KR20240008626A - Gas Pipe Leakage Test System For Ship - Google Patents

Abstract

A vessel gas pipe leak test system is disclosed. The ship's gas pipe leak test system of the present invention includes a main engine provided on a ship and supplied with gas fuel; An air compressor that compresses air and generates compressed air to help start the main engine; A fuel supply unit that supplies liquefied gas from an onboard storage tank as fuel according to the fuel supply conditions of the main engine; and a nitrogen generator that receives air and generates nitrogen necessary for the ship, wherein, during a gas pipe leakage test of the main engine and fuel supply unit, compressed air generated by the air compressor is supplied to the nitrogen generator. and generating compressed nitrogen and supplying it to the gas pipe.

Description

Gas Pipe Leakage Test System For Ship}

The present invention relates to a ship's gas pipe leak test system, and more specifically, to a gas pipe leakage test of the main engine and fuel supply section, which is generated by an air compressor that generates compressed air to help start the main engine. This relates to a ship's gas pipe leak test system that supplies compressed air to a nitrogen generator, generates compressed nitrogen, and supplies it to the gas pipe.

Recently, the consumption of liquefied gas such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) is rapidly increasing worldwide. Liquefied gas, which is made by liquefying gas at low temperature, has a much smaller volume than gas, so it has the advantage of increasing storage and transportation efficiency. In addition, liquefied gas, including liquefied natural gas, can remove or reduce air pollutants during the liquefaction process, so it can be viewed as an eco-friendly fuel with low emissions of air pollutants during combustion.

Liquefied natural gas is a colorless and transparent liquid obtained by liquefying natural gas containing methane as a main component by cooling it to about -163°C, and has a volume of about 1/600 of that of natural gas. Therefore, when natural gas is liquefied and transported, it can be transported very efficiently.

Conventionally, merchant ships such as container carriers or passenger ships (or floating structures) have propulsion engines that use fuel oil such as heavy fuel oil (HFO), marine diesel oil (MDO), or marine gas oil (MGO) as fuel. It was mainly used, but due to the influence of rising oil prices and strengthening of exhaust emission standards, ships equipped with propulsion engines that use fuel gas, such as LNG (or LPG, DME), which is a relatively cheap and clean energy source, are becoming increasingly popular. The trend is increasing. In addition, the price of LNG in the summer is about 50% cheaper than in the winter, so LNG can be purchased and stored in the summer when it is cheap, making it a very advantageous energy source in terms of price.

Representative marine engines that can obtain propulsion power using LNG as fuel include the ME-GI engine or the DFDE (Dual Fuel Diesel Electric) engine. The ME-GI engine or DFDE (Dual Fuel Diesel Electric) engine is a gas injection engine that compresses LNG and then injects it for combustion. In particular, the ME-GI engine compresses LNG to a high pressure of around 300 bar and then injects it for combustion, so it is called a high-pressure gas injection engine.

In high-pressure gas injection engines such as ME-GI engines, the problem of methane slip, in which methane, the main component of LNG, is incompletely burned and released into the atmosphere through exhaust gas, is being raised. When methane is released into the atmosphere, it can cause a greater greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide.

Recently, the ME-GA engine, which improves fuel efficiency while improving the methane slip problem of the ME-GI engine, was developed and is attracting attention as a next-generation LNG marine engine. The ME-GA engine is supplied with gas fuel compressed at a low pressure of around 10 to 15 bar.

In order to supply this pressurized gas fuel to the ship engine, piping for fuel supply is provided on board the ship, and to ensure the safety of the ship and crew, the gas piping is tested for leakage prior to supplying the gas fuel.

Leakage testing of gas pipes is usually performed by supplying nitrogen through the pipes. Nitrogen generated by the ship's nitrogen generation system (N2 Generation system) at around 6 bar is supplied and passed through a nitrogen boosting unit including a separately provided compressor. A leak test was performed by pressurizing to the test pressure.

These nitrogen boosting units were infrequently used, so there was the problem of having to separately install expensive equipment that was less useful, and there was also the problem of requiring a considerable amount of time to test for gas leakage due to the small capacity.

The present invention seeks to solve this problem and propose a method to reduce costs while shortening the time required for leak testing.

According to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problem, a main engine provided on a ship and supplied with gas fuel;

An air compressor that compresses air and generates compressed air to help start the main engine;

A fuel supply unit that supplies liquefied gas from an onboard storage tank as fuel according to the fuel supply conditions of the main engine; and

Includes a nitrogen generator that receives air and generates the nitrogen needed on board the ship.

During a gas pipe leakage test of the main engine and fuel supply unit, compressed air generated by the air compressor is supplied to the nitrogen generator, and compressed nitrogen is generated and supplied to the gas pipe. A piping leak testing system is provided.

Preferably, a compressed air storage tank storing compressed air generated by the air compressor; A compressed air supply line connected from the compressed air storage tank to the nitrogen generator; a pressure control valve provided in the compressed air supply line to control the pressure of compressed air to be supplied to the nitrogen generator; and a compressed nitrogen supply line that supplies compressed nitrogen generated from the nitrogen generator to the gas pipe.

Preferably, a compressed air supply valve provided in the compressed air supply line to open and close the compressed air supply line; and a compressed nitrogen supply valve provided in the compressed nitrogen supply line to open and close the compressed nitrogen supply line.

Preferably, an air supplier supplies air for nitrogen production to the nitrogen generator; A nitrogen storage tank that stores nitrogen generated in the nitrogen generator; A nitrogen supply line connected from the nitrogen generator to the nitrogen storage tank; A nitrogen supply valve provided in the nitrogen supply line to open and close the nitrogen supply line; A nitrogen purging line connected from the nitrogen storage tank to the gas pipe; and a nitrogen purging valve provided in the nitrogen purging line, wherein nitrogen in the nitrogen storage tank is supplied as nitrogen for purging to discharge gas fuel in the gas pipe when the main engine stops in gas mode. You can.

Preferably, a gas valve train including a plurality of valves for controlling gas fuel supply from the fuel supply unit to the main engine; A first purging block including a plurality of valves for supplying nitrogen for purging to a gas pipe between the gas valve train and the main engine when the main engine is stopped in gas mode; And a second purging block including a plurality of valves for supplying nitrogen for purging to the gas pipe between the fuel supply unit and the gas valve train, wherein the compressed nitrogen supply line and the nitrogen purging line supply compressed nitrogen. After joining downstream of the valve and downstream of the nitrogen purging valve, it may branch and connect to the first and second purging blocks.

Preferably, it may further include a control unit that controls the air supply, the compressed air supply valve, the compressed nitrogen supply valve, and the nitrogen supply valve.

Preferably, the control unit detects the pressure of the nitrogen storage tank, and when the pressure drops to the reference value, operates the air supply and opens the nitrogen supply valve to supply nitrogen generated in the nitrogen generator to the nitrogen storage tank, When the nitrogen storage tank pressure reaches a certain value, operation of the air supply can be stopped and the nitrogen supply valve can be controlled to close.

Preferably, when testing the gas pipe leakage of the main engine and the fuel supply unit, the control unit opens the compressed air supply valve and the compressed nitrogen supply valve so that the gas pipe pressure of the gas valve train is adjusted to the pressure required for the gas pipe leakage test. The nitrogen generated in the nitrogen generator may be supplied to the first and second purging blocks through the compressed nitrogen supply line until the nitrogen generator reaches the first and second purging blocks.

Preferably, the air compressor, compressed air storage tank, nitrogen generator, and nitrogen storage tank may be installed in the engine room where the main engine is located.

Preferably, the main engine is an engine that can receive gas fuel compressed to about 10 to 15 bar, and compressed air of about 30 bar is supplied to the main engine through the air compressor and the compressed air storage tank. You can.

It is possible to supply the high-pressure nitrogen needed for gas pipe leakage testing by utilizing existing equipment without installing a separate additional compression device, thereby reducing the cost of installing expensive equipment that is not used frequently and contributing to securing space on board the ship. The time required for testing can be dramatically shortened.

In addition, the air compressor, compressed air storage tank, nitrogen generator, and nitrogen storage tank are installed in the engine room where the main engine is located, so piping configuration and arrangement are easy, the piping length to the main engine can be shortened, and nitrogen demand within the ship can be reduced. When increases, it is possible to flexibly respond to changes in nitrogen demand on board by supplying air from the air compressor to the nitrogen generator along with the air supply or by replacing the air supply.

Figure 1 schematically shows a ship's gas pipe leak test system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In order to fully understand the operational advantages of the present invention and the objectives achieved by practicing the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contents described in the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, the structure and operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Here, in adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are indicated with the same reference numerals as much as possible, even if they are shown in different drawings.

Figure 1 schematically shows a ship's gas pipe leak test system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ship gas pipe leak test system of this embodiment is provided in the engine room (ER) of the ship and includes a main engine (ME) supplied with gas fuel, and compression that compresses air to help start the main engine. An air compressor (200) that generates air, a fuel supply unit (FGSS) that supplies liquefied gas from the onboard storage tank as fuel according to the fuel supply conditions of the main engine, and a nitrogen generator ( 110).

The main engine of this embodiment is preferably a dual fuel engine that can be supplied with gas fuel compressed to around 10 to 15 bar, and may be, for example, a ME-GA engine. Compressed air is supplied for engine start and control on ships. In the ME-GA engine of this embodiment, compressed air generated by compressing air in the air compressor 200 is supplied to the compressed air storage tank 210, and compressed air is supplied to the compressed air storage tank 210. Compressed air of around 30 bar can be stored from the storage tank and supplied to the main engine. Compressed air from the compressed air storage tank may be supplied to the main engine through the pipe (ALa) for starting the main engine, and may be supplied for main engine control along the pipe (ALb) after passing through the pressure reduction unit 220. there is.

The fuel supply unit (FGSS) may be equipped with a compressor, heater, etc. to supply liquefied gas and boil-off gas generated from the liquefied gas from the storage tank in accordance with fuel supply conditions such as temperature and pressure required by the main engine. Gas fuel that has passed through the fuel supply unit is supplied to the main engine by controlling the gas supply pressure and amount through a gas valve train (GVT) equipped with a plurality of valves. The gas supply pipe between the fuel supply unit and the gas valve train is equipped with a master gas valve (MV) that blocks gas supply in an emergency and a flow meter 400 that detects the gas fuel flow rate passing through the pipe. A vent line and valve (VV) are provided between the master gas valve (MV) and the flow meter to discharge the gas in the gas pipe. The fuel supply unit and gas valve train are located in the Cargo Compressor Room (CR), and the gas fuel that has passed through the gas valve train is routed through double piping to block external heat inflow to the main valve located in the engine room (ER). It is supplied to the engine (ME).

On the other hand, when changing the fuel of the engine, not operating the engine or other devices for a long time, or maintaining the inside of the engine or fuel supply section, when shutting down, the remaining fuel in the piping that supplies fuel to the engine and the engine and other devices must be completely discharged. This is called purging. For purging, an inert gas is supplied at considerable pressure, and nitrogen (N ₂ ) is typically supplied. In this embodiment, nitrogen generated in the nitrogen generator is supplied to each pipe of the main engine and fuel supply unit through a nitrogen storage tank.

For this purpose, an air supply unit 100 that supplies air for nitrogen production to the nitrogen generator 110 and a nitrogen storage tank 120 that stores nitrogen generated in the nitrogen generator are provided, and nitrogen is transferred from the nitrogen generator to the nitrogen storage tank. A supply line (NSL) is connected, and a nitrogen supply valve (NSV) that opens and closes the nitrogen supply line is provided.

The air supplier can supply air compressed at a pressure of around 13 bar to the nitrogen generator. The nitrogen generator generates nitrogen by receiving compressed air. Either the membrane type or the PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) type can be applied, and can be selected depending on the required capacity. The nitrogen generator 110 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a moisture remover 111 that removes moisture, a heater 112 that heats the air from which moisture has been removed, and a separation membrane filter that separates oxygen to produce high purity nitrogen. 113) may be included.

A nitrogen purging line (NPL) is connected from the nitrogen storage tank 120 to the gas pipe of the main engine and fuel supply unit, and a nitrogen purging valve (NPV) is provided in the nitrogen purging line, so that the nitrogen in the nitrogen storage tank is used in the gas mode of the main engine. When stopped, nitrogen is supplied for purging, which discharges gaseous fuel from the gas pipe through the nitrogen purging line. In this way, when the gas mode of the main engine is stopped, the first purging block (PBa) including a plurality of valves for supplying nitrogen for purging to the gas pipe between the gas valve train (GVT) and the main engine (ME), and a fuel supply unit A second purging block (PBb) including a plurality of valves for supplying nitrogen for purging to a gas pipe between the (FGSS) and the gas valve train (GVT) is provided. The nitrogen purging line (NPL) joins the compressed nitrogen supply line (LCL), which will be described later, and then branches off and is connected to the first and second purging blocks, respectively, to supply nitrogen for purging to the rear end of the main engine and the gas valve train. The first and second purging blocks (PBa, PBb) have double control valves to prevent gas from flowing back toward the nitrogen purging line, and a venting valve is placed between them, so that even if the valve leaks, gas is not discharged into the nitrogen purging line. It consists of a DOUBLE BLOCK & BLEED VALVE that allows it to be discharged to the outside. The nitrogen purging line branched to the second purging block (PBb) is a line (LCLc) for purging/venting gas from the front end of the gas valve train to the master gas valve and for leak testing, which will be described later, and from the rear end of the gas valve train to the front end of the gas valve train. The gas up to can be divided into two flows: purging/venting and a line for leak testing (LCLb).

Nitrogen in the nitrogen storage tank 120 can be supplied to other uses on the ship in addition to nitrogen for purging. By supplying air at 600 m ³ /h 13 bar from the supply, approximately 160 m ³ /h 11 bar N2 can be obtained. Nitrogen is stored at MAX 11 bar in the nitrogen storage tank, then reduced to 6 bar and then used for other purposes. It is supplied onboard as nitrogen for purging.

Meanwhile, when supplying pressurized gas fuel to a ship engine, a leakage test of the gas pipe is performed prior to supplying the gas fuel to ensure the safety of the ship and crew.

The gas pipe leak test is usually performed by supplying nitrogen pressurized at a constant pressure of around 16 bar to the gas pipe. The nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generator 110 provided for supplying nitrogen on board is usually around 6 bar, so a separate compression device is required. It must be pressurized to create a test pressure and then supplied. However, the compression device for compressing nitrogen for gas pipe leakage testing has the problem of having to separately install expensive equipment that is not frequently used, and as equipment with a small capacity is installed to lower costs and reduce installation space, gas leakage occurs. There was a problem that it took a considerable amount of time to create test pressure and fill the gas pipe for testing.

This embodiment is designed to solve this problem and reduce the time required for gas pipe leakage testing while reducing the cost and space required for installing additional equipment by utilizing already installed equipment. That is, in this embodiment, when testing gas pipe leakage of the main engine and fuel supply unit, compressed air generated by the air compressor 200 is supplied to the nitrogen generator, and compressed nitrogen is generated and supplied to the gas pipe.

To this end, first, a compressed air storage tank 210 is provided to store the compressed air generated by the air compressor, a compressed air supply line (PAL) connected from the compressed air storage tank to the nitrogen generator, and a compressed air supply line are provided to supply the compressed air to the nitrogen generator. A pressure control valve (RV) that regulates the pressure of the compressed air to be produced and a compressed nitrogen supply line (LCL) that supplies compressed nitrogen generated from the nitrogen generator 110 to the gas pipe are provided.

The compressed air supply line (PAL) is equipped with a compressed air supply valve (PAV) that opens and closes the compressed air supply line, and the compressed nitrogen supply line (LCL) is equipped with a compressed nitrogen supply valve (LCV) that opens and closes the compressed nitrogen supply line. It is prepared.

When testing a gas pipe leak, the compressed air supply valve (PAV) is opened and the compressed air of about 30 bar compressed by the air compressor (200) and stored in the compressed air storage tank (210) is pumped through the pressure control valve (RV) to about 18 bar. By reducing the pressure and supplying it to the nitrogen generator 110, compressed nitrogen of about 16 bar, which is the test pressure required for gas pipe leakage testing, can be generated. The compressed nitrogen generated in this way is supplied to the gas pipe of the main engine and fuel supply unit through the compressed nitrogen supply line (LCL) by opening the compressed nitrogen supply valve (LCV).

The compressed nitrogen supply line (LCL) is connected to the above-described first and second purging blocks (PBa, PBb), downstream of the compressed nitrogen supply valve (LCV) and downstream of the nitrogen purging valve (NPV), as shown in FIG. The compressed nitrogen supply line (LCL) and nitrogen purging line (NPL) are joined and then branched to connect to the first and second purging blocks.

Meanwhile, the operation of the system of this embodiment, including the air supply, compressed air supply valve, compressed nitrogen supply valve, and nitrogen supply valve, can be controlled by the control unit 300.

Normally, the control unit 300 detects the pressure of the nitrogen storage tank 120, and when the pressure drops to a standard value, for example, 6 bar, it operates the air supply 100 and opens the nitrogen supply valve (NSV) to generate the nitrogen generator 110. ) is supplied to the nitrogen storage tank (120). The control unit detects the pressure of the nitrogen storage tank and controls the air supply to stop operation and close the nitrogen supply valve (NSV) when the nitrogen storage tank pressure reaches a certain value, for example, 11 bar.

When testing the gas pipe leakage of the main engine and fuel supply section, the control unit 300 opens the compressed air supply valve (PAV) and the compressed nitrogen supply valve (LCV) to transfer the compressed air from the air compressor 200 to the pressure control valve (RV). ), the pressure is reduced and supplied to the nitrogen generator 110, and then the compressed nitrogen generated in the nitrogen generator at about 16 bar is supplied to the first and second purging blocks (PBa, PBb) through the compressed nitrogen supply line (LCL). . The control unit detects the gas pipe pressure of the gas valve train (GVT) and continues to supply nitrogen generated from the nitrogen generator through the compressed nitrogen supply line until the pressure inside the gas pipe reaches approximately 16 bar, which is the pressure required for the leak test. and supply it to the second purging block.

At this time, the nitrogen supply valve (NSV) is controlled to close when the pressure of the nitrogen storage tank 120 reaches a certain value (11 bar) and to open below that pressure, thereby allowing gas to be supplied through the compressed nitrogen supply line (LCL) for a gas pipe leak test. Even while nitrogen is supplied through piping, nitrogen can continue to be supplied to the nitrogen storage tank 120 through the nitrogen supply line (NSL), so nitrogen can be supplied to other users within the ship.

In this way, the system of this embodiment can supply high-pressure nitrogen required for gas pipe leakage testing by utilizing pre-installed equipment without installing a separate additional compression device, thereby reducing equipment installation costs and contributing to securing space onboard the gas pipe. The time required for leak testing can be dramatically shortened.

In addition, the air compressor, compressed air storage tank, nitrogen generator, and nitrogen storage tank are installed in the engine room (ER) where the main engine is located, so piping configuration and arrangement are easy, and the piping length to the main engine can be shortened.

Furthermore, using the system of this embodiment, when the demand for nitrogen within the ship increases, it is possible to flexibly respond to changes in nitrogen demand within the ship by supplying air from the air compressor to the nitrogen generator along with the air supplier or by replacing the air supplier.

It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and that it can be implemented with various modifications or variations without departing from the technical gist of the present invention. It was done.

ER: Engine room
CD: Cofferdam
ME: Main Engine
CR: Cargo Compressor Room
FGSS: Fuel Supply Department
100: Air supplier
110: nitrogen generator
200: Air compressor
210: Compressed air storage tank
PAL: Compressed air supply line
PAV: Compressed air supply valve
RV: Pressure control valve
LCL: Compressed nitrogen supply line
LCV: Compressed nitrogen supply valve
PBa: 1st purging block
PBb: 2nd purging block

Claims (10)

A main engine provided on a ship and supplied with gas fuel;
An air compressor that compresses air and generates compressed air to help start the main engine;
A fuel supply unit that supplies liquefied gas from an onboard storage tank as fuel according to the fuel supply conditions of the main engine; and
Includes a nitrogen generator that receives air and generates the nitrogen needed onboard the ship.
During a gas pipe leakage test of the main engine and fuel supply unit, compressed air generated by the air compressor is supplied to the nitrogen generator, and compressed nitrogen is generated and supplied to the gas pipe. Plumbing leak testing system. According to clause 1,
A compressed air storage tank that stores compressed air generated by the air compressor;
A compressed air supply line connected from the compressed air storage tank to the nitrogen generator;
a pressure control valve provided in the compressed air supply line to control the pressure of compressed air to be supplied to the nitrogen generator; and
A gas pipe leak test system for a ship further comprising: a compressed nitrogen supply line that supplies compressed nitrogen generated from the nitrogen generator to the gas pipe. According to clause 2,
A compressed air supply valve provided in the compressed air supply line to open and close the compressed air supply line; and
A gas piping leak test system for a ship further comprising: a compressed nitrogen supply valve provided in the compressed nitrogen supply line to open and close the compressed nitrogen supply line. According to clause 3,
an air supplier supplying air for nitrogen production to the nitrogen generator;
A nitrogen storage tank that stores nitrogen generated in the nitrogen generator;
A nitrogen supply line connected from the nitrogen generator to the nitrogen storage tank;
A nitrogen supply valve provided in the nitrogen supply line to open and close the nitrogen supply line;
A nitrogen purging line connected from the nitrogen storage tank to the gas pipe; and
It further includes a nitrogen purging valve provided in the nitrogen purging line,
A ship's gas pipe leak test system, characterized in that nitrogen in the nitrogen storage tank can be supplied as nitrogen for purging, which exhausts gas fuel in the gas pipe when the main engine stops in gas mode. According to clause 4,
A gas valve train including a plurality of valves for controlling the supply of gas fuel from the fuel supply unit to the main engine;
A first purging block including a plurality of valves for supplying nitrogen for purging to a gas pipe between the gas valve train and the main engine when the main engine is stopped in gas mode; and
It further includes a second purging block including a plurality of valves for supplying nitrogen for purging to the gas pipe between the fuel supply unit and the gas valve train,
The compressed nitrogen supply line and the nitrogen purging line are joined downstream of the compressed nitrogen supply valve and downstream of the nitrogen purging valve, then branch and connect to the first and second purging blocks. According to clause 5,
A ship's gas pipe leak test system further comprising: a control unit that controls the air supply, the compressed air supply valve, the compressed nitrogen supply valve, and the nitrogen supply valve. According to clause 6,
The control unit detects the pressure of the nitrogen storage tank, and when the pressure drops to the standard value, the air supply is operated and the nitrogen supply valve is opened to supply nitrogen generated in the nitrogen generator to the nitrogen storage tank, and the nitrogen storage tank pressure A ship's gas pipe leak test system, characterized in that it is controlled to stop operation of the air supply and close the nitrogen supply valve when this certain value is reached. According to clause 7,
When testing the gas pipe leakage of the main engine and fuel supply unit, the control unit opens the compressed air supply valve and the compressed nitrogen supply valve until the gas pipe pressure of the gas valve train reaches the pressure required for the gas pipe leakage test. A ship's gas pipe leak test system, characterized in that nitrogen generated in the nitrogen generator is supplied to the first and second purging blocks through the compressed nitrogen supply line. According to any one of claims 5 to 8,
A ship's gas pipe leak test system, wherein the air compressor, compressed air storage tank, nitrogen generator, and nitrogen storage tank are installed in the engine room where the main engine is located. According to clause 9,
The main engine is an engine that can receive gas fuel compressed at around 10 to 15 bar, and compressed air at around 30 bar is supplied to the main engine through the air compressor and the compressed air storage tank. Ship's gas pipe leak testing system.