DE202018107099U1 - Device for measuring the flow of ballast water through a pipeline - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for measuring the flow of ballast water through a pipeline, the apparatus comprising a 90 degree elbow (1) having access to an outer radius line and an inner radius line at 45 degrees of the 90 degree elbow (1), respectively the pipe interior is arranged, wherein the accesses via first and second measuring lines (12, 13) with a differential pressure measuring device (20) are connected and wherein the liquid pressure at the accesses the hydraulic / hydrostatic pressure inside the pipe plus or minus the Pressure from the centrifugal force of the liquid with respect to the neutral centrifugal line corresponds, the velocity V of the water in the 90-degree pipe bend (1) is given by the pressure difference at the access and given geometric dimensions of the 90-degree pipe bend (1) , characterized in that the accesses each comprise a measuring bore (2, 3) on the outer radius line and opposite to the Internal radius line, that the measuring lines (12, 13) via pipe sockets (4, 5) directly to the measuring bores (2, 3) are connected, and that the measuring bores (2, 3) via remote controllable control valves (6, 7) in the measuring lines (12 , 13) are connected to the differential pressure measuring device (20).

Description

The invention relates to a device for measuring the flow of ballast water through a pipeline on ships, wherein the ballast water is contaminated by dirt particles and biological organisms.

Ballast water is taken from the fairway on cargo ships in order to keep the ship in the same draft with changing cargo. Ballast water can therefore be both fresh water, brackish water and seawater. In order to prevent ballast water from transporting exotic organisms with a foreign habitat to native waters and causing damage to native species and other disruptive effects, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is binding on 8 September 2017 for all The world's maritime nations have set a standard that requires ballast water to be treated aboard the ship in such a way that the alien organisms are safely killed. The volume flow when receiving or discharging ballast water on ships is high, ranging from 250 m ³ / h to over 8000 m ³ / h.

The industry uses almost exclusively the so-called magnetic-inductive method MID to measure high flow rates. This method is very accurate and has been tested for decades in power plants and refineries. The condition for trouble-free measurement with the magnetic induction method is that at least five straight pipe runs must be present in front of the measuring cell and at least three pipe diameters downstream of the measuring cell. ISO 7145 even requires at least 20 to 25 pipe diameters straight pipe run in front of the MID measuring cell. In contrast to refineries and power plants, this requirement for an undisturbed straight pipe run in front of and behind the flow measuring cell in the engine room of a ship can never be realized.

The industry has developed numerous protection circuits with multiple valve arrangements for the operation of electronic differential pressure transmitters in power plants and refineries, see eg US 1 397 912 A . US 3,450,157 A . US 4 711 268 A . US 5 277 224 A . US 5 722 457 A . US 6,009,758 A , All these devices are not applicable in ship operation, since no staff is available; to operate these and because these devices allow differential pressure measurement only on clean, uncontaminated fluids.

The RULES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SHIPS of classification society DNVGL - Den Norske Veritas Germanischer Lloyd explicitly states in Part 6, Chapter 6, entitled Ballast Water Management, under heading C101: "All parts of the treatment system should be easily accessible for inspection and maintenance. Sufficient space for cleaning and replacing components of the treatment system should be available. "

The 90-degree pipe bend as a measuring sensor plus differential pressure gauge is already described in US 1 181 490 A , However, this method uses a large number of internal and external measuring bores which open into a collecting chamber, which causes serious disturbances due to internal contamination and biological growth when used for flow measurement of biologically contaminated ballast water.

Ballast water is an aqueous solution biologically contaminated with microorganisms and therefore it is necessary that this contaminated fluid not enter the sensitive electronic differential pressure gauge. The Electronic Differential Pressure Transmitter must also be protected against hydraulic / hydrostatic surges, which can be more than 100 times greater in the marine environment.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for measuring the flow of ballast water through a pipeline on ships whose operation is affected by contamination in the ballast water which is suitable for space-saving installation in the ballast water pipes in ships.

The object is solved by the features of claim 1. The dependent claims form advantageous developments of the invention.

For this purpose, the device according to the invention for flow measurement of ballast water through a pipeline, wherein the device comprises a 90-degree pipe bend, in each case an access on an outer radius line and opposite to an inner radius line at 45 degrees of the 90-degree pipe bend is arranged to the tube interior, wherein the accesses are connected via measuring lines to a differential pressure gauge and wherein the liquid pressure at the inputs the hydraulic / hydrostatic pressure inside the pipe plus or minus the pressure from the centrifugal force of the liquid relative to the neutral Centrifugal line corresponds, wherein the velocity V of the water in the 90-degree pipe bend is given by the present at the approaches pressure differential and given geometric dimensions of the 90-degree pipe bend, characterized in that the accesses each have a measuring bore on the outer radius line and opposite the inner radius line, that the measuring lines are directly connected to the pipe via pipe sockets, and that the measuring holes are connected to the differential pressure measuring device via remote-controllable control valves in the measuring lines.

The device of the invention allows the surge-resistant electronic flow measurement of the largest amounts of biologically contaminated water in pipes without straight pipe sections, requires no operator and can be easily controlled externally pneumatically and automatically clean easily during operation. The invention provides a self-cleaning, interference-insensitive device for measuring the flow of contaminated ballast water through a pipeline.

The practical testing of the flow measuring method according to the invention with only two measuring bores has shown that before and after the 90-degree elbow no straight pipe sections are required and therefore this method of measuring the flow of ballast water on ships is particularly well suited.

The device according to the invention also fulfills the abovementioned requirements of the "RULES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SHIPS" and allows the surge-resistant, electronic flow measurement of the largest amounts of biologically contaminated water in pipes without straight pipe sections, requires no operator and can be easily controlled externally pneumatically and during Automatically clean easily.

An advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that the remotely controllable control valves comprise ball valves with rotary drive, wherein the valves are robust and can be remotely controlled in a simple manner.

A further advantageous embodiment of the sealing arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that in the measuring lines T-piece pieces comprise, which are connected with a first leg with the control valves and a second leg with the associated measuring line, the measuring lines can be turned on and off ,

A further advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that the T-tube pieces are connected via a third leg with outlet valves, which advantageously for venting the device, for filling pure water, for discharging rinse water and the hydraulic closure of entire flow measuring device can serve.

A further advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that the ball valves are three-piece ball valves comprising two welding flanges and a ball holder mounted between the welding flanges, wherein the welding flanges are held together by four longitudinal screws and consequently can be disassembled by loosening nuts, thereby facilitating maintenance become.

A further advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that the first measuring line has a connection tee for connecting the first measuring line to the high pressure side of the differential pressure measuring device and for connection to a three-way valve via a first corrugated tube, and that the second measuring line a connection tee for connecting the second measuring line to the low pressure side of the differential pressure gauge and for connection to the three-way valve via a second corrugated tube. The use of the corrugated tubing advantageously effects the complete mechanical decoupling of the differential pressure gage from the downstream three-way ball valve and the ball valve and also the damping / elimination of hydraulic pressure spikes when switching the various ball valves during operation.

A further advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that the three-way valve, a closure valve is connected downstream, with which the device is to lock or pure water is to be supplied.

wobei

• V die Geschwindigkeit des Wassers im 90-Grad-Rohrbogen,
• Δh die Druckdifferenz in Meter Wassersäule,
• D der Rohr-Innendurchmesser,
• R der mittlere Krümmungsradius des Rohrbogens und
• g die Erdbeschleunigung 9,81 m²/sek ist,

wobei sich der Volumendurchfluss Q durch die Vorrichtung ergibt zu: $$\text{Q}=3600*\text{V}*\mathrm{\pi }\text{/}4*{\text{D}}^{\wedge }{\text{2 <figure-callout id="3" label="Dimension m" filenames="DE202018107099U1\_0005.png" state="{{state}}">Dimension m</figure-callout>}}^3\text{/h}\text{.}$$

A further advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that, since the measuring holes are connected to a differential pressure gauge, from the measured differential pressure .DELTA.h in meters of water column and the pipe inside diameter D, the velocity V of the water in the 90-degree pipe bend will determine $$\text{V}=\text{constant}\times \text{root}\left(\text{R / D}\right)\times \text{root}\left(2\times \text{G}\times \mathrm{\Delta }\text{H}\right).\text{Dimension m / sec}$$

in which

• V is the speed of the water in the 90-degree pipe bend,
• Δh the pressure difference in meters of water column,
• D the pipe inside diameter,
• R is the mean radius of curvature of the pipe bend and
• g is the gravitational acceleration 9.81 m ² / sec,

where the volume flow Q through the device results in: $$\text{Q}=3600*\text{V}*\mathrm{\pi }\text{/}4*{\text{D}}^{\wedge }{\text{2 <figure-callout id="3" label="dimension m" filenames="DE202018107099U1\_0005.png" state="{{state}}">dimension m</figure-callout>}}^3\text{/H}\text{,}$$

Obviously, in the device according to the invention, the volume flow rate can be determined with little computational effort and high accuracy.

Further advantages, features and possible applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung der Durchflussvorrichtung.
• 2 eine perspektivische Darstellung der Durchflussvorrichtung,
• 3 eine Schnittdarstellung eines Kugelhahns der Durchflussvorrichtung,
• 4 eine schematische Detaildarstellung der Durchflussvorrichtung, und
• 5 bis 12 Darstellungen der Ventilstellungen der Durchflussvorrichtung in den diversen Betriebsstellungen.

In the description, the claims, and the drawing, the terms and associated reference numerals used in the list of reference numerals below are used. In the drawing show:

• 1 a schematic representation of the flow device.
• 2 a perspective view of the flow device,
• 3 a sectional view of a ball valve of the flow device,
• 4 a schematic detail of the flow device, and
• 5 to 12 Representations of the valve positions of the flow device in the various operating positions.

1 shows the components and their interconnection in the ballast water flow measuring device according to the invention, shown here in the operating status of the flow measuring device on a 90-degree pipe bend 1 and precisely at the location of the pipe cross-section of 45 degrees of curvature. The 90-degree pipe bend 1 is mounted in the room so that the pipe bend inlet opening and the pipe bend outlet opening are located at the same height as it 2 in perspective.

2 and 3 are measuring holes of about 3 to 6mm diameter in the 90-degree pipe bend 1 at the height of half the inner pipe diameter D. The relative in operation relative fluid pressure measuring bore 2 is located on the outer circumference of the 90 degree elbow s. Exactly opposite to each other on the inner circumference of the 90-degree pipe bend 1 is the measuring bore having a relative liquid vacuum during operation 3 ,

How out 1 and 2 can be seen in each case centrically above the measuring holes 2 and 3 the pipe socket 4 and 5 welded to the 90-degree pipe bend 1. To the pipe socket 4 and 5 are three-piece ball valves 6 and 7 welded as control valves. Due to the direct arrangement of the ball valves 6 and 7 at the 90-degree pipe bend 1, the maintenance is facilitated, as required by the aforementioned requirements of the "RULES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SHIPS".

These three-piece ball valves 6 and 7 exist, as in 3 using the example of ball valve 6 shown, from two welding flanges 61 and 62 and the ball mount installed between them 63 and are made by four longitudinal screws 64 held together and can consequently by loosening the nuts 65 can be easily disassembled and then the middle ball mount with the pierced ball 66 and the pivot 67 be pulled out without the device of the invention must be dismantled. This has the advantage that a possible biological contamination of the device according to the invention can be easily detected and clean the contaminated parts easily and reinstall.

Be with the two three-piece ball valves 6 and 7 the screw connection is released, so the entire pressure measuring mount can be lifted and it remains on the 90-degree elbow 1 only the pipe socket 4 and 5 with the welded thereto flange of each ball valve 6 or 7 , After this simple disassembly lies easily the respective measuring bore 2 or 3 free for visual condition control and can be cleaned mechanically if necessary. 4 illustrates this state using the example of the dismantled three-piece ball valve 6 ,

The ball valves 6 and 7 continue to be welded to middle branches of T-pieces 8th and 9 , At the upper branches of the T-pipe pieces 8th and 9 are three-piece ball valves 10 and 11 with rotary actuators 10a and 11a welded as exhaust valves. The ball valves 10 and 11 serve for venting the device, for filling pure water, for dispensing rinse water and for hydraulic closure of the entire flow measuring device.

At the lower branch of the T-pipe pieces 8th and 9 According to the invention, the angle tubes 12 and 13 welded so that the lower angles point inwards, like out 1 is apparent.

The flow measuring device has connection pieces 16 and 17 on, each having a pipe section, an end with female thread and an end with external thread. The free ends of the angle tubes 12 and 13 are by means of pipe couplings 14 and 15 over the pipe ends of the connecting piece 6 and 17 with the electronic differential pressure gauge 20 hydraulically connected, in which a differential pressure transmitter for transmitting the measurement results is integrated.

The pipe couplings 14 and 15 have an outer stainless steel sheath and an elastomeric inner sleeve and, by loosening a few screws, allow the electronic differential pressure gauge to be removed from the flowmeter at any time if necessary for control and replacement.

How out 1 can be seen, the differential pressure gauge has two threaded nipple 18 and 19 , which transmit the respective external liquid pressure to an inner measuring membrane. The threaded nipple 18 and 19 are each screwed into the ends with internal thread of the connecting pieces 16 and 17.

It is necessary that the threaded nipple 18 for the relatively larger differential pressure hydraulically with the measuring bore 2 is connected and that the threaded nipple for the relatively lower differential pressure 19 hydraulically with the measuring bore 3 connected is.

The cable routing between the measuring holes 2 and 3 and the differential pressure gauge 20 is not critical, as long as the dashed connecting line A to B in the 90-degree elbow 1 exactly parallel to the dashed connecting line between the threaded nipples 18 after 19 in the differential pressure gauge 20 is aligned.

At the respective end with external thread of the connection pieces 16 and 17 are corrugated tubing 21 and 22 screwed by means of union nut. The respective other end of the corrugated tubing 21 and 22 , which is provided with an external threaded nipple, will, as out 1 it can be seen in a three-way ball valve 23 with rotary drive 23a screwed in as a bypass valve. The three way ball valve 23 has three pipe connections with internal thread.

The use of corrugated tubing 21 and 22 causes the complete mechanical stress decoupling of the differential pressure measuring device in an advantageous manner 20 from the downstream three-way ball valve 23 and the ball valve 25 and further the damping / elimination of hydraulic pressure spikes when switching the various ball valves during operation.

In addition, this makes it possible that the necessary components for controlling the flow meter, in particular the valves 23 and 25 , can be located away from the ballast water treatment device, which facilitates maintenance, as required by the aforementioned requirements of the "RULES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SHIPS".

The central pipe connection with internal thread of the three-way ball valve 23 with rotary drive 23a is over the weld nipple 24 with the three-piece ball valve 25 with rotary drive 25a welded. With this ball valve 25 the flow measuring device is either hydraulically locked or it can according to the invention with open ball valve 25 Pure water via a welded-on welding flange 26 from the onboard water line enter the flowmeter.

5 to 12 explain how the flow measuring device is switched in the various operating states.

5 shows the cleaning and rinsing process of the flow measuring device. If the ball valves 10 and 11 and 25 are open and the three-way ball valve 23 is in 180 degrees position, pure water can through the Vorschweißflansch 26 from the bottom up into the device, eliminating all possible. through the measuring holes 2 and 3 entered ballast water quantities are flushed out of the device and thus this device is free from biological contamination.

6 shows the idle state of the flow measuring device according to the invention by all ball valves are closed and the three-way ball valve 23 is in 180 degrees position. Due to this 180 degree position, the differential pressure is the differential pressure gauge 20 is applied equal to zero.

7 shows the first step to prepare a flow measurement. Thereafter, all ball valves are closed and it is only the ball valve 6 , which has the relative liquid over pressure measuring bore 2 leads, opened. Since the three-way ball valve 23 is still in 180 degrees position, is the differential pressure with the differential pressure gauge 20 is still applied to zero.

8th shows the subsequent second step to prepare a flow measurement in which the three-way ball valve 23 in the 90 degree position by a compressed air signal at the rotary drive 23a is brought. The differential pressure with that of the differential pressure gauge 20 is still equal to zero.

9 shows the actual flow measurement process. By the ball valve 7 which, for the relative liquid negative pressure measuring bore 3 opens, is the differential pressure gauge 20 at its entrances, the threaded nipples 18 and 19 with the pressure difference between the measuring holes 2 and 3 acts and converts this pressure difference into an electrical signal.

10 shows the first step to complete a flow measurement. Thereafter, first the ball valve 7 , which is the relative liquid negative pressure measuring bore 3 leads, closed.

11 shows the subsequent second step to complete a flow measurement. Then also the ball valve 6 , which has the relative liquid over pressure measuring bore 2 leads, closed.

12 shows the subsequent third step to complete a flow measurement. The three way ball valve 23 is returned to the 180 degree position. This 180 degree position becomes the differential pressure with which the differential pressure gauge 20 is applied, again equal to zero. The flow measuring device according to the invention in this state may possibly be biologically contaminated and therefore follows this third step according to 12 again the cleaning and rinsing after 5 ,

From the above, it is convincingly evident that the flow measuring device according to the invention can be operated smoothly on board ships, that no installation requirement for piping is required and that any manual manipulation is not necessary for the complete automatic sequence control of the measuring process.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

90-Degree Elbows

2

measuring bore

3

measuring bore

4

pipe socket

5

pipe socket

6

ball valve

6a

rotary drive

7

ball valve

7a

rotary drive

8th

Tee

9

Tee

10

ball valve

10a

rotary drive

11

ball valve

11a

rotary drive

12

elbow

13

elbow

14

pipe coupling

15

pipe coupling

16

Tee

17

Tee

18

threaded nipple

19

threaded nipple

20

Differential pressure transmitter

21

corrugated hose

22

corrugated hose

23

Three-way ball valve

23a

rotary drive

24

threaded nipple

25

ball valve

25a

rotary drive

26

Welding neck

61

Ball valve weld

62

Ball valve weld

63

ball mount

64

longitudinal screws

65

mother

66

Ball with swivel slot

67

pivot

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 1397912 A [0004]
• US 3,450,157 A [0004]
• US 4711268 A [0004]
• US 5277224 A [0004]
• US 5722457 A [0004]
• US6009758A [0004]
• US 1181490 A [0006]

Claims (8)

Apparatus for measuring the flow of ballast water through a pipeline, the apparatus comprising a 90 degree elbow (1) having access to an outer radius line and an inner radius line at 45 degrees of the 90 degree elbow (1), respectively the pipe interior is arranged, wherein the accesses via first and second measuring lines (12, 13) with a differential pressure measuring device (20) are connected and wherein the liquid pressure at the inputs the hydraulic / hydrostatic pressure inside the pipe plus or minus the Pressure from the centrifugal force of the liquid with respect to the neutral centrifugal line corresponds, the velocity V of the water in the 90-degree pipe bend (1) is given by the pressure difference at the access and given geometric dimensions of the 90-degree pipe bend (1) , characterized in that the accesses each have a measuring bore (2, 3) on the outer radius line and opposite have the Innenradiuslinie that the measuring lines (12, 13) via pipe sockets (4, 5) directly to the measuring bores (2, 3) are connected, and that the measuring bores (2, 3) via remotely controllable control valves (6, 7) in the Measuring lines (12, 13) with the differential pressure measuring device (20) are connected. Device after Claim 1 , characterized in that the device comprises remotely controllable control valves, which are designed as ball valves (6, 7, 10, 11, 23, 25) with rotary drive (6a, 7a, 10a, 11a, 23a, 25a). Device after Claim 1 , characterized in that in the measuring lines (12, 13) T-tube pieces (8, 9) comprising, with a first leg with the control valves (6, 7) in the measuring lines (12, 13) and via a second Leg are connected to the associated measuring line (12, 13). Device after Claim 3 , characterized in that the T-tube pieces are connected via a third leg with exhaust valves (10, 11). Device after Claim 2 characterized in that the ball valves are three-piece ball valves comprising two welding flanges (61, 62) and a ball mount (63) mounted between the welding flanges (61, 62), the welding flanges (61, 62) being formed by four longitudinal screws (64). be held together and as a result by loosening nuts (65) are removable. Device after Claim 1 , characterized in that the first measuring line (12) has a first connecting tee (16) for connecting the first measuring line (12) to the high pressure side of the differential pressure measuring device (20) and for connection to a three - way valve (23) via a first corrugated tube (22), and that the second measuring line (13) has a second connection tee (17) for connecting the second measuring line (13) to the low pressure side of the differential pressure measuring device (20) and for connection to the three-way valve 23rd has a second corrugated tube (21), Device after Claim 6 , characterized in that the three-way valve (23) is followed by a shut-off valve (25) with which the device is to lock or pure water is to be supplied. Device after Claim 1 Characterized in that by the measuring bores (2, 3) are connected to a differential pressure gauge (20) can be calculated from the measured differential pressure .DELTA.h in meter water column and the tube inner diameter D, the velocity V of the water in the 90 degree pipe bend (1) determine: $$\text{V}=\text{constant}\times \text{root}\left(\text{R / D}\right)\times \text{root}\left(2\times \text{G}\times \mathrm{\Delta }\text{H}\right).\text{Dimension m / sec}$$

where V is the velocity of the water in the 90-degree pipe bend (1), Δh the pressure difference in meters of water column, D the pipe inside diameter, R the mean radius of curvature of the 90-degree pipe bend s and g the gravitational acceleration 9.81 m ² / sec where the volume flow Q through the device is: $$\text{Q}=3600*\text{V}*\mathrm{\pi }\text{/}4*{\text{D}}^{\wedge }{\text{2 dimension m}}^3\text{/H},$$

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