Method for degassing liquid mixtures with low boiling points in closed systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Closed systems used in energy wells and cooling systems face issues with gas diffusion and leakage, leading to corrosion and reduced energy efficiency due to dissolved gases like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, which existing degassing methods often drive out essential additives with low boiling points, such as ammonium hydroxide and ethyl alcohol, along with harmful gases.

Innovation Solution

A method involving diverting a part of the liquid mixture to a degassing tank under controlled pressure to separate gases like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide while keeping additives in the liquid phase, using a vacuum control valve and pumps to manage pressure, and a deairing tank to release gases to the environment, ensuring the degassed liquid is restored to the system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the liquid mixture is subjected to underpressure to remove harmful gases, then oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide are removed from the system, but the additives with low boiling points (ammonium hydroxide and ethyl alcohol) are driven out from the liquid mixture before the harmful compounds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion preventionVSAvoidloss of additives
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid mixture is divided into two separate processing streams: one stream undergoes degassing under reduced pressure to remove harmful gases, while the other stream maintains normal pressure to preserve volatile additives. This segmentation allows selective removal of gases without losing additives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pressure parameter is changed differently for different portions of the liquid mixture. One portion is subjected to reduced pressure (0.1-0.5 bar) for degassing, while the other portion maintains atmospheric pressure to prevent additive loss. This differential parameter change resolves the contradiction between gas removal and additive preservation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If a membrane unit is used to remove gases from the liquid, then gas removal efficiency is improved, but the system complexity increases due to additional components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas removal efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A membrane unit is extracted from the liquid stream to perform selective gas removal. The membrane unit physically separates gases from the liquid phase, providing efficient gas removal while maintaining a relatively simple overall system structure through modular integration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 reduces oxygen and other harmful gas concentrations, preventing corrosion and maintaining the effectiveness of additives by selectively removing gases without expelling the low-boiling-point compounds, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and system integrity.

Implementation Method 1

a vacuum control valve is caused to lower the pressure of the diverted liquid to a predetermined underpressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure reduction: Depressurisation

Implementation Method 2

the pressure in the degassing tank is caused to be sufficiently low for certain compounds to leave the liquid in gas phase

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 3

a second pump after the degassing tank is caused to increase the pressure of a smaller part of the diverted liquid part and the gas to a sufficient pressure for certain compounds to dissolve in the liquid

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure increase: Pressurisation

Implementation Method 4

Plastic pipes are not diffusion tight, but gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and also other gases, can diffuse in from the environment to the liquid in the systems

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentEP3365617B1Method for degassing liquid mixtures with low boiling points in closed systems
Publication Date: 2019.08.14 QTF SWEDEN
  • EP3365617B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3365617B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3365617B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Method for degassing certain compounds in liquid mixtures with low boiling point in closed liquid systems, wherein a part of the liquid is isolated for degassing and wherein degassed liquid is restored to the closed system. The invention is characterised in that a part of the liquid mixture is diverted from the closed system (1), lowered in pressure by a vacuum control valve (3), brought to a degassing tank (4) in which the liquid is degassed, in that a first pump (6) after the degassing tank increases the pressure of a smaller part of the diverted liquid and gas to a sufficient pressure for certain compounds to dissolve in the liquid while other compounds remain in gas phase, in that the first pump (6) pumps the liquid and gas from the degassing tank (4) to a deairing tank (7) comprising a deairing valve (8) through which valve separated gas flow out to the environment and in that the liquid flows back to the closed system.