Cellular wheel sluice and plant with a cellular wheel sluice

Abstract

The invention relates to a cellular wheel sluice (10; 10a; 10b), comprising a housing (12; 12a), in which a cellular wheel (20; 20a; 20b) is rotatably arranged on an axis (22; 22a), wherein the housing (12; 12a) has at least one inlet region (14) for a product (1) and an outlet region (16) for the product (1), wherein, by means of cell chambers (28) formed between cell webs (26; 26a) of the cellular wheel (20; 20a; 20b) and a first inner wall portion (30; 30a) of the housing (12; 12a), the product (1) is conveyable from the inlet region (14) into the outlet region (16) upon rotation of the cellular wheel (20; 20a; 20b) about the axis (22; 22a), and comprising a second inner wall portion (44) of the housing (12; 12a), which second inner wall portion is arranged opposite the first inner wall portion (30; 30a) in the housing (12; 12a) and extends from the outlet region (16) in the direction of the inlet region (14).

Description

[0001] R. 413558

[0002] - 1 -

[0003] Description

[0004] Rotary valve and system with a rotary valve

[0005] Technical field

[0006] The invention relates to a rotary valve in which, depending on the pressure conditions between an inlet area and an outlet area for a product, the intake or exhaust of air or gas via the rotary valve can be reduced. In particular, the rotary valve according to the invention is suitable as a component of a system designed as a DAC (direct air capture) system to enable the treatment of an adsorbent material in a vacuum chamber.

[0007] State of the art

[0008] Rotary valves with the features of the preamble of claim 1 are known from the prior art for various applications (source: https: / / de.wikipedia.org / wiki / Zellenradschleuse). Such rotary valves are characterized by a rotary valve rotatably mounted on an axis, forming cell chambers in the area between its cell webs. When the rotary valve rotates, a product can be conveyed from an inlet area of ​​a housing in which the rotary valve is arranged to an outlet area via these cell chambers. A disadvantage of this design is that, after the product has been discharged into the outlet area, air or gas enters the cell chambers during rotation of the rotary valve. This air or gas is then drawn into the inlet area during a further (reverse) rotation of the rotary valve. This increases, for example, the energy required to maintain a vacuum.a required negative pressure for treating the product in a treatment room. R. 413558.

[0009] - 2 -

[0010] Disclosure of the invention

[0011] The rotary valve according to the invention, with the features of claim 1, has the advantage that, depending on the pressure ratio between the inlet area and the outlet area of ​​the rotary valve, it minimizes the input or output of gas into the respective other area. This reduces the energy required to maintain, for example, a specific pressure in a product treatment chamber.

[0012] The invention is based on the idea of ​​arranging a displacement element in the area of ​​the cell chambers, which contain gas or air when the rotary valve rotates back from the outlet area towards the inlet area after the product has been discharged, and which displaces or minimizes the volume of gas or air contained in the cell chambers by immersing itself in them.

[0013] In light of the above explanations, a rotary valve according to the invention, comprising the features of claim 1, therefore has a housing in which a rotary valve is rotatably arranged on an axis. The housing has at least one inlet region for a product and one outlet region for the product, wherein the product can be conveyed between the inlet region and the outlet region by means of cell chambers formed between the cell webs of the rotary valve and a first inner wall section of the housing when the rotary valve rotates. Furthermore, a second inner wall section is provided on the housing, which extends from the outlet region towards the inlet region.According to the invention, it is essential that a displacement element is arranged on a displacement section immediately preceding the second inner wall section in the direction of rotation of the cell wheel, which is designed to at least partially displace gas located in the cell chambers, so that the cell chambers can be moved along the second inner wall section to the inlet area with at least a reduced amount of gas.

[0014] Advantageous embodiments of the rotary valve according to the invention are listed in the dependent claims. R. 413558

[0015] - 3 - In a first, structurally preferred embodiment of the displacer element, it is designed as a further cell wheel rotatably mounted parallel to the axis of the cell wheel, the cell webs of which immerse themselves in the cell chambers of the cell wheel during rotation. It is essential that the cell webs of the further cell wheel are adapted as precisely and oppositely as possible to the cell chambers formed between the cell webs of the cell wheel in order to enable the smallest possible dead volume between the cell webs of the two cell wheels. This dead volume should correspond to a maximum of 20% of the volume of the cell chambers of the cell wheel.

[0016] In a preferred further development of the last proposal, it is provided that the further cell wheel is surrounded, at least partially, at least with the exception of the displacement section, by a third inner wall section of the housing.

[0017] Alternatively, the additional rotor can be designed on the side facing away from the displacement section to convey product between the at least one inlet area and the at least one outlet area. In other words, this means that both rotors serve to convey product. This makes it possible, for example, to design the individual rotors to be relatively small or to rotate at a relatively low speed when conveying a specific target quantity of product.

[0018] In a fundamentally alternative embodiment of the displacement element, it can be designed as an endless displacement element, movable about several deflection axes, in the form of a flexible displacement belt or chain. This displacement belt or chain has projections or recesses on the side facing the rotor, which interact with the rotor's cell chambers.

[0019] A further optimization to prevent the escape of air or gas from a treatment chamber involves providing means for supplying purge air into the cell chambers of the rotary valve, particularly in the area of ​​the second inner wall section. R. 413558

[0020] - 4 - In a further development of the last proposal, it may also be provided that additional means for extracting the purge air or for gas exchange, in particular the extraction of purge air with oxygen and the injection of oxygen-free gas, such as nitrogen, argon, water vapor or hydrogen, are provided in the area of ​​the second inner wall section.

[0021] Furthermore, the invention also includes a system for treating products in an evacuable treatment chamber. The system comprises a rotary valve designed according to the invention, as described above, which conveys the products from a feed area into the treatment chamber.

[0022] In a further development of such a system, the treatment chamber may include an outlet area in which an additional rotary valve designed according to the invention is arranged. The system described so far is preferably designed as a CO2 separation device for separating CO2 from a gas stream, in particular as a DAC (direct air capture) system. Here, the treatment chamber is preferably designed as a treatment chamber of a desorption chamber of the CO2 separation device.

[0023] The invention further relates to a method for conveying a product, in particular an adsorbent material, in a CO2 separation device for separating CO2 from a gas stream, in particular into a treatment chamber of a desorption chamber of the CO2 separation device by means of a rotary valve according to the type described above.

[0024] Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the drawings.

[0025] Brief description of the drawings

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a highly simplified representation of a DAC system with a desorption unit, the treatment chamber of which has a cell airlock in both an infeed area and an outfeed area, R. 413558

[0027] - 5 -

[0028] Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of a rotary valve in a perspective view,

[0029] Fig. 3 shows a second rotary valve according to the invention, modified compared to Fig. 2, also in a perspective view.

[0030] Figs. 4 and 5 are each shown in perspective view, the rotary valve according to Fig. 3 with integrated purge air connections and

[0031] Fig. 6 shows a schematic representation of another modified rotary valve using a belt-like displacement element.

[0032] Embodiments of the invention

[0033] Identical elements or elements with the same function are provided with the same reference numbers in the figures.

[0034] Figure 1 shows a simplified representation of a system 100 for reducing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or air. Such a system 100 is also referred to as a DAC (direct air capture) system 100 and is known in the prior art. The system 100 comprises an adsorption unit 102 in the form of a silo-like container in which an adsorbent material 1 is arranged. Ambient air flows through this adsorbent material to store the carbon dioxide from the ambient air in the adsorbent material 1. For this purpose, the adsorption unit 102 is, for example, perforated in a direction perpendicular to the plane of Figure 1 with perforated tubes 103, through which ambient air can flow by means of ventilation units (not shown). The adsorbent material 1 moves by gravity from an upper region to a lower region of the adsorption unit 102.

[0035] To achieve a closed cycle of the adsorber material 1 or a reuse of adsorber material 1 saturated with carbon dioxide to R. 413558

[0036] - 6 - To enable this, the adsorber material 1 saturated with carbon dioxide is fed from the adsorption unit 102 into a pipeline 106 by means of a discharge element 104, from which it is conveyed by means of a pumping device 108 towards a desorption unit 110. There it typically arrives at atmospheric pressure.

[0037] Within a treatment chamber 111 of the desorption unit 110, the adsorber material 1, enriched or saturated with carbon dioxide, is processed under a vacuum atmosphere and an elevated temperature, in particular a temperature of more than 80° Celsius. The carbon dioxide is removed from the adsorber material 1 so that, for example, after further treatment steps, it can be disposed of in a known manner. The regenerated adsorber material 1 within the desorption unit 110 is then fed back to the adsorption unit 102 via another pipeline 112 (in which atmospheric pressure typically also prevails) and another pumping device 114.

[0038] To feed the adsorbent material 1 from the pipeline 106 into the desorption unit 110, a first rotary valve 10 is arranged in a feed section 116 of the desorption unit 110, and to introduce the (processed) adsorbent material 1 into the further pipeline 112, a second rotary valve 10 is arranged in a discharge section 118 of the desorption unit 110. The two rotary valves 10 are preferably identical.

[0039] Figure 2 shows a highly simplified representation of the rotary valve 10 in the feed section 116 of the desorption unit 110. The rotary valve 10 comprises a housing 12 with an inlet section 14 for feeding the adsorbent material 1 and an outlet section 16 for the adsorbent material 1. The inlet section 14 is connected to the pipeline 106, and the outlet section 16 to the treatment chamber 111 of the desorption unit 110. The adsorbent material 1 is conveyed from the inlet section 14 to the outlet section 16 in the direction of arrows 18. For this purpose, a rotary valve 20 is provided, which is rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis 22 and coupled to a drive (not shown) that rotates the rotary valve 20 counterclockwise in the direction of arrow 24, either continuously or intermittently, depending on the configuration of the desorption unit 110. R. 413558

[0040] - 7 -

[0041] The rotary valve 20 is designed in the manner of a gear and has cell webs 26, between which cell chambers 28 are formed in the circumferential direction. When the rotary valve 20 rotates counterclockwise, the cell webs 26 enter an overlap area with a first inner wall section 30 of the housing 12 in order to convey the adsorber material 1 towards the outlet area 16, forming at least substantially closed cell chambers 28.

[0042] A displacement element 35 is arranged to the side of the cell wheel 20, which is also rotatably mounted in an axis 36 arranged parallel to the axis 22 and is, for example, either coupled to the same drive as the cell wheel 20, or driven by the cell wheel 20.

[0043] The displacer element 35 is also designed in the form of a gear or rotary valve 38, wherein the rotary valve 38 has cell webs 40 whose shape is adapted to the shape of the cell webs 26 of the rotary valve 20 such that, when the cell webs 40 are inserted between the cell webs 26 of the rotary valve 20 in a displacer section 41, the cavities or cell chambers 28 of the rotary valve 20 are filled to more than 80% by the cell webs 40. This displaces any air or gas located in the cell chambers 28.

[0044] The displacement element 35, or rotary valve 38, is arranged within a semicircular recess 42 in the housing 12. Furthermore, during its return rotation from the outlet region 16 to the inlet region 14, the rotary valve 20, after engaging with the cell plates 40 of the rotary valve 38, is guided within a second inner wall section 44. Crucially, as the cell plates 40 of the rotary valve 38 roll away from the inlet and re-enter the inlet, the cell plates 26 of the rotary valve 20 immediately enter the area of ​​the second inner wall section 44 to prevent the (re-)entry of gas or air.

[0045] Figure 3 shows a modified rotary valve 10a, which differs from rotary valve 10 essentially in that, in addition to the rotary valve 20, a second, preferably identically designed, rotary valve 20a is provided as a displacement element 35a. The rotary valve 20a can also be supplied with the adsorber material 1 via an inlet area 14, R. 413558

[0046] - 8 - so that, according to arrows 46, two parallel conveying paths are formed for the adsorber material 1.

[0047] Furthermore, in Fig. 3, purge air connections 48, 50 are schematically shown in the area of ​​the first inner wall sections 30, 30a of the housing 12a. Purge air can be supplied to the cell chambers 28 of the rotors 20, 20a at one end face and discharged at the opposite end face via these connections, running in a direction parallel to the axes 22, 22a. Additionally, a third purge air connection 52 is provided in the area where the cell webs 26, 26a of the two rotors 20, 20a engage with each other. While rotor 20 is rotated counterclockwise, rotor 20a rotates clockwise. The cell webs 26, 26a mesh with each other in the displacer section 41a.

[0048] Figures 4 and 5 show, using the rotary valve 10a as an example, that purge air connections 54 can also be arranged on the housing 12a, so that the purge air can be supplied via perforated first inner wall sections 30, 30a in a direction perpendicular to the axes 22, 22a and discharged via an extraction connection 56.

[0049] Finally, Fig. 6 shows another rotary valve 10b, which has an endlessly rotating displacement belt 60 or a displacement chain as its displacement element 35b. The displacement belt 60 is guided around four deflection rollers 62 and has only partially visible recesses 64, which interact with the cell webs 26b of the rotary valve 20b. When the rotary valve 20b rotates counterclockwise, the displacement belt 60 is moved in the direction of arrows 66 to continuously displace gas or air from the area between the cell webs 26b of the rotary valve 20b.

[0050] The rotary valve 10, 10a and 10b described so far can be adapted or modified in a variety of ways without deviating from the inventive concept. Furthermore, it is mentioned that the system 100 can be configured not only as a DAC system 100, but can also be designed for other purposes, for example, for conveying particulate materials from the chemical or pharmaceutical industries or from R. 413558

[0051] - 9 -

[0052] Foodstuffs. The essential point is that a displacement element 35, 35a, 35b prevents the introduction or removal of air or gas into or from a treatment room.

Claims

R. 413558 - 10 - Claims 1. Rotary valve (10; 10a; 10b), comprising a housing (12; 12a) in which a rotary valve (20; 20a; 20b) is rotatably arranged on an axis (22; 22a), wherein the housing (12; 12a) has at least one inlet region (14) for a product (1) and one outlet region (16) for the product (1), wherein the product (1) can be conveyed from the inlet region (14) to the outlet region (16) by means of cell chambers (28) formed between cell webs (26; 26a) of the rotary valve (20; 20a; 20b) and a first inner wall section (30; 30a) of the housing (12; 12a) by means of a rotation of the rotary valve (20; 20a; 20b) about the axis (22; 22a), and with a second inner wall section (44) of the housing (12; 12a) arranged opposite the first inner wall section (30; 30a) in the housing (12; 12a), which extends from the outlet area (16) towards the inlet area (14), characterized in that on a in the direction of rotation of the cell wheel (20; 20a;20b) a displacement element (35; 35a; 35b) is arranged immediately preceding the second inner wall section (44) of the displacement section (41), which is designed to at least partially displace gas located in the cell chambers (28) of the rotary valve (20; 20a; 20b) from the cell chambers (28) of the rotary valve (20; 20a; 20b), so that the cell chambers (28) can be moved along the second inner wall section (44) to the inlet area (14) with at least a reduced amount of gas.

2. Rotary valve (10; 10a) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the displacer element (35; 35a) is designed as a further rotary valve (20a; 38) rotatably mounted parallel to the axis (22) of the rotary valve (20), the cell webs (26a; 40) of which dip into the cell chambers (28) of the rotary valve (20) when rotating. R. 413558 - 11 - 3. Rotary valve (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the further rotary valve (38) is surrounded at least partially, at least with the exception of the displacement section (41), by a recess (42) of the housing (12).

4. Rotary valve (10a) according to claim 2, characterized in that the further rotary valve (20a) and the housing (12a) are designed on the side facing away from the displacement section (41) for conveying the product (1).

5. Rotary valve (10b) according to claim 1, characterized in that the displacement element (35b) is designed as an endless displacement element (35b) in the form of a flexible displacement belt (60) or a displacement chain, which is movably arranged about several deflection elements (62) and has projections cooperating with the cell chambers (28) of the rotary valve (20b) or recesses (64) cooperating with the cell webs (26b).

6. Rotary valve (10; 10a; 10b) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that means (52, 54) are provided at least for supplying purge air into the cell chambers (28) of the rotary valve (20; 20a; 20b), in particular into the area of ​​the second inner wall section (30a).

7. Rotary valve (10; 10a; 10b) according to claim 6, characterized in that additional means (56) are provided for extracting the purge air or for gas exchange.

8. Plant (100) for treating products (1) in an evacuable treatment room (111) and a rotary valve (10; 10a; 10b) configured according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the R. 413558 - 12 - Rotary valve (10; 10a; 10b) for conveying the products (1) from a feed area (116) into the treatment room (111).

9. System (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that the treatment room (111) is connected to an exit area (118) in which an additional rotary valve (10; 10a; 10b) designed according to one of claims 1 to 7 is arranged.

10. Plant (100) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the plant (100) is designed as a CO2 separation device (100) for separating CO2 from a gas stream, in particular as a DAC (direct air capture) plant (100).

11. Plant (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that the treatment chamber (111) is a treatment chamber (111) of a desorption chamber (110) of the CO2 separation device (100).

12. Method for conveying a product (1), in particular an adsorbent material (1), in a CO2 separation device (10) for separating CO2 from a gas stream, in particular into a treatment chamber (111) of a desorption chamber (110) of the CO2 separation device (100) by means of a rotary valve (10; 10a; 10b) according to one of claims 1 to 7.

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