JP7763705B2 - Vaporizer - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a vaporizer. More specifically, it relates to a vaporizer that heats and vaporizes a liquid.

JP 2021-89198 A discloses a vaporizer for vaporizing liquid. This vaporizer includes a tank for storing liquid and a heater that covers the outside of the tank. The liquid in the tank is heated by the heater to vaporize it, and then discharged outside the tank.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-89198

In the vaporizer disclosed in the above publication, the tank is heated from the periphery, making it difficult for heat to be transferred to the center. This can result in a longer time for the liquid to vaporize. One way to make it easier for heat to be transferred to the center is to narrow the tank's width. Furthermore, to store more liquid in the tank and increase the heating area, the tank must be made longer vertically.

However, making the tank long and narrow not only increases the overall height of the tank, taking up space, but also increases the weight of the tank, potentially making it difficult to handle. Therefore, there is a demand for a vaporizer that can efficiently vaporize the liquid inside the tank without increasing its size.

One embodiment of the vaporizer comprises a tank having a sidewall and a bottom for storing liquid, and a heating means for heating the liquid through at least the sidewall of the tank. A tumble flow is generated by the temperature difference between the liquid stored in the tank near the sidewall and the center away from the sidewall. The bottom of the tank is provided with an inlet that allows the liquid to flow into the tank, and a guide member that guides the flow of liquid flowing in from the inlet toward the sidewall of the tank. The flow of liquid guided by the guide member toward the sidewall rises along the sidewall, promoting a tumble flow.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an evaporation device according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vaporizer of FIG. 1 taken along line III-III. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a vaporizer according to another embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cover member that is applied to the vaporizer of FIG. 4 . FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a vaporizer according to another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cover member that is applied to the vaporizer of FIG. 6 .

<Vaporization device>
Various embodiments will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. As shown in Figure 1, vaporizer 1 heats and vaporizes liquid 2 (e.g., liquid ammonia). Vaporizer 1 has tank 10 for storing liquid 2. Around tank 10, as heating means, are provided hot water tank 30 for holding water heated by heater 40, and fins 50 for efficiently transferring heat from the hot water in hot water tank 30 to tank 10. Heat transferred from hot water tank 30 to tank 10 heats liquid 2, accelerating vaporization. Gas 3 generated by vaporization of liquid 2 is sent, for example, from exhaust port 12 at the top of tank 10 through outlet pipe 70 to an external device that utilizes gas 3.

The tank 10 has a cylindrical shape that extends linearly in the vertical direction, and is usually cylindrical. The tank 10 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. A circular inlet 11 is provided in the center of the bottom of the tank 10. An inlet pipe 60 is connected to the inlet 11, and liquid 2 is supplied to the tank 10 from outside through the inlet pipe 60.

<Cover member>
As shown in Figure 1, a lid member 20 is provided inside the tank 10 to cover the inlet 11. The lid member 20 has a cylindrical shape with a top. As shown in Figure 2, a top surface 21 of the lid member 20 protrudes from a side surface 23 in a flange-like shape. A plurality of cylindrical outlet holes 24 that open in the radial direction are formed in the side surface 23 of the lid member 20. The outlet holes 24 are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction.

Liquid 2 flowing in from below through the inlet 11 collides with the top surface 21 of the lid member 20, preventing it from flowing upward, and flows radially outward through each outlet hole 24. Liquid 2 flowing out from each outlet hole 24 flows along the underside of the top surface 21 toward the side wall 13 of the tank 10. Therefore, the lid member 20 functions as a guide member, guiding the liquid 2 that has flowed into the tank 10 toward the side wall 13 to be heated. Once guided to the side wall 13, the liquid 2 flows upward along the side wall 13 as shown in Figure 1.

A vertical circulating flow (tumble flow) occurs in the stored liquid 2 due to the heating of the tank 10. Specifically, as shown by the arrows in Figure 1, the tank 10 is heated from the periphery by the hot water tank 30, which causes a temperature difference between the outer periphery and center of the tank 10, and the liquid 2 near the side wall 13 vaporizes, causing bubbles to rise, causing the liquid 2 near the side wall 13 to rise and the liquid 2 near the center, away from the side wall 13, to flow downward.

The liquid 2 that flows into the tank 10 is guided by the lid member 20 toward the side wall 13 and rises along the side wall 13, promoting tumble flow within the tank 10. This further agitates the liquid 2, making it easier for the entire liquid 2 to be heated. This allows the liquid 2 to be vaporized efficiently without making the tank 10 larger.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the top surface 21 of the lid member 20 is curved to form a recess 22 that is recessed upward in a roughly V-shape. The recess 22 receives the liquid 2 that has descended near the center of the tank 10 along with the tumble flow. Furthermore, the recess 22 guides the flow of the received liquid 2 toward the side wall 13 while reversing it upward along the recess. As a result, the liquid 2 guided into the recess 22 follows the flow of liquid 2 rising near the side wall 13, thereby further agitating the liquid 2.

As shown in Figure 1, the side surface 23 of the lid member 20 is positioned closer to the inlet 11 than the side wall 13 when viewed radially. This makes it easier for the liquid 2 that flows in through the inlet 11 to flow out through the outlet hole 24 without remaining inside the lid member 20.

As shown in Figure 3, each outlet hole 24 extends from the inside to the outside in the radial direction, tilted at a predetermined angle in the same circumferential direction (for example, clockwise in Figure 3). As a result, as shown by the arrows in Figure 3, the liquid 2 passing through each outlet hole 24 flows out so that it hits the side wall 13 at an oblique angle. This creates a lateral flow (swirl flow) in which the liquid 2 rotates circumferentially around the tank 10. The swirl flow further agitates the liquid 2 in the tank 10. As a result, the entire liquid 2 is more easily heated, further promoting the evaporation of the liquid 2.

Also, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cover member 120 may have a vertical wall 125 that projects upward from the periphery of the horizontally extending top surface 121, forming a recess 122 with a generally U-shaped cross section. The recess may also have any shape, such as a generally V-shaped or U-shaped cross section, or a generally W-shaped cross section (a ring-shaped V-groove that is recessed upward) (vaporizer 101).

Also, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the top surface 221 of the lid member 220 does not protrude like a flange, and the side surface 223 may be radially wide so that it is positioned close to the side wall 13 of the tank 10. The outflow hole 224 does not have to be formed in a passage shape, but may be a circular hole opened in the thin, upright wall-like side surface 223 (evaporator 201).

As described above, the liquid 2 flowing in from the inlet 11 of the tank 10 can be guided toward the side wall 13 with the simple configuration of covering the inlet 11 with the lid member 20. This causes the liquid 2 to rise along the side wall 13, promoting tumble flow within the tank 10 and making it easier to vaporize the liquid 2.

One possible configuration for dispersing the incoming liquid 2 toward the side wall 13 is to branch the inlet pipe 60 and connect it to the tank 10. However, when using a high-pressure liquefied gas such as liquefied ammonia as the liquid 2, increasing the number of pipes and making the configuration more complicated as described above makes it difficult to comply with legal regulations. In this embodiment, by using a lid member 20 with the above-described outlet holes 24, the liquid 2 can be dispersed without increasing the number of pipes.

<Heating means>
As shown in FIG. 1 , the hot water tank 30 is a container slightly larger than the tank 10. The hot water tank 30 is filled with hot water for heating up to near the top. The hot water tank 30 and the tank 10 are assembled so that the tank 10 is positioned from the top to the center of the hot water tank 30 in the height direction. The upper end of the tank 10 may extend upward from the top surface of the hot water tank 30. It is desirable to adjust the inflow amount of the liquid 2 so that the liquid level of the liquid 2 in the tank 10 is lower than the water level in the hot water tank 30. This heats the liquid 2 on the side wall 13 side across the entire height direction, making it easier for a tumble flow to occur.

As shown in FIG. 1, a heater 40 is provided below the tank 10 within the hot water tank 30. The heater 40 is positioned so as to straddle the inlet pipe 60. This allows the heater 40 to heat the water in the hot water tank 30 as well as the liquid 2 passing through the inlet pipe 60. The fins 50 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 13 of the tank 10. This makes it easier to heat the liquid 2 near the side wall 13.

<Advantages>
To summarize the above, the vaporizer 1 includes a tank 10 having a sidewall 13 and a bottom for storing liquid 2, and a hot water bath 30 for heating the liquid 2 through at least the sidewall 13 of the tank 10. A tumble flow is generated due to the temperature difference between the liquid 2 stored in the tank 10 near the sidewall 13 and the central area away from the sidewall 13. The bottom of the tank 10 is provided with an inlet 11 for allowing the liquid 2 to flow into the tank 10, and a guide member for guiding the flow of the liquid 2 flowing from the inlet 11 toward the sidewall 13 of the tank 10. The flow of the liquid 2 guided by the guide member toward the sidewall 13 rises along the sidewall 13, promoting the tumble flow. This configuration further agitates the liquid 2, making it easier for the entire liquid 2 to be heated. This allows the liquid 2 to be efficiently vaporized without increasing the size of the tank 10.

The tank 10 has a cylindrical shape that extends linearly in the height direction. The guide member is a cylindrical lid member 20 with a top that is placed over the inlet 11 formed at the bottom of the tank 10. The lid member 20 has at least one outlet hole 24 formed in its side surface 23, and the liquid 2 flows out from the outlet hole 24 toward the side wall 13 of the tank 10. Therefore, with the simple configuration of placing the lid member 20 over the inlet 11 of the tank 10, the liquid 2 that flows in from the inlet 11 can be guided to flow toward the side wall 13.

In addition, a recess 22 is provided on the upper surface of the top plate surface 21 of the lid member 20. As a result, the liquid 2 that has descended due to the tumble flow is received in the recess 22. As the received liquid 2 flows along the recess 22, it is turned over and flows upward toward the side wall 13. This promotes agitation of the liquid 2 without inhibiting the flow of the liquid 2 rising along the side wall 13.

The top surface 21 of the lid member 20 also projects radially outward in a flange-like manner beyond the side surface 23 of the lid member 20. The liquid 2 flowing out of the outflow hole 24 is guided along the underside of the projecting portion of the top surface 21 toward the side wall 13 of the tank 10. With this configuration, even if the side surface 23 of the lid member 20 is brought closer to the inlet 11 so that the liquid 2 flowing into the tank 10 can easily flow out of the outflow hole 24 with force, the top surface 21 can properly guide the liquid 2 flowing out of the outflow hole 24 to the side wall 13 of the tank 10.

The outflow holes 24 are configured as passages that penetrate the side surface 23 of the lid member 20, which has a thickness in the radial direction, and extend at an angle in the circumferential direction from the inside to the outside in the radial direction of the lid member 20. This configuration causes the liquid 2 that passes through the outflow holes 24 to flow out so that it hits the side wall 13 at an oblique angle. This creates a swirl flow in which the liquid 2 rotates in the circumferential direction around the tank 10. This further agitates the liquid 2, promoting evaporation.

In addition, multiple passages are provided along the circumferential direction, and all extend with the same inclination when viewed circumferentially. This configuration makes it easier to create a swirl flow.

The tank 10 is cylindrical. The lid member 20 is cylindrical with a top and is located at the center of the bottom of the tank 10. Multiple outflow holes 24 are provided on the side surface 23 of the lid member 20. All of the multiple outflow holes 24 have the same shape and are evenly spaced circumferentially. With this configuration, the liquid 2 flows out of each outflow hole 24 in an even direction and at an even flow rate circumferentially toward the side wall 13 of the tank 10. This makes it less likely that the liquid 2 will become unevenly distributed in the circumferential direction, allowing the liquid 2 that flows in to appropriately promote tumble flow.

<Other embodiments>
In another embodiment, the vaporizer may vaporize any other liquid in addition to ammonia.

In another embodiment, the tank may be rectangular rather than cylindrical. It may also be any other shape, such as a sphere, as long as it has a hollow structure capable of storing liquid inside.

In another embodiment, the tank may be tilted rather than oriented vertically.

In another embodiment, the guide member may be a cover member or may be, for example, one or more hose-like members extending from the inlet toward the side wall.

In another embodiment, the outlet holes of the lid member may be provided only on a portion of the side surface. The outlet holes may be any shape, such as circular or angular. The outlet holes do not all need to be the same shape or size; they may be different shapes and sizes depending on the location.

In another embodiment, the outflow holes do not have to be holes formed in the side of the vertical wall, but may instead be gaps formed between multiple pillars extending downward from the top surface so as to lift the top surface above the inflow opening.

In another embodiment, the passage-shaped outlet hole may be configured in a nozzle-like shape, with the hole diameter narrower on the radially outer side of the lid member than on the radially inner side. This allows liquid passing through the outlet hole to flow out of the outlet hole with force. In another embodiment, the passage-shaped outlet hole may be configured in a shape narrower on the radially inner side of the lid member than on the radially outer side.

In another embodiment, the passage-shaped outlet hole may be configured to extend straight along the radial direction of the lid member. In another embodiment, the passage-shaped outlet hole may be configured to be inclined upward at a predetermined angle in the height direction relative to the side wall. This makes it easier for liquid guided to the side wall to flow upward.

Although various embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and those skilled in the art may be able to make various other modifications, substitutions, improvements, etc.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vaporizer 2 Liquid 3 Gas 10 Tank 11 Inlet 12 Outlet 13 Side wall 20 Lid member 21 Top surface 22 Recess 23 Side surface 24 Outlet hole 30 Hot water tank 40 Heater 50 Fin 60 Inlet pipe 70 Outlet pipe 101 Vaporizer 120 Lid member 121 Top surface 122 Recess 125 Standing wall 201 Vaporizer 220 Lid member 221 Top surface 223 Side surface 224 Outlet hole

Claims (8)

A vaporizer for vaporizing a liquid, comprising:
a tank having a side wall and a bottom for storing the liquid; and a heating means for heating the liquid through at least the side wall of the tank, wherein a tumble flow is generated by a temperature difference between the vicinity of the side wall of the liquid stored in the tank and the vicinity of a center away from the side wall,
an inlet for allowing the liquid to flow into the tank and a guide member for guiding the flow of the liquid flowing in from the inlet toward the side wall of the tank,
The vaporizer is configured so that the flow of the liquid guided by the guide member toward the side wall rises along the side wall, promoting the tumble flow. 2. The vaporizer of claim 1,
The tank has a cylindrical shape extending linearly in the height direction,
The guide member is a cylindrical lid member with a top that is placed over the inlet formed in the bottom of the tank,
The lid member has at least one outlet hole formed in a side surface thereof, and the liquid flows out from the outlet hole toward the side wall of the tank. 3. The vaporizer according to claim 2,
The vaporizer has a recess formed on the top surface of the top plate of the lid member. 3. The vaporizer according to claim 2 ,
a top surface of the lid member projects radially outward in a flange shape beyond the side surface of the lid member,
An evaporation device in which the liquid flowing out from the outlet hole is guided along the underside of the protruding portion of the top plate surface toward the side wall of the tank. The vaporizer according to claim 2 or 3,
An evaporation device in which the outflow hole is configured as a passage that penetrates the side of the cover member, which has a radial thickness, and extends at an inclination in the circumferential direction from the radial inside to the outside of the cover member. 6. The vaporizer according to claim 5,
A vaporizer in which a plurality of the passages are provided along the circumferential direction, and all of the passages extend inclined in the same direction when viewed in the circumferential direction. The vaporizer according to claim 2 or 3,
The tank is cylindrical,
the cover member is cylindrical and is disposed at the center of the bottom of the tank;
a plurality of the outlet holes are provided in the side wall of the lid member,
A vaporizer in which the plurality of outlet holes all have the same shape and are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction. 2. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the liquid is ammonia.