Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
  • G05D16/00—Control of fluid pressure
  • G05D16/04—Control of fluid pressure without auxiliary power
  • G05D16/10—Control of fluid pressure without auxiliary power the sensing element being a piston or plunger
  • G05D16/107—Control of fluid pressure without auxiliary power the sensing element being a piston or plunger with a spring-loaded piston in combination with a spring-loaded slideable obturator that move together over range of motion during normal operation
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
  • Y10T137/0318—Processes
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
  • Y10T137/7722—Line condition change responsive valves
  • Y10T137/7781—With separate connected fluid reactor surface
  • Y10T137/7793—With opening bias [e.g., pressure regulator]
  • Y10T137/7808—Apertured reactor surface surrounds flow line
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
  • Y10T137/8593—Systems
  • Y10T137/87917—Flow path with serial valves and/or closures

Definitions

• Valve-regulator block with coordinated high and low pressure circuits.
• the present invention relates to a valve-regulator block for controlling or adjusting the pressure or the flow rate of a fluid particularly suitable for delivering gases of precise composition.
• Regulators are commonly used to bring a gas from its transport or storage pressure to its operating pressure. Controlling the impact of regulators on the chemical composition of the gases they deliver is important, as it is known that regulators can have an impact on the composition of the gases passing through them. This impact is harmful when using gases or mixtures of gases whose composition must be known with precision, or whose purity must be rigorously preserved, as for laboratory and analysis gases and the gases used in electronics. This can also have an impact on gases which can present a danger when they are mixed with other gases or with ambient air: it is necessary to control their delivery so as to avoid any dangerous mixture.
• Regulators are complex devices, comprising a high pressure circuit and a low pressure circuit made up of chambers and conduits, regulating elements (valves, membranes, bellows or pistons), pressure gauges, safety means (valves, discs ...), ...
• the known techniques for controlling the purity of the gas delivered are for example: - the choice of sealing techniques, of the materials used for the regulator body, of the seals, of the regulation devices ( elastomeric membranes or metal bellows), - control of the qualities of the surfaces, rinsing and passivation procedures, mounting conditions, - reduction of dead volumes, - type of cleaning.
• specific gas delivery procedures purges, rinses by compression and detents, operating mode
• a gas non-return device can be installed at the outlet of the regulator to avoid pollution of the low pressure circuit by undesirable inputs, but this solution introduces a pressure drop in the delivery circuit and the sealing solutions used in such devices are not a guarantee against micro-gases (10 7 mbar.l / s).
• An object of the present invention is to provide a regulator allowing the delivery of a gas without altering the composition of this gas. Another object of the present invention is to provide a regulator allowing the delivery of a gas without altering the composition of this gas even when the regulator is closed or opened. Another object of the present invention is to provide a regulator allowing the delivery of a gas without altering the composition of this gas and the use of which does not allow handling error.
• the invention consists in providing the regulator with coordinated isolation means of the high pressure circuit and of the low pressure circuit so that at the opening of the delivery of the gas, as at the closing, the two circuits are systematically ordered according to the sequence which guarantees the best immunity to the installation.
• the invention therefore relates first of all to a pressure-reducing valve making it possible to control or adjust the pressure or the flow rate of a fluid
• a pressure-reducing valve making it possible to control or adjust the pressure or the flow rate of a fluid
• a main body within which at least one internal fluid passage is arranged between at least a fluid inlet orifice and at least one fluid outlet orifice, - at least one means for controlling the pressure of the fluid arranged on at least part of said internal fluid passage, the internal fluid passage between said means pressure control and the fluid inlet orifice forming an upstream circuit and the internal fluid passage between said pressure control means and the fluid outlet orifice forming a downstream circuit, - at least a first means controlling the flow rate of the fluid arranged on at least part of the downstream circuit, - at least a second means for controlling the flow of the fluid arranged on at least part of the upstream circuit, - at least one means for controlling the circulation of a fluid in the passage, and in which the control means cooperates with the first and second means for controlling
• the flow control means allow the opening and closing of the internal passage, either on the upstream circuit or on the downstream circuit.
• the second means of controlling the flow rate of the fluid arranged on at least part of the upstream circuit is preferably a valve with axial displacement.
• This type of flow control means allows, depending on its displacement, to plug or to free the section of the internal passage of the fluid in the upstream circuit.
• the first means of controlling the flow rate of the fluid arranged on at least part of the downstream circuit is a cylinder in which a conduit is drilled right through, said cylinder being placed in a bore in the body of the valve-regulator block. .
• the cylinder allows according to its axial orientation:
• one of the bases of the cylinder is the valve with axial displacement of the second means for controlling the fluid arranged on at least part of the upstream circuit.
• the first and the second fluid flow control means are combined within the cylinder:
• the first means corresponding to the part of the cylinder drilled radially right through a conduit
• the means for controlling the circulation of a fluid in the internal passage of the main body may be a screw cooperating with the cylinder / cylinder and the valve, of so that its rotation simultaneously allows the axial translation of the valve and the axial rotation of the cylinder.
• the surface of the cylinder / cylinder may be covered with a material ensuring the seal between the plug / cylinder and the main body of the valve-regulator block.
• the base of the cylinder can be hollowed out on its peripheral crown and a seal can be placed in this crown.
• the pressure control means may comprise at least one valve and / or at least one spring or the pressure control means may comprise an expansion screw or a cam acting on at least one valve.
• the block may include a movable lever operable by the operator between at least one opening of the fluid flow and at least one position for closing the fluid flow, said lever acting on the control means.
• the invention also relates to a container of pressurized fluid, in particular a gas cylinder, equipped with a valve-regulator block as defined above.
• the invention also relates to a method for delivering a fluid into a valve-regulator block, said valve-regulator block comprising an upstream circuit and a downstream circuit in which the pressure is lower than the pressure in the upstream circuit, for which, when the operator controls the delivery of the fluid, the opening of the upstream circuit takes place before the opening of the downstream circuit.
• the invention finally relates to a method for stopping the delivery of a fluid in a valve-regulator block, said valve-regulator block comprising an upstream circuit and a downstream circuit in which the pressure is lower than the pressure in the upstream circuit. , for which, when the operator controls the stopping of the delivery of the fluid, the closing of the downstream circuit takes place before the closing of the upstream circuit.
• the solution of the invention is to propose a pressure reducing valve whose operation is explained below in relation to the appended figures, for which: FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the pressure reducing valve block according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a partial sectional view of the regulator valve block according to the invention.
• the pressure-reducing valve comprises a main body 1 within which at least one internal passage 2 is arranged.
• This passage 2 has an inlet orifice 3, which generally cooperates with the side of the container on which the valve-regulator block is fixed, and an outlet orifice 4, which generally cooperates with a gas distribution means.
• the pressure regulator includes a means of controlling the pressure 5 of the fluid flowing in the internal passage 2.
• the upstream circuit 2a located between this pressure control means 5 and the inlet orifice 3
• the fluid has a high pressure.
• the downstream circuit 2b located between this pressure control means 5 and the outlet orifice 4 the fluid has a lower pressure than upstream, the pressure control means 5 allowing a reduction in the pressure of the fluid coming from the orifice 3.
• the pressure control means here is an expansion valve 5 set in motion by a screw 6. Behind the expansion valve is the high pressure chamber 17 of the pressure reducer, which opens onto the low pressure chamber 18 of the regulator.
• the valve 5 rests on a gasket 19 so that the assembly of the valve 5 and the gasket 19 seals between the high pressure chamber 17 and the low pressure chamber 18 of the regulator.
• the downstream end of the valve 5 rests on a membrane 20, itself pushed by a plate 21 under the effect of a spring 22 compressed by the screw 6.
• the assembly of the spring 22 and of the plate 21 pushes the valve 5: the latter then moves away from the lining 19 and lets the gas pass from the high pressure chamber 17 to the low pressure chamber 18; thus the pressure rises in the chamber 18.
• the membrane 20 pushes the plunger 21 and the valve 5 returns to contact with the lining 19 so as to close the passage of the gas.
• the screw 6 is adjusted so as to fix the set value and therefore the desired pressure for the gas delivered, the control being able to be carried out by reading the pressure on the pressure gauge 15 of the downstream circuit 2b.
• a filter 7 can be placed in contact with the expansion valve 5.
• the cylinder 8 combines the functions of controlling the flow rate of the fluid circulating in the upstream circuit 2a and in the downstream circuit 2b. It is in fact drilled radially right through a pipe 9 so that when one of the ends of this pipe 9 is in communication with the upstream circuit 2b then the other end of this pipe is in communication with the outlet orifice 4. In addition, this cylinder 8 can undergo translation along its axis so that its end 10 located on the side of the upstream circuit 2a can close or not this upstream circuit.
• the control means of the plug is a screw 11 which allows: - by its rotation to position the duct 9 so as to ensure or not the communication of the orifice 4 and the circuit 2b, - by its translation to close or open the circuit upstream 2a.
• the thread must be fixed so that, when the operator begins to control the delivery of the fluid in the passage 2, he unscrews the screw 11 so that: - initially, the translation of the screw moves the cylinder 8 axially enough to allow the base 10 of the cylinder 8 to move and allow the passage of the fluid in the circuit 2a towards the expansion valve 6, without simultaneously the rotation of the screw makes the cylinder d 'an angle sufficient to allow the communication of the orifice 4 with the circuit 2b, - in a second step, the translation of the screw continues to move the cylinder 8 axially to continue to allow the passage of the fluid in the circuit 2a towards the expansion valve 6, and simultaneously the rotation of the screw makes it possible to rotate the cylinder by an angle sufficient to allow communication of the orifice 4 with the circuit 2b.
• the gas to be delivered circulates in the upstream circuit 2a and in the downstream circuit 2b up to the level of the cylinder 8, then in a second stage, the gas can circulate in the conduit 9 of the cylinder 8 and be delivered outside the regulator valve.
• the operator begins to control the closing of the delivery of the fluid in the passage 2, he screws the screw 11 so that: - at first, the rotation of the screw causes the cylinder to rotate a sufficient angle to no longer allow the communication of the orifice 4 with the circuit 2b, without simultaneously, the translation of the screw displaces the base 10 of the cylinder 8 sufficiently axially to block the passage of the fluid in the circuit 2a towards the valve trigger 6, - in a second step, the rotation of the screw continues to rotate the cylinder without allowing communication of the orifice 4 with the circuit 2b, and simultaneously the translation of the screw 11 continues to move the base 10 axially from the cylinder 8 until the fluid passage in the circuit 2a can be closed off towards the expansion valve 6.
• a lining 12 is placed in the downstream circuit 2a so as to cooperate with the base 10 of the cylinder 8 when this ba the upstream circuit 2a closes.
• a seal 13 is placed in the peripheral ring hollowed out in the base 10 of the cylinder 8.
• the screw 11 cooperates with the cylinder 8 using an O-ring 14 which makes it possible to integrate the screw into the pressure-reducing valve ; however, it is also possible to directly screw the screw into block 1 of the pressure reducing valve.
• a sealing ring 15 is placed around the cylinder 8 between the body 1 of the block and the O-ring 14. Two manometers 15 make it possible to control the pressure within the upstream and downstream circuits 2a, 2b.
• a safety (or discharge) valve 16 is provided in the event that the pressure within the internal passage 2 reaches a threshold that is too high. It can consist for example of a ball pressed against a seat by a spring. The ball bears on the seat in a contact circle. The ball is subjected to the actions of the spring which tends to press it against the seat and of the gas which tends to take it off. When the pressure exerted on the section of the contact circle produces a force greater than the force of the spring, the gas escapes. Alternatively, a metal membrane can be used which tears under the effect of pressure.
• the device has the advantage of proposing a double closure: both the upstream circuit and the downstream circuit are closed.
• the upstream valve of the device is opened before the valve swallows, which makes it possible to pressurize the high and low pressure circuits of the regulator before the latter delivers the gas to the circuit. use.
• the downstream circuit is isolated first to prevent any entry of pollution, then the upstream circuit is closed to interrupt the supply and prevent the risk of pressure build-up in the low pressure circuit in the event of the pressure relief valve leaking.
• This implementation allows balancing of the circuits of the valve-regulator block and avoids any pollution of said circuits. Thanks to the implementation of the device according to the invention, the ambient air or the gas present in the distribution circuit downstream of the regulator does not rise up in the circuits of the valve-regulator block.
• the invention has the advantage of allowing the high and low pressure circuits of the valve-regulator unit to be closed in a single manipulation. Thanks to the invention, it is no longer necessary to purge the regulator circuits using the gas present in the bottle between two uses; this gas is not wasted. The invention makes it possible to avoid micro-inputs of ambient gas into the pressure-reducing valve.
• the invention relates to a process for predicting the development of the composition of a gas or a gaseous mixture contained in a container, in which the following steps are repeated: 1 - the technical characteristics of the container are established, 2 - the container is filled with said gas or gas mixture and a prediction of the evolution of the composition of the gas or gas mixture is established from the technical characteristics of the container, 3 - part of the gas or gas mixture contained in the container is used container, 4 - the gas or gas mixture contained in the container which has not been used is analyzed, 5 - the analysis of the gas or gas mixture contained in the container which has not been used is compared with the prediction of the evolution of the composition established in step 2, 6 - the comparison of step 4 is used to establish a new prediction of the evolution of the composition of the gas or gas mixture for step 2.
• the technical characteristics of the container include the nature of the container, the nature and the method of treatment of its internal surface.
• the prediction of the evolution of the composition of the gas or gas mixture used during step 2 is established initially by introduction of the gas or gas mixture into the container, then analysis of the composition delivered by the container and measurement of the deviation from the initial composition as a function of time. All the data relating to a container are stored in a database on the basis of which the prediction of the evolution of the composition of the gas or gas mixture can be refined with each new use of the container.
• step 4 in the event of a significant difference between the analysis of the gas or gaseous mixture contained in the container which has not been used and the prediction of the evolution of the composition established in step 2, use of the container can be stopped and the user who has used the last time can be informed of the drift of the composition of the gas or gaseous mixture with respect to the prediction of step 2.
• step 3 the operator uses the gas or gaseous mixture contained in the container, taking into account the prediction of the evolution of the composition established during step 2.
• This procedure for predicting the evolution of the composition of a gaseous mixture contained in a container is particularly advantageous for the gaseous mixtures used for calibrating an analyzer or for gaseous mixtures whose use requires knowing their exact composition, which this is the case, for example, with applications for inerting the packaging of sensitive products, the manufacture of electronic components, the filling of fluorescent tubes, the supply of cavities to gas lasers, the verification of the operation of sensors or detectors ( explosives alarm level for example).

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
• Control Of Fluid Pressure (AREA)
• Safety Valves (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=33515397

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2003
  • 2003-06-25 FR FR0307672A patent/FR2856809B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2004
  • 2004-06-18 AU AU2004252599A patent/AU2004252599B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2004-06-18 WO PCT/FR2004/001526 patent/WO2005001590A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2004-06-18 BR BRPI0411940 patent/BRPI0411940A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2004-06-18 CA CA2528342A patent/CA2528342C/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-06-18 EP EP04767385A patent/EP1642182A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2004-06-18 US US10/560,195 patent/US7591276B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-06-18 JP JP2006516304A patent/JP4659739B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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