JP5789834B2 - Method of purging gas adsorption device and gas adsorption device - Google Patents

Description

  Compressed gas is alternately supplied to the two adsorption towers filled with the adsorbent to utilize the adsorbent's adsorption effect, and the purge is alternately performed to regenerate the adsorbent, thereby adjusting the gas component. The present invention relates to a gas adsorbing device configured to continuously obtain gas and a purging method thereof.

  Conventionally, as a gas adsorption apparatus, a drying process in which a compressed gas is guided to one of two adsorption towers 10 and 20 filled with an adsorbent and a dry gas is discharged, and one of the compressed gases dried by the drying process is used. In parallel with the regeneration step, the moisture is desorbed from the adsorbent whose adsorption capacity has been reduced by desorbing the moisture from the adsorbent whose adsorption capacity has decreased by exhausting the compressed gas moisture in the previous process The drying process and the regeneration process are performed alternately between the two adsorption towers 10 and 20 so that the drying gas is continuously discharged and a part of the drying gas is exhausted. The present applicant proposes a method for adjusting the component concentration of a dry gas that is changed by adsorbing a gas other than moisture by the adsorbent in the drying process (see Patent Document 1).

  In these conventional gas adsorption apparatuses, one adsorbing tower connecting path is provided so that two adsorbing towers can be communicated and purged. This one inter-adsorption tower connection path is provided with an orifice in the middle of the flow path, and is set to have a constant air flow rate (purge amount).

JP 2006-116500 A (first page)

The problem to be solved regarding the gas adsorption device and its purge method is that the ratio of purge amount (purge rate) is conventionally maintained constant at a high value, so the ratio of supplying excess quality product gas is high, The result was a waste of energy.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas adsorbing apparatus capable of energy saving operation and a purging method thereof by appropriately reducing the purge rate for regenerating the adsorbent.

  The present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above object.

Moreover, according to one form of the gas adsorption | suction apparatus which concerns on this invention, the gas which introduce | transduced and removed a part of gaseous component of this compressed gas by guide | inducing compressed gas to one of the two adsorption towers filled with adsorbent And a part of the compressed gas, the gas component of which has been adjusted by the adsorption process, led to the other adsorption tower that has adsorbed a part of the gas component in the previous process, and the adsorption capacity is reduced. The gas component adsorbed from the adsorbent is desorbed and purged so as to regenerate the adsorbent by exhausting the gas component, and the adsorption step and the purge step are performed between the two adsorption towers. It is provided so that the product gas whose gas component has been adjusted is discharged continuously by performing it alternately alternately, and the two adsorption towers are connected so that the purge amount can be adjusted in two stages. Two adsorption towers indirect Ventilation and Road, the gas adsorption apparatus comprising a closing valve for opening and closing at least one of the two adsorption towers between the connecting channel, one of the adsorption tower interconnection path of the two adsorption towers connections paths, the orifice A passage in which the amount is set and always communicated, and the other adsorption tower connection path of the two adsorption tower connection paths is arranged in the middle of the other adsorption tower connection path and is the same a pair of equivalent orifice opening is set to the amount of aeration Ri openable passage der which is composed of a disposed the the on-off valve between the pair of equivalent orifice, the pair of equivalent orifice Each of these is provided with a bypass passage for bypassing and passing the purge gas, and each of the bypass passages allows the purge gas to pass through one of the pair of equivalent orifices from the on-off valve. Sucking As flow to one of the tower, the check valve for circulating the flow of purge gas to stop the flow of purge gas into the adsorption tower from the on-off valve from the adsorption tower to the on-off valve is provided.

Moreover, according to one form of the gas adsorption | suction apparatus which concerns on this invention, it sets so that the ventilation | gas_flowing volume may become smaller in the direction of said other adsorption tower connection path than said one adsorption tower connection path. Can be characterized.
Moreover, according to one form of the gas adsorption | suction apparatus which concerns on this invention, the said on-off valve is an electromagnetic on-off valve, It can be equipped with the control apparatus which controls opening / closing of this electromagnetic on-off valve.

  According to the gas adsorbing apparatus and the purging method thereof according to the present invention, the purge rate for regenerating the adsorbent can be appropriately reduced, so that an energy saving operation is possible.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of a form of the gas adsorption | suction apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the principal part which shows the form example of the gas adsorption | suction apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a time chart of the adsorption cycle explaining the example of the purge method of the gas adsorption apparatus concerning the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a gas adsorbing apparatus and a purging method thereof according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings (FIGS. 1 to 3).
First, compressed gas is alternately supplied to the two adsorption towers 10 and 20 filled with the adsorbent to utilize the adsorption effect of the adsorbent, and the purge is alternately performed to regenerate the adsorbent. A basic form of a gas adsorbing device configured to continuously obtain an adjusted product gas will be described with reference to FIG.

10 is a 1st adsorption tower, 20 is a 2nd adsorption tower. Hereinafter, in order to simplify the description, the first adsorption tower 10 may be referred to as “A tower” and the second adsorption tower 20 may be referred to as “B tower”. The first adsorption tower 10 (A tower) and the second adsorption tower 20 (B tower) are filled with an adsorbent that adsorbs a part of the gas component of the introduced compressed gas and adjusts the concentration of the gas component. Has been.
Compressed air is introduced into the adsorption towers 10 and 20 from the compressed gas introduction path 40 via the switching valve 50.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a first suction passage, which is a passage that guides compressed gas to the A tower. Reference numeral 21 denotes a second suction passage, which is a passage for guiding compressed gas to the B tower.
A first discharge passage 12 is a passage through which product gas is discharged from the A tower. Reference numeral 22 denotes a second discharge passage, which is a passage through which product gas is discharged from the B tower.

Reference numeral 30 denotes one connection path between the adsorption towers, which is a passage that connects the A tower and the B tower. This inter-adsorption tower connection path 30 is connected to the side where the discharge passages 12, 22 of the respective adsorption towers 10, 20 are communicated. This is because the compressed gas whose concentration of the gas component just introduced into the adsorption towers 10 and 20 is not adjusted, but the compressed gas whose concentration is adjusted is guided from one adsorption tower to the other adsorption tower. .
Further, a purge orifice 31 is provided in this one inter-adsorption tower connection path 30 as means for adjusting the gas flow rate. Thereby, the compressed gas of fixed flow volume passes.

  Reference numeral 13 denotes a first purge exhaust passage, a part of which is adjusted in the B tower is led to the A tower via the inter-adsorption tower connecting passage 30 and desorbs the gas component adsorbed from the adsorbent to remove the adsorbent. This is a passage for exhausting the regenerated purge gas. Reference numeral 23 denotes a second purge exhaust passage, a part of which is adjusted in the A tower is led to the B tower via the inter-adsorption tower connecting passage 30 and desorbs the gas component adsorbed from the adsorbent to remove the adsorbent. This is a passage for exhausting the regenerated purge gas.

An exhaust valve 32 is connected to the first purge exhaust passage 13 and the second purge exhaust passage 23 and is operated by being controlled by an opening / closing control means (not shown) so as to manage the purge exhaust. It is a valve.
Reference numeral 34 denotes a purge exhaust collecting passage, which is a passage in which the first purge exhaust passage 13 and the second purge exhaust passage 23 are gathered. That is, the purge exhaust collecting passage 34 constitutes a part of each of the first purge exhaust passage 13 and the second purge exhaust passage 23.
A purge silencer 33 is connected to the exhaust side of the exhaust valve 32. It is provided to mute the exhaust sound during purging.

Reference numeral 40 denotes a compressed gas introduction path, which is a gas passage connected to the compressed gas generation source side to guide the compressed gas. The compressed gas introduction path 40 is branched to form a first suction passage 11 and a second suction passage 21.
Reference numerals 17 and 27 are check valves, which are provided in the middle of each of the first discharge passage 12 and the second discharge passage 22. The check valves 17 and 27 are check valves that prevent the product gas from flowing back so as to be suitably discharged.
Reference numeral 42 denotes a product gas discharge collecting passage, which is a passage in which the first discharge passage 12 and the second discharge passage 22 are gathered. The product gas is supplied to a predetermined supply destination through the product gas discharge collecting path 42.

Next, the structure which becomes the characteristic of the gas adsorption | suction apparatus which concerns on this invention is demonstrated.
In the gas adsorption apparatus according to the present invention, two adsorption tower connection paths 30 and 35 (one adsorption tower) provided to communicate the two adsorption towers 10 and 20 so that the purge amount can be adjusted in two stages. And an on-off valve 39 for opening and closing at least one of the two adsorbing tower connecting paths 30 and 35. The other adsorption tower connection path 35 is also connected to the side where the discharge passages 12 and 22 of the adsorption towers 10 and 20 are communicated, similarly to the one adsorption tower connection path 30. In addition, in FIG. 1, the example in which the two connection paths 30 and 35 between adsorption towers branch from the piping connected to each of the two adsorption towers 10 and 20 and are provided in parallel is shown. In addition, FIG. 2 shows an example in which the two adsorption tower connection paths 30 and 35 are pipes of completely different systems, and shows a specific configuration of the other adsorption tower connection path 35. is there.

According to this, for example, when a high purge rate at the time of start-up of the apparatus is required, the on-off valve 39 is opened and the two adsorption towers 10 and 20 are communicated by the two adsorption tower connection paths 30 and 35. As a result, the purge amount can be increased. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the on-off valve 39 is changed from a state in which the on-off valve 39 of the other adsorption tower connection path 35 is closed (in the state shown in FIG. 2) to an open state in which P and A are communicated. Is activated by a control device (not shown) to increase the purge amount.
Then, for example, during a steady operation when the operation is stable and a high purge rate is no longer necessary after a predetermined time has elapsed after activation, the on-off valve 39 is closed to reduce the purge amount and enter the energy saving mode. can do. Such a change in the purge rate may be automatically performed by opening and closing the on-off valve 39 by a control device (not shown) so as to be controlled by data of a timer or a sensor. The purge rate may be changed by manually opening and closing the on-off valve 39.

  In order to control the on-off valve 39 to automatically open and close, as shown in FIG. 2, the on-off valve 39 is an electromagnetic on-off valve (orifice electromagnetic valve (see FIG. 3)), and the orifice electromagnetic valve 39 is opened and closed. A control device for controlling may be provided. According to this, as shown in the time chart of the adsorption cycle in FIG. 3, the purge amount can be appropriately managed, and energy saving can be appropriately realized. That is, energy consumption can be reduced without discharging excessive quality product gas, and running cost can be reduced to achieve high economic efficiency.

Further, in this embodiment, one of the two adsorbing tower connecting paths 30 and 35 is an adsorbing tower connecting path 30 that is always in communication with the air flow rate set by the orifice 31.
Further, of the two adsorbing tower connecting paths 30, 35, the other adsorbing tower connecting path 35 is arranged in the middle of the other adsorbing tower connecting path 35, and an opening is set at the same air flow rate. The orifices 36a and 36b and an on-off valve 39 disposed between the pair of orifices 36a and 36b are openable and closable passages.

  According to this, the gas flow direction for purging is alternately reversed by arranging a pair of equivalent orifices 36a and 36b on the other adsorption tower connecting path 35 that can be opened and closed by the on-off valve 39. Even if it becomes, the purge amount becomes equivalent. That is, the influence of the directionality of the gas passing through the on-off valve 39 can be eliminated, and the product air can be stably and stably discharged from the A tower and the B tower.

  Further, 37a and 37b are bypass passages, which can bypass the orifices 36a and 36b and allow the purge gas to pass therethrough. Reference numerals 38a and 38b are check valves. The check valve 38a bypasses the flow from the A tower to the B tower, and the check valve 38b bypasses the flow from the B tower to the A tower. According to these configurations, when the purge gas flows from the A tower to the B tower, the purge amount is regulated by the orifice 36b. When the purge gas flows from the B tower to the A tower, the purge amount is regulated by the orifice 36a. Therefore, if the pair of orifices 36a and 36b are equivalent, the purge gas can be circulated without being affected by the on-off valve 39 and the flow direction.

  By the way, it is conceivable to use a stepless valve in place of the on-off valve 39, but it is complicated and expensive. In the case of a continuously variable valve, the same orifice as in the present embodiment is not provided before and after the continuously variable valve. For this reason, when the two adsorbing towers 10 and 20 are alternately used and the gas flow direction for purging is alternately reversed, the purge amount becomes unstable due to a change due to the directionality, and the balance is balanced. Good driving becomes difficult.

  In the present embodiment, the other adsorption tower connection path 35 is set to have a smaller air flow rate than the one adsorption tower connection path 30. For example, if the purge rate by one adsorbing tower connecting path 30 is 1, the purge rate added by the other adsorbing tower connecting path 35 can be 0.5. That is, when the opening / closing valve 39 of the other adsorption tower connection path 35 is opened and communicated, and the purge amount is increased, the normal purge rate is 1.5 times. In order to adjust the purge amount in this way, for example, the sizes of the openings of the orifices 31 of the one adsorbing column connecting path 30 and the orifices 36a and 36b of the other adsorbing column connecting path 35 may be appropriately adjusted. .

According to the gas adsorption apparatus of the present invention described above, in the purge step, the two adsorption tower connection paths 30 and 35 provided so as to be able to purge by communicating between the two adsorption towers 10 and 20. By opening or closing either one, the purge amount can be suitably adjusted in two stages.
For example, when the gas adsorption device is started and / or when the pressure of the two adsorption towers 10 and 20 is increased by stopping the exhaust due to the purge in the purge step, both of the two adsorption tower connection paths 30 and 35 are two. The purge rate can be increased by communicating between the two adsorption towers 10 and 20. That is, it is possible to perform a control to increase the purge rate when necessary, such as at the time of starting or at the time of boosting, with both of the two systems of passages having orifices opened.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the startup time can be shortened by increasing the purge rate when starting up. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, by increasing the purge rate when boosting, the boosting process can be performed smoothly in a required time, and the purge efficiency can be maintained at a high level. For this reason, adsorption performance can be maintained at a high level. That is, when the regeneration gas (purging gas) is flowed, the problem that the adsorption side is at a high pressure and the regeneration side is at an atmospheric pressure, and the adsorption efficiency is not sufficiently stabilized unless the pressure is sufficiently increased, can be appropriately solved.

  According to the gas adsorption device of the present invention described above, a gas adsorption device that adsorbs and removes carbon dioxide to reduce its concentration, a gas adsorption device that removes water vapor and dries gas (air), adsorbs nitrogen. Thus, it has a configuration suitable as a device for adjusting the concentration of gas components, such as a gas adsorption device for increasing the concentration of oxygen, and can be effectively used as a device capable of improving their operating efficiency.

  As described above, the present invention has been described in various ways with preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and many modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. That is.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 1st adsorption tower 11 1st suction passage 12 1st discharge passage 13 1st purge exhaust passage 17 Check valve 20 2nd adsorption tower 21 2nd suction passage 22 2nd discharge passage 23 2nd purge exhaust passage 27 Reverse Stop valve 30 Connection path between one adsorption tower 31 Orifice 32 Exhaust valve 33 Purge silencer 34 Collecting path for purge exhaust 35 Connection path between the other adsorption towers 36a Orifice 36b Orifice 37a Bypass path 37b Bypass path 38a Check valve 38b Check valve Valve 39 On-off valve (orifice solenoid valve)
40 Compressed gas introduction path 42 Product gas discharge collecting path 50 Switching valve

Claims (3)

An adsorption process in which compressed gas is guided to one of the two adsorption towers filled with an adsorbent and a gas in which a part of the gaseous component of the compressed gas is adsorbed and removed is discharged, and the gas component is adjusted by the adsorption process. A part of the compressed gas is introduced into the other adsorption tower that has adsorbed a part of the gas component in the previous step, and the gas component adsorbed from the adsorbent having reduced adsorption capacity is desorbed and exhausted. A product in which a gas component is adjusted by performing a purge process for purging the adsorbent in parallel and performing the adsorption process and the purge process substantially alternately between the two adsorption towers. Two adsorbing tower connecting paths provided to communicate the two adsorbing towers so that the gas can be continuously discharged and the purge amount can be adjusted in two stages, and the two adsorbing towers At least one of the connection paths In the gas adsorbing device comprising a closes-off valve,
One of the two adsorbing tower connecting passages is a passage in which the ventilation amount is set by an orifice and is always in communication,
A pair of equivalent orifices, in which the other adsorption tower connection path of the two adsorption tower connection paths is arranged in the middle of the other adsorption tower connection path and an opening is set to the same air flow rate, and An openable and closable passage formed by the on-off valve disposed between the pair of equivalent orifices, and a bypass passage for allowing a purge gas to pass through each of the pair of equivalent orifices Each of the bypass passages from the on-off valve to pass the purge gas from the on-off valve through one of the pair of equivalent orifices to one of the adsorption towers. A gas adsorbing device comprising a check valve for stopping the flow of purge gas to the adsorption tower and flowing the flow of purge gas from the adsorption tower to the on-off valve. The other towards the adsorption column connections paths, the one gas adsorption apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aeration amount than the adsorption tower interconnection path is set to be smaller. The on-off valve is a solenoid valve, gas adsorption apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a control device for controlling the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve.

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