JP2005147246A - Vaporization apparatus for liquified gas - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vaporization apparatus for liquefied gas capable of relatively reducing operating cost with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The vaporization apparatus for liquefied gas is provided with a vaporization section 4 for evaporating liquefied gas, a heating section 6 for heating gas evaporated at the vaporization section 4, an air blowing device 46 for sending air through the vaporization section 4 and a heating device 44 for producing air flow. When frost formed on the vaporization section 4 is thawed, the air blowing device 46 and the heating device 44 are operated and hot air produced by the heating device 44 is supplied into a first air blowing housing 70 through a first blowing duct 66 and also is supplied into a second blowing housing 72 through a second blowing duct. Thus, hot air flowing inside the vaporization section 4 flows at a uniform temperature and the frost formed on the vaporization section 4 can be efficiently thawed in a short period of time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquefied gas vaporizer for vaporizing liquefied gas such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

  For example, a vaporizer for vaporizing a liquefied gas such as liquefied natural gas includes an evaporation section for vaporizing the liquefied gas and a heating section for heating the evaporated gas. A natural ventilation type using forced convection and a forced ventilation type using forced convection are known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In the case of the naturally ventilated type, a heat transfer tube for vaporization is disposed in the evaporation unit housing, and when a liquefied gas is passed through the vaporization heat transfer tube, heat exchange is performed between the air in the evaporation unit housing and the liquefied gas. The liquefied gas is vaporized by this heat exchange, and the vaporized gas flows to the heating unit. At the time of vaporization, the air in the evaporation unit housing is cooled by heat exchange, so the outside air is introduced from the upper opening provided at the upper end of the evaporation unit housing and flows downward in the evaporation unit housing. It is discharged to the outside through a lower opening provided at the lower end portion.

  Further, in the forced ventilation type, a heat transfer tube for vaporization is disposed in the evaporation portion housing, and a blower fan is disposed at the upper end portion thereof. At the time of vaporization of the liquefied gas, the liquefied gas is supplied to the heat transfer tube for vaporization, the blower fan is activated, the outside air is introduced from the lower opening of the evaporation housing, and flows upward in the evaporation section housing to flow through the evaporation section housing. Heat is exchanged between the liquefied gas discharged from the upper opening and flowing through the vaporization heat transfer tube and the air flowing through the evaporation section housing, whereby the liquefied gas is vaporized.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-90496

  The known vaporizer described above has the following problems to be solved. That is, the natural ventilation type uses natural convection, so that the structure of the vaporizer itself is simple, its installation cost is low, and its operation cost is almost not, but the surface of the vaporization heat transfer tube Therefore, frost with a large heat transfer resistance is easily attached, and therefore, the vaporization operation time for vaporizing the liquefied gas is shortened, and the frost adhering to the vaporization heat transfer tube is defrosted (the vaporization occurs when frost adheres to the vaporization heat transfer tube). It takes time to remove the attached frost due to inefficiency. In addition, because the ice is defrosted using outside air, it is difficult to defrost frost adhering to the heat transfer tubes for vaporization when the ambient ambient temperature in cold regions is below 0 ° C, and cannot be used in winter. There is a problem that the suitability of this vaporizer in a cold region is very low.

  On the other hand, in the forced ventilation type, because forced convection is used, it is difficult for frost with a large heat transfer resistance to adhere to the surface of the heat transfer tubes for vaporization, and therefore, the vaporization operation time can be lengthened and the vaporization operation time can be extended. The ice-breaking operation time for defrosting the frost adhering to the heat transfer tube can be shortened, and the disadvantages of the natural ventilation type can be eliminated to some extent. However, even with this forced-ventilation type, it is difficult to defrost frost adhering to the heat transfer tubes for vaporization in the winter in cold regions because ice is melted using outside air, and this vaporizer also uses cold regions. There is a problem that the suitability is very low.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for vaporizing a liquefied gas that can be used even in winter in cold regions.

The liquefied gas vaporizer according to claim 1 of the present invention includes an evaporation section for vaporizing the liquefied gas, a heating section for heating the gas vaporized in the evaporation section, and the evaporation section. Air blowing means for blowing air, and heating means for generating warm air,
The air blowing means directs air from the air blowing fan, the first and second air blowing housings disposed below the evaporation unit, and the air from the air blowing fan to the first air blowing housing. A first air duct, and a second air duct for guiding air from the air fan to the second air housing.
When defrosting the frost adhering to the evaporation unit, the blower fan and the heating unit are operated, and the warm air heated by the heating unit is operated by the blower fan to cause the first blower duct and the first fan to be defrosted. 1 is sent from the predetermined direction through the blower housing to the lower part of the evaporation unit, and is fed from the direction opposite to the predetermined direction through the second blower duct and the second blower housing to the lower part of the evaporation unit. Features.

  In the liquefied gas vaporizer according to claim 2 of the present invention, the first blower housing of the blowing means is disposed below one side of the evaporation unit, and the second blower housing is the evaporation member. The warm air, which is disposed below the other side of the unit and heated by the heating means during the defrosting, is caused by the action of the blower fan from the predetermined direction through the first blower duct and the first blower housing. In addition to being fed below the evaporation section, it is fed below the evaporation section from a direction opposite to the predetermined direction through the second blower duct and the second blower housing.

  In the liquefied gas vaporization device according to claim 3 of the present invention, the first blower housing of the blower means includes a first housing body to which the first blower duct is connected, and the first housing body. A first projecting housing extending in a comb-like shape in the predetermined direction, wherein the second blower housing is a second housing body to which the second blower duct is connected; and the predetermined direction from the second housing body A second projecting housing extending in a comb-like shape in the opposite direction, wherein the first projecting housing of the first air blowing housing and the second projecting housing of the second air blowing housing are located under the evaporation section; The warm air, which is alternately arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to a predetermined direction and is heated by the heating means at the time of deicing, is generated by the action of the blower fan and the first blow duct. The first blower housing is fed from the first projecting housing to the lower part of the evaporation section through the first housing body, and the second blower duct and the second blower housing are passed through the second housing body. It is characterized by being fed from the protruding housing to the lower part of the evaporation part.

  In the liquefied gas vaporizer according to claim 5 of the present invention, the blower fan and the heating means are arranged in a suction duct, and the heating means is composed of a heat exchanger arranged in the suction duct. Heat is exchanged between the hot water flowing through the heat exchanger and the air flowing through the suction duct to generate hot air, and the generated hot air passes through the first air duct and the first air housing in a predetermined direction. From the direction opposite to the predetermined direction through the second blower duct and the second blower housing, and is fed to the lower part of the evaporator.

  In the liquefied gas vaporizer according to claim 5 of the present invention, the blower fan is operated when vaporizing the liquefied gas in the evaporation section, and the air from the blower fan is used as the first blower. The air is fed from the predetermined direction through the duct and the first blower housing to the lower part of the evaporator, and is fed from the direction opposite to the predetermined direction through the second blower duct and the second blower housing to the lower part of the evaporator. It is characterized by being.

  According to the vaporizer for liquefied gas described in claim 1 of the present invention, in addition to the evaporation section for vaporizing the liquefied gas and the heating section for heating the vaporized gas, it is used for blowing air. Blowing means and heating means for generating warm air are provided. The liquefied gas to be vaporized is supplied to the evaporation section, and heat exchange is performed with the outside air flowing through the evaporation section to be vaporized. Then, the vaporized gas is supplied to the heating unit, heated, and supplied downstream. The blower means includes a blower fan for blowing air and first and second blower housings disposed below the evaporation unit, and the first and second blower units are provided between the blower fan and the first and second blower housings. Two air ducts are interposed. The air blowing means and the heating means are operated when defrosting the frost attached to the evaporation section, and when operated, the warm air generated by the heating means is caused by the action of the air blowing fan to the first feeding duct. In addition, the feed is fed from the predetermined direction through the first feed housing to the lower part of the evaporation unit, and is fed from the direction opposite to the predetermined direction through the second blower duct and the second blower housing to the lower part of the evaporation unit. Therefore, the warm air from the heating means is sent so as to face the lower part of the evaporation unit, and the supplied hot air flows almost uniformly upward in the evaporation unit, and thus the entire frost adhering to the evaporation unit is removed. The ice can be efficiently melted, the operation time for the ice melting can be shortened, and the operation efficiency of the vaporizer can be increased. In addition, since the ice is defrosted using warm air, the frost in the evaporation section can be defrosted even in the winter in cold regions (in other words, the ambient temperature is 0 ° C or lower), and can be applied even in cold regions. It becomes. When vaporizing the liquefied gas, natural ventilation of the outside air may be used in order to reduce the operating cost. However, in order to increase the vaporization efficiency, the blowing means is operated to forcibly vent the outside air. It may be.

  Further, according to the liquefied gas vaporizer according to the second aspect of the present invention, the first blower housing is disposed below one side of the evaporator, and the second blower housing is disposed on the other side of the evaporator. Since it is arranged on the lower side, the warm air from the heating means is fed to the lower part of the evaporation section from the predetermined direction via the first air duct and the first air housing, while the second air duct and the second air duct. 2 It is fed to the lower part of the evaporation part from the direction opposite to the predetermined direction through the feeding housing, and thus the hot air thus sent flows almost uniformly in the evaporation part from the lower part to the upper part, and thus adheres to the evaporation part. It is possible to efficiently defrost the entire frost.

  According to the liquefied gas vaporizer of the present invention, the first blower housing has the first housing body and the first projecting housing extending in a comb-like shape in a predetermined direction from the first housing body. The blower housing has a second housing body and a second projecting housing extending in a comb shape in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction from the second housing body, and the first projecting housing and the second projecting housing are below the evaporation portion with respect to the predetermined direction. Since they are alternately arranged in a substantially vertical direction, the warm air from the heating means is fed from the first projecting housing to the lower part of the evaporation part via the first air duct and the first housing body, The second feeding housing and the second housing body are fed through the second projecting housing to the lower part of the evaporation section. Therefore, the warm air from the heating means is fed almost uniformly into the lower space of the evaporator, and the warm air thus sent flows uniformly from the lower part to the upper part of the evaporator, and thus the entire frost adhering to the evaporator. Can be efficiently thawed.

  Further, according to the liquefied gas vaporization device of the present invention, the heating means is constituted by a heat exchanger, and heat exchange is performed between the hot water flowing through the heat exchanger and the air flowing through the suction duct. Since the hot air is generated, the hot air can be safely generated and sent to the evaporation unit with a relatively simple configuration.

  Further, according to the liquefied gas vaporization apparatus of the present invention, the blowing means is also activated when the liquefied gas is vaporized, and the air from the blower fan is fed below the evaporation section so that the inside of the evaporation section Since the gas flows from the lower side to the upper side, the evaporation efficiency of the liquefied gas can be increased by forcibly ventilating the inside of the evaporation section.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a liquefied gas vaporizer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[First Embodiment]
First, a liquefied gas vaporizer according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a liquefied gas vaporizer according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the evaporation portion of the liquefied gas vaporizer of FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram for explaining the flow of air during the vaporization operation of the vaporizer of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram for explaining the flow of hot air during the ice-breaking operation of the vaporizer of FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the vaporizer of FIG.

  1 and 2, the illustrated liquefied gas vaporizer 2 includes an evaporation section 4 for vaporizing a liquefied gas, for example, liquefied natural gas, and a heating section 6 for heating the vaporized gas. ing. The evaporating unit 4 includes a cylindrical evaporating unit housing 8 extending in the vertical direction, and a vaporizing heat transfer tube 10 is disposed in the evaporating unit housing 8. In this embodiment, a plurality of lower headers 12 are arranged at intervals in the lower part of the evaporation unit housing 8 (in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 and in the vertical direction in FIG. 2). An upper header 14 is disposed on the upper portion corresponding to each lower header 12, and a plurality of vaporization heat transfer tubes 10 are provided between the lower header 12 and the corresponding upper header 14. The gas is configured to flow in parallel through these heat transfer tubes 10 for vaporization. The vaporization heat transfer tube 10 is composed of, for example, an air fin type heat transfer tube provided with a heat exchange fin around it, and extends in the evaporation unit housing 8 in the vertical direction.

  The upper end portion (upper end surface in this embodiment) of the evaporation portion housing 8 is opened to define the upper opening 16, and the lower end portion (lower end surface in this embodiment) is also opened to define the lower opening 18, and the upper opening portion is defined. The lower header 12, the vaporizing heat transfer tube 10, and the upper header 14 are disposed between the lower opening 18 and the lower opening 18, and the periphery thereof is covered by the evaporation unit housing 8.

  In this embodiment, a liquefied gas supply pipe 20 extending from a liquefied gas supply source (not shown) such as a liquefied gas tank, for example, a liquefied natural gas tank, is branched into two, and a pair of branch pipes 21 and 23 are formed in the evaporator housing 8. The three lower headers 12 are connected in parallel to one branch pipe 21, and the remaining three lower headers 12 are connected to the other branch pipe 23 in parallel. The liquefied gas supply pipe 20 is provided with an on-off valve 22. Therefore, when the on-off valve 22 is opened, a liquefied gas, for example, liquefied natural gas, from a liquefied gas supply source (not shown) is supplied to each lower header 12 through the liquefied gas supply pipe 20 and the branch pipes 21 and 23. When the on-off valve 22 is closed, the supply of liquefied gas is stopped.

  The heating unit 6 includes a cylindrical heating unit housing 26 that extends in the vertical direction, and a heating heat transfer tube 28 is disposed in the heating unit housing 26. In this form, a plurality of heating heat transfer tubes 28 corresponding to each of the evaporation units including the lower header 12, the upper header 14, and the vaporization heat transfer tubes 10 extending therebetween are provided in the heating unit housing 26. Are arranged at intervals, and the lower end portions of the heat transfer tubes 28 for heating are connected via the lower connecting tube 30 and the upper end portions thereof are connected via the upper connecting tube 32, and are vaporized in each evaporation unit. The gas thus formed is configured to flow in series through these heating heat transfer tubes 28. The heating heat transfer tube 28 is also composed of, for example, an air fin type heat transfer tube provided with a heat exchange fin around it, and extends in the heating portion housing 26 in the vertical direction.

  The upper end portion (in this embodiment, the upper end surface) of the heating unit housing 26 is also opened, and the upper opening 34 is defined, and the lower end portion (the lower end surface in this embodiment) is also opened, and the lower opening 36 is defined. A heating heat transfer tube 28, a lower connection tube 30, and an upper connection tube 32 are disposed between the opening 34 and the lower opening 36, and the periphery thereof is covered with the heating unit housing 26. The upper header 14 of each evaporation unit of the evaporation unit 4 is connected to a corresponding heating heat transfer tube 28 at the upstream end of the heating unit 6 via a connection pipe 38, and gas vaporized in the evaporation unit 4, for example, natural gas Is fed from the upper header 14 to the heating heat transfer tube 28 of the heating unit 6 through the connection tube 38. Further, a gas supply pipe 40 extends from the heating heat transfer pipe 28 at the downstream end of the heating unit 6, and these gas supply pipes 40 are connected and extend downstream, and are heated in the heating unit 6. The gas is fed downstream through the gas feed pipe 40.

  In addition, about the connection mode of the heat exchanger tube 10 for vaporization in the evaporation part 4, the appropriate connection mode which can vaporize liquefied gas as needed may be sufficient, for example, like the heating part 6, liquefied gas is serially connected. You may make it connect so that it may flow. Moreover, the connection mode of the heating heat transfer tube 28 in the heating unit 6 may be an appropriate connection mode that can heat the vaporized gas to a desired temperature. You may make it connect so that it may flow in parallel.

  In the vaporizer 2, a heating unit 44 and a blower unit 46 are provided to defrost frost adhering to the vaporization heat transfer tube 10 of the evaporation unit 4. The illustrated heating means 44 includes a heat exchanger 48. A heating hot water boiler 50 is provided in association with the heat exchanger 48, and fuel such as city gas and LP gas is supplied to the hot water boiler 50 through the fuel supply line 52, and combustion air passes through the combustion air supply line 54. Hot water is supplied to the heated hot water boiler 50, and hot water is generated by the combustion of fuel. The heated hot water boiler 50 and the heat exchanger 48 are connected via a hot water circulation pipe 56. A hot water circulation pump 58 is disposed in the hot water circulation pipe 56, and the hot water generated in the heated hot water boiler 50 is indicated by an arrow. As shown, the hot water circulation pump 58 circulates through the hot water circulation pipe 56 and the heat exchanger 48.

  1 is disposed on one side (right side in FIGS. 1 and 2) of the evaporating unit 4 and a suction fan 62 for sucking outside air and a blower fan 64 for sucking and blowing outside air. The first blower housing 65 and the second blower housing 67 disposed on the other side (left side in FIGS. 1 and 2) of the evaporator 4 are provided, and the blower fan 64 and the heat exchanger 48 are connected to the suction duct. 62 is disposed. The downstream side of the suction duct 62 is branched into two, one of which is connected to the first blower housing 65 via the first blower duct 66, and the other is connected to the second blower housing 67 via the second blower duct 68. The air sucked from the suction duct 62 is fed to the first blower housing 65 via the first blower duct 66 by the action of the blower fan 64, and is supplied to the first via the second blower duct 68. 2 is fed to the blower housing 67.

  The first blower housing 65 has a box-shaped first housing main body 70, and one side surface of the first housing main body 70 (a surface facing the second blower housing 67) has a predetermined direction (in FIGS. 1 and 2). A plurality of (three in this embodiment) first projecting housings 71 extending leftward are provided at intervals in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The second blower housing 67 also has a box-shaped second housing main body 72, and one side surface of the second housing main body 72 (surface facing the first blower housing 65) has a direction opposite to a predetermined direction (see FIG. A plurality of second projecting housings 73 extending to the right in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 (three in this embodiment) are provided at intervals in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

  The plurality of first projecting housings 71 of the first air blowing housing 65 and the plurality of second projecting housings 73 of the second air blowing housing 67 are disposed below the evaporation unit housing 8 of the evaporation unit 4. The second protruding housings 73 are alternately arranged in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, the leading ends of the first protruding housings 71 extend to the one side surface of the second housing body 72, and the leading ends of the second protruding housings 73 are The first housing body 70 extends to the one side surface. The upper and lower surfaces of the first and second projecting housings 71 and 73 are opened, and thus the flow of air through the first and second projecting housings 71 and 73 is allowed. The upper ends (upper surfaces) of the first and second projecting housings 71 and 73 of the first and second blower housings 65 and 67 are connected to the lower opening 18 of the evaporation unit housing 8.

  Inside these first and second projecting housings 71 and 73, a guide plate 76 is provided with an interval in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the guide plate 76 in the first projecting housing 71 is located to the left in FIG. The guide plate 76 in the second projecting housing 73 is curved and extended upward in an arc shape, guides the air flowing in the first projecting housing 71 in a predetermined direction upward toward the evaporating unit 4. Although not shown, it is curved and extends upward in the arc shape toward the right in FIG. 1, and guides the air flowing in the second projecting housing 73 in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction upward toward the evaporation unit 4. .

  Next, vaporization of liquefied gas (for example, liquefied natural gas) using the vaporizer 2 described above will be described with reference to FIGS. When the liquefied gas is vaporized, the vaporizing operation for vaporizing the liquefied gas and the deicing operation for defrosting the frost adhering to the evaporation unit 4 are alternately performed.

  Referring mainly to FIG. 5, when the liquefied gas is vaporized, first, the liquefied gas is vaporized (step S1). In this vaporization operation, the on-off valve 22 is opened (step S2), and liquefied gas from a liquefied gas supply source (not shown) passes through the liquefied gas supply pipe 20 and the branch pipes 21 and 23 in the evaporator 4. The liquefied gas is vaporized by being fed to each lower header 12. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the liquefied gas fed to each lower header 12 flows upward toward the upper header 14 through the plurality of vaporization heat transfer tubes 10, and flows upward through the vaporization heat transfer tubes 10. In the meantime, heat exchange is performed with the air in the evaporator housing 8, and the liquefied gas is vaporized by this heat exchange. The vaporized gas flows upward to the upper header 14 and is fed from the upper header 14 to the heating unit 6. At this time, the air in the evaporation unit housing 8 is cooled by heat exchange and flows downward. Accordingly, the air flow at this time is as shown by arrows in FIG. Is introduced from the upper opening 16 and flows downward in the evaporation unit housing 8, and from the lower opening 18 to the outside through the first and second projecting housings 71 and 73 of the first and second blowing housings 65 and 67 of the blowing means 46. The liquefied gas is vaporized using natural convection.

  The gas vaporized in the evaporation unit 4 is supplied from the upper header 14 to the heating unit 6 and flows downstream through a plurality of heating heat transfer tubes 28 corresponding to the respective evaporation units. Heat exchange is performed with the air in the heating unit housing 26 while flowing through the heat pipe 28. By this heat exchange, the vaporized gas is heated to a desired temperature, and is further fed downstream. The At this time, the air in the heating unit housing 26 is cooled by heat exchange and flows downward. Accordingly, as with the air flow in the evaporation unit 4, as shown by the arrows in FIG. The gas is introduced from the upper opening 34 of the warming part housing 26, flows downward in the warming part housing 26, is discharged to the outside through the lower opening 36, and the vaporized gas is heated using natural convection.

  The vaporization of the liquefied gas is performed for a set vaporization operation time (for example, set to about 4 hours). When the vaporization operation time elapses, the process proceeds from step S3 to step S4, the on-off valve 22 is closed, and the liquefaction gas is liquefied. The gas supply is stopped and the vaporization operation ends. If the vaporization operation is continued for a predetermined time in this way, frost (like frost becomes larger when the frost becomes larger) comes to adhere around the evaporation section 4, specifically, the heat transfer tube 10 for vaporization. Therefore, after the vaporization operation is completed, ice melting for removing this frost is performed (step S5).

  In this deicing operation, the heated hot water boiler 50 is operated (step S6), the hot water circulation pump 58 is operated (step S7), and the hot water generated by the combustion of the fuel is heated by the action of the hot water circulation pump 58. It is circulated through the circulation pipe 56 and the heat exchanger 48. Further, the air blowing means 46 (the air blowing fan 64) is operated, and the outside air is introduced through the suction duct 62, and is forcedly supplied to the downstream side by the action of the air blowing fan 64. Accordingly, the air flow at this time is as shown by arrows in FIG. 4, and the outside air sucked from the suction duct 62 is heated and circulated through the heat exchanger 48 when flowing through the heat exchanger 48. Heat is exchanged between the air and heated (for example, heated to about 30 ° C.), and the warmed air is supplied to the first housing body 70 of the first blower housing 65 through the first blower duct 66. It is fed to the second housing body 72 of the second blower housing 67 through the second blower duct 68. The warm air fed to the first housing body 70 flows through the first protruding housing 71 in the predetermined direction (leftward in FIG. 4), is guided by the guide plate 76, and hits the tip wall of the first protruding housing 71. In this way, the flow of warm air is deflected upward. Further, the warm air supplied to the second housing main body 72 flows through the second projecting housing 73 in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction (rightward in FIG. 4), is guided by the guide plate 76, and is also second projected. It hits the tip wall of the housing 73, and the flow of warm air in the second feed housing 67 is also deflected upward in this way. Accordingly, the warm air warmed by the heat exchanger 48 is supplied from the opposite side of the evaporation section housing 8, so that the warm air is mixed to bring the inside of the evaporation section housing 8 into a substantially uniform temperature state. Then, it flows from below to above and is forced convection. Therefore, the frost adhering around the vaporization heat transfer tube 10 is defrosted by the hot air flowing upward, and the adhering frost can be defrosted efficiently and in a short time, and the outside air in winter has cooled (for example, The ice can be melted even when the outside air is 0 ° C. or less, and can be provided as a vaporizer for cold regions. Further, since the warm air flows in the evaporation unit housing 8 in a substantially uniform temperature state, the frost adhering to the plurality of vaporization heat transfer tubes 10 can be defrosted almost simultaneously, and the defrosting is performed very efficiently. be able to.

  The defrosting of the adhering frost is performed for a set defrosting operation time (for example, set to about 30 minutes), and when the defrosting operation time elapses, the process proceeds from step S9 to step S10. The hot water circulation pump 58 is stopped (step S11), and the air blowing means 46 (the air blowing fan 64) is stopped. Thus, the ice-removing operation is completed. When the ice-breaking operation is continued for a predetermined time in this way, the frost attached around the evaporator 4, specifically, the vaporizing heat transfer tube 10 disappears, and the vaporizing heat transfer tube 10 recovers to its original state, Returning to step S1, the vaporization operation is resumed.

  In the vaporizer 2 described above, natural convection is used when the liquefied gas is vaporized, and forced convection using warm air is used when the frost is melted. Therefore, the operating time of the blower means 46 (blower fan 64) is shortened. Thus, the operating cost can be reduced, the noise generation time can be reduced, and frost can be defrosted in winter.

  In the embodiment described above, warm air is generated by the heating means 44 when the frost is thawed, and this warm air is supplied into the evaporation unit housing 8. For example, the ambient temperature in summer is high (for example, When the temperature is 5 ° C. or higher), the heating means 44 is not operated even during defrosting, and only the air blowing means 46 is operated to supply the outside air into the evaporation section housing 8 and the frost is dissolved using forced convection of the outside air. Ice may be performed. In this case, the outside air sucked from the suction duct 62 is supplied from a predetermined direction through the first projecting housing 71 of the first blower housing 65 and also in a predetermined direction through the second projecting housing 73 of the second blower housing 67. Since the air is fed from the opposite direction, as described above, the air flows almost uniformly in the evaporating section housing 8, the frost is efficiently defrosted by the air flow, and the heating means 44 does not operate. The operating cost can be further reduced by that amount.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, with reference to FIG.6 and FIG.7, the vaporization apparatus of the liquefied gas of 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a liquefied gas vaporizer according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the evaporation unit of the liquefied gas vaporizer illustrated in FIG. 6 as viewed from above. In the liquefied gas vaporizer according to the second embodiment, the blower is modified. In the second embodiment, substantially the same members as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  6 and 7, in the illustrated liquefied gas vaporizer 2 </ b> A, the evaporation section 4 includes a cylindrical evaporation section housing 8 extending in the vertical direction, and a lower opening 18 is provided at the lower end of the evaporation section housing 8. And an upper opening 16 is defined at the open upper end.

  In this second embodiment, the air blowing means 46A is a first air blower disposed on the lower side of one side portion (right side portion in FIGS. 6 and 7) of the air blowing fan 64 and the evaporation portion housing 8. A housing 65A and a second blower housing 67A disposed on the lower side of the other side (the left side in FIGS. 6 and 7) of the evaporation part housing 8 are provided, and branch into two from the downstream end of the suction duct 62 One side is connected to the first air blowing housing 65A via the first air blowing duct 66, and the other side is connected to the second air blowing housing 67A via the second air blowing duct 68.

  The first blower housing 65A has a box-shaped first housing main body 70A, and the first housing main body 70A is centered in a predetermined direction (leftward in FIGS. 6 and 7) below the evaporation section housing 8. It extends to. The second blower housing 67A has a box-shaped second blower housing main body 72A, and the second housing main body 72A is located on the lower side of the evaporation unit housing 8 in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction (in FIGS. 6 and 7). It extends to the center on the right. The portions of the first and second housing bodies 70A and 72A corresponding to the lower opening 18 of the evaporation section housing 8 are open at the upper and lower surfaces. Therefore, the air passing through the first and second housing bodies 70A and 72A is opened. Vertical flow is allowed. Note that upper ends (upper surfaces) of predetermined portions of the first and second housing main bodies 70 </ b> A and 72 </ b> A are connected to the lower opening 18 of the evaporation unit housing 8.

  Inside these first and second housing main bodies 70A and 72A, a guide plate 76A is provided at intervals in the air flow direction, as in the first embodiment, and guides in the first housing main body 70A are provided. The plate 76A extends in an arcuate shape upwardly toward the left in FIG. 6, guides the air flowing in the predetermined direction in the first housing body 70A upward toward the evaporation unit 4, and the second housing The guide plate 76 in the main body 72A is curved and extends upward in the arc shape toward the right in FIG. 6, and the air flowing in the second housing main body 72A in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction is directed upward to the evaporation unit 4. I will guide you. Other configurations of the second embodiment are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

  Also in the second embodiment, during the ice-breaking operation, the heated hot water boiler 50, the hot water circulation pump 58, and the blower means 46A (the blower fan 64) are operated, and the outside air is introduced through the suction duct 62, and the action of the blower fan 64 is achieved. Thus, the hot air heated by the heating means 44 is fed. In other words, the warm air heated by the heating means 44 is supplied to the first housing body 70A of the first air blowing housing 65A through the first air blowing duct 66, and also through the second air blowing duct 68, the second air blowing housing 67A. It is fed to the second housing body 72A. The warm air supplied to the first housing body 70A flows in the predetermined direction (leftward in FIGS. 6 and 7), is guided by the guide plate 76A, and hits the front end wall of the first housing body 70A. Thus, the flow of warm air is deflected upward. Further, the warm air supplied to the second housing main body 72A flows in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction (rightward in FIGS. 6 and 7), is guided by the guide plate 76A, and the second housing main body 72A In this way, the flow of the warm air in the second feeding housing 67A is deflected upward as it hits the tip wall. Therefore, since the warm air heated by the heating means 44 is supplied from the opposite side of the evaporation unit housing 8 in the second embodiment, the warm air is mixed and the inside of the evaporation unit housing 8 is mixed. It becomes an almost uniform temperature state and flows upward from below and forced convection. Accordingly, also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment described above, the frost adhering to the periphery of the vaporization heat transfer tube 10 is defrosted by the hot air flowing upward, and the defrosting of frost is efficiently performed. It can be done in a short time.

  In the second embodiment (also in the first embodiment), a guide plate or the like is provided as necessary so that the warm air from the heating means 44 flows in the first housing body 70A in a predetermined direction. In addition, a guide plate can be provided as necessary so that the warm air from the heating means 44 flows in the second housing main body 72A in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of the vaporization apparatus according to this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this Embodiment, A various deformation | transformation thru | or correction | amendment are possible without deviating from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the heat exchanger 48 is used as the heating means 44 for generating the hot air. However, instead of the heat exchanger 48, a combustion burner or the like may be used. The hot air is generated by the combustion exhaust gas from the combustion burner.

  Further, for example, in the illustrated embodiment, natural convection is used without operating the air blowing means 46 (the air blowing fan 64) when vaporizing the liquefied gas. However, the air blowing means 46 is operated to draw outside air from the suction duct 62. The inhaled outside air is supplied to the evaporation unit housing 8 through the first and second blower housings 70 and 72 (70A and 72A) and flows upward from below, and the liquefied gas is vaporized using forced convection of the outside air. You may make it do.

  This vaporizer can be applied to vaporize a liquefied gas (for example, liquefied natural gas). By using this vaporizer, the operation cost can be reduced with a relatively simple configuration. In particular, since warm air is used to defrost frost adhering to the evaporation section, it can be defrosted even in winter in a cold region (environmental temperature is 0 ° C. or lower). Can be applied conveniently.

It is a figure which shows simply the vaporization apparatus of the liquefied gas of 1st Embodiment. It is the simplified sectional view which looked at the evaporation part housing of the liquefied gas vaporization device of Drawing 1 from the top. It is a simplified diagram explaining the flow of the air at the time of the vaporization driving | operation of the vaporizer of FIG. It is a simplified diagram explaining the flow of the warm air at the time of deicing operation of the vaporizer of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement flow of the vaporization apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows simply the vaporization apparatus of the liquefied gas of 2nd Embodiment. It is the simplified sectional view which looked at the evaporation part housing of the liquefied gas vaporization device of Drawing 6 from the top.

Explanation of symbols

2,2A Vaporizer 4 Evaporating section 6 Heating section 8, 8A Evaporating section housing 10 Evaporating heat transfer tube 26 Heating section housing 28 Heating heat transfer tube 44 Heating means 46 Blower means 48 Heat exchanger 62 Suction duct 64 Blower fan 65, 65A 1st ventilation housing 66 1st ventilation duct 67, 67A 2nd ventilation housing 68 2nd ventilation duct 70, 70A 1st housing main body 71 1st protrusion housing 72, 72A 2nd housing main body 73 2nd protrusion housing

Claims (5)

An evaporation unit for vaporizing the liquefied gas, a heating unit for heating the gas vaporized in the evaporation unit, a blowing means for blowing air through the evaporation unit, and heating for generating hot air Means and
The air blowing means directs air from the air blowing fan, the first and second air blowing housings disposed below the evaporation unit, and the air from the air blowing fan to the first air blowing housing. A first air duct, and a second air duct for guiding air from the air fan to the second air housing.
When defrosting the frost adhering to the evaporation unit, the blower fan and the heating unit are operated, and the warm air heated by the heating unit is operated by the blower fan to cause the first blower duct and the first fan to be defrosted. 1 is sent from the predetermined direction through the blower housing to the lower part of the evaporation unit, and is fed from the direction opposite to the predetermined direction through the second blower duct and the second blower housing to the lower part of the evaporation unit. Characterized liquefied gas vaporizer.   The first blower housing of the blowing means is disposed below one side of the evaporation unit, and the second blower housing is disposed below the other side of the evaporation unit, and the heating is performed when the ice is melted. The warm air heated by the means is supplied to the lower part of the evaporation section from the predetermined direction through the first air duct and the first air housing by the action of the air fan, and the second air duct and 2. The liquefied gas vaporizer according to claim 1, wherein the liquefied gas vaporizer is supplied to the lower portion of the evaporation section from a direction opposite to the predetermined direction through the second blower housing.   The first blower housing of the blower means has a first housing body to which the first blower duct is connected, and a first projecting housing extending in a comb shape from the first housing body in the predetermined direction, The second blower housing has a second housing body to which the second blower duct is connected, and a second projecting housing extending from the second housing body in a comb-teeth shape in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, The first projecting housing of the one blower housing and the second projecting housing of the second blower housing are alternately arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction below the evaporation section, Sometimes the warm air heated by the heating means passes through the first housing body of the first air duct and the first air housing by the action of the air blowing fan. It is fed from the first projecting housing to the lower part of the evaporating part, and from the second projecting housing to the lower part of the evaporating part through the second air duct and the second housing body of the second air blowing housing. The liquefied gas vaporizer according to claim 1.   The blower fan and the heating means are arranged in a suction duct, and the heating means is composed of a heat exchanger arranged in the suction duct, and includes hot water flowing through the heat exchanger and air flowing through the suction duct. The hot air is generated by exchanging heat between the two, and the generated hot air is fed from the predetermined direction through the first blower duct and the first blower housing to the lower part of the evaporation unit, and the second blower duct 4. The liquefied gas vaporizer according to claim 1, wherein the liquefied gas vaporizer is supplied to the lower part of the evaporation section from a direction opposite to the predetermined direction through the second blower housing. 5.   The blower fan is activated when the liquefied gas is vaporized in the evaporation unit, and air from the blower fan is sent from the predetermined direction through the first blower duct and the first blower housing to the lower part of the evaporation unit. It is supplied to the downward direction of the said evaporation part from the direction opposite to the said predetermined direction through the said 2nd ventilation duct and the said 2nd ventilation housing while being supplied. Liquefied gas vaporizer.

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