Cryogenic Pump Heater With Helical Coil
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cryogenic pumps used in industrial applications, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) handling, face challenges in achieving efficient vaporization of LNG at high pressures while maintaining compactness and ease of maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A cryogenic pump design incorporating a heater with a helical heat exchange coil and a baffle system within a chamber, facilitating efficient heat exchange between cryogenic liquid and a heat exchange fluid to vaporize LNG at pressures above its critical pressure, utilizing a piston mechanism for efficient fluid transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional heater design is used for vaporizing cryogenic liquid, then the vaporization function is provided, but the heat exchange efficiency is insufficient and the device size becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchange coil is nested within the chamber, with the coil winding around a central axis. The cryogenic liquid flows through the coil while the chamber provides the heating environment, creating a compact nested structure that maximizes heat exchange surface area within a small volume
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchange coil is configured in a helical or spiral pattern rather than a straight line, transforming the one-dimensional flow path into a three-dimensional structure. This increases the heat exchange surface area and improves vaporization efficiency while maintaining a compact footprint
2Volume of stationary object
If the pump is designed to be compact, then the space requirement is reduced, but the maintenance accessibility becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into modular components including the piston assembly, chamber, coil, and housing that can be independently accessed and maintained. The piston can be removed from the chamber, and the coil can be accessed through the housing, allowing maintenance of compact components without requiring disassembly of the entire compact structure
Solution Approach 2:
The piston is designed to be extractable from the chamber, and the heat exchange coil is positioned to be accessible through the housing. This extraction capability allows maintenance personnel to service critical components in a compact pump design without compromising accessibility
3Stress or pressure
If high pressure vaporization is achieved, then the LNG transfer efficiency is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The piston continuously alternates between compression and expansion strokes, maintaining continuous high-pressure vaporization without interruption. The chamber continuously receives cryogenic liquid and delivers vaporized gas, eliminating idle cycles and maximizing energy utilization efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system exploits the phase transition of cryogenic liquid to supercritical fluid at high pressure. By maintaining pressure above the critical pressure during heating, the liquid transitions directly to a supercritical state, which improves vaporization efficiency and reduces the energy required compared to traditional boiling vaporization
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables effective vaporization of cryogenic liquids to supercritical fluid state at high pressures (up to 300 bar), enhancing the efficiency and reliability of LNG transfer while maintaining a compact and easily maintainable pump design.
Implementation Method 1
a helical heat exchange coil having a plurality of turns disposed within the heater chamber
Implementation Method 2
an arrangement of the coil and the baffle facilitates heat exchange between the cryogenic liquid and the heat exchange fluid
Implementation Method 3
a heater for vaporizing the cryogenic liquid... The terms 'vaporized', 'vaporization' and 'vaporize' all refer to the heating of a cryogenic liquid from below to above its critical temperature
Implementation Method 4
heated in the vaporizer from a temperature below its critical temperature to above its critical temperature, and leaves the vaporizer as a supercritical fluid
Implementation Method 5
a piston operable to discharge cryogenic liquid from a pumping chamber... receives a cryogenic liquid and pumps it typically at a pressure above its critical pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A cryogenic pump has an associated heater for vaporizing cryogenic fluid. The heater has a chamber (bounded by an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve) disposed around at least a portion of the pump housing. The heater has a helical heating coil with a plurality of turns disposed within the chamber and a helical baffle having a plurality of turns interspaced with the turns of the heating coil for guiding heat exchange fluid over the turns of the heat exchange coil. The heater has an inlet for cryogenic fluid to communicate with the heat exchange coil and an outlet for the resulting vaporized fluid. Heat exchange fluid flows through an inlet of the heater chamber to an outlet of the heater chamber and then through a space defined between the inner sleeve and a portion of the pump housing.