JP2007330937A - Gas-liquid separation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gas-liquid separation apparatus with a simple structure and capable of closing a liquid discharge port and a gas discharge port. <P>SOLUTION: A float 24 floating on a liquid oil LO is installed in a gas-liquid separation chamber 16 of a separation apparatus main body 14. The float 24 closes a liquid discharge port 18 when it descends due to the liquid surface descent of the liquid oil LO and closes a gas discharge port 20 when it ascends due to the liquid surface ascent of the liquid oil LO. Since the single float 24 can close either one of the liquid discharge port 18 and the gas discharge port corresponding to the liquid surface state of the liquid oil LO and neither a member nor a structure is needed for respectively closing both of the liquid discharge port 18 and the gas discharge port 20, the structure can be simplified. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas-liquid separator.

  As a gas-liquid separator that separates gas and liquid from a gas-liquid mixture, Patent Document 1 describes a gas-liquid separator provided with a float valve that opens and closes a drain passage. Patent Document 2 describes a gas-liquid separation device in which a gas suction port is closed by a float valve.

By the way, the structure which can block | close these with a simple structure is not proposed in the gas-liquid separation apparatus provided with both the drainage port and the exhaust port.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-72493 Japanese Patent No. 2917255

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a gas-liquid separator capable of closing a drainage port and an exhaust port with a simple structure.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the gas-liquid mixture is accommodated in the interior, the separator main body including a gas-liquid separation chamber that separates the gas-liquid mixture into gas and liquid, and the liquid in the gas-liquid separation chamber It has a float that moves according to the amount and can close either the drain port for discharging the liquid or the exhaust port for discharging the gas.

  That is, in this gas-liquid separation device, the float moves according to the amount of liquid in the gas-liquid separation chamber, and closes either the drain port or the exhaust port. In other words, the float doubles as a member that closes the drain port and a member that closes the exhaust port. Since both the drainage port and the exhaust port can be closed by a single float, the structure is simple.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a first capacity that is a capacity of a gas in the separation device main body when the float closes the exhaust port, and the float When the first capacity gas is accommodated in the gas-liquid separation chamber of the second capacity, the relationship between the second capacity, which is the capacity of the gas in the main body of the separation apparatus when the drainage port is closed. The pressure is set to be equal to or lower than the pressure for releasing the float closing the discharge port from the discharge port.

  Therefore, when the float is drained from the state where the exhaust port is closed, the volume in the separation device body increases from the first volume to the second volume, but the gas pressure in the gas-liquid separation chamber is It gradually gets smaller. The pressure when the first volume of gas is accommodated in the second volume of the gas-liquid separation chamber is set to be equal to or lower than the pressure at which the float closing the discharge port is separated from the discharge port. Therefore, even if the float is pressed against the exhaust port with the pressure in the gas-liquid separation chamber, the float can be separated from the discharge port by the pressure drop in the gas-liquid separation chamber until the drainage is completed.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1 or 2, it has a guide member for guiding the float to the discharge port when moving to the discharge port closed position. To do.

  Since the float is guided to the discharge port by the guide member when moving to the discharge port closing position, the discharge port can be reliably closed.

  Since the present invention has the above configuration, the drainage port and the exhaust port can be closed with a simple structure.

  FIG. 1 shows a gas-liquid separator 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As an example, the gas-liquid separator 12 is applied to an automobile using compressed natural gas (CNG), and is disposed in a pipe between a gas filling port of the automobile and a fuel tank (both not shown). The That is, in the compressed natural gas filled from the gas filling port, a mist (liquid) oil component may be present (the gas-liquid mixture according to the present invention). In order to separate the oil component from the gaseous gas, the gas-liquid separator 12 is used.

  The gas-liquid separator 12 has a substantially cylindrical separator main body 14. In the present embodiment, the separation device main body 14 is formed in a hollow, substantially cylindrical shape. The interior of the separation device main body 14 is a gas-liquid separation chamber 16, and a drain port 18 that discharges liquid at the lower end and an exhaust port 20 that discharges gas at the upper end are provided. Furthermore, a gas inlet 22 for introducing a compressed natural gas (containing a mist-like oil component) into the gas-liquid separation chamber 16 is provided at the upper part of the side surface. The high-pressure compressed natural gas sent from the filling facility is introduced into the gas-liquid separation chamber 16 through the gas inlet 22. Then, by colliding directly with the wall surface, a mist-like oil component is extracted, falls in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16, and accumulates as liquid oil (hereinafter, this liquid oil is particularly shown as liquid oil LO).

  A float 24 that floats on the liquid oil LO is provided in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16. The float 24 is formed in a spherical shape having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the drain port 18 and the inner diameter of the exhaust port 20, and when the float 24 also descends due to the liquid level drop of the liquid oil LO, as shown in FIG. The mouth is closed, and the drainage port 18 is closed. Further, when the float 24 also rises due to the rise in the liquid oil LO level, the exhaust port is closed as shown in FIG. When the float 24 closes the exhaust port 20, a sensor of a control device (not shown) detects this. The control device notifies the filling operator of this by lighting a lamp (not shown) or the like (or by voice notification).

  A lower portion of the separation device main body 14 is a tapered portion 14T whose diameter is gradually reduced toward the drain port 18, and guides the descending float 24 to the drain port closing position.

  A flat cylindrical guide wall 26 that surrounds the exhaust port 20 from the outside is formed at the upper end of the gas-liquid separation chamber 16. The guide wall 26 guides the rising float 24 to the exhaust port closed position. Furthermore, the gas introduced from the gas inlet 22 directly collides with a part of the guide wall 26, thereby enhancing the gas-liquid separation effect.

  As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the lowermost end portion of the drainage port 18 is a cylindrical portion 28 having a substantially constant diameter, and is opened and closed from the outside of the separation device main body 14 by the lid member 30. ing. That is, the female screw formed on the lid member 30 is screwed into the male screw formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 28, and the drainage port 18 is closed. When the lid member 30 is loosened, the liquid discharge port 18 is opened, and the liquid oil LO can be discharged. In FIG. 2, the lid member 30 is completely separated from the cylindrical portion 28. However, the liquid oil LO can be discharged only by loosening the lid member 30 without separating the lid member 30 in this way.

  A projection 32 that protrudes upward is formed at the center of the lid member 30. The length of the protrusion 32 is determined so that when the lid member 30 is screwed into the cylindrical portion 28 and rises in a state where the float 24 closes the drainage port 18, the protrusion 32 hits the float 24 and pushes up.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3, when the liquid level of the liquid oil LO rises and the float 24 closes the exhaust port 20, it is above the liquid level of the liquid oil LO in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16. The capacity (first capacity) of the space GS is V1, and the pressure is P1. This pressure P1 is equal to the filling pressure when filling with compressed natural gas. Further, when the liquid level of the liquid oil LO is lowered and the float 24 closes the drain port 18, the volume (second volume) of the space GS in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16 is V2, and the pressure is P2. To do. At this time, in the present embodiment, for the first capacitor V1 and the second capacitor V2,
P2 = P1 · V1 / V2
Is established.

  When the liquid level of the liquid oil LO falls from the state where the float 24 closes the exhaust port 20, the volume of the space GS in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16 also changes from the first capacity V1 to the second capacity V2. It spreads. As the gas spreads in this way, the pressure gradually decreases. The pressure remains higher than the atmospheric pressure until the volume of the space GS reaches the second capacity V2, and the pressure becomes the atmospheric pressure when the volume of the space GS reaches the second capacity V2.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
In order to separate the compressed natural gas into gas and liquid, as shown in FIG. 1, the drainage port 18 is closed with a lid member 30, and compressed natural gas sent from a filling facility (not shown) is supplied from the gas inlet port 22. It introduces into the gas-liquid separation chamber 16. Here, when the compressed natural gas has a liquid (mist-like) oil component, it collides with the inner surface of the gas-liquid separation chamber 16 and is separated from the compressed natural gas which is a gas. In particular, in this embodiment, the compressed natural gas directly collides with the guide wall 26, so that gas-liquid separation can be performed efficiently.

  The separated gaseous compressed natural gas is discharged from the exhaust port 20 and sent to a fuel tank (not shown). The separated liquid oil accumulates in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16 as the liquid oil LO. The gas in the space GS above the liquid surface of the liquid oil LO has a pressure corresponding to the filling pressure.

  Here, when the lid member 30 that closes the drainage port 18 is loosened, the liquid oil LO is discharged from the drainage port 18 by being pushed by the gas pressure in the space GS. Since the liquid oil LO is pushed out from the liquid discharge port 18 by the high-pressure compressed natural gas, even the highly viscous liquid oil LO can be reliably discharged. Moreover, since the pressure of the gas-liquid separator 12 itself is used and no other pressure source is required, the structure is not complicated.

  When the liquid oil LO is discharged and the liquid level is lowered, the float 24 is also lowered. As shown in FIG. 2, the float 24 closes the liquid discharge port 18, and the discharge of the liquid oil LO is stopped. Since the float 24 closes the drainage port 18 before the liquid oil LO is completely discharged, the compressed natural gas in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16 is prevented from being released into the atmosphere.

  In this state where the float 24 closes the drain port 18, atmospheric pressure acts on the float 24 from the outside, whereas from the gas-liquid separation chamber 16, a high pressure of compressed natural gas is applied. Therefore, the float 24 is strongly pressed against the drainage port 18 (strictly speaking, the inner surface of the tapered portion 14T). When the lid member 30 is closed here, the protrusion 32 of the lid member 30 pushes the float 24 upward, so that the pressing to the drainage port 18 is released. Therefore, when the liquid oil LO accumulates again in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16, it can be re-floated.

  When there is a large amount of liquid oil in the compressed natural gas sent from the filling facility, the float 24 is exhausted by raising the liquid level of the liquid oil LO before the cover member 30 is loosened and the drain port 18 is opened. Since 20 is closed, no further filling is possible. This reliably prevents liquid oil from entering a fuel tank (not shown). At this time, a control device (not shown) detects that the float 24 has closed the exhaust port 20 (substantially no filling is possible) and notifies the filling operator. In this state, the capacity and pressure of the space GS are V1 (first capacity) and P1 (pressure equal to the filling pressure), respectively.

When the lid member 30 is loosened in this state and the liquid oil LO is discharged from the liquid discharge port 18, the volume of the space GS expands, but the pressure decreases because the exhaust port 20 is closed by the float 24. Here, in the present embodiment, as described above, when the float 24 closes the drain port 18, the capacity (second capacity) of the space GS in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16 is V2, and the pressure is P2. ,
P2 = P1 · V1 / V2
Is established. Before the volume of the space GS in the gas-liquid separation chamber 16 reaches the second capacity V2, the pressure is higher than the atmospheric pressure, so that the liquid oil LO can be discharged from the drain port 18 without delay.

  At this time, the pressure from the exhaust port 20 to the fuel tank (not shown) is the pressure before the filling operation, and this pressure is smaller than the filling pressure and larger than the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the float 24 (see the float 24 indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) that has closed the exhaust port 20 while the pressure of the space GS drops from the filling pressure to the atmospheric pressure is It is pushed by this pressure (actually gravity acts on the float 24) and falls (see the float 24 shown by a solid line in FIG. 4)). The fallen float 24 floats on the liquid oil LO, and thereafter the drainage port 18 can be closed. In order to reliably drop the float 24 in this way, it is sufficient that the pressure is at atmospheric pressure by the time when the volume of the space GS reaches the second capacity V2 at the latest. That is, the configuration may be such that the pressure of the space GS becomes atmospheric pressure before the volume of the space GS becomes the second capacity V2.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, either the drain port 18 or the exhaust port can be blocked by the single float 24 according to the liquid level of the liquid oil LO. That is, the float 24 serves as a member that closes the drain port 18 and a member that closes the exhaust port 20. Since a member or structure for closing corresponding to both the drain port 18 and the exhaust port 20 is not required, the structure is simple.

  In the above, as an application example of the gas-liquid separation device of the present invention, one applied to an automobile using compressed natural gas (CNG) has been described, but the application target is not limited thereto. The gas-liquid mixture that is subject to gas-liquid separation is not limited to compressed natural gas used in automobiles.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the gas-liquid separation apparatus of one Embodiment of this invention in the state which floated in the liquid oil of a gas-liquid separation chamber. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the gas-liquid separator of one Embodiment of this invention in the state which the float obstruct | occluded the drainage port. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the gas-liquid separation apparatus of one Embodiment of this invention in the state which the float obstruct | occluded the exhaust port. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the gas-liquid separation apparatus of one Embodiment of this invention in the state which the float which obstruct | occluded the exhaust port falls.

Explanation of symbols

12 Gas-liquid separator 14 Separator main body 14T Taper part 16 Gas-liquid separation chamber 18 Drain port 20 Exhaust port 22 Gas inlet 24 Float 26 Guide wall (guide member)
28 Cylindrical part 30 Lid member 32 Projection LO Liquid oil

Claims (3)

A separator main body having a gas-liquid separation chamber for separating the gas-liquid mixture into gas and liquid when the gas-liquid mixture is accommodated therein;
A float that moves according to the amount of liquid in the gas-liquid separation chamber, and that can block either a drain port for discharging the liquid or an exhaust port for discharging the gas;
A gas-liquid separation device comprising:   A first volume that is a volume of gas in the separation device main body when the float is blocking the exhaust port; and a first capacity that is a volume of gas in the separation device main body when the float is blocking the drainage port. The relationship between the second volume, which is the volume of the gas, is such that the pressure when the first volume of gas is accommodated in the gas-liquid separation chamber of the second volume is less than the pressure at which the float closing the discharge port is released from the discharge port. The gas-liquid separation device according to claim 1, wherein the gas-liquid separation device is set to be A guide member for guiding the float to the outlet when moving to the outlet closing position;
The gas-liquid separation device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising:

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