Hydrogen liquefaction device having filter structure
By using spiral heat exchange tubes and an auger spiral structure with opposite rotation in the hydrogen liquefaction equipment, catalyst particle exchange is promoted, the problem of insufficient catalyst contact is solved, and the catalytic efficiency and reaction effect are improved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SINOSCIENCE CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-11
AI Technical Summary
In existing hydrogen liquefaction equipment, the catalyst does not have sufficient contact with liquid hydrogen, which causes liquid hydrogen to easily adhere to the catalyst surface, resulting in catalyst passivation and low catalytic efficiency.
A hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure was designed, which uses a spiral heat exchange tube and two screws rotating in opposite directions. The synchronous rotation promotes the exchange of catalyst inside and outside the heat exchange tube, enhances the friction and collision between catalyst particles, and avoids liquid hydrogen adhesion.
It improves the activity and efficiency of the catalyst, prevents catalyst passivation, ensures that the reaction proceeds fully, and reduces the emission of unreacted materials.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025137993_11062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
A hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of hydrogen liquefaction equipment technology, and in particular to a hydrogen liquefaction equipment with a filtration structure. Background Technology
[0002] Normally, hydrogen is a mixture of orthohydrogen and secondary hydrogen, which are two spin isomers of molecular hydrogen, existing due to the two possible couplings of the nuclear spins of the two hydrogen atoms. In orthohydrogen, the two nuclei have parallel spins, while in secondary hydrogen, the two nuclei have antiparallel spins. The equilibrium percentage of orthohydrogen and secondary hydrogen is closely related to temperature. At room temperature, hydrogen gas is approximately a mixture of 75% orthohydrogen and 25% secondary hydrogen. However, as the temperature decreases, orthohydrogen gradually converts to secondary hydrogen. At the boiling point of liquid hydrogen, secondary hydrogen is dominant. Existing liquid hydrogen production equipment generally produces liquid hydrogen in a non-equilibrium state, with orthohydrogen spontaneously converting to secondary hydrogen. This process is exothermic. Since the heat released during the conversion of orthohydrogen to secondary hydrogen exceeds the latent heat of vaporization of liquid hydrogen, liquid hydrogen evaporation will occur regardless of the insulation performance of the liquid hydrogen storage tank. Therefore, it is necessary to complete the conversion of orthohydrogen to secondary hydrogen simultaneously with the production of liquid hydrogen.
[0003] Existing hydrogen liquefaction equipment for the conversion of orthohydrogen to secondary hydrogen typically involves adding a catalyst (such as ferric oxide) inside the reaction vessel. The catalyst rapidly converts orthohydrogen to secondary hydrogen. For example, Chinese invention patent CN112484394B discloses a hydrogen liquefaction cold box with orthohydrogen-secondary hydrogen conversion, which uses the above technology to rapidly convert orthohydrogen to secondary hydrogen under the action of a catalyst. However, this approach still has the following problems: insufficient contact between the catalyst and liquid hydrogen, and liquid hydrogen easily adhering to the catalyst surface, causing catalyst passivation and significantly reducing catalytic efficiency. Summary of the Invention
[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure to address the problems existing in current hydrogen liquefaction cold boxes, in order to solve the problems of insufficient contact between the catalyst and liquid hydrogen, easy adhesion of liquid hydrogen to the catalyst surface, resulting in catalyst passivation and low catalytic efficiency.
[0005] The above objectives are achieved through the following technical solutions:
[0006] A hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure includes:
[0007] Cold containers, placed horizontally;
[0008] The heat exchange tube is spirally coiled and extends from front to back along the axis of the cold tank, with both ends of the heat exchange tube exiting from the front and rear ends of the cold tank respectively.
[0009] The first auger spiral is located on the outside of the heat exchange tube;
[0010] The second auger spiral is located inside the heat exchange tube, and the direction of rotation of the second auger spiral is opposite to that of the first auger spiral.
[0011] The heat exchange tubes, the first auger, and the second auger can rotate synchronously around the axis of the cold tank.
[0012] In one embodiment, the hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure further includes a drive shaft that is rotatable about the axis of the cold tank and is connected to a heat exchange tube.
[0013] In one embodiment, the drive shaft passes through the center of the front end of the heat exchange tube into the interior of the cold tank and is fixedly connected to the middle of the heat exchange tube.
[0014] In one embodiment, the heat exchange tube is made of an elastic material;
[0015] Without elastic deformation, the heat exchange tubes have gaps in the direction along the axis of the cold tank.
[0016] In one embodiment, the front end of the heat exchange tube is provided with a cooling water inlet for delivering cooling water into the heat exchange tube.
[0017] The heat exchange tube has a cooling water outlet at the rear end, which is used to output the cooling water inside the heat exchange tube to the outside.
[0018] In one embodiment, the upper side of the cold tank is provided with a catalyst filling port, and the lower diagonal side of the cold tank is provided with a catalyst discharge port.
[0019] In one embodiment, both the catalyst filling port and the catalyst discharge port are equipped with solenoid valves.
[0020] In one embodiment, the lower front side of the cold tank is provided with an air inlet, and the lower rear side of the cold tank is provided with an air outlet.
[0021] In one embodiment, both the air inlet and the air outlet are provided with filter plates.
[0022] In one embodiment, the cold tank includes an outer tank and an inner tank, with a sandwich layer between the outer tank and the inner tank, the sandwich layer being filled with perlite.
[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are:
[0024] The present invention is provided with a first screw conveyor and a second screw conveyor. Under the rotation of the first screw conveyor and the second screw conveyor, the catalyst inside the cold tank moves in opposite directions on the inner and outer sides of the heat exchange tube, thereby causing the catalyst particles between the inner and outer sides of the heat exchange tube to continuously exchange, promoting the friction and collision between the catalyst particles, and avoiding the problem of liquid hydrogen adhering to the surface of the catalyst particles, which would cause catalyst passivation and reduced catalytic efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 is an overall schematic diagram of a hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure according to the present invention;
[0026] Figure 2 is a side view of a hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure according to the present invention;
[0027] Figure 3 is a top view of a hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure according to the present invention;
[0028] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 3;
[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the heat exchange tube in a hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure according to the present invention.
[0030] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the flow state of the catalyst in a hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure according to the present invention.
[0031] in:
[0032] 100, Cold tank; 110, Catalyst filling port; 120, Catalyst discharge port; 130, Air inlet; 140, Air outlet; 150, Filter plate; 160, Outer tank; 170, Inner tank; 180, Jacket; 200, Heat exchange tube; 210, Cooling water inlet; 220, Cooling water outlet; 310, First auger screw; 320, Second auger screw; 400, Drive shaft. Detailed Implementation
[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.
[0034] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first," "second," etc., are merely used to distinguish the described objects and have no sequential or technical meaning. The terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages). In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention.
[0035] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0036] As shown in Figures 1-6, a hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure includes a cold tank 100, a heat exchange tube 200, a first auger spiral 310, and a second auger spiral 320. The cold tank 100 is placed horizontally, and the heat exchange tube 200 is spirally coiled. The heat exchange tube 200 extends from front to back along the axis of the cold tank 100, and its two ends pass through the front and rear ends of the cold tank 100, respectively. The first auger spiral 310 is located on the outside of the heat exchange tube 200, and the second auger spiral 320 is located on the inside of the heat exchange tube 200. The rotation direction of the second auger spiral 320 is opposite to that of the first auger spiral 310. The heat exchange tube 200, the first auger spiral 310, and the second auger spiral 320 can rotate synchronously around the axis of the cold tank 100.
[0037] It should also be noted that, as shown in Figure 4, the lower front side of the cold tank 100 is provided with an air inlet 130, and the lower rear side of the cold tank 100 is provided with an air outlet 140.
[0038] An inlet 130 is provided to transport the material (positive hydrogen gas) into the cold tank 100, and an outlet 140 is provided to discharge the reacted material (secondary hydrogen gas) into the collection container. It is understandable that the inlet 130 is located at the lower front of the cold tank 100, and the outlet 140 is located at the lower rear of the cold tank 100, in order to increase the reaction path length of the hydrogen gas inside the cold tank 100, so that the positive hydrogen can be more fully catalyzed into secondary hydrogen by the catalyst.
[0039] In operation, the cold tank 100 is first filled with catalyst. Cooling water enters from the front end of the heat exchange tube 200 and exits from the rear end. Material (positive hydrogen) is continuously introduced into the cold tank 100 through the inlet 130, while material (secondary hydrogen) is continuously discharged from the cold tank 100 through the outlet 140. Simultaneously, the heat exchange tube 200, the first auger spiral 310, and the second auger spiral 320 rotate synchronously around the axis of the cold tank 100. Since the cold tank 100 is filled with catalyst, the catalyst inside the cold tank 100 moves in opposite directions on the inner and outer sides of the heat exchange tube 200 under the rotation of the first auger spiral 310 and the second auger spiral 320. This causes continuous exchange of catalyst particles between the inner and outer sides of the heat exchange tube 200, promoting friction and collision between the catalyst particles and preventing liquid hydrogen from adhering to the surface of the catalyst particles, thus avoiding catalyst passivation and reduced catalytic efficiency.
[0040] It should also be noted that, as shown in Figure 6, in order to prevent unreacted material from being discharged from the catalyst discharge port 120, in this invention, the first auger spiral 310 located outside the heat exchange tube 200 is configured to drive the catalyst from the rear end to the front end, and the second auger spiral 320 located inside the heat exchange tube 200 is configured to drive the catalyst from the front end to the rear end. This allows the material to stay in the cold tank 100 for a longer time, resulting in a more complete reaction and reducing the content of impurities (positive hydrogen) in the material discharged from the catalyst discharge port 120.
[0041] In a further embodiment, as shown in FIG1, the hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure further includes a drive shaft 400, which is rotatable about the axis of the cold tank 100 and is connected to the heat exchange tube 200.
[0042] The drive shaft 400 is used to connect to an external drive source, such as the output end of a motor, so that the motor outputs torque to drive the drive shaft 400 to rotate, and then the rotation of the drive shaft 400 drives the heat exchange tube 200, the first auger spiral 310 and the second auger spiral 320 to rotate synchronously around the axis of the cold tank 100.
[0043] In a further embodiment, as shown in FIG4, the drive shaft 400 passes through the center of the front end of the heat exchange tube 200 into the interior of the cold tank 100 and is fixedly connected to the middle part of the heat exchange tube 200.
[0044] This is to reduce the risk of excessive deformation of the heat exchange tube 200 when the drive shaft 400 drives the heat exchange tube 200 to rotate synchronously. When the drive shaft 400 is fixedly connected to the middle of the heat exchange tube 200, when the drive shaft 400 rotates, the torque is first transmitted to the middle of the heat exchange tube 200, and then from the middle of the heat exchange tube 200 to both ends. In this way, the degree of deformation at both ends of the heat exchange tube 200 will be greatly reduced, and the degree of deformation at both ends of the heat exchange tube 200 will not differ too much.
[0045] In a further embodiment, as shown in FIG4, the heat exchange tube 200 is made of an elastic material, and the heat exchange tube 200 has a gap in the direction extending along the axis of the cold tank 100 without elastic deformation.
[0046] As shown in Figure 6, when the heat exchange tube 200 does not undergo elastic deformation (i.e., the catalyst is not blocked), because the heat exchange tube 200 has gaps in the direction extending along the axis of the cold tank 100, the catalyst can not only exchange back and forth along the axis of the heat exchange tube 200, but also exchange radially along the cold tank 100. In addition, the catalyst can also circulate in a small loop around a single spiral of the heat exchange tube 200. This can make the temperature uniformity of the catalyst inside the cold tank 100 better, thereby improving the catalytic efficiency.
[0047] Understandably, because the heat exchange tube 200 has a certain degree of elasticity, when the catalyst becomes blocked at either end of the cold tank 100, the outline diameter of the heat exchange tube 200 will be shortened by force at the blocked end and increased by force at the unblocked end. The resistance to the rotation of the first auger spiral 310 and the second auger spiral 320 corresponding to the blocked end of the heat exchange tube 200 is reduced, which is conducive to unblocking. Furthermore, after the heat exchange tube 200 is deformed, it tightens so that there are no gaps in the direction of the heat exchange tube 200 extending along the axis of the cold tank 100. At this time, the catalyst only has circulation and exchange at the front and rear ends along the axis of the cold tank 100, which is conducive to improving the circulation speed of the catalyst inside the cold tank 100 and quickly and evenly dispersing the catalyst throughout the cold tank 100.
[0048] In a further embodiment, as shown in FIG1, a cooling water inlet 210 is provided at the front end of the heat exchange tube 200 for conveying cooling water into the heat exchange tube 200, and a cooling water outlet 220 is provided at the rear end of the heat exchange tube 200 for outputting the cooling water inside the heat exchange tube 200 to the outside.
[0049] The hydrogen liquefaction equipment with a filtration structure also includes an inlet pump, an outlet pump, and a circulating water tank. The output end of the inlet pump is connected to the cooling water inlet 210, and the input end of the inlet pump is located inside the circulating water tank. The input end of the outlet pump is connected to the cooling water outlet 220, and the output end of the outlet pump is located inside the circulating water tank. A cooling module should also be installed inside the circulating water tank to cool the cooling water inside the circulating water tank.
[0050] In use, the inlet pump, outlet pump, and cooling module are started. Under the action of the inlet pump, the cooling water inside the circulating water tank enters the cooling water inlet 210 through the inlet pump, and further enters the heat exchange tube 200 through the cooling water inlet 210. Under the action of the outlet pump, the cooling water in the heat exchange tube 200 flows back into the circulating water tank through the cooling water outlet 220. The cooling module is used to cool the cooling water inside the circulating water tank so that the temperature of the cooling water entering the heat exchange tube 200 is lower than the temperature of the catalyst outside the heat exchange tube 200, thereby cooling the catalyst.
[0051] In a further embodiment, a catalyst filling port 110 is provided on the upper side of the cold tank 100, and a catalyst discharge port 120 is provided on the lower diagonal side of the cold tank 100.
[0052] A catalyst filling port 110 is provided for adding catalyst (such as ferric oxide particles) into the cold tank 100. The catalyst should fill the interior of the cold tank 100 and be in a loose and porous state. A catalyst discharge port 120 is provided for discharging the catalyst from the cold tank 100 after the catalyst performance has deteriorated to the point that it can no longer be used.
[0053] In a further embodiment, both the catalyst filling port 110 and the catalyst discharge port 120 are equipped with solenoid valves.
[0054] Various sensors should be installed inside the cold tank 100 to monitor the catalyst's performance indicators in real time, such as activity, selectivity, and pressure drop, so that staff can understand the catalyst's activity in a timely manner. When the catalyst's activity decreases to the point where it can no longer be used, staff can control the solenoid valve corresponding to the catalyst discharge port 120 to open first through the catalyst activity online monitoring system to discharge the ineffective catalyst, and then open the solenoid valve corresponding to the catalyst filling port 110 to add new catalyst into the cold tank 100.
[0055] In a further embodiment, as shown in FIG4, both the air inlet 130 and the air outlet 140 are provided with filter plates 150.
[0056] The filter plate 150 is used to filter catalyst particles to prevent the catalyst from being discharged through the gas outlet 140. In addition, the filter plate 150 can also filter impurities in the material (positive hydrogen gas) to prevent impurities from entering the cold tank 100.
[0057] In a further embodiment, as shown in FIG4, the cold tank 100 includes an outer tank 160 and an inner tank 170, with an interlayer 180 between the outer tank 160 and the inner tank 170, and the interlayer 180 is filled with perlite.
[0058] The cold tank 100 is configured as an outer tank 160 and an inner tank 170, and the interlayer 180 between the outer tank 160 and the inner tank 170 is filled with perlite for insulation, so as to minimize the heat exchange between the outside and the interior of the cold tank 100.
[0059] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0060] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A hydrogen liquefaction device with a filtration structure, characterized in that, The application relates to a cold tank. The cold tank is horizontally placed. The heat exchange pipe is spirally coiled and extends along the axis of the cold tank from front to back, and the two ends of the heat exchange pipe are respectively led out from the front and back ends of the cold tank. The first auger screw is arranged outside the heat exchange pipe. The second auger screw is arranged inside the heat exchange pipe, and the rotation direction of the second auger screw is opposite to that of the first auger screw. The heat exchange pipe, the first auger screw and the second auger screw can synchronously rotate around the axis of the cold tank.
2. The hydrogen liquefying apparatus having a filtering structure according to claim 1, wherein The application further relates to a driving shaft rod. The driving shaft rod is connected with the heat exchange pipe.
3. The hydrogen liquefying apparatus having a filtering structure according to claim 2, wherein The driving shaft rod is led into the inside of the cold tank from the center of the front end of the heat exchange pipe and is fixedly connected with the middle part of the heat exchange pipe.
4. The hydrogen liquefying apparatus having a filtering structure according to claim 1, wherein The heat exchange pipe is made of elastic material. The heat exchange pipe has a gap in the direction of extension along the axis of the cold tank without elastic deformation.
5. The hydrogen liquefying apparatus having a filtering structure according to claim 1, wherein The front end of the heat exchange pipe is provided with a cooling water inlet for conveying cooling water into the inside of the heat exchange pipe. The rear end of the heat exchange pipe is provided with a cooling water outlet for outputting the cooling water in the inside of the heat exchange pipe.
6. The hydrogen liquefying apparatus having a filtering structure according to claim 1, wherein The upper side of the cold tank is provided with a catalyst filling port, and the lower diagonal side of the cold tank is provided with a catalyst discharging port.
7. The hydrogen liquefying apparatus having a filtering structure according to claim 6, wherein The catalyst filling port and the catalyst discharging port are respectively provided with electromagnetic valves.
8. The hydrogen liquefying apparatus having a filtering structure according to claim 1, wherein The front side of the lower part of the cold tank is provided with an air inlet pipe port, and the rear side of the lower part of the cold tank is provided with an air outlet pipe port.
9. The hydrogen liquefying apparatus having a filtering structure according to claim 8, wherein, The air inlet pipe port and the air outlet pipe port are respectively provided with filter plates.
10. The hydrogen liquefying apparatus having a filtering structure according to claim 1, wherein The cold tank comprises an outer tank and an inner tank, and a sandwich layer is arranged between the outer tank and the inner tank, wherein the sandwich layer is filled with pearlite.