DE-102024210883-A1 - Valve arrangement and method for operating a valve arrangement

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vertical valve arrangement for introducing a predetermined target quantity of a granular material by means of gravity into a region arranged below the valve arrangement, comprising a first shut-off element, a second shut-off element, a third shut-off element and a fourth shut-off element, which are arranged in series, wherein the first shut-off element is arranged above the second shut-off element, the second shut-off element is arranged above the third shut-off element and the third shut-off element is arranged above the fourth shut-off element, a pre-chamber which is arranged between the first shut-off element and the second shut-off element, a sluice chamber which is arranged between the second shut-off element and the third shut-off element, and a discharge chamber which is arranged between the third shut-off element and the fourth shut-off element.

Inventors

• Cristian-Aurelian Coclici
• Lars Ulrich
• Fabian Wolf
• Patrick Schoeffner
• Stephan Wursthorn
• Andreas Koeninger
• Thomas Nierychlo

Assignees

• Robert Bosch Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20241113

Claims (14)

1. Inclined, in particular vertical, valve arrangement (1) for introducing a predetermined target quantity (M) of a granular material (2), in particular sorption material, by gravity into a region (5, 6, 7) arranged below the valve arrangement (1), in particular into a desorption chamber or from a desorption chamber of a gas separation system, comprising: - a first shut-off element (11), a second shut-off element (12), a third shut-off element (13) and a fourth shut-off element (14), which are arranged in series, wherein the first shut-off element (11) is arranged above the second shut-off element (12), the second shut-off element (12) is arranged above the third shut-off element (13) and the third shut-off element (13) is arranged above the fourth shut-off element (14), - a pre-chamber (5) which is arranged between the first shut-off element (11) and the second shut-off element (12), - an airlock chamber (6), which is arranged between the second shut-off element (12) and the third shut-off element (13), and - a drain chamber (7), which is arranged between the third shut-off element (13) and the fourth shut-off element (14).
2. Valve arrangement (1) according to Claim 1 , wherein the second shut-off element (12) and the fourth shut-off element (14) are designed as gas-tight valves and in particular have elastomer sealing elements for sealing.
3. Valve arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the shut-off elements (11, 12, 13, 14) are designed as a gate valve or poppet valve or ball valve or rotary flap valve or pinch valve.
4. Valve arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein all shut-off elements (11, 12, 13, 14) are identical, or - wherein the first and third shut-off elements (11, 13) are identical and the second and fourth shut-off valves (12, 14) are identical but different from the first and third shut-off elements (11, 13).
5. Valve arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock chamber (6) has a larger volume than the pre-chamber (5) and/or wherein the lock chamber (6) has a larger volume than the emptying chamber (7).
6. Valve arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a volume of the pre-chamber (5) is equal to a volume of the drain chamber (7).
7. Valve arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a control device (10) which is configured to control the shut-off elements (11, 12, 13, 14) such that the second shut-off element (12) is always fully open before the first shut-off element (11) is opened and the fourth shut-off element (14) is always fully open before the third shut-off element (13) is opened.
8. Desorption system for a gas separation system with a desorption chamber and at least one valve arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims for introducing a predetermined target quantity (M) of a granular sorption material by means of gravity into the desorption chamber arranged below the valve arrangement (1) or for removing a predetermined target quantity (M) of a granular sorption material by means of gravity from the desorption chamber arranged above the valve arrangement (1).
9. Desorption plant after Claim 8 , comprising a first valve arrangement (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 7 at an inlet lock of the desorption plant and a second valve arrangement (1) after one of the Claims 1 until 7 at an outlet lock of the desorption plant.
10. Gas separation plant for separating a gas, in particular carbon dioxide, from air, in particular ambient air, with a desorption plant according to Claim 8 or 9 .
11. Gas separation system according to Claim 8 or 9 with an adsorption system which is fluidically connected to the desorption system for the circulation of the granular material (2).
12. A method for operating an inclined, in particular vertical, valve arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: - Opening (S1) of the third shut-off element (13), wherein the first shut-off element (11), the second shut-off element (12), and the fourth shut-off element (14) are closed, so that the lock chamber (6) and the discharge chamber (7) are connected to each other, - Intertwining or evacuating (S2) the lock chamber (6) and the discharge chamber (7), - Closing (S3) of the third shut-off element (13) and opening the second shut-off element (12), so that the pre-chamber (5) and the lock chamber (6) are connected to each other, - Opening (S4) of the first shut-off element (11), so that the granular material (2) falls through the pre-chamber (5) directly into the lock chamber (6) due to gravity, - Closing (S5) of the second shut-off element (12), - Pressure equalization (S6) of the pressures in the lock chamber (6) and the discharge chamber (7), - Opening (S7) of the fourth shut-off element (14) and subsequently - Opening (S8) of the third shut-off element (13), so that the granular material (2) is discharged from the lock chamber (6) through the discharge chamber (7) by gravity.
13. Procedure according to Claim 12 , wherein the second shut-off element (12) is fully opened before the first shut-off element (11) is opened and wherein the fourth shut-off element (14) is fully opened before the third shut-off element (13) is opened.
14. Procedure according to Claim 12 or 13 , wherein during the pressure equalization step in the lock chamber (6) and the emptying chamber (7) the pressure is equalized to ambient pressure or to a pressure below ambient pressure.

Description

State of the art The present invention relates to a vertical valve arrangement for introducing a predetermined target quantity of a granular material by means of gravity, as well as a method for operating such a vertical valve arrangement and a desorption plant. In many process plants, a granular material is conveyed. This material often needs to be fed into and discharged from various process steps in predetermined quantities using valve technology. Frequently, different absolute pressures and gas compositions are required for the various process steps, meaning the valve technology must meet high tightness requirements. In particular, it must be ensured that no or only minimal gas exchange can occur between different process chambers to avoid negatively impacting the processes. One example of a process plant is a desorption unit for carbon dioxide production, which must be separated from a granular material in a desorption process. In such a desorption process, for example, no atmospheric oxygen may enter the process chamber. However, due to the granular nature of the material, it can become trapped and/or adhere to the seat and/or guide area of the inlet and outlet valves, or to particles abrasion from the granular material. This creates the risk of insufficient sealing of the valves when closed, which in extreme cases can lead to gas exchange via the valves. Disclosure of the invention The inclined, in particular vertical, valve arrangement according to the invention for introducing a predetermined target quantity of a granular material by means of gravity, with the features of claim 1, has the advantage that a reliable gas-tight separation is possible between an area located upstream of the valve arrangement and an area located downstream of the valve arrangement, into which the target quantity is to be introduced. In particular, it can be prevented that granular material and/or abrasion of this material or the like accumulate and/or deposit on sealing surfaces of the valve arrangements and thus lead to leaks in the valve arrangement. According to the invention, this is achieved by the inclined, vertical valve arrangement having a first, a second, a third, and a fourth shut-off element. The four shut-off elements are arranged in series, with the first shut-off element positioned above the second shut-off element, the second shut-off element above the third shut-off element, and the third shut-off element above the fourth shut-off element. Furthermore, the inclined, in particular vertical, valve arrangement comprises a pre-chamber located between the first and second shut-off elements, a lock chamber located between the second and third shut-off elements, and a discharge chamber located between the third and fourth shut-off elements. Thus, the four shut-off elements and the three chambers are arranged in series, in particular vertically one above the other. The pre-chamber is located above the lock chamber, and the lock chamber is located above the discharge chamber. Shut-off elements are provided between each chamber. Two shut-off elements are thus arranged above the lock chamber in the flow direction, and two further shut-off elements are arranged downstream of the lock chamber in the flow direction. This allows one of the shut-off elements to be configured as a metering valve and another as a gas-tight valve. In this configuration, the shut-off elements downstream in the flow direction, i.e., the second and fourth shut-off elements, are designed as gas-tight valves, while the first and third shut-off elements are designed as metering valves. Consequently, the valve arrangement is inclined relative to the horizontal, in particular vertically oriented. The granular material is particularly free-flowing or pourable. The granular material is preferably a sorption or adsorption material for gas separation, especially CO2 separation. The area located below the valve arrangement can in particular be a desorption chamber or an area located downstream of a desorption chamber of a gas separation system. The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention. Preferably, the second and fourth shut-off elements are designed as gas-tight valves, which in particular have an elastomer sealing element for reliable sealing. Preferably, the first, second, third and fourth shut-off elements are designed as a gate valve, seat valve, ball valve, rotary flap valve or pinch valve. Preferably, all four shut-off elements are technically identical valves, in particular gate valves or poppet valves. Alternatively, preferably, the first and third shut-off elements are technically identical, and the second and fourth shut-off valves are technically identical, with the second and fourth shut-off valves then being technically different from the first and third shut-off valves. In particular, since the first and third shut-off elements only have a metering function, they can be designed as cost-effective shut-off eleme