JP2021020147A - Gas separation apparatus and maintenance service system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a gas separation apparatus capable of notifying a user of abnormality and the like in an early stage.SOLUTION: The gas separation apparatus comprises: a compressor compressing air; an air tank storing the compressed air compressed by the compressor; an adsorption tank adsorbing a part of the compressed air stored in the air tank; a product gas storage tank storing a product gas not stored in the adsorption tank; a control unit controlling the action of the adsorption tank; pressure detection means detecting pressure in the tank; and a communication part. In the control unit, a maximum value or a minimum value before updating is left when the maximum value or the minimum value is updated and detection pressure when updating and the maximum value or the minimum value including the maximum value or the minimum value before updating are determined. The communication part communicates with the outside on the data of the maximum value or the minimum value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a gas separator.

Patent Document 1 is a background of this technical field. Patent Document 1 is equipped with various abnormality detecting means, and controls to stop the oxygen concentrator when the detected result is out of a predetermined range. Further, in Patent Document 1, an abnormality is determined by detection by each sensor such as an oxygen sensor and a pressure sensor, and when the oxygen concentration or the pressure value exceeds the abnormality determination threshold, an abnormality or an alarm is issued to the user or the like. It is stated to inform that that is occurring.

JP-A-2007-190314

Patent Document 1 does not suggest a technique for remotely monitoring sensor information and providing maintenance services such as failure diagnosis using IoT (Internet of Things).

When using IoT to remotely monitor sensor information and perform maintenance services such as failure diagnosis, data communication is limited in consideration of cost, such as once every 30 minutes for the time interval and frequency of data communication. Will be done. In this case, since the pressure of the pressure data of the gas separator fluctuates about every 1 minute of the adsorption cycle, the instantaneous pressure value at that time is sent to the server once every 30 minutes.

In addition, data such as maximum and minimum values should be updated on the device side at appropriate intervals in order to avoid sending old detection values that are not in the latest operating state to the server.

However, when the communication timing for communicating data between the device side and the cloud and the data update timing overlap, data such as relatively new maximum and minimum values are not sent, and data that is not the maximum or minimum value is sent to the server. May occur. When such a situation occurs, it is not possible to correctly detect the pressure abnormality of the gas separator and the sign of the pressure abnormality by remote monitoring.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gas separation device and a maintenance service system capable of promptly notifying a user or the like of an abnormality.

As a preferable example of the present invention,
A compressor that compresses air, an air tank that stores compressed air compressed by the compressor, an adsorption tank that adsorbs a part of the compressed air stored in the air tank, and the adsorption tank. It is provided with a product gas storage tank for storing product gas that has not been adsorbed, a control unit for controlling the operation of the adsorption tank, a pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure in the tank, and a communication unit.
The control unit
When updating the maximum value or the minimum value
The maximum value or the minimum value before the update is left, and the maximum value or the minimum value is determined by including the detection pressure at the time of the update and the maximum value or the minimum value before the update.
The communication unit
It is a gas separation device that communicates with the outside about the data of the maximum value or the minimum value.

According to the present invention, it is possible to notify the user or the like of an abnormality at an early stage.

It is an overall block diagram which shows the gas separation apparatus in Example 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram of the maintenance service system including a gas separator. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the pressure detected by the pressure detecting means, and time.

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The overall configuration of the PSA type gas separator in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The gas separation device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a PSA type gas separation device. The gas separation device 1 is composed of an air supply unit 2 for supplying air and a PSA unit 3 for generating product gas.

In this embodiment, the air supply unit 2 and the PSA unit 3 are separately stored as an example, but the above two units may be stored in the same housing.

This air supply unit dehumidifies a compressor 4 that compresses air, an inverter circuit 10 (including capacity control and number control) for capacity control, an air tank 5 that stores compressed air, and compressed air. It has an air dryer 6 and a drain filter 7 that removes impurities while collecting the precipitated drain water. In this embodiment, as an example, the compressor 4, the air tank 5, the air dryer 6, and the drain filter 7 are housed in a housing.

On the other hand, the PSA unit 3 has an adsorption tank A19A and an adsorption tank B19B that generate a product gas by separating a predetermined gas from the compressed air supplied from the air supply unit 2, and nitrogen that stores the product gas (nitrogen). It has a tank (product gas storage tank) 41.

The compressed air stored in the air tank 5 is supplied to the adsorption tank A19A and the suction tank B19B described later, and a predetermined gas is separated from the compressed air stored in the air tank 5. In this embodiment, a case where nitrogen is separated by adsorbing oxygen in the adsorption tank A19A and the adsorption tank B19B will be described. However, oxygen may be separated by adsorbing nitrogen, or compressed air other than the atmosphere. It may be the one that separates other gases from.

As the compressor 4, a reciprocating type, screw type or scroll type compressor, a booster compressor in which a primary pressure is supplied from the outside and recompressed, and the like are used.

A pipe 16 for flowing compressed air from the air tank 5 is connected to the air tank 5, and pipes 17A and 17B branched into two systems are connected to the terminal positions of the pipe 16. The pipes 17A and 17B are provided with supply valves 18A and 18B for opening and closing the flow path, respectively, and the adsorption tank A19A and the adsorption tank B19B for adsorbing oxygen molecules and taking out nitrogen gas as a product gas, respectively. It is connected.

The volume of this adsorption tank is constant. Further, the pipes 17A and 17B are connected to the pipes 21A and 21B at positions between the supply valves 18A and 18B and the suction tanks A19A and B19B, respectively, and the pipes 21A and 21B have flow paths in the middle. The exhaust valves 22A and 22B that open and close the air are provided with an exhaust silencer 23 having a muffling filter at the terminal.

This exhaust silencer may be provided for each of the adsorption tanks A19A and B19B. Further, the pipes 25A and 25B are connected to the pipes 17A and 17B so as to connect the positions between the pipes 21A and 21B and the suction tank A19A and the suction tank B19B, and the flow paths are connected to the pipes 25A and 25B. Lower pressure equalizing valves 26A and 26B are provided to open and close.

The adsorption tank A19A and the adsorption tank B19B are filled with, for example, an adsorbent which is an adsorption means for adsorbing oxygen molecules. Specifically, the adsorbent uses molecular sieve carbon, zeolite, or the like. Pipes 31A and 31B that join each other are connected to the suction tank A19A and the suction tank B19B, respectively.

The pipes 32A and 32B are connected to the pipes 31A and 31B so as to connect the suction tanks A19A and the suction tank B19B to each other, and the pipes 32A and 32B are provided with a throttle 33.

Further, pipes 35A and 35B are connected to the pipes 31A and 31B so as to connect the suction tanks A19A and the suction tanks B19B on the opposite sides of the pipes 32A and 32B, and the pipes 35A and 35B flow. Upper pressure equalizing valves 36A and 36B for opening and closing the road are provided.

Further, the pipes 31A and 31B are provided with take-out valves 38A and 38B for opening and closing the flow path on the opposite sides of the suction tank A19A and the suction tank B19B from the pipes 35A and 35B, respectively. A pipe 40 is connected to the confluence position of the pipes 31A and 31B, and a nitrogen tank 41 as a product gas storage tank for storing nitrogen gas is connected to the pipe 40.

A pipe 43 provided with a discharge port 42 is connected to the nitrogen tank 41, and a filter that removes dust and the like and adjusts the gas pressure in order from the nitrogen tank 41 side at an intermediate position of the pipe 43. A regulator 44, a discharge valve 45 for opening and closing the flow path, a flow rate adjusting valve 46 for adjusting the flow rate of the product gas, and a flow rate detecting means 61 for sensing the flow rate of the product gas are provided.

A pipe 48 and a pipe 49 are connected at a position between the filter regulator 44 and the discharge valve 45 of the pipe 43. A flow rate adjusting valve 51 for adjusting the flow rate and a silencer 52 are provided.

The pipe 49 is provided with an on-off valve 54 for opening and closing the flow path, a flow rate adjusting valve 55 for adjusting the gas flow rate, and an oxygen sensor 56 for detecting the oxygen concentration, in order from the pipe 43 side. The oxygen sensor 56 and the flow rate detecting means 61 are communicably connected to the control unit 60, and output a detection signal to the control unit 60. The control unit 60 has a configuration including a CPU (Central Processing Unit). It consists of a microcomputer (Micro controller) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

The control unit 60 receives the detection signal and controls the generation of nitrogen gas in the adsorption tank A19A and the adsorption tank B19B. Specifically, the supply valves 18A and 18B, the exhaust valves 22A and 22B, the lower pressure equalizing valves 26A and 26B, the upper pressure equalizing valves 36A and 36B, the take-out valves 38A and 38B, the discharge valve 45, and the on-off valves 50 and 54 are control units. It is communicatively connected to 60 and operates by a command from the control unit 60.

The air tank 5, the suction tank A19A, the suction tank B19B, and the nitrogen tank 41 are provided with pressure detecting means 63 for detecting the pressure. Further, the gas separation device 1 is provided with a temperature sensor 62 (not shown) for detecting the ambient temperature.

Up to this point, the configuration of the gas separation device 1 has been described, but here, the gas separation method performed in the gas separation device will be described.

In the gas separation device 1, a compression step of compressing air by a compressor 4, a storage step of storing the air compressed by the compression step in an air tank 5, a dehumidification step of dehumidifying compressed air by an air dryer 6, and a dehumidification step of dehumidifying the compressed air. A separation step is performed to separate the gas from the air.

In the separation step of the gas separation device 1, the following steps (a) to (d) are sequentially repeated.

(A) Adsorption / recirculation step: The compressed air compressed by the compressor 4 and stored in the air tank 5 is supplied to the adsorption tanks A19A and B19B filled with the adsorbent by opening the supply valves 18A and 18B. At the same time, the nitrogen gas remaining in the nitrogen tank 41 is returned to the adsorption tank A19A and the adsorption tank B19B by opening the take-out valves 38A and 38B to raise the pressure in the adsorption tank A19A and the adsorption tank B19B, and the pressure is used. The process of adsorbing oxygen molecules on the adsorbent.

(B) Extraction step: Continuing from the adsorption step, compressed air is continuously supplied from the air tank 5 to the adsorption tank A19A and the adsorption tank B19B, and at the same time, the nitrogen gas separated and generated by the adsorbent is discharged into the adsorption tank A19A and the adsorption tank B19B. A step of taking out the gas and storing it in the nitrogen tank 41.

(C) Pressure equalizing step: By opening and closing the upper pressure equalizing valves 36A and 36B and the lower pressure equalizing valves 26A and 26B, the pressure of the pair of suction tanks A19A and suction tank B19B after the completion of the take-out process is equalized, and the suction in the next suction step A process for increasing efficiency and producing higher purity nitrogen gas.

(D) Regeneration step: By opening the exhaust valves 22A and 22B in the adsorption tanks A19A and B19B after the pressure equalization step, the oxygen molecules adsorbed by the adsorbent are desorbed via the pipe 21. The process of regenerating the adsorbent. In this regeneration step, the suction tanks A19A other than the exhaust valves 22A and 22B, the supply valves 18A and 18B related to the suction tanks B19B, the lower pressure equalizing valves 26A and 26B, the upper pressure equalizing valves 36A and 36B, the upper and take-out valves 38A, 38B is in the closed state.

While the adsorption step / take-out step (steps (a) and (b)) is being performed in the adsorption tank A19A, the regeneration step (step (d)) is performed in the suction tank B19B. After that, (c) the pressure equalizing step is performed at the same time, and the adsorption step / take-out step (steps (a) and (b)) and the regeneration step (step (d)) are performed by exchanging the suction tank A19A and the suction tank B19B.

The time of the adsorption / reflux step (a), the take-out step (b), the pressure equalizing step (c), and the regeneration step (d) is combined as the cycle time of the adsorption cycle.

FIG. 2 shows a maintenance service system in which the gas separation device 1 is connected to the gas separation device 1 via a network 100 such as a dedicated line or a mobile network, and the cloud 101 and the user terminal 201 are connected by a network 200. It is a figure which shows. Here, the cloud includes a computer (web server) 102 and a database (DB) 103, and the web server 102 receives data from the gas separation device 1. The user terminal 201 includes a PC (personal computer), a tablet, and a mobile.

When remote monitoring is performed via the cloud 101, the data recorded in the control unit 60 is transmitted from the communication unit 70 to the cloud 101. The user side can access the Internet 200 with a user terminal 201 such as a PC, display the information obtained from the cloud 101, and remotely monitor the information.

In the gas separation device, the pressure detecting means 63 provided in the air tank 5, the adsorption tank A19A, the adsorption tank B19B, and the nitrogen tank 41 constantly senses the pressure in each tank and sends a signal to the control unit 60 as an instantaneous value. Usually, the instantaneous value may be used to display the gas separator. In addition, a threshold value can be set and a normal instantaneous value can be used for abnormality determination.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the pressure detected by the pressure detecting means in the air tank 5, the adsorption tank A19A, the adsorption tank B19B, and the nitrogen tank 41 and the time. It is a normal state that the pressure fluctuation in the cycle time (about 1 minute) is repeated.

In this embodiment, all the pressures of the air tank 5, the adsorption tank A19A, the adsorption tank B19B, and the nitrogen tank 41 are detected, but one or a plurality of combinations thereof are selected, and the selected tank is used. The pressure may be sent to the control unit 60 to determine the abnormality.

Each adsorption cycle comprises an adsorption / reflux step (a), a take-out step (b), a pressure equalizing step (c), and a regeneration step (d), and the steps proceed in the order of (a) to (d).

As shown in FIG. 3, the pressure of the PSA operation of the gas separator fluctuates about every minute, so when data is transmitted to the cloud 101 side at the communication timing (once every 30 minutes), the pressure at that time is changed. The instantaneous value is transmitted, and it does not become a value that can be judged as an abnormality by remote monitoring.

Even if data is transmitted to the cloud 101 side at the communication timing (once every 30 minutes), the control unit 60 can detect not only the instantaneous value but also the abnormality of the gas separator on the cloud 101 side. The maximum and minimum pressure values are recorded for each tank at a predetermined time and stored in the internal memory. The communication unit 70 receives the recorded data from the control unit 60 and transmits it to the cloud 101.

The recorded maximum and minimum values are transmitted to the maintenance service server 102 on the cloud 101 once every 30 minutes instead of the instantaneous values once every 30 minutes. Therefore, the pressure state of each tank can be confirmed on the screen on the cloud 101 side, for example, the remote monitoring display unit (remote monitoring screen) 202 connected to the PC which is the user terminal 201. Even in the case of remote monitoring via the cloud 101, it is possible to notify the use of a potential abnormality at an early stage.

The control unit 60 that records the maximum value and the minimum value and the communication unit 70 that communicates data to the cloud 101 are operated by their respective timers. If the timing immediately after the maximum and minimum values are reset and the timing of data transmission to the cloud 101 (computer) overlap, the values that have not reached the maximum and minimum values will be recognized as the maximum and minimum values, which is incorrect. Will make a decision.

For example, the data to be detected was the maximum value of A before the update, but the maximum value A is reset (updated) immediately before the timing of sending the data to the cloud, and after the reset, the maximum value is newly set. When the value was detected, it was in a state of settling to the value of B (B <A), which did not reach A, so it became the value of B at the timing of sending to the cloud.

However, the value that was set as the maximum value immediately before the reset was not so old timing detection data (within one cycle time from the current state), and originally, it should have been detected that an abnormality occurred.

However, after the maximum value A, the value drops, and if the reset timing and the timing of communicating with the cloud overlap as described above, the maximum value to be sent to the cloud is not sent and is different. The data will be sent. A similar case can occur for the minimum value.

As a countermeasure, when resetting the maximum and minimum values of the control unit 60, by comparing with the previously recorded maximum and minimum values and recording the values, the incorrect value will be the cloud 101 (computer). Prevent it from being sent to.

That is, in this embodiment, when updating the maximum value or the minimum value, the control unit 60 leaves the maximum value or the minimum value before the update without resetting, and the detected pressure at the time of updating and the maximum value before the update. Determine the maximum or minimum value including the value or minimum value.

As the maximum value before updating, the data one cycle time ago is not reset (updated). That is, only the maximum value or the minimum value before one cycle time (the period of the adsorption cycle) is not reset. The maximum and minimum values set before the two-cycle time are reset.

Alternatively, do not reset (update) the maximum value of the period after the last communication with the cloud. In other words, only the maximum or minimum value after the timing of communication with the previous cloud is not reset. The maximum and minimum values set before the timing of communication with the previous cloud are reset.

By doing so, it is possible to prevent mistakes in not sending relatively new signs of anomalies or anomalous data, and to notify the cloud of anomalies at an early stage.

When the control unit 60 is set to perform the update interval for communicating the maximum value and the minimum value every adsorption cycle (about 1 minute), it can be sent to the information cloud close to the timing when the communication unit 70 communicates. .. If the control unit 60 makes the update interval longer and sets the time interval (about every 30 minutes) for communicating data, the average pressure status of each tank can be monitored in the cloud.

1 ... Gas separation device 5 ... Air tank 19A ... Adsorption tank A
19B ... Adsorption tank B
41 ... Nitrogen tank 63 ... Pressure detecting means 70 ... Communication unit

Claims (10)

A compressor that compresses air,
An air tank that stores compressed air compressed by the compressor,
An adsorption tank that adsorbs a part of the compressed air stored in the air tank, and
A product gas storage tank that stores product gas that has not been adsorbed in the adsorption tank,
A control unit that controls the operation of the adsorption tank and
Pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure in the tank and
Equipped with a communication unit
The control unit
When updating the maximum or minimum value of the pressure
The maximum value or the minimum value before the update is left, and the maximum value or the minimum value is determined by including the pressure detected at the time of the update and the maximum value or the minimum value before the update.
The communication unit
A gas separator characterized in that the data of the maximum value or the minimum value is communicated with the outside. In the gas separation device according to claim 1,
The pressure detecting means is
A gas separation device for detecting the pressure of the air tank, the adsorption tank, or the air tank and the adsorption tank. In the gas separation device according to claim 1,
The product gas storage tank is a nitrogen tank.
The pressure detecting means is
A gas separator characterized by detecting the pressure in the nitrogen tank. In the gas separation device according to claim 1,
The control unit
The period for updating the maximum value or the minimum value
A gas separation device characterized in that the period of the adsorption cycle or the communication interval with the outside is set. In the gas separation device according to claim 1,
The control unit
When updating the maximum value or the minimum value
A gas separation device characterized in that the maximum value or the minimum value recorded one cycle before is not reset and is retained. In the gas separator according to claim 5,
The control unit
When updating the maximum value or the minimum value
A gas separation device characterized in that the maximum value or the minimum value is updated by comparing with a value recorded one cycle time before the previous time. In the gas separation device according to claim 1,
The control unit
A gas separator characterized by recording the maximum value and the minimum value. In the gas separation device according to claim 4,
The adsorption cycle
A gas separation device characterized by having an adsorption / reflux step, a take-out step, a pressure equalizing step, and a regeneration step. In the gas separation device according to claim 1,
When updating the maximum value or the minimum value
A gas separation device characterized in that the maximum value or the minimum value recorded after the previous communication with the outside is held without being reset. The gas separator according to claim 1 and
A computer that receives the maximum value and the minimum value from the gas separator,
A maintenance service system for a gas separator, comprising: the computer and a terminal provided with a display unit for remote monitoring connected via a network.

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