Patent Application
20240410471
The present invention refers to a guillotine valve to operate in open tanks, completely submerged in the fluid, such as pulps, tailings and mineral concentrates, which allows controlling the flow rate of fluids in atmospheric systems. The guillotine valve essentially comprises at least one cage attached to the inlet or outlet of at least one tank: at least one gate which controls the flow of the at least one fluid; at least one movement transmission means which allows the at least one gate to be mobilized between at least one open position and at least one closed position; at least one drive means, which allows the at least one movement transmission means to be operated; at least one anti-vibration head which joins the at least one gate with the at least one movement transmission means allowing the axial movement of the at least one gate; and at least one guide means arranged in the same direction as the at least one movement transmission means which allows a tight fit between said at least one guide means and the at least one cage, thus configuring a smaller valve taking up less space for installation and allowing maintenance operations to be carried out online, and can be assembled and removed during operation without having to stop the process.
Additionally, the invention describes a procedure for assembling and disassembling the guillotine valve which includes the steps of mobilizing at least one valve body above the duct or installation space in at least one tank: lowering or raising the valve above the at least one tank depending on whether it is an assembly or disassembly operation; and contacting or separating at least one valve guide means with at least one bore arranged in at least one valve cage, as the valve body descends or ascends the duct.
The technology solves several issues of the current technique which become evident when evaluating the existing solutions and the specific characteristics of the invention in the following sections of this document.
In the process industry, specifically in the mining industry, there is a need to optimize the operation of each of the processes carried out, in order to maintain continuous operation, without stoppages. This has translated into the manufacture of increasingly durable machinery and components, thus minimizing downtime in operations due to maintenance or repair events. However, it is still necessary to carry out maintenance operations to check the correct functioning of the machinery and components in mining processes, which inevitably suffer wear either due to abrasion produced by the fluids transported, or due to other types of incidents, such as collisions.
Currently, in the industry there are solutions that provide additional protection to the components of dart or guillotine valves such as rubber coatings and/or hermetic seals which minimize the abrasion of the components reducing the number of maintenances that must be performed. However, in the event that the valve suffers a malfunction it will still be necessary to stop the operation of the work to dismantle the valve with the high costs that this implies in the mining industry.
Therefore, it is still necessary to have a valve that allows repair and/or maintenance operations to be carried out without affecting the normal operation of the plant or process where said valve is located.
The present invention deals with these and other problems wherein its main advantages will be detailed below along with other aspects of the technology.
The present technology refers to a guillotine valve to operate in open tanks, completely submerged in the fluid, such as pulps, tailings and mineral concentrates which allows controlling the flow rate of fluids in atmospheric systems, which includes:
Through the characteristics of the invention, it is possible to obtain a smaller and more compact valve than the valves commonly used in mining operations, such as flotation cells, wherein the fluid control is generally carried out through dart valves which need more space to arrange the seat. Furthermore, by having the valve in a cage attached to the inside of the tank walls, it allows the disassembly of its main elements to carry out repair and/or maintenance tasks.
The guillotine valve cage is fixed or removable attached to the body inside the tank through which the fluid to be controlled circulates. Preferably, the cage is bolted against the internal surface of the tank and may be located at the inlet or outlet of the tank.
Essentially, the cage is an element that does not require replacement, since it is not subject to wear, its sole function being to receive the rest of the valve body, thus forming a single body completing the arrangement of the guillotine valve of the invention. Preferably, the cage is manufactured from steel coated with a polymer, such as rubber or another type of rubber.
The assembly process between the cage and the rest of the valve body can be carried out through different means, such as for example, a crane bridge, which moves the valve over the duct or installation space to start lowering or raising it later. During this process, the plant can continue with its normal operation since the introduction of the valve does not affect the flow of the fluid. As the valve body continues to descend the duct, the valve guide means will contact at least one hole provided in the cage causing the desired adjustment.
The guide means corresponds to an idler, preferably two idlers arranged vertically on the sides of the movement transmission means. These idlers have a conical shape with a smaller diameter at their lower end increasing progressively until their upper end. This feature allows a tight fit between the cage and the valve body as the rollers move into the holes of the cage.
Preferably, the cage comprises a lattice inside to provide greater tightness when joining with the valve body.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the movement transmission means has a polygonal cross section preferably square.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the gate, the guide means, the movement transmission means and/or the anti-vibration head are covered in part or entirely in rubber or another type of rubber, in order to avoid abrasion.
Additionally, the valve may comprise at least one transverse guide, preferably at least three transverse guides arranged transversely to the guide means, specifically between the idlers that make up the guide means and passing through the movement transmission means, in order to prevent it to rotate or move due to the flow of the fluid helping to open and close the gate in its pathlength, in addition to avoiding the clogging of fluid particles that prevent the correct movement of the movement transmission means. Said transverse guides can be made of steel.
Finally, the valve preferably comprises an adjustment means arranged above the movement transmission means which makes minor displacements in the guide means, specifically in each of the idlers that make up the guide means to complete a full tight fit with the cage.
Below, various figures of the guillotine valve are exhibited according to one of its preferred embodiments.
As mentioned above, the valve body (11) is introduced through the duct or space provided for its operation sliding it vertically until the guide means (12) or idlers located on the sides of the valve body (11) are introduced into the respective holes (10a) of the cage. This configures an open body valve which allows its main components grouped in the valve body (11), to be disassembled for repair and/or maintenance tasks without affecting the normal operation of the plant.
Furthermore, it is observed the arrangement of an upper base (18) to which the upper ends of the guiding means (12), made up of the idlers and the movement transmission means (14), are attached. Said upper base may be arranged on a support means arranged from side to side in the tank duct.
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| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202301614 | Jun 2023 | CL | national |
