CO2 and oil removal device and compressed air circuit equipped with the device

Abstract

This invention provides a CO2 and oil removal device that effectively separates and removes CO2 and oil by bringing the drain discharged from a compressed air circuit into contact with calcium hydroxide and then an oil adsorbent. [Solution] The device consists of a hollow cylindrical body having a hollow section and openings at the top and bottom, the hollow section being filled with granular calcium hydroxide capable of adsorbing CO2 and an oil adsorbent capable of separating and removing oil, a bottom body having an inlet at a predetermined location and capable of closing the lower opening end of the hollow cylindrical body via fastening means, and a lid having a discharge port at a predetermined location and capable of closing the upper opening end of the hollow cylindrical body via fastening means, and means are taken to ensure that the drain flowing in from the inlet comes into contact with the calcium hydroxide and then the oil adsorbent in that order.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a CO2 and oil removal device in a compressed air pressure circuit. Specifically, it relates to a structure capable of removing CO2 and oil from drain generated in the compressed air pressure circuit in this order and discharging it as clean drain.

Background Art

[0002] In a compressed air pressure circuit, a large amount of water vapor is contained in the compressed air compressed by a compressor. It becomes drain by being cooled by devices arranged in the compressed air pressure circuit or colliding with the inner wall, and is discharged together with compressed exhaust through a drain trap from the discharge ports provided in each device.

[0003] At this time, since the pressure in each device where the drain is stored is also high due to the compressed air, a large amount of gas such as CO2 is dissolved in the drain in proportion to the pressure according to Henry's law. Therefore, when the drain of each device is discharged to the outside, the pressure applied to the drain also drops simultaneously with the discharge, and there is a problem that the CO2 dissolved in the drain is also released into the atmosphere. In addition, there is also a problem that the drain becomes acidic due to an increase in the CO2 concentration in the drain, accelerating the deterioration of the oil adsorbent in contact with the drain. Therefore, there has been a demand for means to efficiently purify the drain by first removing the CO2 contained in the drain and the compressed air and then removing the oil contained in the drain.

[0004] Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, the applicant has developed a compressed air circuit capable of removing CO2 from drain and has made the technical proposals described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. According to the technical proposal described in Patent Document 1, by arranging an oil separation unit downstream of the drain trap and a CO2 separation unit downstream of that, it is possible to reduce the oil and CO2 content in the drain discharged from the compressed air circuit, which is an excellent effect. Furthermore, according to the technical proposal described in Patent Document 2, by increasing the pressure in the manifold where the drains converge while controlling the opening and closing operation of the drain trap, the concentration of CO2 dissolved in the drain becomes high, and it is possible to efficiently separate and remove the oil and CO2 in the drain in an oil and CO2 separation tank connected to the manifold, which is an excellent effect. However, according to the technical proposal described in Patent Document 1, the CO2 separation unit is located downstream of the oil separation unit, so the acidic drain comes into contact with the oil adsorbent first, and the above problem has not yet been solved. Furthermore, according to the technical proposal described in Patent Document 2, the pressure of the drain flowing into the oil / CO2 separation tank is high, which shortens the contact time with the packed adsorbent. Depending on the amount and order of packing, the CO2 adsorption effect may not be fully effective before the drain comes into contact with the oil adsorbent, and the above problem has not yet been solved.

[0005] The applicant focused on the problem of the highly acidic state of the drain coming into contact with the oil adsorbent, and conceived the idea of ​​providing a structure that can separate and remove CO2 before it comes into contact with the oil adsorbent. As a result, the applicant developed a CO2 and oil removal device in which the drain discharged from the compressed air circuit comes into contact with calcium hydroxide, which can separate and remove CO2, and then with an oil adsorbent, in that order, leading to the proposal of the "CO2 and oil removal device" of the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7496150 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7305226 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a CO2 and oil removal device that can effectively separate and remove CO2 and oil by bringing the drain discharged from a compressed air circuit into contact with calcium hydroxide and an oil adsorbent in that order. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the CO2 and oil removal device according to the present invention consists of a hollow cylindrical body having a hollow section and openings at the top and bottom, respectively, the hollow section being filled with granular calcium hydroxide capable of adsorbing CO2 and an oil adsorbent capable of separating and removing oil, a bottom body having an inlet at a predetermined location and capable of closing the lower opening end of the hollow cylindrical body via fastening means, and a lid having a discharge port at a predetermined location and capable of closing the upper opening end of the hollow cylindrical body via fastening means, and employs a means in which the drain flowing in from the inlet comes into contact with the calcium hydroxide and then the oil adsorbent in that order.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means by which the calcium hydroxide is stored inside a mesh bag and can be inserted into and removed from a hollow cylindrical body.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention provides a compressed air pressure circuit comprising a drain trap provided in one or more devices, and a CO2 and oil removal device according to claim 1 or 2 that is capable of separating CO2 and oil contained in the drain and compressed air discharged from the drain trap, wherein the means for separating and removing CO2 and oil from the drain discharged from the compressed air is employed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The CO2 and oil removal device according to the present invention has the excellent effect of allowing the drain flowing in from the inlet to come into contact with calcium hydroxide and then an oil adsorbent in that order, thereby reducing the CO2 concentration and acidity of the drain through the CO2 adsorption action of calcium hydroxide before it comes into contact with the oil adsorbent.

[0012] Furthermore, the CO2 and oil removal device according to the present invention has the excellent effect of allowing the calcium hydroxide to be stored inside a mesh bag, which allows the calcium hydroxide stored in the hollow cylinder body to be inserted into and removed from the hollow cylinder body by the bag, enabling the calcium hydroxide to be replaced quickly and easily. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a CO2 and oil removal device according to the present invention and a compressed air circuit equipped with the device. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the CO2 adsorption action of calcium hydroxide in an embodiment of the CO2 and oil removal device according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The CO2 and oil removal device according to the present invention is characterized in that, upon entering the hollow cylinder body, the drain discharged from the compressed air circuit and the compressed air discharged together with the drain (hereinafter referred to as "compressed exhaust") come into contact with calcium hydroxide and then the oil adsorbent in that order. Hereinafter, embodiments of the CO2 and oil removal apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] Furthermore, the CO2 and oil removal device according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, that is, within the range of shapes, dimensions, materials, etc., that can achieve the same effects. In addition, the removal in the present invention refers to a state where part or all of it is removed.

[0016] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a basic embodiment of the CO2 and oil removing device 1 according to the present invention and a compressed air pressure circuit 20 provided with the device. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the CO2 adsorption action of calcium hydroxide 3 in the embodiment of the CO2 and oil removing device 1. Specifically, (a) shows the state of calcium hydroxide 3 before the drain flows in, (b) shows the state where the drain contacts calcium hydroxide 3, and (c) shows the state where part of calcium hydroxide 3 has become calcium carbonate 4 due to the CO2 adsorption action. The CO2 and oil removing device 1 according to the present invention is provided at the drain discharge part of the compressed air pressure circuit 20, and mainly comprises a hollow cylinder main body 2, calcium hydroxide 3, an oil adsorbent 5, a bottom body 6, and a lid body 8.

[0017] The hollow cylinder main body 2 is a cylindrical body having a hollow part that can be filled with an adsorbent. The hollow cylinder main body 2 has a hollow part and is composed of a cylindrical body with openings at the upper and lower parts respectively. Regarding the outer shape of the hollow cylinder main body 2, there is no particular limitation as long as it is cylindrical, and a cylindrical shape or a polygonal cylindrical shape can be considered. The hollow part of the hollow cylinder main body 2 is filled with calcium hydroxide 3 capable of adsorbing CO2 and an oil adsorbent 5 capable of adsorbing oil respectively, and a bottom body 6 and a lid body 8 are respectively attached to the lower and upper open ends of the hollow cylinder main body 2. With such a configuration, separation and removal of CO2 and oil contained in the drain flowing into the device and the compressed exhaust are performed. There is no particular limitation on the constituent material of the hollow cylinder main body 2 either, but it is preferable to use a transparent or translucent material such as reinforced plastic or glass for part or all of it so that the deterioration state of the filled adsorbent can be visually recognized.

[0018] Calcium hydroxide 3 is a filler that is filled in the hollow part on the inflow side of the hollow cylinder main body 2 to separate and remove CO2 from the drain flowing into the CO2 and oil removing device 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the calcium hydroxide 3(a) filled in the hollow cylinder main body 2 forms a layer of calcium hydroxide solution around it due to the inflowing drain, and the CO2 contained in the drain is absorbed (b). Then, the calcium hydroxide 3 that has absorbed CO2 becomes a substance (c) in which calcium carbonate 4 generated by the chemical reaction with CO2 adheres to the surroundings.

[0019] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shape of the calcium hydroxide 3 is granular. When filling the calcium hydroxide 3 into the hollow cylinder main body 2 so that it does not flow into the oil adsorbent 5 on the subsequent stage side during the inflow of the drain, it is preferable to put the calcium hydroxide 3 previously stored in the net-like bag body 10 into the hollow cylinder main body 2 in the stored state. By adopting such a mode, it becomes possible to fill and take out the hollow cylinder main body 2 only by taking in and out the bag body 10 in which the calcium hydroxide 3 is stored, and it has an excellent effect that the replacement work of the calcium hydroxide 3 can be carried out quickly and easily. In addition, the mesh of the bag body 10 used for storing the calcium hydroxide 3 is naturally smaller in diameter than the particle size of the calcium hydroxide 3, and the size of the bag body 10 is also one that can sufficiently fill the filling space of the calcium hydroxide 3. The calcium hydroxide 3 with calcium carbonate 4 adhering to the surroundings due to the chemical reaction with the CO2 dissolved in the drain is separated into calcium hydroxide 3 and calcium carbonate 4 by a separation method such as filtration after being taken out from the hollow cylinder main body 2 together with the bag body 10 by the replacement work. At this time, the calcium carbonate 4 taken out by the separation can also be used as a material such as concrete.

[0020] The oil adsorbent 5 is a filler that is filled in the hollow part on the discharge side in the hollow cylinder main body 2 to separate and remove oil from the drain flowing into the CO2 and oil removal device 1. The oil adsorbent material 5 is a material that separates and adsorbs oil as drain passes through it. Specifically, a material that absorbs and adsorbs oil as drain and compressed exhaust passes through it is used. For example, activated carbon, microporous material, cotton, polyethylene, polypropylene fibers, etc. are suitable. Furthermore, the method of filling the hollow cylinder body 2 is preferably such that multiple oil-absorbing and adsorbing materials are processed into fine granular or bellows-shaped sheets and laminated. By adopting this method, it becomes possible to sufficiently remove oil from the drain and compressed exhaust that flows into the oil adsorbent material 5, contributing to further purification when draining drain water and discharging compressed exhaust to the outside.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, it is preferable that a perforated plate 11c is provided in the gap between the calcium hydroxide 3 and the oil absorbent material 5 as a partition for the drain flowing from the calcium hydroxide 3 to the oil absorbent material 5. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to prevent problems such as the bag 10 containing the calcium hydroxide 3 moving due to the pressure when the drain flows in and coming into contact with the oil absorbent material 5, or the oil absorbent material 5, whose weight has increased due to oil absorption, falling downwards.

[0022] The bottom body 6 closes the lower open end of the hollow cylinder body 2 and connects the drain and compressed exhaust inlet 7 to the lower part of the hollow cylinder body 2. The bottom body 6 is sized to close the lower open end of the hollow cylindrical body 2 and is configured to have an inlet 7 at a predetermined location (preferably approximately in the center when viewed from above) that is connected to the discharge pipe 28. There are no particular limitations on the fastening means for the bottom body 6 to the lower open end of the hollow cylindrical body 2, but it will be attached by fastening means such as screws.

[0023] The inlet 7 is located in the bottom body 6 and is used to transport the drain and compressed exhaust gas, which are discharged from the compressed air pressure circuit 20 via piping (collector pipe 29), into the hollow section of the hollow cylinder body 2. The size of the inlet 7 is approximately the same as the diameter of the manifold pipe 29, which reduces pressure changes when drain and compressed exhaust gas flow in, and prevents CO2 dissolved in the drain due to high pressure from being released into the hollow section where the pressure is low, thus providing an excellent effect.

[0024] The lid 8 closes the upper opening end of the hollow cylinder body 2 and is equipped with an outlet 9 that allows the drain and compressed exhaust, which have been cleaned by passing through the calcium hydroxide 3 and oil adsorbent 5 filled in the hollow part of the hollow cylinder body 2, to be sent to the downstream stage. The lid 8 is sized to close the upper open end of the hollow cylinder body 2 and is configured to have an outlet 9 at a predetermined location (preferably approximately in the center when viewed from above). There are no particular limitations on the fastening means for the lid 8 to the upper opening end of the hollow cylindrical body 2, but it is attached by fastening means such as screws.

[0025] The discharge port 9 is located in the cover 8 and supplies clean water (cleaned drain) and compressed exhaust gas to the downstream stage via calcium hydroxide 3 and oil adsorbent 5. The size of the discharge port 9 is approximately the same as the diameter of the piping connected to the outside, which maintains the pressure of the drain and compressed exhaust within the hollow section, suppresses the release of CO2 dissolved in the drain, and enhances the CO2 recovery efficiency of the packing material, thus achieving excellent effects.

[0026] With the above structure, the drain flowing in from the inlet 7 comes into contact with the calcium hydroxide 3 and then the oil adsorbent 5 in that order. This has the excellent effect of allowing the drain to come into contact with the oil adsorbent 5 in a state where the CO2 concentration and acidity of the drain are reduced by the CO2 adsorption action of the calcium hydroxide 3.

[0027] In the flow path for drain and compressed exhaust gas that flows into the hollow cylinder body 2 from the inlet 7 and is discharged to the outside from the outlet 9, it is preferable that a perforated plate 11 is provided at the bottom surface, which is filled with calcium hydroxide 3, and at the top surface, which is filled with oil adsorbent 5, so that a flow path can be formed inside the hollow cylinder body 2 in which the drain flows in from the perforated plate 11a on the inlet 7 side, passes through each filling material, and is discharged from the perforated plate 11b on the outlet 9 side. In this configuration, the inlet-side perforated plate 11a has multiple holes with a diameter smaller than the shape of the calcium hydroxide 3, and the outlet-side perforated plate 11b has multiple holes such that the total cross-sectional area is approximately the same as that of the holes in the perforated plate 11a. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to prevent the calcium hydroxide 3 from falling and to maintain the pressure at the time of drain inflow without significantly decreasing until discharge from the outlet 9. This allows for efficient adsorption of CO2 dissolved in the drain by the calcium hydroxide 3 without releasing it within the hollow cylinder body 2 due to the high pressure. Furthermore, since the flow paths of the inflowing drain and compressed exhaust are divided into the same number of flow paths as the holes provided in the perforated plate 11, the contact points with the filled calcium hydroxide 3 and oil adsorbent 5 are increased, making it possible to maximize the adsorption effect of CO2 and oil on the filler material.

[0028] The main operation and function of the CO2 and oil removal device 1, which consists of the above configuration, will now be explained. The drain and compressed exhaust discharged from the compressed air circuit 20 flow into the hollow cylinder body 2 through the inlet 7 of the bottom body 6. The drain and compressed exhaust gas flowing into the hollow cylinder body 2 come into contact with and pass through the calcium hydroxide 3 filled in the hollow section, thereby separating and removing the CO2 contained in each. At this time, the calcium hydroxide 3 that has adsorbed CO2 changes into calcium carbonate 4 through a chemical reaction, and its weight increases by the amount of CO2 that was adsorbed.

[0029] Next, the drain and compressed exhaust that have passed through the calcium hydroxide 3 come into contact with and pass through the oil adsorbent 5, causing the oil contained in them to be separated and removed. As the CO2 concentration of the drain and compressed exhaust decreases due to contact with the calcium hydroxide 3 compared to when they were inflowed, their acidic properties also decrease, and the deterioration of the oil adsorbent 5 is suppressed compared to when it is in normal use. The drain and compressed exhaust, which have been cleaned by passing through the oil absorbent material 5, are then discharged to the outside through the outlet 9 provided on the cover 8.

[0030] The compressed air circuit 20 supplies compressed air generated by the compressor 21 to the equipment connected downstream. Depending on how the equipment is used, various devices such as an air tank 22 for temporarily storing compressed air, an air dryer 23 for drying the compressed air to lower its temperature, and an air filter 24 for separating and removing foreign matter such as dust contained in the compressed air may be installed. There are no particular limitations on the type and number of devices installed in the compressed air circuit 20; these will be determined appropriately depending on the purpose of using compressed air and the equipment being used. Furthermore, piping capable of supplying compressed air will naturally be provided between the air compressor 21, each device, and the equipment being used. At that time, water vapor contained in the compressed air adheres to and combines with the inner walls and piping of each device, generating condensate, which is water. This condensate is then sent to the manifold pipe 29 via a drain trap 25 through a discharge pipe 28 provided in each device.

[0031] The drain trap 25 is provided in one or more devices installed in the compressed air circuit 20, and is used to mechanically discharge the drain generated in those devices. The drain trap 25 is installed near the bottom surface of the drain generation point of the various devices, and the drain generated within the various devices is sent to the manifold pipe 29 via the discharge pipe 28 connected to the drain trap 25. Drain traps 25 come in various types, such as electromagnetic and float types, depending on their discharge method, but they are not particularly limited and any conventionally known type will suffice. Furthermore, during the discharge operation by the drain trap 25, the compressed air accumulated near the drain is also discharged together with the drain, resulting in a pressurized compressed exhaust that flows out into the discharge pipe 28.

[0032] The discharge pipe 28 is connected at its base end to the drain trap 25 and is a pipe capable of sending drain and compressed exhaust gas discharged from various devices to the downstream stage. The discharge pipe 28 is connected at its tip to a manifold pipe 29, which is a single pipe, and then flows into the CO2 and oil removal device 1. Furthermore, it is preferable that a backflow prevention valve 27 is provided near the connection point between the discharge pipe 28 and the manifold pipe 29. By adopting this configuration, if a problem occurs with the drain discharge, it is possible to prevent the drain and compressed exhaust discharged from the various devices from flowing back into the discharge pipe 28, thereby preventing the drain from entering the drain trap 25 and the various devices of the compressed air circuit 20.

[0033] The manifold pipe 29 is a pipe that merges the discharge pipes 28 into a single flow path, and sends the drain and compressed exhaust discharged by the drain trap 25 to the outside after passing through the CO2 and oil removal device 1. In addition, by providing a valve 26 between the various devices and the drain trap 25, it is possible to temporarily stop the discharge of newly generated drain and compressed exhaust from the various devices by closing the valve 26 when there is a malfunction or replacement of the drain trap 25, or when performing maintenance on the CO2 and oil removal device 1.

[0034] The main operation and function of the compressed air circuit 20, which consists of the above configuration, will now be explained. First, the compressed air generated by the air compressor 21 passes through the air tank 22, air dryer 23, and air filter 24, which are foreign matter removal devices located downstream, and is supplied to the equipment as clean compressed air. At this time, the drain accumulated at the bottom of the air tank 22, air dryer 23, and air filter 24 is discharged to the discharge pipe 28 by a mechanical discharge operation by a drain trap 25 provided at a predetermined location in each device. The compressed air that has been accumulating near the drain also flows into the discharge pipe 28 as compressed exhaust along with the drain by the discharge operation of the drain trap 25. The drain and compressed exhaust flowing through each of the discharge pipes 28 then merge in a manifold pipe 29 and flow into the CO2 and oil removal device 1. The drain and compressed exhaust gas that flow into the CO2 and oil removal device 1 have the CO2 and oil removed through the calcium hydroxide 3 and oil adsorbent 5 filled inside the device, and are then discharged to the outside as clean drain and compressed exhaust gas.

[0035] The basic configuration and operation of the CO2 and oil removal device according to the present invention and the compressed air circuit equipped with the device have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the configurations shown in the above embodiments and drawings. For example, the CO2 and oil removal device may be installed on the compressed air-using equipment side of the compressed air circuit as a device to remove CO2 contained in clean compressed air, thereby reducing the CO2 concentration in the compressed air supplied to the compressed air-using equipment.

[0036] As described above, the CO2 and oil removal device according to the present invention is capable of efficiently removing CO2 and oil contained in the drain discharged from each device, simplifying the calcium hydroxide replacement work, reducing the deterioration of the oil adsorbent, and contributing to the creation of clean drain and compressed exhaust with reduced CO2 concentration. [Industrial applicability]

[0037] This invention can be adopted as a drain discharge structure that contributes to reducing CO2 emissions in discharged drain and compressed exhaust in all fields that use compressed air, such as manufacturing, cleaning, and dentistry, and will play a part in measures to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, which is said to be a cause of global warming. Therefore, we believe that the industrial applicability of the "CO2 and oil removal device and compressed air pressure circuit equipped with the device" according to this invention is great. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1. CO2 and oil removal device 2 Hollow cylindrical body 3. Calcium hydroxide 4. Calcium carbonate 5. Oil absorbent 6 Bottom body 7 Inlet 8 Lid 9 Outlet 10 Bag body 11a Perforated plate (inlet side) 11b Perforated plate (discharge side) 11c Perforated plate (divider) 20 Compressed air pressure circuit 21 Compressor 22 Air Tanks 23 Air Dryer 24 Air Filter 25 Drain trap 26 valves 27 Check valve 28 Discharge pipe 29 Collecting pipe

Claims

1. It consists of a cylindrical body with a hollow section and openings at the top and bottom, and the hollow section contains CO ２ A hollow cylindrical body filled with granular calcium hydroxide capable of adsorbing oil and an oil adsorbent capable of separating and removing oil, A bottom body having an inlet at a predetermined location and capable of closing the lower open end of the hollow cylindrical body via fastening means, It consists of a lid that has an outlet at a predetermined location and can close the upper open end of the hollow cylinder body via fastening means, CO2 is characterized by the fact that the drain flowing in from the inlet comes into contact with calcium hydroxide and then an oil adsorbent in that order. ２ And an oil removal device.

2. The CO2 according to claim 1, characterized in that the calcium hydroxide is stored inside a mesh bag and can be taken in and out of the hollow cylindrical body. ２ And an oil removal device.

3. A drain trap provided in one or more devices, and CO2 contained in the drain and compressed air discharged from the drain trap. ２ and the CO2 as described in claim 1 or 2, which can separate oil. ２ It consists of an oil removal device and an oil removal device, CO in the drain discharged from compressed air ２ A compressed air circuit characterized by its ability to separate and remove oil.

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