 3. The protection system for a drain treatment machine according to claim 2, wherein, in the management device, when the pressure change monitoring means outputs information that the pressure in the drain passage, which has reached the upper limit value, intermittently decreases as a result of the control means controlling the downstream solenoid valve to open intermittently after the pressure in the drain passage has reached an upper limit value derived from condition elements including the pressure of the drain generation source and the diameter of the orifice, it is determined that a valve malfunction has occurred in which the drain discharge valve does not close.

4. 3. The protection system for a drain treatment machine as described in claim 2, wherein, in the management device, when the pressure change monitoring means outputs information that the pressure in the drain passage, which has reached the upper limit value, does not change even when the control means controls the downstream solenoid valve to open intermittently after the pressure in the drain passage reaches an upper limit value derived from condition elements including the pressure of the drain generation source and the diameter of the orifice, it is determined that the defect is due to a blockage downstream of the pressure sensor 40 in the drain flow.

5. 5. A protection system for a drain treatment machine according to claim 1, wherein the drain discharge valve is a normally closed solenoid valve, and the downstream solenoid valve is a normally open solenoid valve.

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