Integrated Ammonia Vaporization Apparatus

The integrated ammonia vaporization device addresses the loss of micro-vaporized ammonia by integrating a periodizer and blowdown vaporizer, achieving efficient vaporization and reducing costs and energy consumption.

KR102991649B1Active Publication Date: 2026-07-15HANTECH CO LTD

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
KR · KR
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
HANTECH CO LTD
Filing Date
2025-09-23
Publication Date
2026-07-15

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional ammonia vaporization devices result in the loss of micro-vaporized ammonia components and require additional installation space and costs due to separate treatment facilities for accumulated condensed water and micro-vaporized ammonia.

Method used

An integrated ammonia vaporization device that combines a periodizer and a blowdown vaporizer with a connecting pipe and frame, utilizing heat exchange with seawater and steam to vaporize accumulated moisture and micro-vaporized ammonia within a single unit, eliminating the need for external treatment facilities.

Benefits of technology

The device minimizes ammonia loss, reduces installation costs and space, and improves operational efficiency by integrating the vaporization process, while also reducing energy consumption through natural flow without pumps.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention relates to an ammonia vaporization device that produces ammonia gas by vaporizing liquid ammonia, and more specifically, to an integrated ammonia vaporization device capable of effectively vaporizing condensed moisture and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated during the ammonia vaporization process within an integrated structure without separate external treatment. The integrated ammonia vaporization device of the present invention comprises: a periodizer (110) into which ammonia water is introduced and which selectively vaporizes ammonia through heat exchange with seawater; a blowdown vaporizer (120) which completely vaporizes accumulated condensed water and microvaporized ammonia introduced from the periodizer (110) through heat exchange with steam; a connecting pipe (130) having both ends connected to the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120) to transfer the accumulated condensed water and microvaporized ammonia accumulated in the periodizer to the blowdown vaporizer; and a connecting frame (140) which combines the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120) into a single unit.
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Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ammonia vaporization device that produces ammonia gas by vaporizing liquid ammonia, and more specifically, to an integrated ammonia vaporization device capable of effectively vaporizing condensed moisture and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated during the ammonia vaporization process within an integrated structure without separate external treatment. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, ammonia is widely used as a combustion gas in boilers and as a raw material gas in chemical processes; for this purpose, an ammonia vaporization device is required to vaporize liquid ammonia and supply it in a gaseous state.

[0003] Typically, an ammonia vaporizer is supplied with an ammonia solution mixed with liquid ammonia (99.5%) and water (0.5%); during operation, the ammonia vaporizes first and is discharged, while the water gradually accumulates inside the vaporizer.

[0004] However, conventionally, accumulated condensed water and some ammonia are discharged externally and then treated through a separate vaporizer; this process results in the loss of microvaporized ammonia components, which not only reduces economic efficiency but also presents the problem of requiring additional installation space and costs due to the installation of separate treatment facilities. Prior art literature

[0005] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2845753 The problem to be solved

[0006] The present invention was devised to solve the aforementioned problems and aims to provide an integrated ammonia vaporization device capable of completely vaporizing moisture and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated during the ammonia vaporization process within a single integrated device without separate external treatment.

[0007] The problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the integrated ammonia vaporization device of the present invention comprises: a periodizer into which ammonia water is introduced and which selectively vaporizes ammonia through heat exchange with seawater; a blowdown vaporizer that completely vaporizes accumulated condensed water and microvaporized ammonia introduced from the periodizer through heat exchange with steam; a connecting pipe having both ends connected to the periodizer and the blowdown vaporizer to transfer accumulated condensed water and microvaporized ammonia from the periodizer to the blowdown vaporizer, and a connecting frame that combines the periodizer and the blowdown vaporizer into a single unit.

[0009] In addition, the above-mentioned cycler may be equipped with a storage tank, a supply unit for introducing ammonia water into the storage tank, a plurality of heat transfer tubes disposed inside the storage tank through which seawater circulates, an outlet unit for discharging vaporized ammonia, a liquid outlet unit for discharging moisture and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated inside the storage tank, and a seawater discharge unit for discharging seawater that has finished circulating inside the storage tank.

[0010] In addition, the blowdown vaporizer may be equipped with a heating tank, an inlet for introducing condensed moisture and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated in the heating tank, a steam pipe installed inside the heating tank, and a vaporized gas discharge part for discharging completely vaporized gas from the heating tank.

[0011] Meanwhile, the above connecting pipe may be formed to slope downward toward the blowdown vaporizer so that natural flow is possible without a pump. Effects of the invention

[0012] The present invention, configured as described above, is designed to completely vaporize moisture and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated in the periodizer in the blowdown vaporizer, thereby eliminating the need for separate external treatment facilities or disposal processes and having the effect of minimizing the loss of ammonia components.

[0013] In addition, the present invention allows the periodizer and blowdown vaporizer to be configured as a single integrated structure through a connecting frame, thereby saving installation space and significantly reducing installation costs by eliminating the need for additional civil engineering work or separate structures. Furthermore, it improves work efficiency by enabling operation and maintenance tasks to be performed in one location and facilitates integrated management of the entire system.

[0014] In addition, if the connecting pipe is formed to slope downward toward the blowdown vaporizer, the present invention allows condensed water and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated in the vaporizer to be transferred to the blowdown vaporizer by natural flow without the need for a separate power device such as a pump, thereby having the effect of significantly reducing energy consumption.

[0015] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description in the claims. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0016] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the configuration of an integrated ammonia vaporization device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a key part showing another embodiment of the connecting pipe constituting the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0017] The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments based on the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and claims must be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.

[0019] Furthermore, the terms and words used in this specification and claims are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0020] For example, a singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, terms such as "include," "equip," or "have" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0021] Furthermore, when a part such as a layer, membrane, region, or plate is said to be "above" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly above" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part such as a layer, membrane, region, or plate is said to be "below" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly below" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between.

[0022] In addition, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., used in this specification may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms, and said terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing a single component from another component.

[0023] Hereinafter, in describing an embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for identical components, and for clarity, only the different parts are described primarily to avoid duplication as much as possible.

[0024] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ammonia integrated vaporization device (100) of the present invention includes a periodizer (110), a blowdown vaporizer (120), a connecting pipe (130) connecting the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120), and a connecting frame (140) that integrally combines the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120).

[0025] The above-mentioned ammonia water mixed with ammonia and water is introduced into the ammonia water and selectively vaporizes the ammonia through heat exchange with seawater. The ammonia water is supplied at a low temperature of about -33 degrees under atmospheric pressure, and the ammonia is preferentially vaporized as it is heated to about 0~2 degrees by heat exchange with seawater at about 15°C.

[0026] In this case, the above-mentioned periodizer (110) may be equipped with a storage tank (111), a seawater inlet (112) for introducing seawater into the storage tank (111), a supply unit (113) for introducing ammonia water mixed with liquid ammonia and water into the storage tank (111), a plurality of heat transfer tubes (114) arranged inside the storage tank (111) through which seawater circulates, an outlet (115) for discharging vaporized ammonia, a liquid outlet (116) for discharging water and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated inside the storage tank (111), and a seawater discharge unit (117) for discharging seawater that has finished circulating inside the storage tank (111).

[0027] The supply unit (113) is located at the top of the storage tank (111) and may be equipped with a dispersion nozzle (118) so that the ammonia water can be evenly dispersed. The dispersion nozzle (118) uniformly discharges liquid ammonia into the storage tank (111). Through this, the ammonia water is evenly distributed throughout the storage tank (111), and the heat exchange efficiency with the heat transfer tube (114) is maximized.

[0028] The above plurality of heat transfer tubes (114) are heat exchange members arranged horizontally or vertically inside the storage tank (111), and may be made of titanium considering the corrosiveness of seawater.

[0029] Seawater flowing into the storage tank (111) is introduced at approximately 15°C, then circulates inside the storage tank (111) through the heat transfer tube (114) and is heat-exchanged with ammonia water, and then is discharged through the seawater discharge section (117) at approximately 10°C.

[0030] Accordingly, the ammonia water introduced into the storage tank (111) through the supply unit (113) exchanges heat with seawater at approximately 15°C circulating through the heat transfer tube (114), thereby selectively vaporizing the ammonia. That is, due to the characteristics that the boiling point of ammonia is -33.3°C at atmospheric pressure and the boiling point of water is 100°C, the ammonia is preferentially vaporized and converted into a gaseous state even at low temperatures. The ammonia vaporized in this way is discharged through the discharge unit (115) and utilized as combustion gas for the boiler.

[0031] The above-mentioned outlet (115) is located at the upper center of the storage tank (111). In this case, a sensor for measuring the temperature and pressure of vaporized ammonia may be installed in the outlet (115) so as to monitor the vaporization state in real time.

[0032] Meanwhile, condensed water and some micro-vaporized ammonia accumulate in the lower part of the storage tank (111) and are discharged through the liquid outflow section (116).

[0033] The present invention is configured to supply the accumulated condensed water and some micro-vaporized ammonia discharged through the liquid outlet (116) to a blowdown vaporizer (120) to completely vaporize them without discarding them.

[0034] The blowdown vaporizer (120) completely vaporizes the accumulated condensed water and microvaporized ammonia discharged from the liquid outlet (116) by exchanging heat with high-temperature steam. Therefore, by recovering and utilizing the microvaporized ammonia, the loss of raw materials can be minimized.

[0035] In this case, the blowdown vaporizer (120) may be equipped with a heating tank (121), an inlet (122) for introducing condensed water and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated in the heating tank (110) into the heating tank (121), a steam pipe (not shown) installed inside the heating tank (121), and a vaporized gas discharge part (123) for discharging completely vaporized gas from the heating tank (121).

[0036] The above inlet section (122) is connected to the above connecting pipe (130) so that condensed water and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated from the periodizer (110) can be introduced into the above heating tank (121), and it is preferable that a flow control valve for controlling the amount of inflow be installed.

[0037] Meanwhile, a pump (150) may be installed in the above connecting pipe (130) so that accumulated condensed water and micro-vaporized ammonia from the liquid outflow section (116) are smoothly discharged and smoothly flow into the inflow section (122).

[0038] The above steam pipe may be arranged in a coil shape inside the heating tank (121). In this case, the material of the steam pipe may be made of carbon steel or stainless steel for durability against high temperatures, and an expanded surface may be applied to the outer surface to improve heat exchange efficiency.

[0039] Accordingly, the accumulated condensed water and micro-vaporized ammonia discharged from the liquid outlet (116) are introduced into the heating tank (121) through the inlet (122), and are heated to about 85 degrees while exchanging heat with the steam circulating in the steam pipe, and are converted into a completely vaporized mixed gas state.

[0040] That is, the accumulated condensed water and microvaporized ammonia are preheated by the heat of the steam pipe at the bottom of the heating tank (121), causing the temperature to rise. At this time, ammonia, which has a relatively low boiling point, begins to vaporize first, and as the heating continues, the water also vaporizes along with it. Finally, a high-temperature gas mixed with ammonia and water vapor is generated at the top of the heating tank (121).

[0041] Then, the completely vaporized gas is discharged through the vaporized gas discharge section (123) and combined with the ammonia gas discharged from the periodizer (110), and then used as combustion gas for the boiler.

[0042] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 3, the connecting pipe (130) can be formed to slope downward toward the blowdown vaporizer (120) so that natural flow is possible without a separate power device such as a pump (150).

[0043] In addition, it is desirable to install a flow meter for measuring the flow rate and a pressure gauge for monitoring the pressure in the connecting pipe (130) so that the natural flow state can be monitored in real time.

[0044] The driving force of the natural flow is generated by potential energy due to the height difference between the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120), and by the pressure difference between the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120). In this case, the liquid outlet (116) of the periodizer (110) is installed higher than the inlet (122) of the blowdown vaporizer (120) to secure sufficient potential energy.

[0045] This allows for saving energy consumption as well as improving the reliability of the equipment. In particular, if the pump (150) is excluded, the risk of mechanical failure is reduced, maintenance costs are saved, and noise generation is minimized.

[0046] Meanwhile, the present invention may be configured to completely vaporize the condensed water and micro-vaporized ammonia discharged from the periodizer (110) in the blowdown vaporizer (120).

[0047] In this case, the operation of the blowdown vaporizer (120) is possible without a separate pump device. That is, by using a control valve to regulate the flow rate of ammonia flowing in from the periodizer (110) and controlling the steam flow rate on the tube side of the blowdown vaporizer (120), it is possible to respond to changes in the heat load of the heat exchanger. Accordingly, operational stability is ensured, and the device structure can be simplified and energy efficiency improved.

[0048] In addition, if the size of the blowdown vaporizer (120) is too large to be installed as a single unit, a manifold can be installed to connect multiple blowdown vaporizers (120) in parallel, thereby performing the same function. With this configuration, limitations on installation space can be overcome, and the vaporization capacity can be expanded stepwise as needed, thereby improving operational flexibility and ease of maintenance.

[0049] In this way, the present invention allows for the easy configuration of an integrated control system that automatically controls the entire process, as the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120) are integrally formed through a connecting pipe (130).

[0050] In this case, the integrated control system may be configured based on a PLC and is designed to maintain optimal operating conditions based on data collected from various sensors.

[0051] The control target variables include the internal temperature, pressure, liquid level, and seawater flow rate of the periodizer (110), the internal temperature, pressure, and steam flow rate of the blowdown vaporizer (120), and the flow rate of the connecting pipe (130). Each variable is monitored in real time and is automatically corrected if it deviates from the set value.

[0052] In addition, considering the toxicity and flammability of ammonia, it is desirable that the integrated control system be equipped with a safety function that automatically stops the process, shuts off relevant valves, and generates an alarm in the event of an emergency.

[0053] The above connecting frame (140) is a structure that combines the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120) into a single unit, and it is preferable that it be made of a metal material with excellent strength.

[0054] It is preferable that the above connecting frame (140) be configured in two stages, upper and lower, for stable connection of the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120).

[0055] As such, the integrated ammonia vaporizer of the present invention can save installation space because the periodizer (110) and the blowdown vaporizer (120) are formed into a single integrated structure through a connecting frame (140). Additionally, since no additional civil engineering work or separate structures are required, installation costs can be significantly reduced, and operation and maintenance work can be performed in one place, thereby improving work efficiency and facilitating integrated management of the entire system.

[0056] In addition, since the condensed moisture and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated in the periodizer (110) can be completely vaporized within the integrated blowdown vaporizer (120) without separate external treatment, the loss of ammonia components can be prevented, economic efficiency can be improved, and the ammonia recovery rate can be improved. Furthermore, by utilizing the slope of the connecting pipe (130), energy consumption can be minimized through a natural flow method without a separate driving device such as a pump (150).

[0057] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above with reference to the drawings, various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the following claims, and such changes should also be included within the scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0058] 100: Integrated ammonia vaporizer 110: Periodizer 111: Storage tank 112: Seawater Inflow Section 113: Supply unit 114: Heat transfer tube 115: Derivation part 116: Liquid outflow section 117: Seawater discharge section 120: Blowdown carburetor 121: Heating tank 122: Inlet 123: Vaporized gas discharge section 130: Connecting pipe 140: Connection Frame 150: Pump

Claims

Claim 1 An integrated ammonia vaporization device comprising: a periodizer into which ammonia water is introduced and which selectively vaporizes ammonia through heat exchange with seawater; a blowdown vaporizer that completely vaporizes accumulated condensed water and microvaporized ammonia introduced from the periodizer through heat exchange with steam; a connecting pipe having both ends connected to the periodizer and the blowdown vaporizer to transfer accumulated condensed water and microvaporized ammonia from the periodizer to the blowdown vaporizer; and a connecting frame that combines the periodizer and the blowdown vaporizer into a single unit, wherein the liquid outlet of the periodizer is installed at a position higher than the inlet of the blowdown vaporizer, and the connecting pipe is formed to be inclined downward toward the blowdown vaporizer so that natural flow is possible without a pump due to potential energy and pressure difference caused by the height difference between the periodizer and the blowdown vaporizer. Claim 2 In claim 1, the integrated ammonia vaporization device comprises: a storage tank; a supply unit for introducing ammonia water into the storage tank; a plurality of heat transfer tubes disposed inside the storage tank through which seawater circulates; an outlet unit for discharging vaporized ammonia; a liquid outlet unit for discharging moisture accumulated inside the storage tank and micro-vaporized ammonia; and a seawater discharge unit for discharging seawater that has finished circulating inside the storage tank. Claim 3 In claim 1, the blowdown vaporizer comprises: a heating tank; an inlet for introducing condensed moisture and micro-vaporized ammonia accumulated in the vaporizer into the heating tank; a steam pipe installed inside the heating tank; and a vaporized gas discharge part for discharging completely vaporized gas from the heating tank, forming an integrated ammonia vaporization device. Claim 4 delete