Vaporizer

Abstract

To provide a vaporizer that can efficiently vaporize liquid in a tank without making the tank larger.SOLUTION: A vaporizer 1 comprises: a tank 10 which has a sidewall 13 and a bottom part, and stores liquid 2; and a warm water tank 30 which heats the liquid 2 through at least the sidewall 13 of the tank 10. A difference of temperatures between the vicinity of the sidewall 13 of the liquid 2 stored in the tank 10 and the vicinity of the center away from the sidewall 13 generates a tumble flow. An inflow port 11 which allows the liquid 2 to flow into the tank 10 and a lid member 20 which guides a flow of the liquid 2 flown from the inflow port 11 toward the sidewall 13 of the tank 10 are provided at a bottom part of the tank 10. The flow of the liquid 2 which is guided by the lid member 20 toward the sidewall 13 goes up along the sidewall 13 to accelerate the tumble flow.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vaporizer, and more particularly to a vaporizer that heats and vaporizes a liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2021-89198 discloses a vaporizer for vaporizing a liquid. The vaporizer includes a tank for storing the liquid and a heater that covers the outside of the tank. The liquid in the tank is vaporized by heating with the heater and then discharged outside the tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-89198 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the vaporizer of the above publication, the tank is heated from the periphery, so heat is not easily transferred to the center. This can result in a longer time for the liquid to vaporize. One way to facilitate heat transfer to the center is to narrow the width of the tank. Furthermore, to store more liquid in the tank and increase the heating area, the tank must be made longer vertically.

[0005] However, forming a long and narrow tank not only increases the overall height of the tank, taking up space, but also increases the weight of the tank, potentially making it difficult to handle. Therefore, there is a need for a vaporizer that can efficiently vaporize the liquid inside the tank without increasing the size of the tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the vaporizer includes a tank having a sidewall and a bottom for storing liquid, and a heating means for heating the liquid through at least the sidewall of the tank. A tumble flow is generated by the temperature difference between the liquid stored in the tank near the sidewall and the liquid near the center away from the sidewall. An inlet is provided at the bottom of the tank to allow the liquid to flow into the tank, and a guide member is provided to guide the flow of liquid flowing from the inlet toward the sidewall of the tank. The flow of liquid guided by the guide member toward the sidewall rises along the sidewall, promoting the tumble flow. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an evaporation device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vaporizer of FIG. 1 taken along line III-III. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a vaporizer according to another embodiment. [Figure 5] 5 is a perspective view of a cover member that can be used in the vaporizer of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a vaporizer according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cover member that can be used in the vaporizer of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] <Vaporizer> Various embodiments will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. As shown in Figure 1, vaporizer 1 heats and vaporizes liquid 2 (for example, liquid ammonia). Vaporizer 1 has tank 10 for storing liquid 2. Around tank 10, as heating means, there are provided hot water tank 30 for holding water heated by heater 40, and fins 50 for efficiently transferring heat of the hot water in hot water tank 30 to tank 10. The heat transferred from hot water tank 30 to tank 10 heats liquid 2, facilitating vaporization. Gas 3 generated by vaporization of liquid 2 is sent, for example, from exhaust port 12 at the top of tank 10 through outlet pipe 70 to an external device that uses gas 3.

[0009] The tank 10 has a cylindrical shape that extends linearly in the height direction, and is usually cylindrical. The tank 10 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. A circular inlet 11 is provided in the center of the bottom of the tank 10. An inlet pipe 60 is connected to the inlet 11, and liquid 2 is supplied to the tank 10 from outside through the inlet pipe 60.

[0010] <Cover parts> As shown in Figure 1, a lid member 20 is provided inside the tank 10 to cover the inlet 11. The lid member 20 has a cylindrical shape with a top. As shown in Figure 2, a top surface 21 of the lid member 20 protrudes from a side surface 23 in a flange-like shape. A plurality of cylindrical outlet holes 24 that open in the radial direction are formed in the side surface 23 of the lid member 20. The outlet holes 24 are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction.

[0011] The liquid 2 that flows in from below through the inlet 11 collides with the top surface 21 of the lid member 20, whereby its upward flow is restricted, and it flows radially outward through each outlet hole 24. The liquid 2 that flows out from each outlet hole 24 flows toward the side wall 13 of the tank 10 along the underside of the top surface 21. Therefore, the lid member 20 functions as a guide member, guiding the liquid 2 that flows into the tank 10 toward the side wall 13 to be heated. The liquid 2 that has been guided to the side wall 13 flows upward along the side wall 13, as shown in FIG. 1 .

[0012] A vertical circulating flow (tumble flow) occurs in the stored liquid 2 due to heating of the tank 10. Specifically, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1, due to the temperature difference between the outer periphery and center of the tank 10 caused by the tank 10 being heated from the periphery by the hot water tank 30 and the rise of bubbles generated by vaporization of the liquid 2 near the side wall 13, the liquid 2 near the side wall 13 rises and the liquid 2 near the center, which has moved away from the side wall 13, flows downward.

[0013] The liquid 2 that flows into the tank 10 is guided by the lid member 20 toward the side wall 13 and rises along the side wall 13, promoting a tumble flow within the tank 10. This causes the liquid 2 to be more agitated, making it easier for the entire liquid 2 to be heated. Therefore, the liquid 2 can be efficiently vaporized without increasing the size of the tank 10.

[0014] 1 and 2, the top surface 21 of the lid member 20 is curved to form a recess 22 that is recessed upward in a generally V-shape. The recess 22 receives the liquid 2 that has descended near the center of the tank 10 along with the tumble flow. Furthermore, the recess 22 guides the flow of the received liquid 2 toward the side wall 13 while reversing the flow upward along the recess. As a result, the liquid 2 guided to the recess 22 follows the flow of the liquid 2 rising near the side wall 13, thereby allowing the liquid 2 to be further agitated.

[0015] 1, the side surface 23 of the cover member 20 is positioned closer to the inlet 11 in the radial direction than the side wall 13. This makes it easier for the liquid 2 that flows in from the inlet 11 to flow out from the outlet hole 24 without remaining inside the cover member 20.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 3, each outlet hole 24 extends from the inside to the outside in the radial direction, inclined at a predetermined angle in the same circumferential direction (for example, clockwise in Fig. 3). As a result, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3, the liquid 2 passing through each outlet hole 24 flows out so as to hit the side wall 13 at an oblique angle. This creates a lateral flow (swirl flow) in which the liquid 2 rotates in the circumferential direction around the tank 10. The swirl flow further agitates the liquid 2 in the tank 10. This makes it easier for the entire liquid 2 to be heated, further promoting the evaporation of the liquid 2.

[0017] 4 and 5, the cover member 120 may have a vertical wall 125 extending upward from the periphery of the horizontally extending top surface 121, forming a recess 122 having a generally U-shaped cross section. The recess may have any shape, such as a generally V-shaped cross section, a generally U-shaped cross section, or a generally W-shaped cross section (a ring-shaped V-groove recessed upward) (vaporizer 101).

[0018] 6 and 7, the top surface 221 of the lid member 220 may not protrude like a flange, and the side surface 223 may be formed to be wide in the radial direction so as to be positioned close to the side wall 13 of the tank 10. The outflow hole 224 does not have to be formed in a passage shape, and may be a circular hole opened in the thin, upright wall-like side surface 223 (evaporator 201).

[0019] As described above, with the simple configuration of covering the inlet 11 of the tank 10 with the lid member 20, the liquid 2 flowing in from the inlet 11 can be guided toward the side wall 13. This causes the liquid 2 to rise along the side wall 13, promoting a tumble flow within the tank 10 and making it easier to vaporize the liquid 2.

[0020] In order to disperse the inflowing liquid 2 toward the side wall 13, it is conceivable to configure the inlet pipe 60 so that it branches and connects to the tank 10. However, when a high-pressure liquefied gas such as liquefied ammonia is used as the liquid 2, it is difficult to comply with legal regulations by increasing the number of pipes and making the configuration more complicated as described above. In this embodiment, by using the lid member 20 having the outflow holes 24 as described above, the liquid 2 can be dispersed without increasing the number of pipes.

[0021] <Heating means> As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water tank 30 is a container slightly larger than the tank 10. The hot water tank 30 is filled with hot water for heating up to near the top. The hot water tank 30 and the tank 10 are assembled so that the tank 10 is positioned from the top to the center of the hot water tank 30 in the height direction. The upper end of the tank 10 may extend upward from the top surface of the hot water tank 30. It is desirable to adjust the inflow amount of the liquid 2 so that the liquid level of the liquid 2 in the tank 10 is lower than the water level in the hot water tank 30. This causes the liquid 2 on the side wall 13 side to be heated across the entire height direction, making it easier for a tumble flow to occur.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, a heater 40 is provided below the tank 10 in the hot water bath 30. The heater 40 is arranged so as to straddle the inlet pipe 60. This allows the heater 40 to heat the water in the hot water bath 30 as well as the liquid 2 passing through the inlet pipe 60. The fins 50 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 13 of the tank 10. This makes it easier to heat the liquid 2 near the side wall 13.

[0023] <Advantages> In summary, the vaporizer 1 includes a tank 10 having a sidewall 13 and a bottom for storing liquid 2, and a hot water tank 30 for heating the liquid 2 through at least the sidewall 13 of the tank 10. A tumble flow is generated due to the temperature difference between the liquid 2 stored in the tank 10 near the sidewall 13 and the central area away from the sidewall 13. The bottom of the tank 10 is provided with an inlet 11 for allowing the liquid 2 to flow into the tank 10, and a guide member for guiding the flow of the liquid 2 flowing from the inlet 11 toward the sidewall 13 of the tank 10. The flow of the liquid 2 guided by the guide member toward the sidewall 13 rises along the sidewall 13, promoting the tumble flow. This configuration further agitates the liquid 2, making it easier for the entire liquid 2 to be heated. This allows the liquid 2 to be efficiently vaporized without increasing the size of the tank 10.

[0024] The tank 10 has a cylindrical shape that extends linearly in the height direction. The guide member is a cylindrical lid member 20 with a top that is placed over an inlet 11 formed in the bottom of the tank 10. The lid member 20 has at least one outlet hole 24 formed in a side surface 23 thereof, and the liquid 2 flows out from the outlet hole 24 toward the side wall 13 of the tank 10. Therefore, with the simple configuration of placing the lid member 20 over the inlet 11 of the tank 10, the liquid 2 that flows in from the inlet 11 can be guided to flow toward the side wall 13.

[0025] Furthermore, a recess 22 is provided on the upper surface of the top plate surface 21 of the lid member 20. As a result, the liquid 2 that has descended due to the tumble flow is received in the recess 22. The received liquid 2 flows along the recess 22, and is turned over upward as it flows toward the side wall 13. This makes it possible to promote agitation of the liquid 2 without inhibiting the flow of the liquid 2 ascending along the side wall 13.

[0026] Furthermore, the top surface 21 of the lid member 20 projects radially outward beyond the side surface 23 of the lid member 20 in a flange-like shape. The liquid 2 flowing out from the outflow holes 24 is guided toward the side wall 13 of the tank 10 along the underside of the projecting portion of the top surface 21. With this configuration, even if the side surface 23 of the lid member 20 is brought closer to the inlet 11 so that the liquid 2 flowing into the tank 10 can easily flow out of the outflow holes 24 with force, the liquid 2 flowing out from the outflow holes 24 can be properly guided to the side wall 13 of the tank 10 by the top surface 21.

[0027] Furthermore, the outflow holes 24 are configured as passages that penetrate the side surface 23 of the lid member 20, which has a thickness in the radial direction, and extend at an angle in the circumferential direction from the inside to the outside in the radial direction of the lid member 20. With this configuration, the liquid 2 that passes through the outflow holes 24 flows out so as to hit the side wall 13 at an oblique angle. This creates a swirl flow in which the liquid 2 rotates in the circumferential direction of the tank 10. This allows the liquid 2 to be further agitated, promoting evaporation.

[0028] Furthermore, a plurality of passages are provided along the circumferential direction, and all of them extend with the same inclination when viewed in the circumferential direction. With this configuration, it is possible to more easily generate a swirl flow.

[0029] The tank 10 is cylindrical. The lid member 20 is cylindrical with a top and is disposed at the center of the bottom of the tank 10. A plurality of outlet holes 24 are provided on the side surface 23 of the lid member 20. All of the plurality of outlet holes 24 have the same shape and are disposed evenly in the circumferential direction. With this configuration, the liquid 2 flows out of each outlet hole 24 in an even direction and at an even flow rate in the circumferential direction onto the side wall 13 of the tank 10. This makes it difficult for the liquid 2 to become uneven in the circumferential direction, and the liquid 2 that flows in can appropriately promote tumble flow.

[0030] <Other embodiments> In another embodiment, the vaporizer may vaporize any other liquid in addition to ammonia.

[0031] In another embodiment, the tank may be a rectangular tube instead of a cylindrical tube, or may be any other shape, such as a sphere, as long as it has a hollow structure capable of storing liquid therein.

[0032] In another embodiment, the tank may be tilted rather than vertically oriented.

[0033] In another embodiment, the guide member may be, in addition to the cover member, one or more hose-like members extending from the inlet toward the side wall.

[0034] In another embodiment, the outlet holes of the lid member may be provided only on a portion of the side surface. The outlet holes may be any shape, such as circular or angular. The outlet holes do not all need to be the same shape or size, and may have different shapes and sizes depending on the location.

[0035] In another embodiment, the outflow hole does not have to be a hole formed in the side of the vertical wall, but may be, for example, a gap formed between multiple pillars extending downward from the top surface so as to lift the top surface above the inlet.

[0036] In another embodiment, the passage-shaped outlet hole may be configured in a nozzle shape such that the hole diameter is narrower on the outer side than on the inner side in the radial direction of the cover member. This allows the liquid passing through the outlet hole to flow out of the outlet hole with force. In another embodiment, the passage-shaped outlet hole may be configured such that the hole diameter is narrower on the inner side than on the outer side in the radial direction of the cover member.

[0037] In another embodiment, the passage-shaped outlet hole may be configured to extend straight along the radial direction of the cover member. In another embodiment, the passage-shaped outlet hole may be configured to be inclined upward at a predetermined angle in the height direction with respect to the side wall. This makes it easier for liquid guided by the side wall to flow upward.

[0038] Although various embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and various other modifications, substitutions, improvements, and the like are possible for those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1. Vaporizer 2 liquid 3. Gas 10 Tank 11 Inlet 12 exhaust port 13 Side wall 20 Cover member 21 Top surface 22 recess 23 Side 24 Outflow hole 30 Hot water tank 40 Heater 50 Fins 60 Inlet pipe 70 Outlet pipe 101 Vaporizer 120 Lid member 121 Top surface 122 recess 125 Standing Wall 201 Vaporizer 220 Cover member 221 Top surface 223 Side 224 Outflow hole

Claims

1. A vaporizer for vaporizing a liquid, comprising: a tank having a side wall and a bottom for storing the liquid; and a heating means for heating the liquid through at least the side wall of the tank, wherein a tumble flow is generated by a temperature difference between the vicinity of the side wall of the liquid stored in the tank and the vicinity of a center away from the side wall, an inlet for allowing the liquid to flow into the tank and a guide member for guiding the flow of the liquid flowing in from the inlet toward the side wall of the tank, The vaporizer is configured so that the flow of the liquid guided by the guide member toward the side wall rises along the side wall, promoting the tumble flow.

2. 2. The vaporizer of claim 1, The tank has a cylindrical shape extending linearly in the height direction, The guide member is a cylindrical lid member with a top that is placed over the inlet formed in the bottom of the tank, The lid member has at least one outlet hole formed in a side surface thereof, and the liquid flows out from the outlet hole toward the side wall of the tank.

3. 3. The vaporizer according to claim 2, The vaporizer has a recess formed on the top surface of the top plate of the lid member.

4. 3. The vaporizer according to claim 2, a top surface of the lid member projects radially outward in a flange shape beyond the side surface of the lid member, An evaporation device in which the liquid flowing out from the outlet hole is guided along the underside of the protruding portion of the top plate surface toward the side wall of the tank.

5. The vaporizer according to claim 2 or 3, An evaporation device in which the outflow hole is configured as a passage that penetrates the side of the cover member, which has a radial thickness, and extends at an inclination in the circumferential direction from the radial inside to the outside of the cover member.

6. 6. The vaporizer according to claim 5, A vaporizer in which a plurality of the passages are provided along the circumferential direction, and all of the passages extend inclined in the same direction when viewed in the circumferential direction.

7. The vaporizer according to claim 2 or 3, The tank is cylindrical, the cover member is cylindrical and is disposed at the center of the bottom of the tank; a plurality of the outlet holes are provided in the side wall of the lid member, A vaporizer in which the plurality of outlet holes all have the same shape and are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction.

8. An evaporation device as described in claim 1, wherein the liquid is ammonia.

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