JP2024072336A - Bucket-type automatic valve - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a bucket-type automatic valve which can reliably perform valve-closing.SOLUTION: When drain flows toward a valve chamber 10 from a flow-in port 13 in an arrow 91 direction, an inside space 30 of a bucket 3 and a valve chamber 10 at the outside of the bucket 3 are filled with the drain, and the bucket 3 and a ball float 2 can thereby maintain a valve-opening state by dead weight as illustrated in Fig. 1. Therefore, the drain is discharged from a flow-out port 14. Then, when steam flows into the valve chamber 10 from this state, the steam is made to stay at an upper part of the inside space 30 of the bucket 3, and generates buoyancy, the bucket 3 and the ball float 2 are floated in an arrow 95 direction, and the ball float 2 is seated on a valve seat 50, and valve-closes a valve port 51. Since a curvature of a support recess 32 of the bucket 3 is set smaller than a curvature of a curved face of a spherical face of the ball float 2, the ball float 2 tightly adheres to the valve seat 50 while oscillating, and can reliably valve-close the valve port 51. Here, the ball float 2 oscillates in only directions of arrows 97, 98 by a guide 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The bucket-type automatic valve of this application relates to automatic valve technology that opens and closes by utilizing the downward and upward movement of a bucket placed inside the valve chamber.

Industrial plants are often equipped with piping systems that transport steam generated in boilers at high temperature and pressure to its destination. If the steam liquefies within this piping and drainage (condensed water of the steam) occurs, this can impede the transport of the steam, so the drainage must be discharged outside the piping as appropriate.

For this reason, steam traps are installed throughout the piping system. Steam traps automatically discharge the drainage in the piping to the outside as appropriate. There are various types and structures of steam traps known, including mechanical steam traps such as bucket and float types. Among these, bucket type steam traps are steam traps that open and close automatically by utilizing the descending and rising action of a bucket placed upside down inside the valve chamber.

One example of technology related to bucket-type steam traps is the free bucket float steam trap disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. Inside the valve casing of this free bucket float steam trap, an inlet 5, a valve chamber 4, and an outlet 14 are formed, all of which communicate with each other. A valve seat 18 with a valve orifice 16 formed therein is fixed to the top of the valve chamber 4, and the valve chamber 4 and the outlet 14 communicate with each other through the valve orifice 16.

An inlet pipe 7 is fixed to the bottom wall of the valve chamber 4 and stands upright inside the valve chamber 4. An inlet hole 8 is formed inside this inlet pipe 7, and a through hole 9 is formed at the tip. A bucket float 22 is housed in a free state inside the valve chamber 4. This bucket float 22 has a spherical shell 23 that forms a spherical valve surface on its outer surface, and an opening 25 is formed at the bottom. The bucket float 22 is positioned with the inlet pipe 7 passing through this opening 25.

A guide rod 27 is attached to the top wall of the valve chamber 4. The upper end 28 of the guide rod 27 is formed in a spherical shape, and this upper end 28 is rotatably fitted into a ball receiver 29 on the top wall of the valve chamber 4. The lower end of the guide rod 27 is arranged to extend to the vicinity of the tip of the introduction pipe 7, and the guide rod 27 passes through a through hole 30 formed in the upper part of the bucket float 22.

When condensate flows in from the inlet 5, the inside of the bucket float 22 and the valve chamber 4 are filled with condensate, and the bucket float 22 descends under its own weight, opening the valve port 16. This allows the condensate to be discharged from the outlet 14. When gas such as steam flows in from the inlet 5, this gas accumulates inside the bucket float 22 and causes the bucket float 22 to float up. This causes the valve face, which is the outer surface of the bucket float 22, to seat on the valve seat 18, closing the valve port 16 and blocking the outflow of steam.

The upward or downward movement of the bucket float 22 is guided by a guide rod 27. The guide rod 27 can swing freely around its upper end 28, so it does not interfere with the operation of the bucket float 22, which rotates around a point on the valve seat 18 as a fulcrum and opens and closes the valve port 16.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-29398

However, in the free bucket float steam trap disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, the movement of the bucket float 22 is restricted by a guide rod 27 that swings around its upper end 28 as a fulcrum. For this reason, the valve orifice 16 may not be fully closed by the spherical shell 23, which is the outer surface of the bucket float 22. If the valve orifice 16 is not fully closed, steam may leak from the valve orifice 16, causing steam loss.

Therefore, in order to solve these problems, the bucket-type automatic valve of the present application aims to provide an automatic bucket-type valve that can be closed reliably.

The bucket type automatic valve according to the present application is:
a main body having an inlet portion, a valve chamber space, and an outlet portion which are in communication with each other, the main body through which a target liquid or a target gas flows from the inlet portion toward the valve chamber space;
a valve seat means provided in the main body, the valve seat means having a valve port portion that communicates an upper portion or a vicinity of an upper portion of the valve chamber space with the outlet portion;
a bucket means that is arranged in the valve chest space so as to be floatable, has a bucket space formed therein, and has a mounting surface formed on an upper surface side, the bucket means being in a descended state in which the target liquid is located at a lower part of the valve chest space when the target liquid is retained in the bucket space in a state in which the target gas is retained in the bucket space, and being in a floated state in which the bucket means rises from the descended state when the target gas is retained in the bucket space;
a valve disc means placed on the mounting surface of the bucket means in a freely movable state, the valve disc means moving away from the valve seat means to open the valve orifice when the bucket means is in the lowered state, and contacting the valve seat means to close the valve orifice when the bucket means is in the raised state;
The present invention is characterized by comprising:

In the bucket-type automatic valve of the present application, the valve body means separates from the valve seat means to open the valve orifice when the bucket means is in a lowered state, and contacts the valve seat means to close the valve orifice when the bucket means is in a raised state. This valve body means is placed on the mounting surface of the bucket means in a freely operable state.

As a result, when the bucket means reaches a floating state, the valve body means can move freely on the mounting surface of the bucket means while coming into close contact with the valve seat means. This ensures that the valve opening is blocked and the valve is closed.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a bucket type steam trap 1 illustrating a first embodiment of a bucket type automatic valve according to the present application, and shows an open state. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the bucket-type steam trap 1 shown in FIG. 1 in a closed state.

[Terminology used in the embodiment]
The main terms used in the embodiments correspond to the following elements of the bucket type automatic valve according to the present application.

Bucket type steam trap 1: bucket type automatic valve Ball float 2: valve body means Bucket 3: bucket means Valve chest 10: valve chest space Casing body 11 and casing lid 12: body Inlet 13: inlet section Outlet 14: outlet section Inner space 30: bucket space Support concave surface 32: placement surface Guide 33: guide means Valve seat 50: valve seat means Valve port 51: valve port section Direction of arrows 97 and 98: swing direction Drain: target liquid Steam or air: target gas Open valve state: descending state Closed valve state: floating state

[First embodiment]
A first embodiment of a bucket type automatic valve according to the present application will be described. In this embodiment, a bucket type steam trap 1 is exemplified as the bucket type automatic valve. The bucket type steam trap 1 is connected to a piping system for steam transport installed in an industrial plant or the like. When the bucket type steam trap 1 automatically opens, drainage generated by steam condensation is discharged to the outside of the piping system, and the valve is automatically closed to prevent steam leakage.

(Explanation of the configuration of the bucket type steam trap 1)
The bucket type steam trap 1 comprises a casing body 11 with an open top and a casing lid 12. The casing body 11 and the casing lid 12 are connected with a gasket 81 in between and fixed with bolts (not shown). The space formed inside the casing body 11 and the casing lid 12 constitutes a valve chest 10. An inlet 13 and an outlet 14 communicating with the valve chest 10 are provided on the side of the casing body 11. The inlet 13 and the outlet 14 are openings formed on the same axis.

The inlet 13 is connected to a branch pipe (not shown) of the piping system, from which steam, air, or condensate flows toward the valve chamber 10. The condensate that flows in passes through the valve chamber 10 and is discharged from the outlet 14. A condensate recovery pipe (not shown) is connected to the outlet 14.

The casing body 11 is formed with an inlet passage 15 and a connection passage 17 that are continuous with the inlet 13, and the inlet 13 is connected to the valve chamber 10 via the inlet passage 15 and the connection passage 17. In addition, the casing body 11 and the casing lid 12 are formed with an outlet passage 16 that is continuous with the outlet 14, and the outlet 14 is connected to the valve chamber 10 via the outlet passage 16.

The connection passage 17 formed in the casing body 11 opens to the side, and the screen 19 is inserted through this opening from the outside and attached. Steam, drainage, etc. pass through the screen 19, and it captures foreign matter that has become mixed in the drainage, etc. The opening is blocked by screwing in a plug 85, and the screen 19 is kept attached. Note that the plug 85 is shown in the figure as a side view rather than a cross section.

A roughly cylindrical valve seat 50 is attached by screw connection to the connection between the outflow passage 16 formed in the casing lid 12 and the valve chamber 10, with a gasket 83 in between. A valve orifice 51 is formed in the tip of the valve seat 50, which is on the valve chamber 10 side, and the valve orifice 51 is connected to a cylindrical space 60 inside the valve seat 50. The rear end side of the cylindrical space 60 is open, and a throttle member 55 is connected to this rear end. A small diameter orifice 56 is formed in the rear end of the throttle member 55. A bush 57 is press-fitted into the outflow passage 16 on the rear end side of the throttle member 55, connecting the cylindrical space 60 of the valve seat 50 to the outflow passage 16.

The long, thin cylindrical inlet pipe 4 is fixed to the bottom of the valve chamber 10 by screwing, sandwiching a gasket 82 between them. This inlet pipe 4 is arranged upright in approximately the center of the valve chamber 10. Inside the inlet pipe 4, an inlet passage 41, which is a space with an open lower part, is formed, and this inlet passage 41 communicates with the connection passage 17. In addition, at the upper end of the inlet pipe 4, four through holes 42 are formed in a cross direction on a horizontal plane. The four through holes 42 open to the side of the tip of the inlet pipe 4, and the inlet passage 41 of the inlet pipe 4 is open to the valve chamber 10 through these through holes 42.

A bucket 3 is placed in the valve chamber 10. A bottom plate 31 is fixed to the bucket 3 near the open lower side, and the introduction pipe 4 is attached with the introduction pipe 4 passing through a central hole formed in the bottom plate 31. This results in the introduction pipe 4 being positioned upright within the inner space 30 of the bucket 3. The diameter of the central hole in the bottom plate 31 is formed slightly larger than the outer diameter of the introduction pipe 4, so the bucket 3 can move freely along the introduction pipe 4 in the directions of arrows 95 and 96.

The bottom plate 31 has four openings 34 formed in a cross shape on a plane, and the inner space 30 communicates with the valve chamber 10 through the openings 34. In addition, small-diameter relief holes 35 are formed near the outer periphery of the top surface of the bucket 3 at four locations in the cross shape on a plane, and the inner space 30 opens upward through these relief holes 35. The top surface of the bucket 3 has a support recess 32 that is curved and recessed in the center.

The spherical ball float 2 is placed on this support recess 32. The ball float 2 is hollow but thick, and has a certain amount of weight. As shown in FIG. 1, the curvature of the support recess 32 is smaller than that of the curved surface of the spherical outer surface of the ball float 2, and the curve is gentle. Therefore, the ball float 2 can freely sway while rolling on the support recess 32.

Two guides 33 are fixed upright in opposing relation to both ends of the upper surface of the bucket 3, and the ball float 2 is positioned between the two guides 33. The distance between the two guides 33 is configured to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the ball float 2. This restricts the ball float 2 from swinging sideways in contact with the guides 33, and it is guided so that it can swing only in the directions of the arrows 97 and 98 shown in the figure.

The ball float 2 placed on the bucket 3 moves integrally with the bucket 3 as it rises and falls in the directions of the arrows 95 and 96 within the valve chamber 10. When the bucket 3 rises in the direction of the arrow 95, the ball float 2 also rises and seats on the valve seat 50, blocking the valve orifice 51 and closing the valve (see the closed valve state in Figure 2). When the bucket 3 descends from this closed valve state in the direction of the arrow 96, the ball float also descends integrally under its own weight and leaves the valve seat 50, opening the valve orifice 51 and opening the valve (see the open valve state in Figure 1).

A curved bimetal 86 is fixed by a bolt 87 to the inner surface of the casing lid 12, which corresponds to the top surface of the valve chamber 10. The bolt 87 is shown in a side view rather than a cross section in the figure. The bimetal 87 is a temperature-sensitive member made by bonding two thin alloy plates with different expansion coefficients together, and when the ambient temperature is high, it bends and settles into the state shown in Figure 1. In contrast, when the ambient temperature drops, it changes shape in response to this low temperature condition, straightening out the bend and causing the tip to protrude into the valve chamber 10 (not shown).

In other words, before the piping system is put into operation, the bucket-type steam trap 1 is also in a low-temperature state, so the bimetal 87 stretches and its tip protrudes into the valve chest 10. Therefore, even if low-temperature condensate or air flows into the valve chest 10 immediately after the system is put into operation and the bucket 3 and ball float 2 rise to the surface, the tip of the bimetal 87 prevents the ball float 2 from seating on the valve seat 50, forcibly maintaining the open valve state. This allows the initial condensate and air to be discharged from the outlet 14. If high-temperature steam or condensate subsequently flows into the valve chest 10, the bimetal 87 bends and settles into the state shown in FIG. 1, and thereafter, the bimetal 87 does not interfere with the opening and closing of the valve by the ball float 2 while the system is in operation.

(Explanation of the operation of the bucket type steam trap 1)
Next, the operation of the bucket type steam trap 1 will be described. First, in the open valve state shown in Figure 1, when condensate flows from the inlet 13 into the valve chest 10 in the direction of arrow 91, the condensate flows into the inner space 30 of the bucket 3 through the through hole 42 formed at the tip of the inlet pipe 4. At this time, since the inner space 30 is filled with steam or air, the bucket 3 floats slightly in the direction of arrow 95, and the condensate flows into the valve chest 10 from the gap generated between the bucket 3 and the bottom surface of the valve chest 10. Then, the water level of the condensate retained in the valve chest 10 gradually rises.

The steam or air that had been accumulating in the inner space 30 of the bucket 3 is pushed out by the inflow pressure of the drain, and gradually flows out through the small-diameter relief hole 35 formed in the top surface of the bucket 3. As a result, drain gradually accumulates in the inner space 30, and eventually the inner space 30 becomes filled with drain.

In this way, drain fills the valve chamber 10 on both the inner space 30 of the bucket 3 and the outside of the bucket 3. This causes the bucket 3 to descend in the direction of arrow 96 under its own weight and stabilize when it lands on the bottom surface of the valve chamber 10. Here, the ball float 2 is configured so that it does not float in the water but descends under its own weight. As a result, the ball float 2 descends under its own weight together with the bucket 3 in the direction of arrow 96 while maintaining a state of contact with the supporting concave surface 32 of the bucket 3.

Figure 1 shows this open valve state. As shown in Figure 1, the ball float 2 is separated from the valve seat 50, opening the valve port 51 and causing the valve to open, so that the drain filling the valve chamber 10 passes through the valve port 51 and is discharged in the direction of the arrow 92 from the outlet 14 via the outflow path 16.

Next, when steam flows from the inlet 13 into the valve chamber 10 in the direction of the arrow 91, the steam flows out of the through hole 42 formed at the tip of the introduction pipe 4 into the inner space 30 of the bucket 3. At this time, the inner space 30 is filled with drain, so the steam accumulates in the upper part of the inner space 30. A small-diameter relief hole 35 is formed in the upper surface of the bucket 3, and the steam accumulated in the upper part of the inner space 30 flows out little by little from here, but since the amount of steam flowing in from the through hole 42 of the introduction pipe 4 is overwhelmingly greater than the amount flowing out from the relief hole 35, the amount of steam accumulated in the upper part of the inner space 30 gradually increases. Note that the steam that flows out from the relief hole 35 of the bucket 3 flows out as bubbles into the drain in the valve chamber 10, but the heat is absorbed by the drain, condensing and changing into drain.

Because there is drainage filling the valve chamber 10 outside the bucket 3, buoyancy is generated in the bucket 3 by the steam remaining in the inner space 30, causing the bucket 3 to rise in the direction of the arrow 95. As a result, the ball float 2 placed on the supporting concave surface 32 of the bucket 3 also rises and seats on the valve seat 50, blocking the valve port 51 and closing the valve. Figure 2 shows this closed state.

As described above, the curvature of the support recess 32 of the bucket 3 is smaller than the curvature of the curved surface of the outer sphere of the ball float 2, and the curve is gentle, so that the ball float 2 can sway while rolling on the support recess 32. Also, as described above, the two guides 33 standing upright on both sides of the upper surface of the bucket 3 restrict the ball float 2 from swaying in the lateral direction where it comes into contact with the guides 33, and it is guided so that it can sway only in the directions of the arrows 97 and 98 shown in the figure.

As a result, when the ball float 2 sits on the valve seat 50, it is able to swing in the directions of arrows 97 and 98 on the support recess 32 of the bucket 3 and come into close contact with the valve seat 50. This ensures that the valve orifice 51 is blocked and the valve is closed. Figure 2 shows the state in which the ball float 2 swings in the direction of arrow 98 on the support recess 32 from the state shown in Figure 1 to the state in which it sits on the valve seat 50. The guide 33 restricts the lateral swing of the ball float 2, preventing the ball float 2 from shifting in the lateral direction and causing insufficient blocking of the valve orifice 51.

The lateral positioning of the ball float 2 relative to the valve orifice 51 is precisely adjusted when the bucket steam trap 1 is assembled, so the ball float 2 can reliably close the valve orifice 51. The ball float 2 seats in close contact with the valve seat 50, closing the valve orifice 51 and preventing steam leakage from the bucket steam trap 1, and avoiding steam loss.

When condensate flows into the valve chamber 10 again from the closed valve state shown in Figure 2, the steam in the inner space 30 of the bucket 3 is pushed out through the relief hole 35, and the condensate gradually accumulates in the inner space 30, eventually filling it. This causes the bucket 3 to lose buoyancy, and it descends in the direction of arrow 96 under its own weight, landing on the bottom of the valve chamber 10, and the ball float 2 also descends under its own weight. This descent causes the ball float 2 to leave the valve seat 50, opening the valve orifice 51 and opening the valve. When the valve orifice 51 opens, the condensate in the valve chamber 10 is discharged from the outlet 14.

The bucket-type steam trap 1 repeats the above operations to open and close the valve, discharging condensate from the piping system to the outside while preventing steam leakage.

[Other embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, examples are given for each of the target liquid, target gas, main body, inlet portion, valve chamber space, outlet portion, valve seat means, valve port portion, bucket means, bucket space, mounting surface, valve body means, guide means, and descending state or floating state, but these are merely examples, and a different configuration can be adopted for each.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, a bucket type steam trap 1 was given as an example of a bucket type automatic valve, but the bucket type automatic valve according to the present application can be applied to automatic valves other than steam traps, so long as the automatic valve opens and closes by utilizing the descending and rising motion of a bucket placed in the valve chamber.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a ball float 2 having a spherical shape was exemplified as the valve body means, but other shapes and structures may be adopted as long as they are placed on the mounting surface (support concave surface 32, etc.) of the bucket means (bucket 3, etc.) in a freely movable state.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the bucket 3 is exemplified as the bucket means, but other shapes and structures may be adopted as long as they are arranged to be able to float in the valve chamber space (valve chamber 10, etc.) and have a bucket space (inner space 30, etc.) formed inside.

In the above embodiment, the support concave surface 32, which is a curved concave at the center of the upper surface of the bucket 3, is exemplified as the support surface for the bucket means, but other shapes and structures can also be adopted. For example, a flat surface can be used as the support surface, and a protrusion can be provided on the support surface as a stopper to prevent the valve body means (ball float 2, etc.) from coming off.

In the above embodiment, two guides 33 standing upright on both sides of the upper surface of the bucket 3 are used as the guide means, but different shapes and structures can be used. For example, the guide means (guide 33, etc.) can be fixed to the inner wall of the valve chamber space (valve chamber 10, etc.).

1: Bucket type steam trap 2: Ball float 3: Bucket 10: Valve chest
11: Casing body 12: Casing cover 13: Inlet 14: Outlet
30: Inner space 32: Support concave surface 33: Guide 50: Valve seat 51: Valve orifice

Claims (3)

a main body having an inlet portion, a valve chamber space, and an outlet portion which are in communication with each other, the main body through which a target liquid or a target gas flows from the inlet portion toward the valve chamber space;
a valve seat means provided in the main body, the valve seat means having a valve port portion that communicates an upper portion or a vicinity of an upper portion of the valve chamber space with the outlet portion;
a bucket means that is arranged in the valve chest space so as to be floatable, has a bucket space formed therein, and has a mounting surface formed on an upper surface side, the bucket means being in a descended state in which the target liquid is located at a lower part of the valve chest space when the target liquid is retained in the bucket space in a state in which the target gas is retained in the bucket space, and being in a floated state in which the bucket means rises from the descended state when the target gas is retained in the bucket space;
a valve disc means placed on the mounting surface of the bucket means in a freely movable state, the valve disc means moving away from the valve seat means to open the valve orifice when the bucket means is in the lowered state, and contacting the valve seat means to close the valve orifice when the bucket means is in the raised state;
A bucket type automatic valve comprising: In the bucket type automatic valve according to claim 1,
The valve means is formed in a spherical shape,
the mounting surface of the bucket means is formed as a curved recess having a curvature smaller than that of the spherical curved surface of the valve body means,
the valve body means is freely swingable along the curvature of the curved recess on the mounting surface of the bucket means;
A bucket type automatic valve. In the bucket type automatic valve according to claim 2,
A guide means for causing the valve body means to swing only in a certain swing direction;
A bucket type automatic valve comprising: