Hydrogen Heat Exchanger Tray for Liquefied Air Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat exchangers designed for liquid hydrogen face issues with air cooling, where the extremely low temperature of liquid hydrogen causes air to liquefy and deposit substances, leading to potential clogging and maintenance challenges due to the lower boiling point of hydrogen compared to conventional LNG.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger with a tray to collect and discharge liquefied gas and deposited substances, featuring a liquid discharge mechanism that separates liquefied gas from deposited substances, preventing clogging and maintaining efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat exchange is performed between liquid hydrogen and air, then cooling efficiency is improved, but air liquefies and deposits substances causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchange container is divided into a heat exchange chamber and a tray chamber. The tray is provided in the tray chamber to receive and collect liquefied gas and deposited substances, separating the collection function from the heat exchange function. This segmentation prevents clogging in the heat exchange chamber while maintaining cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray acts as an intermediary component between the heat exchange chamber and the liquid discharge mechanism. It receives liquefied gas and deposited substances from the heat exchange chamber, allowing them to be collected and discharged separately without interfering with the heat exchange process.
2Reliability
If liquefied gas and deposited substances are accumulated in the heat exchanger, then heat exchange function is maintained, but maintenance frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid discharge mechanism is configured to automatically discharge liquefied gas from the tray based on liquid level detection, without requiring manual intervention. The system self-regulates by detecting when the tray is full and automatically opening the discharge valve, reducing maintenance frequency while maintaining heat exchange function.
Solution Approach 2:
A liquid level detection mechanism provides feedback to the control system to monitor the amount of liquefied gas in the tray. When the liquid level reaches a predetermined threshold, the control system activates the discharge pump or opens the discharge valve to remove excess liquid, preventing overflow and maintaining optimal heat exchange conditions.
3Device complexity
If liquid discharge mechanism discharges both liquefied gas and deposited substances, then discharge path is simple, but clogging occurs frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge pump is configured to extract and discharge only liquefied gas from the tray, leaving deposited substances behind in the tray chamber. This selective extraction prevents deposited substances from entering the discharge path, eliminating clogging while maintaining a relatively simple discharge mechanism structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray is designed with different regions: a liquid collection area and a deposited substance retention area. The discharge pump draws liquid from the collection area while the deposited substances remain in the retention area. This local differentiation allows selective discharge of liquid without clogging the discharge path with solids.
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
Effectively manages the liquefied gas and deposited substances generated during heat exchange between liquid hydrogen and air, ensuring the heat exchanger's functionality and reducing maintenance needs.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchange chamber in which a gas to be cooled or an intermediate medium is filled, and performs heat exchange directly or indirectly between liquid hydrogen and the gas to be cooled
Implementation Method 2
the air having been cooled by the heat exchange with the liquid hydrogen is changed into a liquefied gas, and moisture, oxygen, nitrogen, or the like contained in the air are deposited
Implementation Method 3
moisture, oxygen, nitrogen, or the like contained in the air are deposited
Implementation Method 4
the liquefied gas and the deposited substance of the gas to be cooled, which are generated by the heat exchange between the liquid hydrogen and the gas to be cooled, fall to the tray
Implementation Method 5
a liquid discharge mechanism which discharges the liquefied gas from the tray to an outside area of the heat exchange chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger 1 comprises a shell 2 which has in an interior thereof a heat exchange chamber 20 in which a gas to be cooled or an intermediate medium is filled, and performs heat exchange directly or indirectly between liquid hydrogen and the gas to be cooled, in the interior of the heat exchange chamber 20; a tray 23 which is provided in the interior of the heat exchange chamber 20 and receives a liquefied gas and a deposited substance F which are generated by the heat exchange in the interior of the heat exchange chamber 20; and a liquid discharge mechanism (flashboard 22, drain port 25, and drain pipe 26) which discharges the liquefied gas from the tray 23 in a state in which the deposited substance F is left in the tray 23.