Hydrogen removal device

Abstract

To provide a hydrogen removal device that enables discharging and filling of an adsorbent without enlarging the device.SOLUTION: A hydrogen removal device 1 according to the present invention, removing hydrogen from helium gas at least including the hydrogen as an impurity, is characterized by comprising: a main body 3 comprising a gas introduction passage 13 disposed on the upper part of a cylindrical body to introduce gas, an adsorbent filling area 15 disposed below the gas introduction passage 13, and a gas discharge passage 17 disposed below the adsorbent filling area 15; an upper perforated plate 5; a lower perforated plate 7; an adsorbent filling pipe 9; an adsorbent discharge pipe 11; a gas introduction port 27; a gas discharge port 29; an upper plug 35; a lower plug 43; and a lower inside plug 45.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydrogen removal device for removing hydrogen from helium gas containing at least hydrogen as an impurity.

Background Art

[0002] Helium is a precious gas with a small production volume. The used helium is recovered, purified, re-liquefied, and then sent to users. In addition, the recovered helium contains impurities such as hydrogen. Therefore, after removing these impurities with a helium purification device, it is re-liquefied with a helium liquefaction device.

[0003] An example of a helium purification device attached to a helium liquefaction device is disclosed in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, the helium purification device is provided with a hydrogen removal adsorber for removing hydrogen, which is an impurity. The hydrogen removal adsorber is filled with an adsorbent, and the hydrogen component in the helium discharged together with the regeneration gas from the purification system in the helium liquefaction device is removed by adsorbing it.

[0004] A general structure of the hydrogen removal adsorber is shown in FIG. 4. The hydrogen removal adsorber 60 is cylindrical and includes a gas inlet 61, an adsorption layer 63, an adsorbent retainer 65, a gas outlet 67, an adsorbent filling port 69, and an adsorbent discharge port 71. The adsorption layer 63 is composed of the filled adsorbent. The hydrogen removal adsorber 60 is connected to a pipe in the helium purification device by a flange 73 or screwing.

[0005] After purifying a certain amount of helium for a certain period of time or a certain amount, it is necessary to replace the adsorbent in the hydrogen removal adsorber 60. When replacing the adsorbent, it is necessary to remove the hydrogen removal adsorber 60 from the pipe, fill it with a new adsorbent, and then reassemble it to the connecting pipe again. At that time, the process (equipment), adsorber, and catalyst tower are likely to be contaminated by air. Therefore, when the target process (equipment) is, for example, hydrogen removal in helium, when the adsorber and catalyst tower are reinstalled on the process (equipment), it is sometimes necessary to purge the air components in the process (equipment) and increase the purity of the process gas (helium in this case). In addition, when the adsorbent and catalyst to be replaced are partly responsible for performance degradation due to water vapor in the air, it is also necessary to consider the replacement timing, method, etc.

[0006] In this regard, technologies for replacing the internal adsorbent and catalyst without removing the adsorber and catalyst tower from the process (equipment) are disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0007] What is disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a method of discharging the catalyst with deteriorated activity and filling new catalyst without removing the fixed-bed reactor from the process, by supplying liquid into the fixed-bed reactor and slurrying the catalyst to discharge and fill the catalyst.

[0008] In addition, what is disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a method of discharging and filling the catalyst by an air flow from a blower as a method of discharging the catalyst in the reaction tube and filling new catalyst without removing the reaction tube installed in the steam reformer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0009]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0010] However, the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a pump and piping for supplying liquid into the fixed-bed reactor, which has the problem of increasing the size of the device. In addition, the device disclosed in Patent Document 2 also requires the installation of a blower, which has the problem of increasing the size of the reaction device.

[0011] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a hydrogen removal device that can easily discharge and fill the adsorbent without increasing the size of the device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0012] (1) The hydrogen removal device according to the present invention removes the hydrogen from helium gas containing at least hydrogen as an impurity, comprises a main body portion formed of a cylindrical body, a gas introduction passage at the upper part of the cylindrical body through which gas is introduced, an adsorbent filling region below the gas introduction passage where an adsorbent is filled, and a gas discharge passage below the adsorbent filling region that serves as a flow path for the discharged gas, an upper perforated plate provided between the gas introduction passage and the adsorbent filling region and having gas passing holes formed therein, a lower perforated plate provided between the gas discharge passage and the adsorbent filling region and having gas passing holes formed therein, a cylindrical adsorbent filling tube inserted from the upper end of the main body portion through the gas introduction passage and communicating with the upper part of the adsorbent filling region, a cylindrical adsorbent discharge tube inserted from the lower end of the main body portion through the discharged gas flow path and communicating with the lower part of the adsorbent filling region, a gas inlet provided at the upper part of the main body portion and communicating with the gas introduction passage, a gas outlet provided at the lower part of the main body portion and communicating with the gas discharge passage, an upper plug for opening and closing the filling port of the adsorbent filling tube, a lower plug for opening and closing the discharge port of the adsorbent discharge tube, and a lower middle plug for opening and closing the communication between the upper end of the adsorbent discharge tube and the adsorbent filling region.

[0013] (2) Further, in the one described in the above (1), an upper middle plug provided in the adsorbent filling tube, and a fibrous substance provided in the gas introduction path and the gas discharge path for gas dispersion, and further comprising the same.

[0014] (3) Further, in the one described in the above (1) or (2), the lower surface of the adsorbent filling region is an inclined surface that inclines downward toward the upper end of the adsorbent discharge pipe, and the inclination angle of the inclined surface is larger than the angle of repose of the adsorbent to be filled.

[0015] (4) Further, in the one described in any one of the above (1) to (3), the lower middle plug is configured to open and close the communication by moving up and down, and a vertical movement mechanism for moving the lower middle plug up and down is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] In the present invention, without increasing the size of the apparatus, a structure is realized in which it is not necessary to remove the main body from the connecting pipe when filling and discharging the adsorbent. For this reason, it is possible to minimize the mixing of substances such as air, water vapor, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, etc. (hereinafter referred to as water vapor, etc.) contained in the air, which may have an adverse effect on the performance of the adsorbent, into the purification apparatus. In the following description, although the case of filling the purification apparatus with an adsorbent is assumed, the same effect can be obtained when filling the purification apparatus with a catalyst or the like that performs some treatment on the gas to be treated. In addition, the introduction and discharge of the adsorbent can be performed extremely easily, and the workability is also excellent.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] The hydrogen removal device 1 according to the present embodiment removes hydrogen from helium gas containing at least hydrogen as an impurity. As shown in FIG. 1, it includes a main body portion 3 formed of a cylindrical body, an upper perforated plate 5 provided in the upper part of the main body portion 3, a lower perforated plate 7 provided in the lower part of the main body portion 3, an adsorbent filling tube 9 provided at the upper end portion of the main body portion 3, and an adsorbent discharge tube 11 provided at the lower end portion of the main body portion 3. Hereinafter, each component and the members related to each component will be described in detail.

[0019] <Main Body Portion> The main body portion 3 is formed of a cylindrical body, and includes a gas introduction path 13 at the upper part of the cylindrical body where gas is introduced, an adsorbent filling region 15 below the gas introduction path 13 where the adsorbent is filled, and a gas discharge path 17 below the adsorbent filling region 15 that serves as a flow path for the discharged gas. In the gas introduction path 13 and the gas discharge path 17, fibrous substances 19 such as heat-insulating glass felt for gas dispersion are disposed. A pressing plate 21 provided with gas passing holes is provided above the fibrous substance 19 in the gas introduction path 13, and a support plate 23 provided with gas passing holes is provided below the fibrous substance 19 in the gas discharge path 17.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the adsorbent filling region 15 is an inclined surface 25 that slopes downward toward the upper end of the adsorbent discharge tube 11. And the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface 25 is larger than the angle of repose of the adsorbent to be filled. Thereby, the discharge of the adsorbent becomes smoother.

[0021] In addition, a gas inlet 27 is provided in the side wall at the upper part of the main body 3 so as to communicate with the gas introduction passage 13, and a gas outlet 29 is provided in the side wall at the lower part of the main body 3 so as to communicate with the gas discharge passage 17. Gas introduction pipes 31 and gas discharge pipes 33 are respectively provided at the gas inlet 27 and the gas outlet 29 to enable connection with external pipes.

[0022] <Upper perforated plate> The upper perforated plate 5 is provided between the gas introduction passage 13 and the adsorbent filling region 15 to prevent the adsorbent from moving upward, and gas passage holes 5a are formed therein.

[0023] <Lower perforated plate> The lower perforated plate 7 is provided between the gas discharge passage 17 and the adsorbent filling region 15 to prevent the adsorbent from moving downward, and gas passage holes 7a are formed therein.

[0024] <Adsorbent filling tube> The adsorbent filling tube 9 is a cylindrical member for filling the adsorbent filling region 15 with a filler, and is inserted from the upper end of the main body 3 through the gas introduction passage 13 so as to communicate with the upper part of the adsorbent filling region 15. In addition, an upper plug 35 for opening and closing the filling port of the adsorbent filling tube 9 is provided at the upper end of the adsorbent filling tube 9. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide an upper middle plug 37 in the middle of the adsorbent filling tube 9 to prevent the adsorbent from flowing backward in the adsorbent filling tube 9.

[0025] The upper middle plug 37 of the present embodiment is composed of a bullet-shaped middle plug body 39 disposed in the middle of the adsorbent filling tube 9 and a connecting member 41 connecting the middle plug body 39 and the upper plug 35. Note that since the upper end of the adsorbent filling tube 9 is pressure-maintained by the upper plug 35, the upper middle plug 37 does not require a seal for the purpose of preventing helium leakage, and it is sufficient to ensure airtightness to such an extent that the adsorbent does not move.

[0026] <Adsorbent discharge tube> The adsorbent discharge pipe 11 is a cylindrical member for discharging the adsorbent filled in the adsorbent filling region 15, and is inserted so as to penetrate the exhaust gas flow path from the lower end of the main body 3 and communicate with the lower part of the adsorbent filling region 15. Further, a lower plug 43 for opening and closing the discharge port of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11 is provided at the lower end of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11.

[0027] Furthermore, a reverse conical lower middle plug 45 for opening and closing the communication between the adsorbent discharge pipe 11 and the adsorbent filling region 15 is provided near the upper end of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11. The lower middle plug 45 is configured to open and close the upper end opening of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11 by moving up and down, and a vertical movement mechanism 47 for moving the lower middle plug 45 up and down is provided.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the vertical movement mechanism 47 includes an operating rod 49 whose upper end is connected to the lower middle plug 45, a blade 51 provided at the lower part of the operating rod 49, and a pair of side wall plates 53 disposed opposite to the side wall of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11 at a predetermined distance. Each side wall plate 53 has an inclined surface portion 53a inclined so as to approach the side wall upward. By rotating the operating rod 49 externally by a rotating means (not shown), the blade 51 is guided by the inclined surface portion 53a of the side wall plate 53 and moves up and down, whereby the lower middle plug 45 moves up and down to open and close the upper end opening of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11. Although not shown, the operating rod 49 is rotatable by accessing from the outside. FIG. 3(a) shows a state where the lower middle plug 45 is open, and FIG. 3(b) shows a state where the lower middle plug 45 is closed.

[0029] Since the lower end of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11 is pressure-retained by the lower plug 43, the lower middle plug 45 does not require a seal for the purpose of preventing helium leakage, and it is sufficient to ensure an airtightness such that the adsorbent does not move.

[0030] The operation of the hydrogen removal device 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. <During operation> During the operation of the hydrogen removal device 1 of this embodiment, the helium gas to be purified is introduced from the lateral gas inlet 27 of the main body 3, dispersed by the fibrous material 19 in the gas introduction passage 13, passes through the upper perforated plate 5, and moves vertically downward through the adsorbent in the adsorbent filling region, and impurities such as hydrogen are removed during the movement. The helium gas from which impurities have been removed passes through the lower perforated plate 7 and the gas discharge passage 17, and is discharged from the gas discharge port 29 and the gas discharge pipe 33.

[0031] <During adsorbent replacement> During the replacement of the adsorbent, the discharge and filling of the adsorbent will be described. 《Adsorbent discharge》 To discharge the adsorbent, remove the lower plug 43 provided at the lower end of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11 and rotate the operating rod 49. Then, the lower middle plug 45 moves vertically upward by the vertical movement mechanism 47 (see FIGS. 1 and 3(a)). As a result, the upper end of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11 is opened, and the adsorbent falls and is discharged through the adsorbent discharge pipe 11. In this way, the discharge of the adsorbent can be easily performed without removing the main body 3.

[0032] 《Adsorbent filling》 When filling the adsorbent, rotate the operating rod 49 of the vertical movement mechanism 47 to lower the lower middle plug 45 to close the upper end of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11. Then, remove the upper plug 35 at the upper end of the adsorbent filling pipe 9. At this time, the upper middle plug 37 is also removed simultaneously. Then, by introducing the adsorbent from the upper end of the adsorbent filling pipe 9, the adsorbent passes through the adsorbent filling pipe 9 and is filled into the adsorbent filling region 15. Assuming that the filling density of the filler in the adsorbent filling region 15 increases due to vibration or the like during the operation of the hydrogen removal device 1, the adsorbent may be filled in a larger amount so that a part of the adsorbent also exists in the adsorbent filling pipe 9. After filling the adsorbent, the upper plug 35, the upper middle plug 37, and the lower plug 43 are installed to avoid contamination of the adsorbent by air or water vapor, or to prevent leakage of the helium gas to be purified.

[0033] As described above, in the hydrogen removal device 1 of the present embodiment, a structure is realized in which it is not necessary to remove the main body 3 from the connecting pipe when filling and discharging the adsorbent without increasing the size of the device. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the intrusion of air and water vapor contained in the air into the purification device. In addition, the introduction and discharge of the adsorbent can be performed extremely easily, and the workability is also excellent.

[0034] In general, when impurities such as air enter a portion that becomes a pocket in terms of structure in the cylindrical main body 3 (for example, portions A and B in FIG. 1), it becomes difficult to purge them. However, fibrous substances 19 are disposed in the gas introduction passage 13 and the gas discharge passage 17 in the main body 3 of the present embodiment. Therefore, when filling the adsorbent, even if some air enters the adsorbent filling region 15 through the adsorbent filling pipe 9 when the upper end portion of the adsorbent filling pipe 9 is opened, the pressure loss of the fibrous substance 19 serves as a resistance, and it is possible to prevent the mixed air from entering the pocket portion (A in FIG. 1). Similarly, when discharging the adsorbent, even if some air enters the adsorbent filling region 15 through the adsorbent discharge pipe 11 when the lower end portion of the adsorbent discharge pipe 11 is opened, the pressure loss of the fibrous substance 19 serves as a resistance, and it is possible to prevent the mixed air from entering the pocket portion (B in FIG. 1).

[0035] In the above description, as an example of the vertical movement mechanism, a mechanism in which the lower middle plug 45 moves up and down by rotating the operating rod 49 is illustrated. However, the vertical movement mechanism is not limited to this, and any mechanism that can move the lower middle plug 45 up and down is not particularly limited.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0036] 1 Hydrogen removal device 3 Main body 5 Upper perforated plate 5a Gas passage hole 7 Lower perforated plate 7a Gas passage hole 9 Adsorbent filling pipe 11 Adsorbent discharge pipe 13 Gas introduction path 15 Adsorbent filling area 17 Gas discharge path 19 Fiber-like substance 21 Pressing plate 23 Support plate 25 Inclined surface 27 Gas inlet 29 Gas outlet 31 Gas inlet pipe 33 Gas discharge pipe 35 Upper plug 37 Upper middle plug 39 Middle plug body 41 Connecting member 43 Lower plug 45 Lower middle plug 47 Vertical movement mechanism 49 Actuating rod 51 Blade 53 Side wall plate 53a Inclined surface part 60 Hydrogen removal adsorber 61 Gas inlet 63 Adsorbing layer 65 Adsorbent presser 67 Gas outlet 69 Adsorbent filling port 71 Adsorbent discharge port 73 Flange

Claims

1. A hydrogen removal device for removing the hydrogen from helium gas containing at least hydrogen as an impurity, comprising: a main body portion formed of a cylindrical body, having a gas introduction passage at an upper portion of the cylindrical body for introducing gas, an adsorbent filling region below the gas introduction passage filled with an adsorbent, and a gas discharge passage below the adsorbent filling region serving as a flow path for discharged gas; an upper perforated plate provided between the gas introduction passage and the adsorbent filling region and having gas passing holes formed therein; a lower perforated plate provided between the gas discharge passage and the adsorbent filling region and having gas passing holes formed therein; a cylindrical adsorbent filling tube inserted from an upper end of the main body portion through the gas introduction passage and communicating with an upper portion of the adsorbent filling region; a cylindrical adsorbent discharge tube inserted from a lower end of the main body portion through the gas discharge passage and communicating with a lower portion of the adsorbent filling region; a gas inlet provided at an upper portion of the main body portion and communicating with the gas introduction passage; a gas outlet provided at a lower portion of the main body portion and communicating with the gas discharge passage; an upper plug for opening and closing a filling port of the adsorbent filling tube; a lower plug for opening and closing a discharge port of the adsorbent discharge tube; a lower middle plug for opening and closing communication between an upper end of the adsorbent discharge tube and the adsorbent filling region; and a fibrous material provided between the upper perforated plate and the gas introduction passage and between the lower perforated plate and the gas discharge passage for preventing air mixed in the adsorbent filling region from entering the gas introduction passage and the gas discharge passage. The hydrogen removal device is characterized by the above structure.

2. The hydrogen removal device according to claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the adsorbent filling region is an inclined surface inclined downward toward an upper end of the adsorbent discharge tube, and an inclination angle of the inclined surface is larger than an angle of repose of the adsorbent to be filled.

3. The lower middle plug is configured to open and close the communication by moving up and down, and the hydrogen removal device according to claim 1 or 2 is characterized by providing a vertical movement mechanism for vertically moving the lower middle plug.

Images