Gas Cooler Drain Tank Venting to Keep Condensate Out of Compressor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas coolers face challenges in efficiently discharging drain to the outside of the casing due to structural constraints, leading to potential accumulation and flow of drain into the second-stage compressor main body.
Innovation Solution
A gas cooler design that includes a casing with a drain recovery part, a drain tank with a separation and storage part, and ventilation flow paths to separate and discharge drain efficiently, preventing its flow into the gas lead-out port.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the flow path cross-sectional area of the gas in the casing and the size of the drain discharge port are not appropriately set or cannot be appropriately set due to structural constraints, then the drain accumulated in the drain recovery part flows while accompanying the flow of the gas and reaches the second-stage compressor main body, but increasing the size of components to appropriately set these parameters increases device complexity and structural constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The gas flow path is divided into two separate paths: a first gas flow path that extends upward from the drain recovery part to the gas lead-out port, and a second gas flow path that passes through the drain tank. This segmentation allows the system to handle both gas flow and drain discharge independently, preventing drain from reaching the gas lead-out port while maintaining appropriate flow path dimensions without increasing overall structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The drain tank with separation part acts as an intermediary device between the drain recovery part and the gas flow path. It separates and accumulates drain from the gas flow, allowing gas to pass through to the gas lead-out port while preventing drain from being discharged with the gas flow, thus solving the problem without requiring larger components
2Device complexity
If a simple drain discharge structure is used, then device complexity is reduced, but drain cannot be efficiently separated and discharged from the gas flow path
Solution Approach 1:
The drain tank is divided into a separation part and a storage part. The separation part receives mixed gas and drain from the drain recovery part, separates them, and directs separated drain to the storage part while allowing separated gas to join the first flow through the ventilation flow path. This segmentation enables efficient drain separation and discharge without requiring complex external systems
Solution Approach 2:
The drain tank uses the existing gas flow from the drain recovery part to carry drain into the separation part. The system utilizes the kinetic energy and flow of the gas itself to transport and separate the drain, rather than requiring additional pumps or complex mechanical separation devices, thus achieving reliable drain separation with minimal added complexity
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 design effectively suppresses drain from reaching the gas lead-out port by guiding it to the drain tank for separation and storage, reducing gas leakage and ensuring efficient discharge.
Implementation Method 1
gas introduced from a gas introduction port into the inside of a compressor is cooled by a heat exchanger and led out from the gas lead-out port. Liquid (drain) in the gas condensed by cooling
Implementation Method 2
a separation part into which the drain accumulated in the drain recovery part is introduced together with a part of the gas and that separates the drain and the gas
Data Source
AI summary
A gas cooler includes a drain recovery part, a drain discharge flow path, a drain tank, and a ventilation flow path. In the drain recovery part, drain separated from gas is accumulated by cooling the gas in a cooling part. The drain tank includes a separation part in which the drain and the gas are separated, and a storage part in which the separated drain is stored. The drain discharge flow path has one end communicating with the drain recovery part and the other end communicating with the separation part. The ventilation flow path has one end communicating with the separation part, and the other end communicating with a gas flow path that leads to a downstream space above the drain recovery part and to a gas lead-out port.