JP2677132B2 - Gas supply equipment abnormality detector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting an abnormality in a gas supply equipment for detecting an abnormality in a gas pressure regulator and a gas leak from a gas supply pipe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to prevent an explosion accident due to a gas leak or a fire accident due to forgetting to turn off a gas appliance, a gas meter monitors the use time of the gas appliance and the gas appliance for a long time. If the gas appliance was continued to be used, it was determined that the gas appliance was forgotten to be turned off, and a gas shut-off device for stopping gas supply was incorporated. With this device, safety in gas use was secured from the gas meter to the downstream side.

On the other hand, on the upstream side of a gas meter, for example, LP
In the case of gas, regarding the safety management from the cylinder to the gas meter, an operator goes to the site at a predetermined time (eg, once every two years) to perform a safety check. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a safety check method on the upstream side of a meter in a conventional gas supply facility. In FIG. 4, 1 is an LP gas cylinder, 2 is a main valve of the cylinder, 3 is a pressure regulator, 4 is a gas meter, 5 is a gas instrument, 6 is a pressure gauge, and 7 is a pen recorder.

In the conventional gas supply equipment configured as described above, an operator goes to the site, connects a pressure gauge 6 in the middle of a gas pipe between the pressure regulator 3 and the gas meter 4, and uses a pen recorder 7. The gas pressure inside the gas pipe was measured. That is, the gas shut-off valve built in the gas meter 4 and the main valve 2 of the cylinder are closed, and the value recorded in the pen recorder 7 is observed. If there is a gas leak, the gas pressure recorded decreases with time. I was able to make a decision.

[0005] The pressure regulating capability of the pressure regulator 3 is also checked, the main valve 2 of the LP gas cylinder and the gas shut-off valve in the gas meter 4 are opened, and the gas instrument 5 is put into a normal use state and the gas gauge 6 is operated by the pressure gauge 6. The pressure was being measured. The measured gas pressure is a predetermined value (230 to 330
(MmH ₂ O)), it was normal, and otherwise, it was determined that the pressure regulator was faulty.

[0006]

However, in the above-described configuration, it is necessary for the worker to go to the site one by one and to install a pressure checking device to check the safety. There was a problem that there is no.

The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and provides a gas supply facility abnormality detection device capable of automatically detecting abnormality of gas supply facility, that is, gas leakage upstream of a meter. This is the first purpose.

Further, according to the present invention, the obstruction pressure is checked from the signal of the gas pressure sensor when the gas use is stopped and the abnormality of the gas pressure regulator is monitored. It is a second object of the present invention to provide a gas supply facility abnormality detection device capable of detecting the gas leakage of the above.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems and achieve the first object, a gas supply facility abnormality detection device of the present invention is a gas supply facility downstream of a pressure regulator which is a gas supply facility. A gas pressure sensor for detecting the gas pressure of the gas, a gas flow rate detecting means for detecting the gas flow rate flowing through the gas supply facility, and a time measuring means that operates by receiving a signal that the gas use is stopped from the gas flow rate detecting means, A closing pressure storage means for storing the signal of the gas pressure sensor when the use of gas is stopped, and a signal of the gas pressure sensor is held in the closing pressure storage means at a predetermined timing based on the signal from the timing means. And a gas pressure comparing means for comparing the measured value with the measured value.

Further, in order to achieve the second object, the present invention is, in addition to the above configuration, a closing pressure abnormality determining means for comparing a value held in the closing pressure storage means with a prescribed first pressure value. The gas pressure comparing means is operated at a predetermined timing based on the signal from the time measuring means even when the blocking pressure abnormality determining means determines that the gas pressure is abnormal.

[0011]

According to the present invention, when the gas flow detecting means detects a state in which the gas appliance is used and the use thereof is stopped, that is, a state in which the gas flow is exhausted thereafter, the signal is received by the above configuration. The timing means starts timing, and the closing pressure storage means stores the signal of the gas pressure sensor when the gas flow is stopped. After that, the timing means emits a signal at a predetermined timing, the gas pressure comparison means fetches the signal of the gas pressure sensor in synchronization with the signal, and compares the signal value with the value stored in the closing pressure storage means. . As a result of the comparison, when the pressure difference is not more than the predetermined value, it is determined that gas leakage may occur in the gas supply facility, and an alarm is issued.

Further, according to the present invention, the value held in the occlusion pressure storage means by the occlusion pressure abnormality determination means is compared with the prescribed first pressure value, and if it is equal to or more than this value, it is determined that the occlusion pressure is abnormal. Further, even if the blocking pressure is abnormal, the gas pressure comparing means is operated at a predetermined timing based on the signal from the time measuring means. By this operation, the gas leakage on the upstream side of the meter in the gas supply facility is detected separately from the blockage pressure abnormality, that is, the pressure regulator abnormality.

[0013]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1) In FIG. 1, a gas supply facility abnormality detection device 14 of the present invention is a gas pressure sensor 8 for detecting the gas pressure of a gas supply facility downstream of a pressure regulator 3 which is a gas supply facility. A gas flow rate detecting means 9 for detecting the flow rate of gas flowing through the gas supply facility, and the gas flow rate detecting means 9
And a closing pressure storage means 11 for storing the signal of the gas pressure sensor 8 when the gas use is stopped.
The signal from the gas pressure sensor 8 is sent to the closing pressure storage means 1 at a predetermined timing based on the signal from the timing means 10.
It is composed of a gas pressure comparing means 12 for comparing the value held at 1. Further, 13 is an alarm means.

In the above configuration, when the gas appliance is used and stopped, the gas flow rate detecting means 9 detects the stoppage of gas use, and upon receiving this detection signal, the closing pressure storage means 11 causes the gas pressure sensor at the time of gas use stoppage. 8 is stored. Further, the time measuring means 10 also starts the time counting upon receiving the detection signal of the gas use stop. The timing means 10 issues a signal at a predetermined timing (for example, every hour) after the start of the timing, and the gas pressure comparison means 12 receives this signal and holds the signal of the gas pressure sensor 8 in the closing pressure storage means 11. Compare with the value. As a result of this comparison, if the difference between the signal of the gas pressure sensor 8 detected at every predetermined timing and the value held in the closing pressure storage means 11 does not exceed the predetermined value for a certain period of time, it is judged to be abnormal and the alarm means is issued. 13 is activated. That is, the temperature in the gas supply equipment rises due to solar radiation during the course of daily life, and when there is no gas leakage, the gas pressure rises as the temperature rises. However, for some period (eg 3
If no increase in gas pressure is observed during the 0 day), the gas leak may have occurred in the gas supply facility (particularly upstream of the meter). , Give an alarm.

When the gas is not used, that is, when the gas flow rate detecting means 9 does not detect the use of the gas, the time measuring means 10 continues the time measuring and outputs a signal at a predetermined timing as described above. Emit. Further, the gas pressure comparing means 12 also operates when the clocking means is operating. The reason why the gas pressure rise is not observed when the gas flow rate is stopped is to be observed for a certain period in consideration of the case where the gas pressure rise cannot be observed due to insufficient solar radiation due to the weather and the temperature rise is small. Is.

As described above, according to the gas supply facility abnormality detection device 14 of the present invention, an abnormality of the gas supply facility is automatically detected without the need for the worker to go to the site where the gas meter is installed.
That is, gas leakage upstream of the meter can be detected.

(Embodiment 2) Referring to FIG. 2, the gas supply facility abnormality detecting device 16 of the present invention compares a value held in the closing pressure storage means 11 with a prescribed first pressure value to determine an abnormal closing pressure. It has means 15. Components having the same numbers as those in FIG. 1 have the same functions.

In the above structure, the blockage pressure abnormality determining means 1
In step 5, the value held in the closing pressure storage means 11 is compared with the prescribed first pressure value, and if it is equal to or larger than this value, it is determined that the closing pressure is abnormal. If the blockage pressure abnormality is determined in this way, it can be seen that the adjustment capability of the pressure regulator is abnormal. by the way,
Even if it is determined that the blocking pressure is abnormal, the gas pressure comparison means 12
Is operated at a predetermined timing based on the signal from the timing means 10, and the signal from the gas pressure sensor 8 is stored in the closing pressure storage means 1
Compare with the value held at 1. If the difference does not exceed the predetermined value for a certain period of time, it is determined to be abnormal and the alarm means 13 is activated as described above.

This operation will be described with reference to FIG. The horizontal axis of the figure shows the elapsed time, and the vertical axis shows the change of the gas pressure. Before the gas is used, that is, when there is no gas flow rate, the pressure is p1, and when the gas starts to be used at time t1, the pressure becomes p2. While the same gas flow rate is flowing, the pressure regulator operates to maintain approximately the same pressure p2. Time t2
When gas use is stopped at, the pressure returns. It can be seen that the pressure at this time is the closing pressure, and after that, the temperature in the gas supply equipment also rises as the ambient temperature rises, and thus the gas pressure also rises. By the way, the pressure when the gas use is stopped at the time t2 exceeds the first pressure value, but in the embodiment of the present invention, the gas pressure comparing means 12 is still operated to monitor the gas leakage.

As described above, according to the gas supply facility abnormality detecting device 16 of the present invention, even if the blocking pressure abnormality determining means 15 determines that the gas pressure is abnormal, the gas pressure comparing means 12 is predetermined based on the signal from the time measuring means 10. By operating at the timing of, the gas leakage on the upstream side of the meter in the gas supply facility can be detected separately from the blockage pressure abnormality, that is, the pressure regulator abnormality.

[0022]

As described above, according to the gas supply equipment abnormality detecting device of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Corresponding to the signal from the time measuring means, the signal of the gas pressure sensor is compared with the pressure value held in the closing pressure storage means,
If the difference does not exceed the predetermined value and continues for a certain period, it is determined to be abnormal. Therefore, it is possible to automatically detect an abnormality in the gas supply facility, that is, a gas leak on the upstream side of the gas meter, without the operator going to the site where the gas meter is installed. (2) Even when it is determined that the blocking pressure is abnormal, the gas pressure comparing unit is operated in response to the signal from the timing unit, and the signal from the gas pressure sensor is compared with the pressure value held in the blocking pressure storage unit. Therefore, the gas leak on the upstream side of the gas meter is
The blockage pressure abnormality, that is, the pressure regulator abnormality can be detected individually.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a gas supply equipment abnormality detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a gas supply facility abnormality detection device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a gas pressure change characteristic diagram in the same apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a block configuration diagram when checking the safety of a conventional gas supply facility.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 Gas Pressure Sensor 9 Gas Flow Rate Detection Means 10 Timekeeping Means 11 Closure Pressure Storage Means 12 Gas Pressure Comparison Means 14, 16 Gas Supply Facility Abnormality Detection Device 15 Closure Pressure Abnormality Judgment Means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Makoto Tsuboi, 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP 4-164220 (JP, A) JP JP 4- 203699 (JP, A) JP 62-70747 (JP, A)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A gas pressure sensor for detecting a gas pressure of a gas supply facility provided downstream of a gas pressure regulator, a gas flow rate detecting means for detecting a gas flow rate flowing through the gas supply facility, and the use of gas. When the gas is stopped, the clocking means that operates by receiving a signal from the gas flow rate detecting means, the closing pressure storing means that stores the signal from the gas pressure sensor, and the gas based on the signal from the clocking means. A gas supply facility abnormality detecting device comprising gas pressure comparing means for comparing a signal from a pressure sensor with a pressure value held in the closing pressure storing means. 2. A closure pressure abnormality determination means for comparing the pressure value held in the closure pressure storage means with a prescribed first pressure value, wherein the closure pressure abnormality determination means determines that there is an abnormality. The gas supply facility abnormality detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the gas pressure comparing means is operated based on a signal from the time measuring means.