JPS62220478A - Oils heater in storage tank - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention is applicable to crude oil, heavy oil, which increases in viscosity at low temperatures,
This relates to a device that heats oil such as asphalt in a storage tank.

The viscosity of the oils mentioned above becomes extremely large at low temperatures, making them difficult to transport, so it is necessary to heat them in order to maintain the temperature above a certain level in the storage tank.

“Conventional technology” The most commonly used conventional heating device is the
This is the device shown in the figure. In this conventional device, a heat transfer tube 8 made of a steel pipe is provided inside a storage tank 9 with an end protruding from the tank 9, and a rock wool tube 8 is inserted into the heat transfer tube 8.
1, an MI cable (mineral insulated cable) 83 is tightly wound spirally around the outer periphery of the inner cylinder 82, and the space between the MI cable 83 and the heat exchanger tube 8 is filled with alumina 84. When the MI cable 83 is energized, the generated Joule heat is transferred to the packed layer of alumina 84 and the heat exchanger tube 8.
It was intended to be transmitted to the oil in the storage tank through.

In FIG. 5, 91 is a flange for mounting, and 85 is a connection box.

"Problems to be Solved by the Invention" The heating device described above is easy to handle during operation, but in the event of a failure, the entire device, mainly consisting of the heat transfer tubes 8, must be replaced, and it is difficult to replace the entire device. Since it was necessary to drain all the oil in the tank, there was a problem in dealing with failures. In addition, even if alumina is filled between the heat exchanger tube and the MI cable, the thermal resistance is still large, resulting in a high temperature of the MI cable, and the heating temperature limit of the heating device is much lower than the allowable temperature of the MI cable. The current situation is that
Furthermore, the output of the heating device and the length of the heat exchanger tube are limited by the output and length of the MI cable, making it unsuitable for large-capacity storage tanks.

The purpose of the present invention is to improve the problems of the conventional heating device described above, that is, maintenance work in the event of a failure is easy, and the output and heating temperature can be set without being restricted by members such as cables. To provide a heating device that can be installed in a large-capacity storage tank according to its capacity, and can be installed at low cost.

"Means for Solving the Problem" A heat pipe is provided in an oil storage tank, a gas vent pipe is provided in the heat pipe leading to the outside of the storage tank, and a working fluid is stored outside or inside the tank. A container is provided, the heat pipe and the storage container are connected through a pipe, and the positions of the heat pipe and the pipe are set such that the condensate generated in the heat pipe flows into the storage container, The method is to heat and evaporate the working fluid in the container using a heating means that can be operated from outside the tank.

``Operation'' Due to the evaporation of the working fluid, the latent heat of evaporation is transmitted throughout the heat pipe through the pipe connecting the heat pipe and the storage container, warming the oil that comes into contact with it.

The liquid resulting from the condensation of the working fluid vapor flows back into the working fluid storage container through the pipe, where it is heated again and evaporated. In this way, the transfer of latent heat of vaporization is repeated, and the oil inside the storage tank is heated.

"Example" An embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 9 denotes an oil storage tank, and within this tank 9 is provided a heat pipe 1 having a hole 11 in its lower surface and supported by a column 12.

The heat pipe 1 is a carbon steel pipe in which an end plate 1a is welded to one end and a cap 1b is welded to the other end. It is set to flow in the direction of 11. That is, as in this embodiment, it is either horizontal or inclined downward in the direction of the punch hole 11.

2 is a substantially airtight storage container in which the hydraulic fluid 3 is stored;
The pipe 5 is connected to the vent hole 11 of the heat pipe 1 on its upper surface, and the heat The condensate generated in the pipe 1 is configured to flow into the container 2 through the pipe 5. A replenishment port (not shown) that can be opened and closed for replenishing the hydraulic fluid 3 is provided in an appropriate part of the storage container 2.
will be established.

As the working fluid 3, water, water added with an inhibitor, freon, naphthalene, toluene, diphenyl, a mixture of diphenyl and diphenyl ethyl, etc. are used. Any medium liquid may be used as long as it has excellent properties and high evaporation/condensation heat transfer coefficients.

The storage container 2 for the hydraulic fluid 3 has a side wall 2! A heating means 4 consisting of a cartridge heater is provided in a state where the heating means 4 penetrates through the container 2.
is heated and evaporated. It is desirable that the heating means 4, which is a cartridge heater, be screwed into the storage container 2 by providing a threaded portion (not shown) on the side wall 21 so that it can be easily replaced in the event of a failure. Further, this heating means 4 is provided with a thermocouple (not shown),
For safety reasons, it is desirable to configure the heating means 4 so that when the temperature of the heating means 4 reaches a predetermined value or higher due to leakage of the working fluid 3 or generation of non-condensable gas, the power to the heating means 4 is cut off.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a temperature measuring element provided in the heat pipe 1 in a state that passes through the end plate 1a and the side wall of the tank 9, and one end thereof is connected to the end plate 1.
The other end is inserted into the heat pipe l through a guide 61 that also serves as a pipe-shaped cover that penetrates the side wall of the tank 9 and is welded to the heat pipe l. The heating means 4 is controlled based on the temperature value measured within the heat pipe 1 by the temperature measuring element 6, so that the temperature within the heat pipe 1 is always kept constant.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a thin gas venting pipe that is provided so as to pass through the end plate 1a and the side wall of the tank 9 and reach the innermost upper part of the heat pipe 1. The outwardly protruding end of the heat pipe 9 is sealed with a valve 71 or other means, so that if non-condensable gas etc. accumulates inside the heat pipe 1, the pulp 71 can be opened to release the internal gas. It has become.

In this embodiment, the gas vent pipe 7 has one end connected to the end plate 1.
The other end is inserted into the heat pipe l through a guide 72 that also serves as a pipe-shaped cover that penetrates the side wall of the tank 9 and is welded to the heat pipe l.

θ2 is the storage container 2, the heating means 4, the temperature measuring element 6, and the valve 71
This is a connection box that can be opened and closed to cover the operating parts such as.

According to the heating device of the above embodiment, the working fluid 3 in the storage container 2 heated by the heating means 4 evaporates and reaches the entire inside of the heat pipe 1, and the latent heat is transferred to the storage tank 9 via the heat pipe 1. is transmitted to the oils, due to the release of Hs heat! The contracted hydraulic fluid returns to the storage container 2 via the pipe 5. By repeating such transfer of latent heat, the oil in the tank 9 is heated to an appropriate temperature.

The heating device has an extremely simple structure and can be installed at low cost. In the event of a failure, the heating means 4 etc. can be partially repaired without replacing the entire device, and there are no restrictions due to the constituent members. Since there is no heat exchanger, it becomes possible to install a large capacity heating device.

When the tank 9 has a large capacity, a plurality of heat pipes 1 as described above can be provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction or the vertical direction of the tank 9 in the above state.

The heat pipe 1 is not limited to carbon steel pipes, but may also include stainless steel pipes, copper or its alloy pipes, aluminum or its alloy pipes,
Flexible pipes, ceramic pipes, and other materials that can withstand operating temperatures may be used; finned pipes may also be used.

In addition to the above-mentioned electric heater, the heating means 4 includes a heat medium heating tube, a hot water heating tube, a steam heating tube, and the like.

Also, the postures of heat pipe 1 and pipe 5 are as follows.

As long as the condensate generated in the heat pipe 1 is set to flow into the storage container 2 through the pipe 5, the position of the vent hole 11 of the heat pipe 1 is not limited to the above embodiment.
For example, it can be implemented by providing it at the lower part of the end plate 1a or the lower part of the cap 1b.

The heat pipe 1 is not a straight pipe as in the previous embodiment, but a second heat pipe.
It is also possible to use a flexible pipe formed in a substantially bellows shape as shown in the figure, and to weld an end plate 1a and a cap lb to the ends.

In the heat pipe 1 shown in FIG. 2, condensed liquid accumulates at the inner bottom, but when the condensed liquid accumulates above a certain level, the condensed liquid begins to flow into the storage container 2.

The heat pipe shown in Fig. 2 is suitable for being installed in a spiral shape in the vertical direction inside the tank 9 as shown in Fig. 3, or in a spiral shape inside the tank 9. The operation and effect in the installed state are substantially the same as the apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG.

In each of the embodiments described above, the storage container 2 for one hydraulic fluid 3 may be provided inside the tank 9 as shown in FIG. 4. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the storage container 2 is located below the heat pipe 1, the heat pipe 1 and the storage container 2 are connected through a straight pipe 5, and a guide 2 that also serves as a pipe-shaped cover
1, a heating means 4 consisting of a cartridge heater is inserted replaceably into the container 2 from outside the tank 9, so that the heating means 4 can be operated from the outside of the tank 9. Reference numeral 22 in the figure is a replenishment pipe provided for replenishing the hydraulic fluid 3, with one end communicating into the storage container 2 and the other end protruding from the tank 9.

The operation and effect of the example shown in FIG. 4 are also similar to those of the embodiment shown in FIG.

"Effects of the Invention" The storage oil heating device according to the present invention is extremely easy to maintain in the event of a breakdown, and compared to conventional devices, the output and heating temperature are not restricted by cables, etc. It is possible to set up a tank suitable for the capacity of a large-capacity storage tank, and the structure is simple and can be installed at low cost. Further, by providing a storage section for the hydraulic fluid, only a small amount of one hydraulic fluid is required and the heating energy thereof is also small, resulting in low operating costs.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view showing an example of a heating device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view of a main part showing a heat pipe of another embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view illustrating a heating device using a heat pipe, FIG. 4 is a partially omitted sectional view showing still another embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a partially omitted sectional view showing a conventional device. Explanation of main symbols in the diagram

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A heat pipe is provided in the oil storage tank, a gas vent pipe is provided in the heat pipe leading to the outside of the storage tank, and a hydraulic fluid storage container is provided outside or inside the tank; The heat pipe and the storage container are connected through a pipe, and the positions of the heat pipe and the pipe are set such that the condensed liquid generated in the heat pipe flows into the storage container, and the working fluid in the storage container is An apparatus for heating oil in a storage tank, characterized in that the oil is heated and evaporated by a heating means that can be operated from the outside of the tank. (2) The oil heating device in a storage tank according to claim 1, wherein the heat pipe is a straight pipe. (3) The oil heating device in a storage tank according to claim 1, wherein the heat pipe is a tube formed in a substantially bellows shape. (4) The oil heating device in a storage tank according to claim 3, wherein the heat pipe is provided in a spiral shape or in a spiral shape in the vertical direction.