Vortex Tube Inerting System for Temperature-Controlled Fire Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inerting systems face inefficiencies in temperature-controlled environments, requiring additional energy for heating or cooling and incurring higher costs due to the need for specialized gas lines for oxygen-enriched air, especially in cooling environments like deep-freeze warehouses.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a vortex tube into the inerting system to divide the product gas stream into warm and cold partial streams, which can be introduced into the environment to regulate temperature and reduce the oxygen content, thereby enhancing efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If additional heating or cooling systems are used to regulate temperature in inerting systems, then temperature control is improved, but energy consumption and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inert gas produced by the separation unit serves dual purposes: both inerting the protected space and providing thermal energy for temperature regulation. The system uses the thermal energy of the inert gas itself (through heat exchangers) to heat or cool the protected space, eliminating the need for separate heating/cooling systems and reducing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the inerting function with the temperature regulation function into a single integrated system. The inert gas stream is utilized for both displacing oxygen and providing thermal energy, merging two previously separate functions (inerting and climate control) into one unified process that reduces energy waste.
2Reliability
If specialized gas lines are installed for oxygen-enriched air, then safety is improved, but device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the hazardous oxygen-enriched air stream from the system before it can cause safety issues. The oxygen concentrate is diverted to a separate by-product line and can be safely discharged or utilized elsewhere, eliminating the need for specialized handling infrastructure for oxygen-enriched environments in the main inerting system.
3Reliability
If the entire product gas stream is used for inerting, then inerting effectiveness is improved, but temperature regulation capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the product gas stream into different portions with different functions. One portion is directed to the protected space for inerting, while another portion is routed through heat exchangers to provide thermal energy for temperature regulation. This segmentation allows both inerting effectiveness and temperature control to be maintained simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The inert gas stream is designed to serve multiple functions: oxygen displacement, thermal energy source, and temperature regulation. By making the gas stream multi-functional, the system achieves both effective inerting and temperature control without sacrificing either capability.
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 system achieves more efficient inerting by using temperature-regulated gas streams to maintain or adjust the environment's temperature, saving energy and reducing costs associated with heating or cooling, while also diluting the by-product gas stream to lower its hazardous classification.
Implementation Method 1
The gas stream, which has already been compressed to a high pressure, is introduced tangentially into the cylindrical vortex tube and set into rapid rotation, with the radially outer region of the swirled gas stream having a higher temperature than the radially inner region.
Implementation Method 2
The gas mixture stream is fed to at least one gas separation unit under pressure and the reactive gas component is at least partially separated from the gas mixture stream by means of a separating agent.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an inerting process for fire prevention, wherein a non-reactive, in particular highly flammable, product gas stream (161) is generated from a gas mixture stream (141), which gas mixture stream (141) contains at least one reactive gas component and one inert gas component, wherein the gas mixture stream (141) is supplied to at least one gas separation unit (110, 120, 410) under pressure, and the reactive gas component is at least partially separated from the gas mixture stream (141) by means of a separation agent, gas components not separated and/or not separable from the gas mixture stream (141) are withdrawn as product gas stream (161) from the at least one gas separation unit (110, 120, 410), and the reactive gas components separated from the gas mixture stream (141) are withdrawn as a by-product gas stream from the at least one gas separation unit (110, 120, 410). (151) can be taken from the map.The product gas stream (161) taken from at least one gas separation unit (110, 120, 410) is introduced into a vortex tube (200) within the vortex tube (200) is divided and/or separated into a warm product gas partial stream (163) and a cold product gas partial stream (162), and the warm and/or the cold product gas partial stream (162, 163) is or are introduced completely or partially and/or temporarily into an environment (300).