Patent Application
20110297868
The present invention relates to a steam valve for regulating the flow of steam supplied to a steam turbine for power generating facilities such as thermal power plants and nuclear power plants.
A steam turbine for thermal power plants, nuclear power plants or the like is provided with a plurality of steam valves for regulating the flow of steam according to load changes, or cutting off the supply of steam in response to emergency. Normally, a steam valve changes a flow passage area between a valve seat and a valve body by moving a valve rod by means of an actuator, thereby regulating the flow of steam.
Such steam valve deals with high-pressure steam flowing therein. This causes steam to drift or swirl and such steam turbulence results in noise, vibration, erosion and accidents such as cracks in a valve body and a connecting part of a valve rod supporting the valve body. Particularly, a steam control valve arranged on an upstream side of a high-pressure chamber of the steam turbine and an intercept valve arranged on an upstream side of a medium-pressure chamber deal with a large amount of high-pressure steam flow.
When steam flowing through a steam path defined by the valve seat and the valve body enters a transonic state, unsteady shock waves accompanied by large pressure fluctuations causing vibration to the valve body and the like were generated in steam flowing through the steam path. Therefore, there have been attempts to modify a shape of the valve body and the valve seat so as to reduce the vibration to the valve body and the like of the steam valve.
For instance, in Patent Literatures 1 and 2, disclosed is a steam valve having a curvature radius of the valve body is set to 0.52 to 0.6 of a valve seat diameter, and a curvature radius of the valve seat is set to 0.6 or greater of the valve seat diameter.
However, in the steam valve described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2, a tangential direction of the valve seat 4 is comparatively standing (comparatively adhering to the moving direction Y of the valve body 2) at a seating position 3 where the valve seat 4 and the valve body come in contact with each other. Thus, the flow passage area between the valve seat 4 and the valve body 2 is small and pressure loss is large. To ensure enough supply of steam, it is necessary to increase a lift amount of the valve body 2 or to make the steam valve itself bigger. It is required to prevent damages to the steam turbine by cutting off the steam supply to the steam turbine immediately in emergency situations. However, by increasing the lift amount of the valve body 2, it takes longer to change from a full-open position to a full-closed position. Thus, it is difficult to cut off the steam supply rapidly. Meanwhile, by making the steam valve itself bigger, this leads to restrictions on installation of the steam valve and to significant cost rise.
In view of the issues above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a steam valve, which can reduce vibrations of each part of the steam valve, can suppress pressure loss and can cut off the steam rapidly.
In one aspect of the present invention, a steam valve may include, but is not limited to:
wherein the valve body may include, but is not limited to:
a tapered portion which is arranged on an upstream side of the valve head portion and whose surface is tilted toward a direction of relative movement of the valve body to the valve seat more than that of the valve head portion.
Hereinafter, the state where a line of steam flow, a tangential line of the valve seat, a surface of the tapered portion or the like is comparatively along the direction of the relative movement of the valve body to the valve seat, is described as “standing”, whereas the state where the line of steam flow, the tangential line of the valve seat, the surface of the tapered portion or the like is comparatively along a direction perpendicular to the direction of the relative movement of the valve body to the valve seat, is described as “lying”. The tangential line (direction) of the valve seat at the seating position is determined by a ratio of the curvature radius r of the valve head portion of the valve body to the seat diameter D0 of the valve seat according to geometric relationship.
In the steam valve in relation to the present invention, the valve head portion of the valve body satisfies a relationship of r>0.6D0 where r is the curvature radius of the valve head portion and D0 is the seat diameter of the valve seat. Thus, the tangential line of the valve seat at the seating position is lying more than that of the conventional case, resulting in a larger area of the flow path between the valve seat and the valve body for the same lift amount and small pressure loss. This achieves that the lift amount of the valve body to ensure a supply amount of steam is small and supply of steam to the steam turbine or the like can be cut off immediately.
In the steam valve, the tapered portion is arranged on an upstream side of the valve head portion. The surface of the tapered portion is tilted toward a direction of relative movement of the valve body more than that of the valve head portion. By providing the tapered portion, steam is guided into the direction of the relative movement before passing through the flow path between the valve seat and the valve body. Thus, although the curvature radius r of the valve head portion and the seat diameter D0 have the relationship of r>0.6D0 and the tangential line of the valve seat at the seating position is comparatively lying, it is possible to achieve, by the tapered portion, a state where the steam line between the valve body and the valve seat is standing. Therefore, the steam flow forms an annular flow adhering to the valve seat side, thereby reducing vibration to each part of the steam valve.
Specifically, in the steam valve of the present invention, a ratio of the curvature radius r of the valve head portion to the seat diameter D0 is set greater than that of the conventional case and the tangential line of the valve seat is lying more than that of the conventional case so as to reduce pressure loss, and the tapered portion is provided on the upstream side of the valve head portion so as to sufficiently reduce the virtual curvature radius including the valve head portion and the tapered portion with respect to the seat diameter and the curvature radius of the valve seat. Therefore, it is possible to reduce vibration in each part of the steam valve by achieving the state where the line of steam flow between the valve seat and the valve body is standing and adhering the steam flow to the valve seat side.
In the above steam valve, it is preferable that the valve head portion satisfies a relationship of 0.61D0≦r≦0.80 D0.
In this manner, the curvature radius r of the valve head portion is set not less than 0.61 and thus, it is possible to cut off the supply of steam immediately. When the curvature radius r of the valve head portion is set not greater than 0.80, it becomes easy for the steam flow to form annular flow adhering to the valve seat side, thereby firmly reducing vibration in each part of the steam valve.
In the above steam valve, it is preferable that the surface of the tapered portion forms an angle of θ0 with respect to a tangential line of the valve seat extending from a seating position toward a downstream side, the angle, θ0 being not less than 150° and not greater than 170°.
When the angle of θ0 formed by the surface of the tapered portion with respect to the tangential line of the valve seat is too small, a transition area where a profile of the valve body transits, on the upstream side of the seating position, from the tapered portion to the valve head portion has a sharp corner, causing a separation of the steam flow near the corner. This causes more vibration in each part of the steam valve. On the other hand, when the angle of θ0 is too large, it is difficult to sufficiently control steam by the tapered portion such that the flow line of steam is standing.
Thus, the angle, θ0 is set to not less than 150° and not greater than 170° so as to prevent separation of the steam flow in the transition area where the profile of the valve body transits from the tapered portion to the valve head portion, and further to firmly guide the steam flow by the tapered portion so that the line of steam flow is standing.
In the above steam valve, it is preferable that the tapered portion satisfies a relationship of 0.3≦θ/(90−δ)≦0.4 where θ is an angle formed by the surface of the tapered portion with respect to the direction of relative movement of the valve body to the valve seat and δ is an angle formed by a tangential line of the valve seat at a seating position with respect to the direction of the relative movement of the valve body to the valve seat.
Herein, θ/(90−δ) is proportional to the angle θ formed by the surface of the tapered portion 2B with respect to the direction of the relative movement of the valve body, and is inversely proportional to an angle of the tangential line of the valve seat at the seating position, (90−δ) that is a standing angle. Therefore, when θ/(90−δ) is small, the surface of the tapered portion is standing and/or the tangential line is standing.
In this manner, by setting θ/(90−δ) to 0.4 and below, the line of steam flow is caused to stand by the tapered portion or the tangential line of the valve seat at the seating position is caused to stand, thereby forming an annular flow adhering to the valve seat side. By setting θ/(90−δ) to 0.3 and above, it is possible to prevent separation of the steam flow at the transition area caused by the tapered portion being excessively standing. In the present invention, the valve head portion satisfies the relationship of r>0.6D0, where r is the curvature radius of the valve head portion and D0 is a seat diameter of the valve seat. Thus, it is not necessary to consider the case where the tangential line of the valve seat is excessively standing at the seating position.
In the above steam valve, it is preferable that the valve head portion of the valve body has a circular recess formed at a tip of the valve body on a downstream side of a seating position where the valve head portion comes in contact with the valve seat, and that the circular recess satisfies a relationship of 0.90D0≦Dn≦0.98D0 where Dn is a diameter of the circular recess and D0 is a seat diameter of the valve seat.
In this manner, by setting the diameter Dn of the circular recess to 0.90D0 or above and providing the circular recess on the immediate downstream side of the seating position, it is possible to prevent vibration in the valve body under the influence of a shock wave when the steam flow gets into a transonic condition. Furthermore, by setting the diameter Dn of the circular recess to 0.98D0 or below, it is possible to prevent mechanical breakage of the valve body or the valve seat caused when an edge of the circular recess is pressed against the valve seat at the full-closed position of the steam valve.
In the above steam valve it is preferable that the valve body further includes a base part which is arranged on an upstream side of the tapered portion and is formed cylindrically and that the base part satisfies a relationship of 1.03D0≦Dv≦1.10D0 where Dv is a diameter of the base part of the valve body and D0 is a seat diameter of the valve seat.
In this manner, by setting the diameter Dv of the base part of the valve body to 1.03D0≦Dv, the tapered portion is formed over a comparatively broad area and it is possible to positively realize an annular flow of the steam flow adhering to the valve side. Further, by setting the diameter Dv of the base part of the valve body to Dv≦1.10D0, the outer diameter of the valve body can have an adequate size while preventing the steam valve from being large. It is also possible to prevent separation of steam flow caused when the steam flow guided at the tapered portion changes its direction at the transition area where the profile of the valve body transits from the tapered portion to the valve head portion.
According to the present invention, the valve head portion of the valve body satisfies the relationship of r>0.6D0 where r is the curvature radius of the valve head portion and D0 is the seat diameter of the valve seat. Thus, the area of the flow path between the valve seat and the valve body is large and the pressure loss is small. This reduces the lift amount of the valve body to ensure a supply amount of steam. As a result, it is possible to immediately cut off supply of steam to the steam turbine or the like.
Further, according to the present invention, the tapered portion is arranged on the upstream side of the valve head portion. The surface of the tapered portion is tilted toward the direction of the relative movement of the valve body more than that of the valve head portion. By providing the tapered portion, steam is guided into the direction of the relative movement before passing through the flow path between the valve seat and the valve body. Thus, it is possible to achieve, by the tapered portion, a state where the steam line between the valve body and the valve seat is standing. Therefore, the steam flow forms an annular flow adhering to the valve seat side, thereby reducing vibration to each part of the steam valve.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is intended, however, that unless particularly specified, dimensions, materials, shape, its relative positions and the like shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limitative of the scope of the present invention.
A general structure of a steam valve in relation to the present invention is explained hereafter.
The valve body 2 is secured to the valve shaft 6 by means of a pin 5. The valve body 2 moves in a vertical direction with the valve shaft 6 by moving a lever 10 in a direction of an arrow around a supporting point 12 by means of the actuator 8. Thus, a position of the valve body 2 with respect to the valve seat 4 can be adequately adjusted depending on an amount of steam to be supplied, between a full-closed position where the valve body 2 is in contact with the valve seat 4 at a seating position 3 and a full-open position where the valve body 2 is off from the valve seat 4 by a maximum lift amount.
The steam introduced to the steam valve 1 flows from a valve chamber 16 surrounded by a casing 14 of the steam valve 1 through an annular passage formed between the valve body 2 and the valve seat 4 and flows out in a direction of an arrow A to be supplied to a steam turbine or the like (not shown) that is arranged on a downstream side of the steam valve 1.
Next, configurations of the valve body 2 and the valve seat 4 of the steam valve in relation to the preferred embodiment is described.
The valve head portion 2A satisfies a relation ship of r>0.6D0, where r is the curvature radius of the valve head portion 2A and D0 is a seat diameter (diameter of the seating position 3) of the valve seat 4. Thus, a tangential line 20 of the valve seat 4 at the seating position 3 is lying flatter than that of the conventional case. This creates a larger area of a flow path between the valve body and the valve seat and pressure loss is comparatively small. This achieves that the lift amount of the valve body to ensure a supply amount of steam is small and supply of steam to the steam turbine or the like (not shown) can be cut off immediately.
Further, when the curvature radius r of the valve head portion 2A is set to r>0.6D0, the curvature radius R of the valve seat 4 may be set to 0.20D0≦R≦0.50D0 for instance.
The tapered portion 2B is arranged on an upstream side of the valve head portion 2A. The surface of the tapered portion 2B is tilted toward a direction of relative movement of the valve body 2 more than that of the valve head portion 2A. The tapered portion 2B may be formed, for instance, by chamfering only an upstream side of the valve head portion 2A having the curvature radius r.
By providing the tapered portion 2B, steam introduced to the valve chamber 16 is guided into the direction of the relative movement 22 before passing the seating position 3. Thus, it is possible to achieve by the tapered portion 2B a state where a steam line between the valve body 2 and the valve seat 4 is standing, although the curvature radius r of the valve head portion 2A and the seat diameter D0 have the relationship of r>0.6D0 and the tangential line 20 of the valve seat 3 at the seating position 3 is comparatively lying. Therefore, the steam flow forms an annular flow adhering to the valve seat side, thereby reducing vibration in each part of the steam valve 1.
Further, it is preferable in the steam valve 1 shown in
In this manner, the curvature radius r of the valve head portion 2A is set not less than 0.61 and thus, it is possible to cut off the supply of steam immediately. When the curvature radius r of the valve head portion 2A is set not greater than 0.80, it becomes easy for the steam flow to form annular flow adhering to the valve seat side, thereby firmly reducing vibration in each part of the steam valve 1.
An angle θ0 formed by the surface of the tapered portion 2B with respect to the tangential line 20 of the valve seat 4 extending from the seating position 3 toward a downstream side, is preferably not less than 150° and not greater than 170°.
When the angle of θ0 formed by the surface of the tapered portion 2B with respect to the tangential line 20 of the valve seat 4 is too small, a transition area 24 where a profile of the valve body 2 transits on the upstream side of the seating position 3 from the tapered portion 2B to the valve head portion 2A has a sharp corner, causing a separation of the steam flow near the corner. This causes more vibration in each part of the steam valve 1. On the other hand, when the angle of θ0 is too large, it is difficult to sufficiently control steam by the tapered portion 2B such that the flow line of steam is standing.
Thus, the angle, θ0 is set to not less than 150° and not greater than 170° so as to prevent separation of the steam flow in the transition area 24 where the profile of the valve body 2 transits from the tapered portion 2B to the valve head portion 2A, and further to firmly guide the steam flow by the tapered portion 2B so that the line of steam flow is standing.
The tapered portion 2B preferably satisfies a relationship of 0.3≦θ/(90−δ)≦0.4 where θ is an angle formed by the surface of the tapered portion 2B with respect to the direction of relative movement 22 of the valve body 2 to the valve seat 4 and δ is an angle formed by the tangential line 20 of the valve seat at the seating position 3 with respect to the direction of the relative movement 22 of the valve body 2 to the valve seat 4.
Herein, θ/(90−δ) is proportional to the angle θ formed by the surface of the tapered portion 2B with respect to the direction of the relative movement 22 of the valve body 2, and is inversely proportional to an angle of the tangential line 20 of the valve seat 4 at the seating position 3, (90−δ) that is a standing angle. Therefore, when θ/(90−δ) is small, the surface of the tapered portion is standing and/or the tangential line 20 is standing.
In this manner, by setting θ/(90−δ) to 0.4 and below, the line of steam flow is caused to stand by the tapered portion 2B or the tangential line 20 of the valve seat 4 at the seating position 3 is caused to stand, thereby forming an annular flow adhering to the valve seat side. By setting θ/(90−δ) to 0.3 and above, it is possible to prevent separation of the steam flow at the transition area 24 caused by the tapered portion being excessively standing. In the preferred embodiment, the valve head portion 2A satisfies the relationship of r>0.6D0, where r is the curvature radius of the valve head portion 2A and D0 is a seat diameter of the valve seat 4. Thus, it is not necessary to consider the case where the tangential line 20 of the valve seat 4 is excessively standing at the seating position 3.
The valve head portion 2A of the valve body 1 has a circular recess 26 formed at a tip of the valve body 1 on a downstream side of the seating position 3 where the valve head portion 2A comes in contact with the valve seat 4. The circular recess 26 preferably satisfies a relationship of 0.90D0≦DN≦0.98D0 where Dn is a diameter of the circular recess 26 and D0 is a seat diameter of the valve seat 4.
In this manner, the diameter Dn of the circular recess 26 is set to 0.90D0 or above and the circular recess 26 is provided on the immediate downstream side of the seating position 3. Thus, it is possible to prevent vibration in the valve body 2 under the influence of a shock wave when the steam flow gets into a transonic condition. By setting the diameter Dn of the circular recess 26 to 0.98D0 or below, it is possible to prevent mechanical breakage of the valve body 2 or the valve seat 4 caused when an edge of the circular recess 26 is pressed against the valve seat at the full-closed position of the steam valve 1.
The valve body 2 has a base part 28 arranged on an upstream side of the tapered portion. The base part 28 is formed cylindrically and preferably satisfies a relationship of 1.03D0≦Dv≦1.10D0 where Dv is a diameter of the base part 28 of the valve body 2 and D0 is a seat diameter of the valve seat 4.
In this manner, by setting the diameter Dv of the base part 28 of the valve body 2 to 1.03D0≦Dv, the tapered portion is formed over a comparatively broad area and it is possible to positively realize an annular flow of the steam flow adhering to the valve side. Further, by setting the diameter Dv of the base part 28 of the valve body 2 to Dv≦1.10D0, the outer diameter of the valve body 2 can have an adequate size while preventing the steam valve 1 from being large. It is also possible to prevent separation of steam flow caused when the steam flow guided at the tapered portion 2B, changes its direction at the transition area 24 where the profile of the valve body 2 transits from the tapered portion 2B to the valve head portion 2A.
As described above, in the steam valve 1 in relation to the preferred embodiment, the valve head portion 2A satisfies the relationship of r>0.6D0, where r is the curvature radius of the valve head portion 2A and D0 is a seat diameter of the valve seat 4. The valve body 2 has the tapered portion 2B arranged on an upstream side of the valve head portion 2A. The surface of the tapered portion 2B is tilted toward a direction of relative movement of the valve body 2 more than that of the valve head portion 2A.
Specifically, in the preferred embodiment, a ratio of the curvature radius r of the valve head portion 2A to the seat diameter D0 is set greater than that of the conventional case and the tangential line 20 of the valve seat 4 is lying flatter than that of the conventional case so as to reduce pressure loss, and the tapered portion 2B is provided on the upstream side of the valve head portion 2A so as to sufficiently reduce the virtual curvature radius including the valve head portion 2A and the tapered portion 2B with respect to the seat diameter D0 and the curvature radius R of the valve seat 4. Therefore, it is possible to reduce vibration in each part of the steam valve 1 by achieving the state where the line of steam flow between the valve seat 4 and the valve body 2 is standing and adhering the steam flow to the valve seat side.
As shown in
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
For instance, in the above preferred embodiment, the steam valve 1 has the general structure illustrated in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-126845 | Jun 2010 | JP | national |
