DE7233662U - Liquid tank, especially beer tank - Google Patents

Description

Dipl.-Ing. Herbert Braito 795 BiberachlRiß September 12, 1972

Patent attorney Marktplatz 38 - P.O. Box 127 3

Telephone (07351) 6455

21 H I663

Albert Handtmann Metal foundry, fittings and butcher shop

795 Biberach / Riss Memminger Str.

Liquid tank, especially beer tank

The invention relates to a liquid tank, in particular a beer tank, with connections for introducing a gaseous fluid on the top of the tank and a liquid cleaning agent by at least one separate spray head which is attached at a distance from the top of the tank in the interior of the tank.

In the case of liquid tanks of the type described above, the fluid connection must be attached as high as possible at the upper end of the container in order to enable the entire container to be largely filled with liquid and also to be emptied by supplying pressurized fluid without this fluid having to be passed through the fluid and can make them foam up. The fluid used is usually air or carbon dioxide. Usually a connection to a COg collecting line is also provided, for example in fermentation tanks _{to collect the CO 2} developed during fermentation for further use.

On the other hand, cleaning agent must also come from the top of the tank directed to a spray head arranged inside the tank will. This spray head is to be arranged according to the tank construction in such a way that the entire inner surface of the tank is largely even.

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can be moderately sprayed with detergent. This can only be achieved in that the spray head with a correspondingly large Distance is arranged below the top of the tank and is usually immersed in the liquid during operation.

It will be understood that with elongated Tsmks over the length of the Several spray heads are to be arranged distributed across the tanks. So that the feed pressure can be converted into far-reaching spray jets; the overall cross-section of the individual outlet openings of a spray head is relatively small.

In known liquid tanks, the fluid connection is generally used and the spray head is connected to separate supply lines. This is particularly unusual for large tanks expensive, since the supply lines start from the operating height must and also in the case of elongated tanks from the front to the slightly elevated rear end of the tank are to be led. ''

It has therefore already been proposed to connect to the spray head a single flow connection, which is introduced into the tank from above. Because of the small cross-sectional area of the spray openings, however, the speed when filling and emptying the tank is reduced, especially since the pressures to be applied are limited by the tank construction. Since the spray head has to be arranged at a vertical distance below the top of the tank and thus also below the liquid level when the tank is full, for the reasons described above, the air or carbon dioxide blown in for emptying must flow from the spray head through the upper part of the liquid towards the upper end of the tank As a result, not only is the flow resistance increased and the flow speed reduced, but the nature of the liquid in question is often also temporarily or permanently changed. In this way, beer is easily made to foam and the undesirable uptake of oxygen is promoted. In fermentation tanks, if the spray head is immersed in the liquid, it would be impossible to discharge the resulting CO ₂ , which could

would result in a permissible increase in pressure or the liquid would be pressed by the spray head into the feed line.

The invention has for its object, in liquid tanks of the type described above, the devices for introducing gaseous Fluid and liquid cleaning agent as simple as possible without influencing the procedural treatment and inexpensive to design.

For this purpose, according to the invention, the spray head and the flow medium connection are connected to a common supply line via a switching valve, which can be influenced by the aggregate state of the supplied medium, and the other ends via valves. can be connected to a pressure medium line and, in the case of fermentation tanks, to a COg collecting line, a cleaning agent line and the outside air.

Here the air inlet and the spray head (s) can be completely arbitrary to be ordered. Their function is basically the same as with two separate feed lines, although the total cost are reduced accordingly by using only a single feed line. The cross section of this common The supply line can be dimensioned according to the air or gas requirement for fast filling and emptying of the container is conditional in the given operating conditions. The fluid inlet can be attached directly in the Berelqh of the upper end of the tank, so it is never below the liquid level. The feed pressure is therefore transmitted directly to the gas space located above the liquid, without the gas or fluid must penetrate through the liquid.

In principle, a three-way valve or switching valve can be switched on between the flow medium connection and the spray head. the. As a result, however, due to the valve construction and when using several spray heads provided at intermediate distances, an increase in costs is caused which can be avoided if the switching valve is designed as a shut-off valve upstream of the fluid connection and the spray head is constantly connected to the supply.

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line is connected. So there only needs to be a single opening shut off when liquid enters, and this opening is retained when a gaseous fluid is supplied ■ will. Even a row of spray heads provided at a distance from one another does not require any additional line parts.

According to an inventive proposal, the switching valve is operated by a float. It can also be the valve element itself be preferably formed spherical float. The swimmer is then to be trained and arranged so that he can go through with Gaseous fluid supplied at maximum pressure is not in Can be brought closed position.

Preferred w; Lrd currently a switching valve that acts as an actuator has an impact body arranged transversely to the feed direction, which is loaded against the feed direction by a pretensioning force that is greater than that of the gaseous fluid The closing force exerted by the impact body, which results from the dynamic pressure and the frictional force, but smaller than that of the .iquid Cleaning agent is the closing force exerted on this impact body.

The impact body itself is expediently used as a movable valve element, in particular designed as a valve disk of a shut-off valve, which is spaced in front of its valve seat by a helical compression spring can be held at a stop.

In the above version, the difference between the closing forces exerted by gaseous and liquid media is used as a switching variable. This closing force is significantly influenced by the pressure difference that is still maintained on both sides of the valve element. During the cleaning process, cleaning agent should now also flow into the line part connected to the switching valve and be able to clean this part at the same time. A bypass flow path for the cleaning agent, which is not influenced by the valve position, serves this purpose. So that closing forces are retained even when the valve is closed, i.e. the valve element does not constantly flutter the valve seat, the seat surfaces of the valve seat fixed to the housing and of the movable valve, for example, can be

tilelementes be adapted to each other in such a way that even when the valve is closed, a small bypass flow through the valve » seat is retained. For example, evenly distributed longitudinal grooves can be formed in the valve seat, in particular all of them Grooved seat. This constantly maintained flow of the liquid cleaning agent along the circumference of the movable valve element maintains the frictional force and thus increases the holding force. . I.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. Show it

1 shows a schematic representation of a liquid tank according to the invention,

2 shows a switching valve with float control, 3 shows a switching valve with a spherical valve element,

4 shows an embodiment with a spring-loaded shut-off valve in the opening position and

Flg. 5 the same version in the closed position.

In the drawing, 1 generally denotes a beer tank. This can be a fermentation tank, a storage tank, or a pressure tank or a buffer or filter tank. The operating pressures are usually included, depending on the intended use Limited to 0.5 to 2 atmospheres, up to a maximum of 8 atmospheres.

The tank shown has a cylindrical cross-section and is at the top closed by a slightly curved base 2 and below by a conical base 3. The outlet line 4 is connected via a three-way valve 5 on the one hand to a filling or emptying line 6 and on the other hand to a cleaning return line 7.

8 with a supply air line is designated, which can also carry _{another pressurized gaseous fluid such as CO 2.} 9 is a detergent feed line. Both lines are connected to a common supply line 12 by valves 10, 11,

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which is to be brought into connection with the ambient air by a further valve 13 and by a holder 14 on the tank or a building fixtures 11 attached 1st. The feed line 12 is permanent connected to a branch line 15 which is arranged in the vertical axis of the tank and through the bottom 2 from above is guided to the spray head 16, which is arranged at the distance a from the tank top in such a way that it practically the whole Can spray the interior of the tank. Another branch line 17 leads to the air connection 18 provided directly in the floor 2 and contains a switching valve 19 designed as a shut-off valve.

After Flg. 2, the switching valve 19a comprises a pivotably mounted Double lever 20 with a float 21 at one end and a float at the other End carries a valve plate 22 which cooperates with the upper end of a branch line 17a. As soon as liquid cleaning agent flows in, the float is raised and the valve plate 22 is raised closes the branch line 17a. The weight of the float 21 is so large that it swivels the double lever 20 into the position 20 * shown with dot-dash lines as soon as the cleaning fluid flows off. The remains in this open position Double lever even when air is present under normal operating conditions; or is derived. Air can basically be in flow in both directions through the branch line 17a and 15a, while the cleaning liquid only has access to the spray head 16, where the entire pressure energy is converted into kinetic energy of the spray jets.

In the case of the switching valve 19b according to FIG. 3, one is made of an elastic material existing float ball 23 held with greater play in the valve housing 24 and acts with an overhead valve seat 25 together which branch line 15b is connected upstream. Even the float 23 is again made so heavy and so arranged that it is not moved out of its rest position by compressed air can be lifted, but is only lifted by supplied liquid until it floats up to the valve seat 25 and the branch line 17b closes off

An embodiment is currently preferred as shown in Flg. 4 and 5 shown 1st. There is a valve body 26 between an air inlet connection 17 * welded into the base 2 and the supply line 12 and a pipe elbow 27 is turned on. The connection between these parts and with the branch line also welded into the bottom 2 15 is through easily detachable screw connections or the like. 28, 29 formed.

The valve housing 26 has at the transition point between a further central cavity 30 and such a narrower cavity 31 a conical valve seat surface 32, which on its whole The circumference is corrugated in such a way that fine grooves 33 extending in the direction of the jacket result. In this corrugated valve seat surface is an equally conically shaped, smooth valve seat surface 34 of the valve disk 35 is assigned "on which one valve stem 36 and four cross". shaped guide tabs 37 are molded on * iThis valve

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element is provided by a helical compression spring 38 attached to a in the elbow 27 welded plate bolt 39 is supported, pressed against a provided in the area of the cavity 30 transverse pin 40 and there » held by the distance b from the Ventilätssflache 32. the Helical compression spring 38 is designed to be relatively soft, and j their biasing force is so dimensioned that the valve element still remains in the rest position shown in FIG. 4 when according to FIG the flow lines II compressed air with the usual operating values is fed. This air or another gas filling can therefore also penetrate freely into the space 42 above the liquid level 43 if the spray head 16 with the usual degree of filling with more or less large distance below the liquid level In the same way, when the tank is filled, the air can escape again from the lower end. The branch line 15 is always connected to the supply line 12, but there can be one another therefore do not form any flow paths between the spray head and the space 42, because the resistance to be overcome is many times greater is than the very slight flow resistance formed by the switching valve 19.

However, as soon as liquid cleaning agents are used during a cleaning process

is passed through the line 12, this cleaning agent exerts such a great closing force on the valve element 34 to 37 that the pretensioning force of the helical compression spring 38 is overcome and the valve element is pressed against the valve seat surface 32. Principle the line 17 or the air inlet 17 ^{s closed} from the supply of liquid cleaning agent, as can be seen from the flow lines 45, 46 in FIG. The fine fury 33 in the; Valve seat surfaces 32, however, maintain a limited flow over the entire outer circumference of valve disk 35, which is indicated by the interrupted flow lines 44. In addition to the existing pressure difference between the front and rear of the valve disk, the frictional force exerted by the liquid is maintained in a practically unchanged size. The valve thus remains closed to the desired extent, but on the other hand allows sufficient cleaning fluid to pass through for cleaning the connecting pipe parts 27, 17 without, on the other hand, noticeably influencing the feed pressure of the cleaning agent. The vast majority of the cleaning liquid, about 97 to 99 % , emerges at the spray head 16 at such a speed that the entire inner wall of the tank is completely sprayed off. All surfaces of the tank and the lines that are exposed to the tank liquid; themselves or the gases formed above this liquid can come into contact, are thus reliably cleaned. You only have to open one of the three valves 10, 11 or 13, the connection via the supply line 12 to the branch line 15 always being maintained and the branch line 17 being switched on or off at will.

Deviating from the embodiment described above, the switching ·; valve 19 so designed or the biasing force of the spring 38 are dimensioned so that although the switching process, namely the closing of the valve due to the friction caused by a liquid

, ■ staff is taken over; the valve disc then through the 'Difference in the pressure forces acting on it from both sides

, ι is held in the closed position. This differential pressure is

l · Relatively large during the cleaning process, since the pressure energy

is converted into kinetic energy at the spray head, so there is practically no overpressure in the tank. When supplying air can on the one hand, because of the insufficient frictional forces, the switching process would not be carried out, and in addition, the pressure difference would be too low to keep the switching valve in the closed position.

In any case, the valve seat can be made essentially tightly closing in this embodiment, which simplifies manufacture. You only have to feed the shut-off branch line 17 cleaning agent in another way, for example through small bores in the Valve plate or on the side of the valve seat in the housing.

Instead of the bend 27, a T-piece can also advantageously be used or use a cross piece, which then enables the connection of further devices such as safety and vacuum valves without the To impair the function of the switching valve.

Claims (5)

New demands 1. Liquid tank, especially beer tank, with connections to Introducing a gaseous fluid at the top of the tank and a liquid cleaning agent through at least a separate spray head, which is c ^ ringem distance from the Tank top is mounted in the tank interior, characterized in that the spray head and the fluid connection Via a switching valve (19), of the type that can be influenced by the physical state of the supplied medium, to a common supply line (12) are connected, the other end through valves (10,11,13) ^ at least with a fluid line, a cleaning agent line and the outside air in connection. 2. Liquid tank according to claim 1, characterized in that the switching valve (19) is designed as a shut-off valve upstream of the fluid connection and the spray head (16) is constant is connected to the feed line (12). 3. Liquid tank according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the switching valve (19a) is designed as a float valve (19a) (Fig. 2). 4. Liquid tank according to claim 3, characterized in that? · the valve element itself as a preferably spherical float (23) is formed (FigJ 3) 5. Liquid tank according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the switching valve (19) as an actuator transversely to the feed direction arranged impact body (35) which is loaded against the feed direction by a pretensioning force (38) that is greater than that of the gaseous flow \ medium firing force exerted on the impact body, but smaller ■ than that of the liquid cleaning agent on this impact body exerted closing force. I. 6. Liquid tank according to claim 5, characterized in that I that the impact body itself as a movable valve element, especially I specially designed as a valve disc (35) of a shut-off valve * ■ det is .. I. I 7. liquid tank according to claim 6, characterized in that the valve disk (35) at a distance (a) in front of its valve seat (32) y rests against a stop (40) and a screw pressure ί is spring loaded. t 8. liquid tank according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by ^; _; a secondary flow channel for the f £ ■ Detergents. f 9. liquid tank according to claim 8, characterized in that ';' the seat surfaces of the valve seat (32) fixed to the housing and the moving i; ble valve element are adapted to each other such that also : with the valve (19) closed, a slight bypass flow ι is retained through the valve seat. F 10. liquid tank according to claim 9, characterized in that I evenly distributed longitudinal grooves (33) in the valve seat (32) : are shaped, in particular the entire seat surface is corrugated.