Search

CN-121993599-A - Sealing component and sealing concept for a pressure exchanger

CN121993599ACN 121993599 ACN121993599 ACN 121993599ACN-121993599-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to thrust pads for port plates configured for use with pressure exchangers, such as for use in seawater reverse osmosis facilities. The pressure exchanger includes a rotatable drum, a port plate having at least a first port aperture, and a port flange having at least a first fluid passageway. Thrust pads are provided to improve the sealing concept of the pressure exchanger. The thrust pad includes a plate side surface, a flange side surface, and a lateral surface. The curved shape of the thrust pad is configured to be at least partially disposed between the port plate and the port flange. The thrust pad extends in a thickness direction (Z) less than in a first direction (X) and a second direction (Y), wherein the direction (X, Y, Z) is perpendicular. The thrust pad includes a through bore configured to fluidly connect a first port aperture of the port plate to a first fluid passageway of the port flange. The invention also relates to a port plate arrangement, an assembly of a port plate arrangement and a port flange, and a pressure exchanger.

Inventors

  • Paul Eric Hansen
  • Georg enowson
  • Akutan Babu

Assignees

  • 丹佛斯有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20250813
Priority Date
20241107

Claims (15)

  1. 1. A thrust pad (1) for a port plate (200) configured for use with a pressure exchanger (1000), the pressure exchanger (1000) being for example a pressure exchanger for a sea water reverse osmosis plant, wherein the pressure exchanger (1000) comprises a rotatable drum (1001), the port plate (200) and a port flange (100; 400), wherein the port plate (200) has at least a first port aperture (201) and the port flange (100; 400) has at least a first fluid passage (101; 401), Wherein the thrust pad (1) comprises a plate side surface (9), a flange side surface (11) and a lateral surface (12); Wherein the thrust pad (1) comprises a curved shape configured to be at least partially arranged between the port plate (200) and the port flange (100; 400) of the pressure exchanger (1000); Wherein the thrust pad (1) extends in a first direction (X), a second direction (Y) and a thickness direction (Z), wherein the second direction (Y) is defined orthogonally with respect to the first direction (X) and the thickness direction (Z) is defined orthogonally with respect to the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y); Wherein the thrust pad (1) extends less in the thickness direction (Z) than in the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y), wherein the thrust pad (1) extends less in the first direction (X) than in the second direction (Y); Wherein the thrust pad (1) comprises a through hole (2), and Wherein the through hole (2) is configured to fluidly connect the first port aperture (201) of the port plate (200) to the first fluid passage (101; 401) of the port flange (100; 400).
  2. 2. Thrust pad (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lateral surface (12) is provided by an inner curved profile (5) and an outer curved profile (6) extending between a first end portion (7) and a second end portion (8), and wherein the inner curved profile (5) and the outer curved profile (6) converge at a first end point (3) and a second end point (4) of the respective end portions (7, 8), respectively, and/or wherein the thrust pad (1) comprises a half-moon shape.
  3. 3. Thrust pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the through hole (2) extends partly along a curved shape or a half-moon-shaped curved shape of the thrust pad (1), and wherein the through hole (2) comprises a smaller extension in the first direction (X) than in the second direction (Y).
  4. 4. Thrust pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the through hole (2) comprises a kidney-shaped shape.
  5. 5. Thrust pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thrust pad (1) comprises at least one elastic element (14), the at least one elastic element (14) being arranged at the flange surface (11) of the thrust pad (1) and being configured to be compressed in the thickness direction (Z), and wherein the at least one elastic element (14) is configured to abut the port flange (100; 400) when the thrust pad (1) is arranged between the port flange (100; 400) and the port plate (200).
  6. 6. Thrust pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thrust pad (1) comprises a thickness defined by an extension of the thrust pad (1) in the thickness direction (Z), wherein the thickness is at least 10 times smaller than an extension of the thrust pad (1) in the first direction (X) and/or the second direction (Y), and wherein for example the thrust pad (1) comprises a thickness of less than 10 mm.
  7. 7. Thrust pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thrust pad (1) is provided by a composite material comprising polyetheretherketone.
  8. 8. A port plate arrangement (250) for a pressure exchanger (1000), for example for a seawater reverse osmosis plant, wherein the pressure exchanger (1000) comprises a rotatable drum (1001) and a port flange (100; 400), wherein the port flange (100; 400) has at least a first fluid passage (101; 401), Wherein the port plate arrangement (250) has a port plate (200), the port plate (200) extending along a longitudinal axis (ZL) between a flange side (203) of the port plate (200) and a drum side (204) of the port plate (200) opposite the flange side (203); Wherein the port plate (200) further comprises a first port aperture (201) and a second port aperture (202) extending between the flange side (203) and the drum side (204) of the port plate (200); Wherein the port apertures (201, 202) allow individual fluids to flow from the flange side (203) of the port plate (200) to the drum side (204) of the port plate (200); Wherein the port plate (200) comprises a thrust pad (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
  9. 9. The port plate arrangement (250) according to claim 8, wherein the thrust pad (1) is configured such that the through hole (2) of the thrust pad (1) forms part of the first port aperture (201).
  10. 10. The port plate arrangement (250) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the port plate (200) comprises polyetheretherketone, preferably the port plate (200) is made of PEEK CA 30.
  11. 11. An assembly of a port plate arrangement (250) according to any of claims 8 to 10 and an adjacent port flange (100; 400), Wherein the port flange (100; 400) comprises: -a plate interface for facing the flange side (203) of the port plate (200) with the thrust pad (1); The first fluid passage (101; 401), wherein the first fluid passage (101; 401) opens towards the port plate (200) at the plate interface; a thrust pad recess (105) surrounding the first fluid passage (101; 401) at the plate interface, Wherein the flange side (203) of the port plate (200) with the thrust pad (1) faces the plate interface of the port flange (100; 400), wherein a flange side portion of the thrust pad (1) is accommodated in the thrust pad recess (105) of the port flange (100; 400).
  12. 12. Assembly according to claim 11, wherein the assembly comprises a lateral sealing element (15) for lateral sealing between the flange side portion of the thrust pad (1) and the thrust pad recess (105), and wherein the thrust pad recess (105) and/or the flange side portion of the thrust pad (1) comprises a circumferential recess (106) for accommodating the lateral sealing element (15).
  13. 13. Assembly according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the assembly comprises an axial sealing element (16) for axial sealing between the flange side portion of the thrust pad (1) and the thrust pad recess (105), wherein the axial sealing element (16) is at least axially resilient.
  14. 14. A pressure exchanger (1000), the pressure exchanger (1000) extending along a rotation axis (ZZZ) and comprising two assemblies according to any one of claims 11 to 13 and a drum (1001) with channels (1002), Wherein the assemblies are arranged in opposite orientations; Wherein the drum (1001) is arranged between two of the assemblies and on the respective drum side (104) of the port plate (204); wherein the rotation axis (ZZZ) extends parallel to the longitudinal axis (ZL) of the port plate (200); Wherein the channels (1002) of the drum (1001) extend parallel to the rotation axis (ZZZ); wherein the drum (1001) is rotatable about the rotation axis (ZZZ) with respect to the port plate (200), and Wherein the channel (1002) is configured to be fluidly connected to a fluid passage (101, 102;401, 402) of the port flange (100; 400) through the port aperture (201; 202) of the port plate (200) depending on a rotational position of the drum (1001).
  15. 15. The pressure exchanger (1000) according to claim 14, wherein the pressure exchanger (1000) comprises a high pressure side (HS) and a low pressure side (LS), and wherein the pressure exchanger (1000) is configured to allow fluid containing high pressure to pass from one of the port flanges (100; 400) through the through hole (2) of the thrust pad (1), through the first port (201) of the port plate (200), and into one of the channels (1002) of the drum (1001).

Description

Sealing component and sealing concept for a pressure exchanger Technical Field The present invention relates to thrust pads for port plates configured for use with pressure exchangers, such as those used in seawater reverse osmosis facilities. Furthermore, the invention relates to a port plate arrangement, an assembly of a port flange and a port plate arrangement, and a pressure exchanger. Background Pressure exchangers, such as rotary pressure exchangers, are well known in the art and are used for energy transfer while maintaining hydraulic pressure (isobaric). Briefly, a pressure exchanger transfers a high pressure fluid stream to a low pressure fluid stream. The general concept of pressure exchangers is often used in reverse osmosis facilities, for example in seawater reverse osmosis facilities for desalination of seawater, as energy recovery or energy saving facilities. In this regard, the pressure exchanger uses a high pressure fluid (e.g., a high pressure fluid discharged from a membrane of a reverse osmosis facility) to pressurize seawater introduced into the pressure exchanger at a low pressure, thereby supplying the membrane with seawater at a high pressure. The use of a pressure exchanger as an energy recovery device is particularly helpful in reducing the amount of energy that would otherwise be required to pressurize the seawater by the pump, i.e. in saving energy. Typically, the pressure exchanger is thus integrated into a complex fluid system and is fluidly connected to pipes, channels, passages, tubes or the like, which convey fluid at high pressure or fluid at low pressure into or out of the pressure exchanger. Leaks in fluid systems, in particular in the transition region between the fluid delivery device and the drum, for example a (rotating) pressure exchanger, can lead to energy losses. Thus, pressure exchangers known in the art are provided with a sealing concept to allow high pressure fluid to enter or leave the pressure exchanger, preferably without leakage, however, typically with limited leakage, which reduces the efficiency of the pressure exchanger. Therefore, in order to prevent excessive leakage, it is known to arrange sealing elements in the pressure exchanger. However, known sealing concepts typically require alternating seals, i.e. sealing elements or surfaces alternating between a high pressure side and a low pressure side, which have a large size, require many parts, are complex, heavy or not at all suitable for high pressures, e.g. pressures exceeding 60 bar. In particular, handling high pressures that may deform sealing surfaces (e.g., sealing surfaces of port flanges of pressure exchangers) may present difficulties. Disclosure of Invention Thus, there is a need for an improved sealing concept for pressure exchangers. It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the sealing concept of a pressure exchanger. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sealing concept for a pressure exchanger which reduces leakage while allowing the system to operate at higher pressures and larger volumetric flows. This object is solved by a thrust pad according to claim 1. Furthermore, this object is solved by a port plate arrangement according to claim 8, an assembly according to claim 11 and a pressure exchanger according to claim 14. The thrust pad is for the port plate. The thrust pad is configured for use with a pressure exchanger, such as that used in a seawater reverse osmosis plant. The pressure exchanger comprises a rotatable drum, the port plate and a (corresponding) port flange (adjacent port flange), wherein the port plate has at least a first porthole and the port flange has at least a first fluid passage. The thrust pad includes a plate side surface, a flange side surface, and a lateral surface. The thrust pad includes a curved shape configured to be at least partially disposed between the port plate and the port flange of the pressure exchanger. The thrust pad extends in a first direction, a second direction and a thickness direction, wherein the second direction is defined (at least partially) orthogonally with respect to the first direction and the thickness direction is defined orthogonally with respect to the first direction and the second direction. The thrust pad extends less in the thickness direction than in the first direction and the second direction, wherein the thrust pad extends less in the first direction than in the second direction. The thrust pad includes a through hole. The through bore is configured to fluidly connect the first port aperture of the port plate to a first fluid port of a (corresponding) port flange. Each port aperture may provide a flow channel between the flange side of the port plate and the drum side of the port plate, respectively. In more detail, the (corresponding) port flange may comprise at least two fluid passages. The fluid passage may be used for fluid exchange with external eleme