Device for Generating Highly Compressed Gas

Abstract

In order to generate a highly compressed gas, a multistage high-pressure compressor is used, which has a number of 3 compressor stages ( 10 a, 10 b, 10 c, 10 d ). A vortex tube ( 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, 20 d ) is connected downstream from these compressor stages ( 10 a, 10 b, 10 c, 10 d ). The pressure difference between the pressure line ( 4 ) of the high-pressure compressor and the compressed gas reservoir ( 7 ) to be filled is used for driving, together with an expansion turbine ( 5 ), a pre-compressor ( 2 ) for pre-compressing the gas before entering the first compressor stage ( 10 a ). Alternatively, a vortex tube for cooling gas can be mounted between the last compressor stage ( 10 d ) and the compressed gas reservoir ( 7 ). The inventive device permits a direct filling of a compressed gas reservoir in order to reach a limit value of the pressure in the compressed gas reservoir at a predetermined limit temperature, said limit value being stipulated according to the technical rules.

1 . A device for generating highly compressed gas comprising a single-stage or a multistage compressor ( 10   a ,  10   b ,  10   c ,  10   d ) and a cooling device downstream of at least one compressor stage, the cooling device being configured as a vortex tube ( 20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c ,  20   d ;  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c ,  40   d ).  
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , characterized by a multistage high-pressure compressor ( 10   a - 10   d ), wherein downstream of at least one compressor stage a vortex tube ( 20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c ,  20   d ;  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c ,  40   d ) is arranged, and an expansion unit ( 5 ) is arranged between the high-pressure compressor and a pressure gas container ( 7 ), the expansion unit driving a pre-compressor ( 2 ) for compressing the gas before it enters into the first compressor stage ( 10   a ).  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein, in a multistage high-pressure compressor, the vortex tube is arranged between the last compressor stage ( 10   d ) and a pressure gas container ( 7 ).  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the vortex tubes ( 20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c ,  20   d ) have a cold gas outlet ( 22   a ,  22   b ,  22   c ,  22   d ) and a hot gas outlet ( 24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c ,  24   d ), the gas being supplied from the cold gas outlet to the subsequent compressor stage and the temperature of the gas from the hot gas outlet is reduced by throttling the hot gas flow and is returned into the respective compressor stage.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein, between the individual compressor stages ( 10   a ,  10   b ,  10   c ,  10   d ), the vortex tubes are supercritical and are operated at the same pressure ratio.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the throttling is effected through throttle points ( 25   a ,  25   b ,  25   c ,  25   d ) dimensioned such that a predetermined mass ratio between the cold gas and the hot gas is observed.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the cold gas ( 22   d ) is redirected into the first compressor stage ( 10   a ) by means of a switching device ( 101 ), whereby the cold gas flow is subjected to further throttling and thus to an additional reduction in temperature, if the temperature of the cold gas exceeds a predefined temperature for filling the pressure gas container ( 7 ).  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the last compressor stage ( 10   d ) of the multistage compressor is connected to a vortex tube ( 20   d ) whose cold gas outlet is adapted to be connected to the inlet of the first compressor stage ( 10   a ) via a return pipe ( 104 ).  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the return pipe ( 104 ) includes a throttle ( 103 ).  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the connection of the outlet of the last compressor stage ( 10   d ) with the inlet of the first compressor stage ( 10   a ) is established in dependence on the measured gas temperature in the cold gas flow ( 22   d ) of the vortex tube ( 20   d ) of the last compressor stage ( 10   d ).  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a pre-compression to between 0.5 bar and 2.0 bar is effected in a pre-compressor ( 2 ), the output pressure of the high-pressure compressor being freely selectable within a wide range.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein, by predefining the output pressure of the multistage high-pressure compressor, the temperature decrease is adjusted to the ambient temperature through the throttling effect an the Joule-Thomson effect during the filling of the pressure gas container ( 7 ), so that a pressure of 200 bar is reached in the pressure gas container ( 7 ) at a reference temperature of 15° C., independent of the ambient temperature.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein, for cooling, the com-pressed gas is passed over a cooler ( 33 ) using water as the cooling medium.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the vortex tubes ( 40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c ,  40   d ) are cooled from outside by a cooling device ( 44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c ,  44   d ).  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the heated water dissipates its heat through a heat exchanger ( 33 ) for use in heating domestic water and/or heating water for room heating.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the expansion unit ( 5 ) drives a pump ( 8 ) for an additional circulation of the water in the primary circuit of the heat exchanger ( 33 ).  
   
   
       17 . A device for decreasing the temperature of a pressurized gas comprising a feed pipe ( 101 ) leading to a swirl generator ( 102 ) and a vortex tube ( 105 ) branching from the swirl generator ( 102 ) for conveying a rotating vortex flow ( 121 ), wherein the outside of the vortex tube ( 105 ) is exposed to a cooling device ( 130 ), that a swirl brake ( 109 ) for slowing the vortex flow ( 121 ) down is arranged in the vortex tube ( 105 ), and that a flow path ( 122 ) leads from the swirl brake ( 109 ) into a filling pipe ( 107 ).  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the flow path ( 122 ) extends centrically through the vortex tube ( 105 ) within the vortex flow ( 121 ).  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 17  or  18 , wherein the filling pipe ( 107 ) also branches from the swirl generator ( 102 ) and wherein the diameter of the filling pipe ( 107 ) is smaller than the diameter of the vortex tube ( 105 ).  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the swirl brake ( 109 ) is a closure ( 110 ) arranged in the vortex tube ( 105 ).  
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the closure ( 110 ) is a piston adapted to be adjusted axially in the vortex tube.  
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the cooling device ( 130 ) comprises a cooling jacket ( 131 ) surrounding the vortex tube ( 105 ), a cooling medium flowing through the jacket.  
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 17 , characterized by its use for filling a pressure gas container.