The present invention lies in the field of plumbing and more particularly relates to a globe valve.
It finds application in particular in the industrial fields of electricity production (of nuclear origin, fossil origin, etc.), chemistry, petroleum, etc.
Globe valves are widely used in industry due to their robustness. However, in the current state of the art, the use of these valves generates significant pressure losses. This, consequently, with regard to the flow rate which must be passed through the distribution lines, makes it necessary to over-dimension the valves, the actuators or even the lines themselves. This increases costs and reduces resistance to earthquakes.
Within such valves, the globe (or flap, also called shutter) moves perpendicularly to the fluid path and perpendicularly to its sealing seat. The shutter can be in the closed position, in the fully open position or in any intermediate position.
These valves have a mounting direction and their closing is generally in countercurrent to the direction of circulation of the fluid. On opening, the fluid pressure then facilitates the operation.
For small diameters, the flap often takes the shape of a needle. For accurate adjustments, it sometimes looks like a needle.
But these globe valves, whose body is cast or forged, have the characteristic of presenting fluid circulation paths (abbreviated “fluid path”) of tortured shape, with bends and contractions in the passage between the shutter and the seat which generate large pressure losses.
They are widely used in industry for their “robustness”. They open with a short stroke of the stem, which allows the use of a bellow that ensures the sealing between the fluid and the outside. Their actuation induces little friction on their sealing surfaces. They have very slender profiles which provide some earthquake sensitivity, which is increased in case of use of an actuator which will add significant mass at the top of the building.
For larger flow rates requiring larger nominal diameters, other valve technologies are preferred, such as, for example, ball valves or gate valves. One of the reasons for this choice is that the globe valves of larger dimension (>DN 80) are sensitive to earthquakes.
The ball valves consist of a body and a shutter called a “rotating” shutter which moves along a rotational movement perpendicular to the direction of circulation of the fluid.
As to the gate valves, they include a shutter which moves perpendicularly to the fluid path and parallel to the sealing seats.
When the manufacturers need to limit the pressure losses, they usually have recourse to such devices. But these valves have their own drawbacks. For example, ball or cylindrical valves are sensitive to the particles present in the fluid, which can scratch the sealing surfaces, while the gate valves generate significant friction between the sealing surfaces of the shutter and the seat of this shutter.
It is also possible to reduce the pressure losses while maintaining a technology close to that of the conventional globe valve. Thus, it is sometimes proposed to place a globe valve at the level of a circulation elbow of the fluid path, which already significantly reduces pressure losses.
There is also a “Y” globe valve technology whose purpose is specifically to reduce pressure losses. This technology is hardly used in French nuclear power plants, perhaps for reasons of design difficulties.
In addition, all of the solutions listed above consist of replacing the whole valve.
Another prior art known to the applicant consists of the following documents: FI 20049, CH 197 056, U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,718, US 2007/227600, WO2012/168939 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,426.
The present invention aims to reduce the pressure losses of the globe valves, at constant valve size.
Thus, the present invention relates to a globe valve, which includes a body through which a fluid circulation channel passes, which delimits a fluid path with an inlet and an outlet, as well as a shutter housed inside a branch generally perpendicular to said body, this shutter being movable between a first extreme position in which it obturates said channel and a second extreme position in which it does not obdurate the channel, characterized by the fact that said channel has, on either side of the region of action of said shutter, a generally circular liquid circulation section, which is connected continuously, at least in the region of action of said shutter, to a section that is longer than it is wide, that is to say flattened, said body being devoid of any element protruding inwardly of said channel.
The expression “the body being devoid of any element protruding inwardly of said channel”, according to the present invention, means when the shutter is housed inside said body. Expressed differently, this expression is understood when the liquid is circulating in the valve that is to say when the latter is equipped with a shutter with its seat and its cage.
Thanks to the invention, a significant reduction in the pressure losses is achieved by making at least modifications to the body of the valve only, that is to say without having to systematically modify the other parts that compose it (stem and shutter in particular).
According to other non-limiting and advantageous characteristics of the invention:
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. This description is made with reference to the appended drawings in which:
In the appended
It is meant by the expression “fluid path” throughout the present description, the volume delimited by the fluid which is intended to circulate through the valve.
This body is crossed by a fluid circulation channel 3 which delimits the aforementioned fluid path VF. The inlet and outlet of this channel are referenced respectively 30 and 31.
The body 2 also includes a second cylindrical channel 4, hereinafter referred to as “branch” 4, which extends along a direction generally perpendicular to the channel 3.
The branch 4 is intended to receive the shutter of the valve, as can be seen in
As clearly visible in
The present Applicant has observed that this channel 3, insofar as it has, on either side of the region of action of the shutter, a generally circular liquid circulation section, which connects gradually, at least in the region of action of said shutter, to a section that is longer than it is wide, that is to say “flattened” (for example oblong or elliptical), the largest dimension of this section extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the channel 4, and that the body 2 is devoid of any element protruding inwardly of the channel 3, then the pressure losses of such a valve are drastically reduced.
Of course, within the meaning of the present application, it is meant by the expression “region of action of the shutter” the area 32 of the channel 3 which interferes with the branch 4.
In
The channel 3 has an upward slope in the region of action of said shutter that is to say in the area 32. They are also so due to the fact that the channel has a first inflection upstream 20 of the upward slope area 32 and a second inflection downstream of the downward slope area 32, the terms “upstream” and “downstream” being considered by taking into account the direction of flow of a fluid.
Expressed otherwise, the valve according to the invention is particularly optimized in terms of pressure losses, as soon as the fluid path VF benefits from:
As shown particularly in
The opposite faces 62 and 63 of the body 60 of this seat are planar and parallel. However, as regards the upper face 62, it can be observed that it extends in the direction of the central aperture 61, by a beveled peripheral flank 64 forming a sealing surface (as will be seen below). Of course, other shapes can be envisaged.
This seat 6 is advantageously removable, but it is also conceivable that it is permanently attached to the body 2.
A cage 7 which has an annular shape like the seat 6, rises above the latter. Its external diameter is strictly identical to that of the seat 6 and its upper and lower faces 73 and 74 are planar and parallel. Its internal diameter is, for its part, dimensioned so that it coincides (that is to say is aligned) with the emergence of the beveled flank 64 of the seat 6. In one embodiment, not represented, the external diameters above are not identical.
As particularly seen in
Again with reference to
This cylindrical-shaped body 50 has a diameter, apart from the clearance, identical to the internal diameter of the cage 70.
Preferably (although this is not mandatory), the body 50 is extended by a spout 51 which is part of a cylinder of diameter smaller than that of the body 50. The annular shoulder 52 which separates them is also beveled and constitutes a second sealing surface, as will be explained below.
Finally, the free end 510 of the spout 51 is beveled and is shaped so as to match, as much as possible, the curvature of the channel 3 in this region of the valve 1.
In
This is symbolically illustrated by the diagram in
When the valve is closed, which corresponds to the situation of
In another version of the present valve, a shutter 5 devoid of spout 51 can be used.
To limit the space requirement, it is possible to abruptly shorten the diffuser portion of such a valve.
All industries using valves may be interested in that of the invention (nuclear power, petroleum, chemistry, etc.).
The invention reduces the required valve size, which reduces all associated costs: actuators, pipes, support, required space, maintenance, etc. In addition, due to its reduced size, such a valve more easily retains its operability, even after an earthquake has occurred.
The reduction in the pressure losses proposed here is done by reducing to the maximum the disturbances made to the flow.
In any event, according to the present invention, due to the sharp drop in the pressure losses, the initial flow rate of the valve is maintained, despite the smaller passage section.
Such valves can therefore be of smaller size, for the same nominal flow rate.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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FR1906817 | Jun 2019 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2020/067472 | 6/23/2020 | WO |