System and method for multi-level vacuum generation and storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225954-B2
Application number	US-202016821275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A vacuum generation system and method utilizes a dual-action piston-cylinder vacuum generation system to evacuate a vacuum storage. Saturated steam of higher than ambient pressure is inserted into a condensation cylinder with two chambers separated by a movable piston. Steam moves the piston to fill one chamber while expel gaseous content and condensate out of the other chamber. Steam is then condensed to a rough vacuum (RV) state by cooling. By repeated operations of inserting and condensing steam in each chamber alternatively, a sustained vacuum generation is achieved. A multi-level vacuum storage is also disclosed with a high vacuum (HV) storage placed inside a rough vacuum (RV) storage to reduce leakage as well as mechanical stresses. The vacuum generation system and method is extended for creating a prime mover or actuator to drive vacuum pumps maximizing thermal energy usage for increased vacuuming capacity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for generating a vacuum with a dual-action piston cylinder vacuum generation system, comprising, completing at least one cycle of a vacuum generation operation with a dual-action piston cylinder vacuum generation system, wherein the one complete cycle includes:
(a) switching a steam distribution valve to a side A of a cylinder to allow flow of steam from the steam distribution valve into a chamber A of the cylinder, wherein steam pressure pushes a piston to move towards an end of a side B of the cylinder, and piston movement increases volume of the chamber A and fills the chamber A with the steam, while simultaneously the piston movement decreases volume of a chamber B, and compresses content of the chamber B and increases pressure inside the chamber B; and wherein when pressure inside the chamber B reaches an ambient pressure, an air and condensate exit valve is opened to allow air and condensate inside the chamber B to exit, and when the piston reaches to the end of side B, the air and condensate exit valve closes, and the chamber A is filled with the steam;
(b) opening a cold water supply valve to allow flow of cold water into a plurality of cylinder wall channels to induce condensation of steam inside the chamber A; wherein a continued condensation of steam reduces pressure inside the chamber A into a vacuum state; and once a vacuum level in the Chamber A reaches a predetermined level, the cold water supply valve is closed to stop flow of the cold water into the cylinder wall channels, and the chamber A is filled with a vacuum;
(c) switching an air valve to the side A of the cylinder, and switching a steam/air switch valve to allow air flow from an application volume into the cylinder, thereby allowing air to now enter into chamber A of the cylinder and increase the pressure inside chamber A, wherein when pressure inside the chamber A reaches a predetermined level, both the air valve and the steam/air switch valve will close; and the chamber A is filled with the air;
(d) switching the steam distribution valve to the side B of the cylinder and the steam/air switch valve to allow flow of steam from the steam distribution valve into the chamber A of the cylinder, wherein the steam pressure pushes the piston to move towards the end of the side A, and the piston movement increases the volume of chamber B and fills the chamber B with steam; and simultaneously the piston movement decreases the volume of chamber A, which compresses the chamber A content and increases the pressure inside chamber A; and when the pressure inside the chamber A reaches the ambient pressure, the air and condensate exit valve is opened to allow air and condensate inside the chamber A to exit; and when the piston reaches to the end of side A, the air and condensate exit valve closes, and the steam distribution valve and steam/air switch valve closes, and chamber B is filled with steam;
(e) opening the cold water supply valve to allow flow of the cold water into the cylinder wall channels to induce condensation of steam inside the chamber B, wherein the continued condensation of steam reduces pressure inside the chamber into a vacuum state; and once the predetermined vacuum level is reached, the cold water supply valve is closed to stop flow of cold water into the cylinder wall channels; and the chamber B is vacuum filled;
(f) switching the air valve to the side B of the cylinder, and switching the steam/air switch valve to allow flow of air from the application volume into the cylinder; wherein air is now entering into the chamber B of the cylinder and increases the pressure inside chamber B, and when pressure inside the chamber B reaches the predetermined level, both the air valve and the steam/air switch valve closes; and chamber B is filled with air; and
removing steps (c), (d) and (f), when similar vacuum generation operation is used to create a prime mover or an actuator due to the vacuum in the cylinder is no longer used to evacuate the application directly.

2. The method of claim 1 , further includes recycling a condensate that is expelled out of the chamber B.

3. The method of claim 1 , further includes flowing liquid through a plurality of channels in a wall of the cylinder to perform a heat exchange with a content inside the cylinder.

4. A method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a dual-action piston cylinder vacuum generation system that includes:
the cylinder including two chambers, the chamber A and the chamber B and the piston there between, and a cylinder wall, the cylinder operable to receive alternatively a first quantity and a second quantity of steam into the chamber A and the chamber B;
the plurality of cylinder wall channels in the cylinder wall operable to allow flows of hot and cold water through the channels to perform heat exchange with content inside the cylinder;
a plurality of atomizing spray nozzles to allow cold water into each of the chamber A and the chamber B alternately;
a steam and hot water generator to heat the cylinder wall and to provide the first and the second quantities of steam; a heat exchanger for the first and second quantities of steam to condense for a vapor-to-liquid phase change that reduces a pressure in the two chambers and provides a reduced pressure; and
a rough vacuum storage in communication with the cylinder for depressurization to a rough vacuum state in the enclosed volume, wherein a rough vacuum and steam is utilized as actuation power for driving a vacuum pump; and
wherein the vacuum generation system provides vacuum generation by having steam enter into the chamber A and moving the piston to push out air from chamber B;

filling the chamber A with steam and having the piston stationary with zero volume in chamber B;
entering a first quantity of cold water into the cylinder walls to induce condensation of steam inside the chamber A, and forcing hot water out of the cylinder walls;
spraying with the plurality of spray nozzles sprays cold water into chamber A, for producing condensation and creating a vacuum inside the chamber A;
transporting air in the enclosed volume or rough vacuum storage into chamber A by the created vacuum; and
entering steam into the chamber B and moving the piston to push out air from chamber A to repeat vacuum generation.

5. The method of claim 1 , further includes extracting a first quantity of gas from a vacuum storage or an open flow system into the chamber A, and utilizing a wall-embedded heat exchanger or channels disposed within the cylinder.

6. The method of claim 5 , further includes using a water chiller in communication with the channels to condense the first and second quantities of steam.

7. The method of claim 5 , further includes extracting a second quantity of gas from the enclosed volume or the open flow system into the chamber B, and repeating a dual action cycle by the inserting and the condensing of the first and the second quantities of steam in the chamber A and the chamber B to achieve a sustained vacuum generation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a reduction of pressure is generated with the chamber A and the chamber B that create a combination of a condensation cylinder and a vacuum compression cylinder.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the condensing of the first and the second quantity of steam is through the heat exchanger in the chamber A and the chamber B of the condensation cylinder, respectively.

10. The method of claim 9 , further includes moving a first piston and a first rod in the cylinder by a combination of a rough vacuum in the chamber A of the cylinder and steam in the chamber B of the cylinder.

11. The method of claim 10 , further includes moving a s

Assignees

• New Jersey Inst Technology

Inventors

• Zhu Chao
• Ji Zhiming
• Zhou Mengchu
• Glaz Joseph
• Zhang Bo

Classifications

• F04B27/005 Primary

  with two cylinders · CPC title

• F04B35/006 Primary

  driven by steam engines · CPC title

• F04B41/06

  Combinations of two or more pumps · CPC title

• F04B39/064

  Cooling by a cooling jacket in the pump casing · CPC title

• F04B37/14

  to obtain high vacuum · CPC title