The present invention relates to a construction for the reduction of the pressure in a liquid that flows through an extended, hollow body.
Furthermore the invention relates to a valve construction for the reduction of pressure in a liquid that flows through a pipe. In more detail, it relates to a valve with a closing body that can be set between a position where it closes for the flow of liquid through the valve and a position where it permits full through-flow, and where the liquid pressure is reduced in all valve positions between closed and fully open, i.e. that the valve construction functions as a regulating valve. The invention relates in particular to a ball valve where the closing body is a rotatable ball arranged in a valve housing.
A regulating valve is a valve that can continuously regulate pressure, mass, temperature or level around a set point. The valve has properties allowing it to be given a particular setting and can be stabilised in all positions from a closed to a fully open position.
Furthermore, the invention relates to an appliance for a liquid pressure reducing device that can be placed in a pipe through which liquid flows, and where the device, including the pipe, can be placed in the above mentioned closing body in the valve construction.
In more detail, the invention relates to a new device that can provide a controlled pressure reduction in flowing liquids.
There are common known installations that handle flowing liquid with a high pressure, and where one seeks to reduce the liquid pressure in that the liquid is led through valves that initiate a drop in the liquid pressure across the valve.
For liquid processes this can lead to high pressure drops after the smallest narrowing in the valve. In certain cases, the pressure drops to below the evaporation pressure for the liquid. The liquid will then go completely, or partially, over into a gas phase. After the pressure has been stabilised, it may go back to the liquid form again, but with such transitions an energy distribution occurs which can be damaging for the material in the valves and downstream pipes.
The standard solution today for the regulation of difficult process media is globe valves with a diffusing trim for gas valves, i.e. that the flow paths are split so that the flow after the split is not mixed with other split streams through the valve. For liquid valves this is solved by pressure step trims that are constrictions where the pressure increases with a subsequent larger volume where the pressure is reduced less than what it increased in the constriction. Several constrictions with subsequent volume increases can follow with several steps of pressure reduction.
The pressure step reduction/energy decomposition takes place in the body of the “cage” of the valve, which is the cylinder the valve plug travels in.
The disadvantage with this type of solution is that the area where the process energy shall be reduced is limited to the thickness of the cylinder (cage) that guides the plug in the valve. On valves with many pressure steps this is solved by a stack of plates where some are machined for paths from the innermost to the outermost or vice-versa.
Or it is solved in that the cylinder (cage) is built up by several pipes being placed on top of each other with different perforations and spacers between the pipes to safeguard the volume between the pressure steps.
With many pressure steps and long paths this will take up much of the volume of the body of the cylinder (cage) and fewer paths can be used. As a consequence this reduces the capacity of the valve.
With regard to prior art within pressure reduction in liquids, reference is made to Chinese patent CN2-01421225, German patent DE-43 28 095, European patents EP 013.601 and EP-456.132, British patents GB-117.203, GB-2.341.660 and GB-2.237.860, Dutch patent NL-8602008, U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,965, U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,278, U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,446 and US patent application 2011/0073792 and also international publications WO-9802682A1 and WO-2009076228.
The solutions in EP-0013601 A1 and WO2009/076228A1 describe pressure reduction in ball valves and are considered to be closest to the present invention. Both these solutions are based on pressure reduction between plates that are placed in different ways inside the valve. As can be seen, the present invention is based on using pipes instead of the known plate technology.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,965 (Baumann) shows a solution for pressure reduction in a pipe stream but without any form for regulation. It shows two perforated plates that are inserted inside, across the pipe.
With instead of producing the pressure steps in an extended pipe one will get the most effective way to control the pressure reduction steps, i.e. that a linear reduction of the pressure is generated, something which effectively will prevent the gas formation by flash boiling in the liquid.
Therefore, there are no corresponding solutions with the present geometry and simplicity whereby one but can control the reduction of pressure in liquids.
When one considers the solutions that are closest to the present designs, EP 0013601 and WO2009076228, these are relatively new. Both these solutions are marketed today as a revolution within advanced control valves.
In the light of this, it is clear that the solutions according to the present invention come at a right time with regard to today's development of advanced control valves and that they therefore have commercial potential.
It is an aim of the invention to provide a valve construction with a closing body that can reduce the pressure in flowing liquids. One aims to provide a new form of a ball valve.
Furthermore, it is an aim to provide a method and a new liquid pressure reducing device that can be placed in a pipe whereby the pressure in the processed liquid is gradually and continuously reduced from a higher to a lower pressure. It is a further aim that the device including the pipe can be a part of the closing body in the above mentioned valve construction.
An essential aim of the invention is to reduce the pressure in the liquid phase without flash boiling with gas formation happening.
The construction according to the invention is characterised in that the hollow body comprises a unit that defines one or more flow channels, said channels show a stepwise, or continuously increasing flow cross section measured from an inlet end to an outlet end of the one or more channels. The preferred embodiments of the construction appear in the claims 2-7.
The device and application according to the invention are characterised by the features that appear in the claims 8-11 and claim 12, respectively.
The valve construction for reduction of pressure in a liquid stream, comprising a closing body that can be set between a position that closes for through-flow of liquid and a position that opens for full through-flow, is characterised in that the closing body comprises a unit that defines one or more flow channels, said channels show a stepwise, or continuous, increase in the flow cross section measured from an inlet end to an outlet end of the one or more channels. The preferred embodiments of the valve construction are defined by the dependent claims 14-24.
It is preferred that the valve closing body has more than one pipe or flow channels with pressure reducing constructions, as one wishes that the pressure reduction takes place in the pressure reducing pipes and not in the valve seat. This means that if the closing body of the valve has one pipe/channel only, it must be constructed for an optimal opening of the valve, for with a smaller opening the pressure reduction will then be taken over the valve seat and not in the pressure reducing construction. Therefore, two or more pipes or flow channels are preferred.
The invention shall now be explained in more detail with reference to the enclosed figures, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a pressure course for a liquid that is led through a pressure reducing valve, according to known solutions, given in pressure as a function of the valve length expressed as “distance in the valve”.
FIG. 2 shows a pressure course for a liquid that is led through a pressure reducing valve, according to the present invention given in pressure as a function of the distance in the valve. One avoids that the liquid boils which is shown in that the curve lies above the evaporation line.
FIGS. 3A,3B and 3C show a cross section of a ball valve with a closing body constructed according to the invention, where the closing body is in closed, partially open (50%) and fully open (100%) positions, respectively.
FIG. 3D shows a longitudinal section through the valve where the closing body is in a fully open position.
FIG. 4A shows a partly cut away pipe 10 in which a number of pressure reducing units are inserted with discs 14 mutually spaced apart, for the placing of a closing body in, for example, a ball valve according to the invention, such as for insertion in a pipe conducting a liquid.
FIG. 4B shows a preferred embodiment of a disc unit 18 for insertion in the pipe 10.
FIG. 4C shows an example of the disc 14 that is perforated with holes 16.
FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment of a pressure reducing unit for insertion in a pipe to provide a pressure reduction in the pipe by itself, or which shall make up a part of a closing body in, for example, a ball valve.
FIG. 5A shows a second alternative of the invention, a perspective of a solid rod that is machined in the peripheral surface for the formation of a number of groove-formed flow channels with a gradually expanding cross section from upstream to downstream. Alternatively, this surface form can be provided by metal casting in a mould.
FIG. 5B shows the pressure reducing rod according to FIG. 5A inserted in a pipe 12 that is partly cut away.
FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show three cross sections to indicate how the area of the longitudinal grooves in the surface of the rod in the pipe according to the FIGS. 5-6 increases along the length from the inlet to the outlet.
FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal perspective of a third embodiment of a pressure reducing part-unit for a such insertion in a pipe, in the form of a solid rod that is machined in the peripheral surface for the formation of a number of spiral groove-formed flow channels with a gradually increasing cross section from upstream to downstream.
FIG. 10 shows in a longitudinal section, the pressure reducing insertion (the rod) placed in the pipe 12 that is partly cut away in the figure.
FIG. 11 shows a fourth alternative embodiment of a liquid pressure reducing insertion in a pipe. In this version the rod has a square cross section and the longitudinal corners are cut off, either in a straight cut or in an arch-shape to form surfaces that converge against the longitudinal axis A-A through the rod to provide an increasing flow cross section when the rod is inserted in a pipe in the form of a square pipe.
FIGS. 12 A, B and C show in a cross section of the rod how a flow cross section increases from the inflow end to the outflow end of the rod when it is inserted in a square pipe, i.e. in three sections along the unit.
FIG. 13 shows a cross section of a rod according to the embodiment in FIGS. 11 and 12 inserted in a pipe with a circular cross section, for example, in a valve (ball valve), as the tubes that lie along the inside of the pipe are rounded to adapt to the inside of the pipe. In this case the tubes can be inserted in and also have a square shape initially, so that the tubes are simply set in with their longitudinal sides close to each other and against the inside of the square pipe.
FIG. 14 shows a fifth alternative where pipe and inserts according to the preceding examples are replaced by a cylindrical block in which a number of mutually parallel channels are bored out, each with a stepwise increasing bore cross section from the inlet end to the outlet end. In this case there are three steps.
FIG. 15 shows a longitudinal cross section through the block along the line X-X.
Application of pressure reducing units according to the FIGS. 3, 6, 11, 13 and 15.
FIG. 16 shows a number of pressure reducing pipes of the above mentioned versions placed parallel next to each other in a bundle.
FIG. 17 shows a pressure course that can be experienced for a liquid that is led through a pressure reducing unit, constructed according to 5A,5B with pressure reducing units according to FIG. 3 and as given in pressure as a function of distance through the valve.
FIG. 18 shows a different design of a unit for a closing body in the form of a bundle construction of three sets of pipe sections, placed in a forward and back-running loop and in parallel with each other, which can be space saving in the valve housing.
THE INVENTION
As mentioned above, FIG. 1 shows a pressure course for a liquid that is led through a pressure reducing valve, according to known solutions, given in pressure as a function of valve length expressed as “distance in the valve”, where the liquid pressure falls below the vaporisation pressure and the liquid will begin to boil.
FIG. 2 shows the pressure course one achieves with the present invention as one avoids that the liquid boils, something that is shown in that the curve lies above the evaporation line.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show the new construction of a ball-formed closing body in a ball valve according to the invention. The ball valve comprises a valve housing 60 with a valve top 62, a valve flange 64 for fitting to an adjoining pipe flange and a ball-formed closing body. The axis X-X represents the axis of rotation of the ball-formed closing body.
The closing body 70 comprises one or more pipes 12 in parallel with the pressure reducing bodies according to the invention. The pipes 12 can be placed mutually parallel in the ball body 70. According to one solution the pipes 12 are immersed in a casting material of a hardened material and the assembly is machined to a round, ball-formed closing body 70.
The valve is closed in FIG. 3A in that the closing body 70 is rotated so that liquid can not pass. Only some of the pipes 80 on the upstream side are exposed to the liquid but the same pipes on the other downstream side are closed.
In FIG. 3B the closing body 70 is turned anticlockwise and about 50% of the pipes are exposed to through-flow. In FIG. 3C the valve is fully open and all the pipes in the set, lying in parallel with the flow path, are exposed to through-flow of the liquid.
According to the invention the active closing body in a regulating valve comprises one or more such pipe units where the flow through each pipe subjects the liquid to a stepwise or continuous pressure drop. By adjusting the rotation of the ball valve version one can regulate with respect to the through flow-amounts in terms of volume and pressure.
FIG. 3D shows a longitudinal section through the ball valve 150 where the closing body 70 is set on full through-flow of liquid. A bundle of pressure reducing units 80 are fitted in the closing body. The liquid flows from left to right in the figure, and the liquid pressure is reduced from P1 to P2.
Application of parallel perforated plates in each pipe as described in connection with the FIGS. 4A-C will provide a stepwise pressure drop. Application of tubes that form channels with an evenly increasing flow cross section, as described in connection with the FIGS. 5-15, provides a continuous pressure drop through the valve.
Presentation of New Solutions for Pressure Reducing Units
Embodiment 1
Reference is made to the FIGS. 3-4 that show a first embodiment of the invention applied in a closing body in a regulating valve, in particular a ball valve.
FIG. 4A shows a pressure reducing pipe unit with the reference number 10 and which can make up a part of a fluid carrying pipe in itself, or can be inserted in a valve construction or a pipeline that carries a high pressure liquid. The unit comprises an extended pipe 12 which is shown partly cut away in the figure to show a number of perforated plates 14 that are mounted across the longitudinal direction (flow direction) of the pipe, mutually spaced apart and in parallel inside the pipe 12.
FIGS. 4A and 4B indicate that plates or discs 14 are inserted, each fitted as a part of casings 18 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Each plate or disc 14, cf. FIG. 4C is perforated with a set of holes 16 through which the liquid can flow. A hollow space or volume 17 is established between the plate 14, as a consequence of the plate distance, through which the liquid flows in after having passed through the holes in the preceding plate.
The thickness of the plates 14 can vary according to the dimensions of the construction depending on how large the liquid volumes it shall be processing per time unit. According to one example one can use a construction with plates having a disc thickness of 2 millimetres and a mutual plate distance of 2 mm, as the axial length of the casing 18 can be 4 millimetres. The perforation holes can have a diameter of 0.7 millimetres, as there can be around 10 holes with a diameter of 0.7 mm across the diameter extension of the plate. For example, in one construction a plate can have a diameter of 1 centimetre.
To provide further pressure reduction in the liquid, the plate forms 14 inside the pipe must have a gradually increasing through-flow area from plate to plate in the row. This can be carried out in two ways.
- In that one uses the same number of perforation holes 16 in each plate 14, but where the holes have a stepwise increasing opening area from one plate to the next in the row (from inlet to outlet).
- In that the number of perforation holes 16 with approximately the same opening area increases gradually from one plate to the next in the row (from inlet to outlet).
For each perforation/hole 16 in an associated plate 14 through which the liquid passes and out in an intermediate hollow space 17 between two plates in the row, the liquid pressure is reduced. As we have a gradually increasing hole cross section for each subsequent plate, the liquid pressure decreases through the pipe from the inlet to the outlet. The pressure is reduced step by step for each plate passing and since the plates lie with a relatively short mutual distance/space apart, the total result becomes a continuous pressure reduction in the liquid.
An actual flow direction through the pipe unit is shown in FIG. 4A with the arrow 15. A liquid pressure upstream of the unit is shown by P1 while it is given as P2 downstream.
According to a preferred embodiment, shown in the FIG. 4, the mutual plate/disc distance is set up in that each plate 14 is formed with an outer ring-formed, axially directed flange 18 with a peripheral extension that corresponds to the internal diameter of the pipe 12 so that each of the plates 14 covers the whole of the internal cross section of the pipe 12 and that all the passing liquid must flow through the perforations 16 in each plate 14. Thus, the flanges 18 can define said space between two adjoining plates of the stacked plates 14. Alternatively, one can use perforated, circular discs with the same diameter as the internal diameter of the pipe and then use simple spacer casings with the same outer diameter as the internal diameter of the pipe. The unit is then fitted in that the spacer casings and discs are stacked on top of each other and in turn alternatively inside the pipe.
Each hole in each perforated plate defines a throttling step with a pressure recovery volume. The number of plates across the pressure reducing unit can be adjusted to the conditions of the liquid flow that shall be handled and be pressure reduced in the processing installation. FIG. 3A shows 15 plates.
Embodiment 2
The second version of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 5. This version is shown in FIG. 5A, comprising a solid rod or bolt 44 where one or more grooves 42 are formed in its circular surface 41 from the surface and running in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rod from its one end to its other. Each groove 42 has a gradually increasing cross section from the upstream end 50 to the downstream end 52, something which is illustrated in FIG. 5B and in the cross sections in the FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. The grooves preferably have a V-shaped cross section with a concave shape, but can alternatively have other forms, such as a U-form or be oval. As it can be seen, eight such longitudinal grooves are formed along the rod surface 41, around the circumference of the rod 44 shown with a diameter D1 in the FIGS. 6-8.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the rod 44 is placed inside the pipe 12 sealing against the pipe inner wall so that the liquid can only flow through the longitudinal grooves bordered by the pipe in the wall and the concave grooves 42 of the rod 44.
Embodiment 3
Instead of forming grooves along the longitudinal direction of the rod, they can be formed as threaded grooves in a spiral form along and round the rod from the one end 150 to the other end 152 as can be seen in FIG. 9. FIG. 9 shows a such extended rod 144 in a side outline, and which is formed with a spiral-shaped threaded groove 142 with a gradually increasing groove cross section 143 from the circular surface 141 of the rod from the inlet end 150 to the outlet end 152.
FIG. 10 shows a such rod that is inserted in an outer pipe 12 analogous to the pipe shown in FIG. 5 (and FIG. 5B). The outer surface of the rod is fitted snugly and close to the inside of the pipe 120 so that there are no slits or spaces between the inner wall and the outer side of the rod other than the spiral grooves 142, so that any liquid leaks shall not occur in the slit. The pipe 12 is partly cut away to show how the rod lies inside the pipe. The grooves of the different forms are appropriately machined from one cylindrical rod, but they can also be formed in a mould from a melted metal or another suitable material such as hard plastic.
When this pressure reducing unit is connected to the main stream for an overpressure liquid, the liquid is forced to flow in through the flow path(s) that is defined and limited by the groove surface and the inner wall of the pipe and, out through the outlet. As a consequence of the gradually and linearly increasing cross section of the flow paths, the reduction in the pressure on the liquid is also approximately linear.
Embodiment 4
FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 show a fourth alternative embodiment of a liquid pressure reducing insert inside a pipe 20. In this version FIG. 11 shows an extended rod 244 with an approximately multi-edged, such as square, cross section and the longitudinal corners 230 from the one 250 to the other rod end 252 are cut off, either cut off in a straight surface 242 or in an arch shape, to provide an increasing flow cross section when the rod 244 is inserted in a pipe so that it seals in a way similar to the examples above. In this case, as the rod has a square basic shape, it is inserted into a square pipe. The outer surface of the rod 244 is fitted snugly and seals to the inside of the square pipe (not shown) so that there are no slits or spaces between the inner wall and the outer side of the rod other than the slit 243 or the flow cross section 243 (FIGS. 13a,b,c) in the corners that are formed between each groove 242 and a pipe outer wall, so that leakage of liquid can not occur in the slits 243. Here, there are four such flow channels 243, one in each corner. The angle α between the axis A-A and the side surface 242 is indicated uppermost in FIG. 11.
FIGS. 12 A, B and C show, in a cross section of the rod inserted in a square pipe 120, how the flow cross section increases from the one (inflow) end 250 to the other end 252 of the rod 244 in the square pipe 120, i.e. in three sections along the rod unit.
A plurality of such units shown in FIG. 11 can be fitted to form a pipe bundle, where the rods 244 are bundled closely together, joined and glued together. It is most practical that the form of the pipes is a quadrangle, i.e. square or rectangular. Then, four and four rods form between them a longitudinal channel 243 with a quadratic cross section that increases from the inflow to the outflow end. Both the ends of the bundle comprise flanges for the connection to the liquid carrying pipe. Then, it will reduce the pressure in the pipe. The bundle, as shown in FIG. 13, can have a square cross section itself, or be formed with the surface such that it has a pipe-formed cross section and can be placed inside a pipe-formed outer casing 20 shown in FIG. 13, as in the other shown solutions.
Embodiment 5
FIG. 14 shows a fifth alternative where pipes and inserts according to the preceding examples are replaced by a cylindrical block 520 in which a number of mutually parallel channels 543 are bored out, each with a stepwise increasing bore cross section from the inlet end to the outlet end. In this case there are three steps as shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 15 shows a longitudinal cross section through the block 520 along the line X-X.
13 mutually parallel holes or borings are shown through the block across its diameter, lengthwise. The entry starts at the inlet at 550 with the boring 543a with a given bore cross section, in a given distance into the block, to be expanded to a larger bore cross section 543b and further after a new given distance an even larger bore cross section 543c that runs a distance and out in the other end of the block 520 at the outlet end 552.
When this embodiment is manufactured one can bore the hole 543c in from the outlet end with the largest drill which is then replaced by a smaller diameter drill further into the block to form the section with a smaller diameter 543b, and then to reduce the drill to the smallest drill to form said entry hole 543a.
In the embodiment in FIG. 15, there are altogether 66 holes/bores 543 drilled through the block with a gradually increasing flow cross section. In the embodiment in FIG. 14 there are 40 flow channels 243 with a gradually increasing flow cross section. These embodiments can be fitted into a valve or pipe to provide a pressure reduction in a flowing liquid.
The channels 543 can also be formed as circular holes (without steps or stepwise changes) with a continuously increasing flow cross section.
A curve for the pressure course for the construction that will give a linear pressure reduction relates to the embodiments described and shown in the FIGS. 5-8, 9-10 and 12/13, respectively, is as shown in FIG. 2. The pressure is reduced linearly in a continuous step over the whole length/distance of the pipe and the energy in the liquid is reduced and does not fall below the evaporation pressure for the actual liquid shown by the horizontal line marked “evaporation pressure”.
The variants or embodiments shown in the first and fifth embodiments represent stepwise pressure reductions in the liquid, as illustrated in FIG. 18, see the next section.
Application of Pressure Reducing Units According to the FIGS. 3, 5, 10, 13 and 15.
These tubes/pipes as shown in the given figures can be put together as a bundle as shown in FIGS. 16 and 19, and the whole pipe bundle can according to the invention be placed inside the opening/closing body in a ball valve, gate valve, plug valve or linear valve (Mokveld type).
The bundle can also be connected upstream or downstream, of the opening/closing body of the regulating valve. i.e. as an independent pressure reducing unit in the liquid carrying pipe.
FIG. 18 shows another preferred embodiment where a number of pipe sections are arranged mutually in parallel and form a zigzag-formed flow course in that two adjoining pipe ends are connected to each other with the help of U-formed pipe parts 28. In this part of the construction the process medium goes from 22 into a nearby pipe via the U-formed pipe part 28 and flows in the opposite direction to the main flow direction, to turn one more time and then be led further out into the main pipe at 24. Thereby one achieves a compact and space saving embodiment when the unit shall be placed in a regulating valve. The figure shows that three such units 30 are fitted together. With this solution the medium/liquid will pass through the unit three times with several pressure steps.
When the construction is such that the liquid is made to flow in a zigzag course the pressure reduction will take place in a larger volume and over a longer course in the valve. The curve for the pressure reduction will therefore be longer and the reduction curve will be flatter, as indicated by the curves in the FIGS. 2 and 17.
It can be seen by the curve in FIG. 18, for stepwise pressure reduction, where each step corresponds to a plate 14 in the row in the embodiment in FIG. 3. Furthermore, the figure shows a small pressure increase as the liquid meets and builds up in front of the holes/perforations, see the arrow 14 in FIG. 6, and the pressure curve goes over into an arch-shaped drop when the liquid streams out into the subsequent volume, see the arrow 17. Thus, the pressure does not drop below the evaporation pressure for the actual liquid shown by the horizontal line marked “evaporation pressure”. But the total pressure change from the inlet to the outlet is considered overall as a continuous, approximately linear course.
At the same time the process medium will have an easier path through the valve and outlet that runs straight in the process flow direction and the process flow is made laminar. In normal globe valves the process flow will be turbulent instead. In addition several pressure reducing steps can be implemented as a larger volume is used for the pressure reduction than for normal globe valves. This will make the pressure reduction curve more flat and it is less likely that the pressure will fall below the evaporation pressure. Thus one avoids gas formation in the liquid.
Patent Application
20150233493
