Liquid foreign matter removal device

Abstract

To provide a liquid foreign matter removal device that can improve the operation rate of the device by eliminating the need for maintenance, and can improve the removal rate of liquid foreign matter mixed in a manufacturing gas.SOLUTION: A liquid foreign matter removal device 1 comprises a cylindrical container 2, a gas inlet 31, a gas outlet 32, a liquid foreign matter discharge port 33, and a gas blowing nozzle 4. The gas blowing nozzle 4 is configured to jet the inflowing manufacturing gas F so as to swirl along an inner wall surface 20. The manufacturing gas F ascends while swirling in contact with the inner wall surface 20, and the liquid foreign matter Y adhering to the inner wall surface 20 descends along the inner wall surface 20 and is discharged from the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33. The outlet of the gas blowing nozzle 4 by a tubular member 40 provided in the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2 is formed by a side wall opening 41 opened in the side wall portion 42 of the tubular member 40. The inclination angle θ2 of the central axis O3 of the side wall opening 41 with respect to the horizontal direction H of the cylindrical container 2 is between -10° and 20°.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid foreign matter removing device.

Background Art

[0002] City gas mainly composed of natural gas is produced by injecting liquefied petroleum gas into natural gas to adjust (increase) the calorific value. The adjustment of the calorific value is performed by mixing the gasified liquefied petroleum gas with natural gas in a heater. At this time, depending on the production area of the liquefied petroleum gas, etc., there may be a small amount of liquid foreign matter such as oil that does not gasify mixed in, and some device for removing this liquid foreign matter is required.

[0003] The liquid foreign matter contained in the produced gas whose calorific value has been adjusted adheres to, for example, the gas strainer of the governor station installed in the conduit connected to the downstream side of the heater. Further, for example, in the lubricating liquid separation device of Patent Document 1, it is described that the lubricating liquid is separated and recovered from the compressed gas by generating a swirling flow in the compressed gas containing the lubricating liquid. In this lubricating liquid separation device, a lubricating liquid removal filter for removing the lubricating liquid from the compressed gas containing the lubricating liquid is used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, for example, when using a gas strainer at a governor station, maintenance is required to periodically remove liquid foreign matter adhering to the gas strainer. Also, in the lubricating oil separation device of Patent Document 1, maintenance such as cleaning and replacement of the lubricating oil removal filter is necessary. Therefore, in the conventional technology, when there is no standby system for maintenance, it is necessary to stop the operation of devices such as the governor station. For this reason, there is a demand for a liquid foreign matter removal device that can eliminate the need for maintenance and increase the operating rate of the device.

[0006] Also, in the above liquid foreign matter removal device, it is desired to remove liquid foreign matter mixed in the manufacturing gas at a high removal rate.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and aims to provide a liquid foreign matter removal device that can eliminate the need for maintenance and increase the operating rate of the device, and can also increase the removal rate of liquid foreign matter mixed in the manufacturing gas.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a liquid foreign matter removal device for removing liquid foreign matter mixed in a manufacturing gas, comprising a vertically placed cylindrical container with its central axis oriented in the vertical direction, a gas inlet provided at a lower position of the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical container, a gas outlet provided at the upper part of the cylindrical container, a liquid foreign matter discharge port provided at the lower part of the cylindrical container, a gas blowing nozzle that protrudes into the cylindrical container from the gas inlet and ejects the manufacturing gas flowing into the gas inlet so as to swirl along the inner wall surface of the cylindrical container, when the manufacturing gas ejected from the gas blowing nozzle contacts the inner wall surface and rises while swirling, the liquid foreign matter adhering to the inner wall surface descends along the inner wall surface and is discharged to the liquid foreign matter discharge port, The gas ejection nozzle is constituted by a cylindrical member provided in the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical container. The ejection port of the gas ejection nozzle is formed by a side wall opening opened in the side wall portion of the cylindrical member. In the liquid foreign matter removal device, the inclination angle of the central axis passing through the center of the side wall opening with respect to the horizontal direction of the cylindrical container is -10° or more and 20° or less.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] The liquid foreign matter removal device of the above aspect includes a gas ejection nozzle provided to protrude into the cylindrical container from a gas inlet provided at a lower position of the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical container. When the liquid foreign matter removal device is in use, the production gas ejected from the gas ejection nozzle contacts the inner wall surface of the cylindrical container and rises while swirling, and is discharged to the gas outlet at the upper part of the cylindrical container. At this time, the liquid foreign matter adhering to the inner wall surface of the cylindrical container descends along the inner wall surface and is collected at the liquid foreign matter discharge port at the lower part of the cylindrical container.

[0010] With this configuration, in the liquid foreign matter removal device, it is not necessary to use a filter or the like, and it is not necessary to stop the operation of the device for maintenance. Therefore, according to the liquid foreign matter removal device of the above aspect, maintenance can be made unnecessary and the operation rate of the device can be increased.

[0011] Further, in the liquid foreign matter removal device of the above aspect, the gas ejection nozzle is constituted by a cylindrical member provided in the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical container, and the ejection port of the gas ejection nozzle is formed by a side wall opening opened in the side wall portion of the cylindrical member. And the inclination angle of the central axis of the side wall opening with respect to the horizontal direction of the cylindrical container is -10° or more and 20° or less.

[0012] According to the liquid foreign matter removal device of the above aspect having this configuration, the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter mixed in the production gas can be increased.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] Preferred embodiments of the above-described liquid foreign matter removing device will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] <Embodiment 1> The liquid foreign matter removal device of Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment removes liquid foreign matters Y such as oil content mixed in the production gas F. The liquid foreign matter removal device 1 includes a cylindrical container 2 with a central axis O1 oriented in the vertical direction L, a gas inlet 31 provided at a lower position of the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2, a gas outlet 32 provided at the upper portion 22 of the cylindrical container 2, a liquid foreign matter discharge port 33 provided at the lower portion 23 of the cylindrical container 2, and a gas blowing nozzle 4 protruding into the cylindrical container 2 from the gas inlet 31.

[0016] The gas blowing nozzle 4 is configured to eject the production gas F flowing into the gas inlet 31 so as to swirl along the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2. The liquid foreign matter removal device 1 is configured such that when the production gas F ejected from the gas blowing nozzle 4 contacts the inner wall surface 20 and rises while swirling and is discharged to the gas outlet 32, the liquid foreign matter Y adhering to the inner wall surface 20 descends along the inner wall surface 20 and is discharged to the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33.

[0017] The gas blowing nozzle 4 is constituted by a cylindrical member 40 provided on the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2. The ejection port of the gas blowing nozzle 4 is formed by a side wall opening 41 opened in the side wall portion 42 of the cylindrical member 40. In the liquid foreign matter removal device 1, the inclination angle θ2 of the central axis O3 passing through the center of the side wall opening 41 with respect to the horizontal direction H of the cylindrical container 2 is set to be -10° or more and 20° or less.

[0018] The liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail below. (Liquid foreign matter removal device 1) As shown in FIG. 4, the production gas F has its calorific value adjusted (increased) by mixing natural gas F1 with liquefied petroleum gas F2 containing liquid foreign matter Y. The production gas F in this embodiment is city gas. The liquid foreign matter removal device 1 removes the liquid foreign matter Y remaining in the production gas F without vaporizing when liquefied petroleum gas F2 containing liquid foreign matter Y is mixed with natural gas F1. The liquid foreign matter removal device 1 is connected to a heater 54 that mixes liquefied petroleum gas F2 with natural gas F1 to adjust the calorific value of natural gas F1 and is used.

[0019] The liquid foreign matter removal device 1 is used in a city gas production facility 5 that supplies the production gas F to customers 56. In the city gas production facility 5, liquefied natural gas F0 pressurized by an LNG pump is sent from an LNG tank 51 to an LNG vaporizer 52, vaporized in the LNG vaporizer 52, and after being odorized as necessary, is sent to the heater 54 as natural gas F1. Note that odorization can also be performed on the production gas F. In this case, the odorization at the above-mentioned odorization position can be omitted. Also, liquefied petroleum gas F2 pressurized by an LPG pump is sent from an LPG tank 53 to the heater 54, vaporizes, and is mixed with natural gas F1 in the heater 54. The heater 54 adjusts (increases) the calorific value of the production gas F by mixing liquefied petroleum gas F2 with natural gas F1.

[0020] The production gas F after calorific value adjustment with liquefied petroleum gas F2 mixed is sent from the heater 54 to the liquid foreign matter removal device 1. Then, in the liquid foreign matter removal device 1, the liquid foreign matter Y is removed from the production gas F. After that, the production gas F from which the liquid foreign matter Y has been removed is depressurized by a governor station (pressure regulator) 55 and then supplied to each customer 56.

[0021] In liquefied petroleum gas F2, depending on its production location and the like, there may be contained a small amount of liquid foreign matter Y such as polypropylene glycol that does not change from liquid to gas in the reheater 54. When removing this liquid foreign matter Y with a strainer provided in the governor station 55, since the liquid foreign matter Y accumulates in the strainer, maintenance for removing the accumulated liquid foreign matter Y becomes necessary. The liquid foreign matter removing device 1 of the present embodiment is installed separately from the governor station 55 and can eliminate the need for maintenance of the strainer in the governor station 55. Note that the liquid foreign matter removing device 1 can be configured using a steel material such as high-tensile steel, for example.

[0022] (Cylindrical container 2) As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical container 2 has a cylindrical portion 21 with a central axis O1 oriented in the vertical direction (the direction of gravity) such that the production gas F rises while swirling. The upper portion 22 and the lower portion 23 of the cylindrical container 2 are formed as end portions in the shape of a full hemisphere that bulges outward. In other words, both end portions of the cylindrical portion 21 are formed in the shape of a full hemisphere. Note that at least one of the upper portion 22 and the lower portion 23 of the cylindrical container 2 may be formed as an end portion in the shape of a circular cone that bulges outward. Such a configuration can be formed, for example, by welding end members of a predetermined shape to the upper end and the lower end of the cylindrical portion 21 having a cylindrical shape. Note that such an end member may be referred to as a mirror plate.

[0023] The gas outlet 32 is formed at the apex of the end portion in the shape of a full hemisphere in the upper portion 22 of the cylindrical container 2. The liquid foreign matter discharge port 33 is formed at the apex of the end portion in the shape of a full hemisphere in the lower portion 23 of the cylindrical container 2. The gas inlet 31 is provided at a lower position of the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2 that is below the intermediate position in the direction of the central axis O1. The gas inlet 31 of the present embodiment is provided at a lower position adjacent to the lower portion 23 in the cylindrical portion 21.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the outlet of the reheater 54 is connected to the gas inlet 31 of the cylindrical container 2. A discharge container 6 for discharging the liquid foreign matter Y in the cylindrical container 2 is connected to the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33 of the cylindrical container 2 in a state of being located below the cylindrical container 2. By using the discharge container 6, the liquid foreign matter Y accumulated in the cylindrical container 2 can be discharged to the outside without stopping the operation of the liquid foreign matter removing device 1. A governor station 55 is connected to the gas outlet 32 of the cylindrical container 2. The pressure of the production gas F discharged from the gas outlet 32 of the cylindrical container 2 is adjusted by the governor station 55 to a pressure suitable for supplying to each consumer 56.

[0025] Between the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33 of the cylindrical container 2 and the upper part of the discharge container 6, a first valve 61 that can be switched between an open position for storing the liquid foreign matter Y in the discharge container 6 and a closed position for discharging the liquid foreign matter Y in the discharge container 6 to the outside is arranged. Further, a second valve 62 described later is arranged at the outlet of the discharge container 6. The second valve 62 can be kept in the closed position during the normal operation of the liquid foreign matter removing device 1 so that the pressure of the production gas F in the cylindrical container 2 does not escape. On the other hand, the first valve 61 can be switched to the closed position during the removal of the liquid foreign matter, and by switching the second valve 62 described later to the open position, the liquid foreign matter Y accumulated in the discharge container 6 can be discharged to the outside.

[0026] A second valve 62 that can be switched between a closed position for storing the liquid foreign matter Y in the discharge container 6 and an open position for discharging the liquid foreign matter Y in the discharge container 6 to the outside is arranged at the lower part of the discharge container 6. The second valve 62 is kept in the closed position normally. On the other hand, the second valve 62 can be switched to the open position during the discharge, and the liquid foreign matter Y accumulated in the discharge container 6 can be discharged to the outside. When switching the second valve 62 to the open position, the first valve 61 is kept in the closed position.

[0027] (Gas blowing nozzle 4) As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the gas ejection nozzle 4 is constituted by a cylindrical member 40 provided on the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2. Specifically, the gas ejection nozzle 4 is constituted by a cylindrical member 40 welded to the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the welded portion is indicated by reference sign X. The gas ejection nozzle 4 formed by the cylindrical member 40 in the present embodiment is welded to the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical portion 21 along the normal direction (radial direction) of the cylindrical portion 21, in other words, in a state perpendicular to the tangential direction of the cylindrical portion 21. By forming the gas ejection nozzle 4 using the cylindrical member 40, the gas ejection nozzle 4 can be easily formed.

[0028] The gas ejection nozzle 4 is formed by welding the cylindrical member 40 to the edge of a through-hole 211 formed by penetrating a part of the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 21 at the lower end position of the cylindrical portion 21. With this configuration, the welding of the gas ejection nozzle 4 can be facilitated. As shown in FIG. 5, when welding the gas ejection nozzle 4 along the tangential direction of the cylindrical portion 21, it is necessary to weld the end portion of the cylindrical member 40 and a part of the edge of the through-hole 211 of the cylindrical portion 21 in a butted state, making it difficult to form the gas ejection nozzle 4. In FIG. 5, the welded portion is indicated by reference sign X.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the gas ejection nozzle 4 is constituted by a cylindrical member 40 provided on the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2. The cylindrical member 40 in the present embodiment has a cylindrical shape. The ejection port of the gas ejection nozzle 4 is formed by a side wall opening 41 opened in the side wall portion 42 of the cylindrical member 40. The side wall opening 41 is a portion disposed within the cylindrical container 2 and is formed at the tip side portion of the side wall portion 42 of the cylindrical member 40.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the opening shape of the side wall opening 41 is not particularly limited as long as the manufacturing gas F ejected from the side wall opening 41 can form a flow that rises while swirling along the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2. In the present embodiment, the side wall opening 41 has a circular opening shape.

[0031] Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the inclination angle of the central axis O3 of the side wall opening 41 passing through the center of the side wall opening 41 with respect to the horizontal direction H of the cylindrical container 2 is defined as θ2. Note that the horizontal direction H of the cylindrical container 2 indicates the direction orthogonal to the central axis O1 of the cylindrical container 2.

[0032] In the liquid foreign matter removing device 1, the inclination angle θ2 of the central axis O3 of the side wall opening 41 with respect to the horizontal direction of the cylindrical container 2 is in the range of -10° or more and 20° or less. In other words, the side wall opening 41 may be opened obliquely upward such that the inclination angle θ2 is in the range of more than 0° and 20° or less, or may be opened in the horizontal direction H such that the inclination angle θ2 is 0°, or may be opened obliquely downward such that the inclination angle θ2 is in the range of -10° or more and less than 0°. The state in which the side wall opening 41 is opened obliquely upward means that the central axis O3 passing through the center of the side wall opening 41 is in a state of being rotated upward around the central axis O2 of the cylindrical member 40 with respect to the horizontal direction H of the cylindrical container 2. Similarly, the state in which the side wall opening 41 is opened obliquely downward means that the central axis O3 passing through the center of the side wall opening 41 is in a state of being rotated downward around the central axis O2 of the cylindrical member 40 with respect to the horizontal direction H of the cylindrical container 2. In the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the side wall opening 41 is opened obliquely upward such that the inclination angle θ2 is in the range of more than 0° and 20° or less.

[0033] When the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening 41 exceeds 20° or when the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening 41 is less than -10°, the decrease in the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y mixed in the production gas F becomes large. By setting the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening 41 in the range of -10° or more and 20° or less, the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y mixed in the production gas F can be increased. This is considered to be due to the following reasons.

[0034] When the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening 41 is more than 0° and equal to or less than 20°, the manufacturing gas F flowing into the gas inlet 31 is likely to form a spiral upward flow along the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2. That is, in this case, it becomes easier to raise the manufacturing gas F in the cylindrical container 2. At this time, the liquid foreign matter Y in the manufacturing gas F adheres to the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2 and is removed from the manufacturing gas F. When the manufacturing gas F flowing into the gas inlet 31 forms a clean spiral upward flow along the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2, the manufacturing gas F can flow smoothly without being disturbed by the inner wall surface 20, which is considered to lead to an improvement in the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y.

[0035] When the manufacturing gas F flowing into the gas inlet 31 forms a spiral upward flow along the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2, as the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening 41 increases, the spiral pitch increases. As the spiral pitch increases, as a result, the contact distance between the manufacturing gas F and the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2 becomes shorter. Therefore, when the inclination angle θ2 exceeds 20°, this disadvantage becomes apparent, and it is considered that the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y significantly decreases.

[0036] Also, when the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening 41 is 0° or less, the reason why it should be -10° or more and 0° or less is considered as follows. That is, the discharge jet flow of the manufacturing gas F from the side wall opening 41 is discharged into the cylindrical container 2 with a certain spreading angle. Therefore, even if the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening 41 is 0°, or even a slightly negative angle, the manufacturing gas F flowing into the gas inlet 31 forms a spiral upward flow along the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2 to a certain extent. Due to the balance between the negative effect of the decreasing flow rate of the manufacturing gas F flowing upward and the positive effect of the shortening of the spiral pitch and the increase in the contact distance between the manufacturing gas F and the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2, as the negative angle of the inclination angle θ2 increases, the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y decreases. And when the inclination angle θ2 is less than -10°, the negative effect becomes excessively large and the balance is broken. As a result, it is considered that the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y significantly decreases.

[0037] The inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening 41 is preferably -7.5° or more and less than or equal to 17.5°, more preferably -5° or more and 15° or less, still more preferably -2.5° or more and 15° or less, even more preferably 0° or more and 15° or less, and even still more preferably more than 0° and 15° or less, from the viewpoint of improving the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y. Note that the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening 41 described above can be arbitrarily combined.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, at the tip of the cylindrical member 40 in the present embodiment, an inclined plate 43 that closes the tip of the cylindrical member 40 while being inclined with respect to the central axis O2 of the cylindrical member 40 is provided. The inclined plate 43 is provided as a wall portion that closes the opening portion at the tip of the cylindrical member 40 obliquely, rather than closing it perpendicularly to the central axis O2 of the cylindrical member 40. When the production gas F flowing from the gas inlet 31 into the cylindrical member 40 collides with the inclined plate 43, the flow of the production gas F along the central axis O2 of the cylindrical member 40 can be changed to a flow directed toward the side wall opening 41.

[0039] The inclined plate 43 in the present embodiment is inclined at an inclination angle θ1 of 45° ± 5° with respect to the central axis O2 of the cylindrical member 40 so as to form an acute tip portion on the cylindrical member 40. In this case, the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined plate 43 is appropriate, and it becomes easy to form a swirling flow of the production gas F.

[0040] The side wall opening 41 is formed at a position inclined and facing the inclined plate 43. In other words, the inclined plate 43 and the side wall opening 41 are formed at positions on the tip side that overlap each other in the direction of the central axis O2 of the cylindrical member 40. With this configuration, when the production gas F whose flow has been changed by the inclined plate 43 is ejected from the side wall opening 41, it becomes easy to form a swirling flow along the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2.

[0041] (Method of using the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 in the production process of the production gas F) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, when the production gas F is produced, the production gas F mixed with liquefied petroleum gas F2 is supplied from the reheater 54 to the gas inlet 31 of the liquid foreign matter removal device 1. The production gas F supplied to the gas inlet 31 is jetted from the side wall opening 41 of the gas jet nozzle 4 toward the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2. Then, the production gas F contacts the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2 and rises while swirling along the inner wall surface 20. When it reaches the inner wall surface 20 of the upper portion 22 of the cylindrical container 2, it is discharged from the gas outlet 32 in the upper portion 22 to the governor station 55.

[0042] When the production gas F swirls while contacting the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical portion 21, the spray-like liquid foreign matter Y contained in the production gas F adheres to the inner wall surface 20 as oil droplets. The liquid foreign matter Y adhering to the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2 settles along the inner wall surface 20 and is collected at the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33 in the lower portion 23 of the cylindrical container 2. Thus, the liquid foreign matter Y is removed from the production gas F by the liquid foreign matter removal device 1. Then, the liquid foreign matter Y is removed from the production gas F discharged from the gas outlet 32 in the upper portion 22 of the cylindrical container 2 to the governor station 55.

[0043] (Function and effect) The liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment includes a gas jet nozzle 4 provided so as to protrude into the cylindrical container 2 from a gas inlet 31 provided at a lower position of the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2. When the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 is in use, the production gas F jetted from the gas jet nozzle 4 contacts the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2 and rises while swirling, and is discharged to the outside from the gas outlet 32 in the upper portion 22 of the cylindrical container 2. At this time, the liquid foreign matter Y adhering to the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2 settles along the inner wall surface 20 and is collected in the discharge container 6 through the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33 in the lower portion 23 of the cylindrical container 2. Further, since the production gas F swirls on the inner wall surface 20 of the cylindrical container 2, the residence time of the production gas F in the cylindrical container 2 is long, and the liquid foreign matter Y can be effectively adhered to the inner wall surface 20.

[0044] Then, the liquid foreign matter Y collected in the discharge container 6 can be discharged to the outside by setting the second valve 62 to the open position after setting the first valve 61 from the open position to the closed position. Therefore, it is easy to discharge the liquid foreign matter Y to the outside of the liquid foreign matter removal device 1. Also, there is no need to use a filter or the like in the liquid foreign matter removal device 1, and there is no need to perform maintenance such as cleaning or replacing the filter. And, there is no need to stop the operation of the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 for maintenance. Therefore, according to the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment, maintenance can be eliminated and the operation rate of the device can be increased. Also, according to this configuration, during the operation of the liquid foreign matter removal device 1, the removed liquid foreign matter Y is constantly poured into the discharge container 6, and when the discharge container 6 is full of the liquid foreign matter Y, it can be withdrawn to the outside. Therefore, when the liquid foreign matter Y is stored in the lower part of the cylindrical container 2, it is possible to reduce the risk that the production gas F swirling along the inner wall surface 20 will entrain the removed liquid foreign matter Y and flow out from the gas outlet 32.

[0045] Also, in the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment, the gas blowing nozzle 4 is constituted by a cylindrical member 40 provided in the cylindrical portion 21 of the cylindrical container 2, and the jet outlet of the gas blowing nozzle 4 is formed by a side wall opening 41 opened in the side wall portion 42 of the cylindrical member 40. And, the inclination angle θ2 of the central axis 3 of the side wall opening 41 with respect to the horizontal direction H of the cylindrical container 2 is set to be -10° or more and 20° or less. Therefore, according to the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment, the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y mixed in the production gas F can be increased.

[0046] <Embodiment 2> The liquid foreign matter removal device of Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. Among the reference numerals used after Embodiment 2, those that are the same as the reference numerals used in the previous embodiments represent the same components as those in the previous embodiments unless otherwise specified.

[0047] The liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of this embodiment is different from the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of Embodiment 1 in that at least the lower part 23 of the cylindrical container 2 is formed as a semi-circular end portion that bulges outward. In other words, the lower end portion of the cylindrical portion 21 is formed in a semi-circular shape. Such a configuration can be formed, for example, by welding a semi-circular end member to the lower end of the cylindrical cylindrical portion 21.

[0048] On the other hand, the upper part 22 of the cylindrical container 2 may be formed as a semi-circular end portion that bulges outward as shown in FIG. 6, or may be formed as a full hemispherical end portion, a conical end portion, or a dish-shaped end portion that bulge outward, although not shown. In the present disclosure, the terms full hemispherical shape, conical shape, semi-circular shape, and dish shape mean shapes understood in accordance with JIS B 8265:2017.

[0049] Further, the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of this embodiment is also different from the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of Embodiment 1 in that a rectifying member 7 is provided above the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33. The other configurations can basically be the same as those of the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of Embodiment 1. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33 formed at the apex of the semi-circular end portion in the lower part 23 of the cylindrical container 2 is formed as a small hole with a smaller diameter than the gas outlet 32.

[0050] Here, since the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 serves as a pressure vessel, the weld line between the end member forming the lower part 23 of the cylindrical container 2 and the cylindrical part 21 is preferably located as far as possible from the gas inlet 31 from the viewpoint of the strength as a pressure vessel and the like. More preferably, the distance from the weld line of the gas inlet 31 is more than five times the thickness of the cylindrical part 21. However, in the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of Embodiment 1 in which the lower part 23 of the cylindrical container 2 is formed as a fully hemispherical end, if the weld line is to be separated from the gas inlet 31 as described above, the vertical length of the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 will increase and the device will become larger. On the other hand, in the case where the lower part 23 of the cylindrical container 2 is formed as a semi-circular end as in the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of Embodiment 2, the weld line can be located as far as possible from the gas inlet 31. In particular, since it is easy to form a shape in which the weld line is separated from the weld line of the gas inlet 31 by more than five times the thickness (specifically, the plate thickness) of the cylindrical part 21, there is an advantage that the device can be easily miniaturized.

[0051] Basically, the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that the production gas F ejected from the gas ejection nozzle 4 contacts the inner wall surface 20 and rises while swirling, and when it is discharged to the gas outlet 32, the liquid foreign matter Y adhering to the inner wall surface 20 descends along the inner wall surface 20 and is discharged to the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33, similar to the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of Embodiment 1.

[0052] However, in reality, a part of the production gas F that flows in from the gas inlet 31 and is ejected from the gas ejection nozzle 4 also flows downward. At this time, when the lower part 23 of the cylindrical container 2 is formed as an end part of a full hemispherical shape as in the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of Embodiment 1, the production gas F that has flowed downward flows along the inner wall surface of the end part of the full hemispherical shape and converges near the apex part of the end part of the full hemispherical shape and rises upward. However, when the lower part 23 of the cylindrical container 2 is formed as an end part of a semi-circular shape as in the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment, the production gas F that has flowed downward is reflected by the inner wall surface of the semi-circular end part, and turbulence of the production gas F occurs in the vicinity thereof, which obstructs the flow of the production gas F ejected from the gas ejection nozzle 4. Therefore, due to this, if no countermeasure is taken, the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y decreases by about 10%.

[0053] The liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a rectifying member 7 for rectifying the turbulence of the production gas F that flows downward after being ejected from the gas ejection nozzle 4 and is reflected by the semi-circular end part above the liquid foreign matter discharge port. By doing so, even when a semi-circular end part is adopted, it is possible to achieve the removal of the liquid foreign matter Y equivalent to or higher than that when a full hemispherical end part is adopted.

[0054] The specific configuration of the rectifying member 7 is not particularly limited as long as it can rectify the turbulence of the production gas F that is reflected by the semi-circular end part and rises. In the present embodiment, the rectifying member 7 is configured to have a tapered part 70 that narrows upward. According to this configuration, when the production gas F that is reflected by the semi-circular end part and is turbulent rises along the peripheral surface of the tapered part 70, it is possible to efficiently rectify the turbulence of the production gas F.

[0055] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the rectifying member 7 can be configured to include a cylindrical first reducer member 71 having a small opening 711 and a large opening 712 with a diameter larger than that of the small opening 711, and the small opening 711 and the large opening 712 are concentrically arranged. And this first reducer member 71 is arranged with the small opening 711 side upward and the large opening 712 side downward. According to this configuration, the tapered portion 70 described above can be formed by using the cylindrical peripheral surface of the first reducer member 71. Further, since such a first reducer member 71 is easily available as a general piping connection member, the manufacturability of the liquid foreign matter removing device 1 can be improved, and it can also contribute to cost reduction of the liquid foreign matter removing device 1.

[0056] In FIG. 6, more specifically, the rectifying member 7 is composed of a first reducer member 71 and a second reducer member 72 joined by welding or the like. In the present embodiment, the same member as the first reducer member 71 is adopted as the second reducer member 72, and the rectifying member 7 is formed by butting the large opening 712 of the first reducer member 71 and the large opening 712 of the second reducer member 72 and joining them by welding or the like to be integrated. According to this configuration, by combining reducer members that are easily available, it becomes easier to adjust the height of the tapered portion 70 (the arrangement position of the tapered portion 70 in the vertical direction) in the rectifying member 7. There are also advantages such as it becoming easy to arbitrarily change the shapes of the first reducer member 71 and the second reducer member 72. Note that, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the rectifying member 7 may be composed only of the first reducer member 71 without joining the second reducer member 72. Further, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the rectifying member 7 can also be composed of a third reducer member 73 or the like that is a conical member with openings at the tip and the bottom. Note that the reducer shape shown in FIG. 7(a) is a shape called a type 1 in which the diameter rapidly decreases at the center of the reducer, and the reducer shape shown in FIG. 7(b) is a shape called a type 2 in which the diameter gradually decreases toward one end. When the rectifying member 7 is configured using a reducer member, either the type 1 or type 2 reducer shape may be applied. Further, the above-described rectifying member 7 can be composed of, for example, a general-purpose steel material such as PT370.

[0057] In the liquid foreign matter removal device 1 of the present embodiment, when the apex of the semi-circular end portion is used as the height reference point, it is preferable that the height of the tip of the rectifying member 7 is lower than the height of the lowermost portion of the gas inlet 31. More preferably, the height of the tip of the rectifying member 7 is 2 / 3 or less of the height from the above reference point to the lowermost portion of the gas inlet 31, and even more preferably, it is 1 / 2 or less of the height from the above reference point to the lowermost portion of the gas inlet 31.

[0058] In the above case, the flow of the production gas F rectified and rising by the rectifying member 7 is less likely to obstruct the flow of the production gas F ejected from the gas ejection nozzle 4, and it is easy to contribute to the improvement of the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter Y.

[0059] Note that the above-described rectifying member 7 can have, for example, an appropriate gap 701 at the bottom of the rectifying member 7 so as not to prevent the liquid foreign matter Y from flowing into the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33. Specifically, such a gap 701 can be constituted by a hole or a slit provided at the bottom of the rectifying member 7, a space between a plurality of leg portions provided at the bottom of the rectifying member 7 and spaced apart from each other, and the like. According to these gaps 701, the liquid foreign matter Y can easily flow from the outside of the rectifying member 7 into the liquid foreign matter discharge port 33 arranged inside the rectifying member 7.

[0060] In the liquid foreign matter removing device 1 of the second embodiment, although the case where at least the lower portion 23 of the cylindrical container 2 is formed as a semi-circular end portion has been mainly described, even if at least the lower portion 23 of the cylindrical container 2 is formed as a dish-shaped end portion, the same problems as above can be solved, and the same effects can be achieved.

[0061] Regarding other configurations and effects, they are the same as those of the liquid foreign matter removing device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0062] <Experimental Example> Regarding the liquid foreign matter removing device according to FIG. 6, in which the diameter of the cylindrical portion in the cylindrical container is 1800 mm and the height from the lowermost end of the lower portion of the cylindrical container to the uppermost end of the upper portion of the cylindrical container is 5400 mm, the influence of the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening (ejection port) in the gas ejection nozzle on the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter was investigated. The results are shown in FIG. 8. Note that the removal rate of the liquid foreign matter was derived by conducting a search experiment at a pitch of 5° in a range of at least -20° to +25°. Also, the production gas in this experimental example is city gas (13A).

[0063] According to FIG. 8, it was confirmed that when the inclination angle θ2 of the side wall opening in the gas blowing nozzle is set to be -10° or more and 20° or less, the removal rate of liquid foreign matter changes at a high value.

[0064] The present invention is not limited to only the embodiments, and it is possible to configure further different embodiments without departing from the gist thereof. Further, the present invention includes various modifications, modifications within an equivalent range, and the like. Also, each configuration shown in each embodiment can be arbitrarily combined. Also, each of the claims described in the claims at the time of filing the application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0065] 1 Liquid foreign matter removal device 2 Cylindrical container 20 Inner wall surface 21 Cylindrical portion 31 Gas inlet 32 Gas outlet 33 Liquid foreign matter discharge port 4 Gas blowing nozzle 40 Cylindrical member 42 Side wall portion 41 Side wall opening O3 Central axis passing through the center of the side wall opening θ2 Inclination angle of the central axis passing through the center of the side wall opening F Manufacturing gas (city gas) Y Liquid foreign matter O1 Central axis

Claims

1. A liquid foreign matter removing device for removing liquid foreign matter mixed in a manufacturing gas, comprising: a vertically placed cylindrical container with its central axis oriented in the vertical direction; a gas inlet provided at a lower position of the cylindrical part of the cylindrical container; a gas outlet provided at the upper part of the cylindrical container; a liquid foreign matter discharge port provided at the lower part of the cylindrical container; a gas blowing nozzle that protrudes into the cylindrical container from the gas inlet and sprays the manufacturing gas flowing into the gas inlet so as to swirl along the inner wall surface of the cylindrical container; the manufacturing gas ejected from the gas blowing nozzle rises while swirling in contact with the inner wall surface, and when discharged to the gas outlet, the liquid foreign matter adhering to the inner wall surface descends along the inner wall surface and is discharged to the liquid foreign matter discharge port; the gas blowing nozzle is constituted by a cylindrical member provided in the cylindrical part of the cylindrical container; the ejection port of the gas blowing nozzle is formed by a side wall opening opened in the side wall part of the cylindrical member; A liquid foreign matter removing device, wherein an inclination angle of a central axis passing through the center of the side wall opening with respect to the horizontal direction of the cylindrical container is -10° or more and 20° or less.

2. An inclined plate that closes the tip of the cylindrical member by inclining with respect to the central axis of the cylindrical member is provided at the tip of the cylindrical member; The liquid foreign matter removing device according to claim 1, wherein the side wall opening is formed at a position inclined and facing the inclined plate.

3. The upper part and the lower part of the cylindrical container are formed as end parts in a full hemispherical shape, a conical shape, a semi-circular shape, or a dish shape; the gas outlet is formed at the apex of the end part in the full hemispherical shape, the conical shape, the semi-circular shape, or the dish shape at the upper part; The liquid foreign matter removing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the liquid foreign matter discharge port is formed at the apex of the end part in the full hemispherical shape, the conical shape, the semi-circular shape, or the dish shape at the lower part.

4. The lower part of the cylindrical container is formed as an end part in the semi-circular shape or the dish shape; the liquid foreign matter discharge port is formed at the apex of the end part in the semi-circular shape or the dish shape at the lower part. Above the liquid foreign matter discharge port, there is provided a rectifying member for rectifying the turbulence of the manufacturing gas that flows downward after being ejected from the gas ejection nozzle and is reflected at the semi-circular or dish-shaped end portion, the liquid foreign matter removing device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. The rectifying member has a tapered portion that narrows upward, the liquid foreign matter removing device according to claim 4.

6. At the gas inlet, a heater for adjusting the calorific value of the natural gas is connected, in which liquefied petroleum gas containing liquid foreign matter is mixed with the natural gas. At the liquid foreign matter discharge port, a discharge container for discharging the liquid foreign matter separated and removed in the cylindrical container is connected in a state of being located below the cylindrical container. Between the liquid foreign matter discharge port of the cylindrical container and the upper part of the discharge container, a first valve that can be switched between an open position for storing the liquid foreign matter in the discharge container and a closed position for discharging the liquid foreign matter in the discharge container to the outside is arranged. At the lower part of the discharge container, a second valve that can be switched between a closed position for storing the liquid foreign matter in the discharge container and an open position for discharging the liquid foreign matter in the discharge container is arranged, the liquid foreign matter removing device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

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