EP3986627B1

EP3986627B1 - Apparatus for cleaning thermal or hydraulic plants

Info

Publication number: EP3986627B1
Application number: EP20742475.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luca Cavalli
Original assignee: Manta Ecologica Srl
Current assignee: Manta Ecologica Srl
Priority date: 2019-06-19
Filing date: 2020-06-18
Publication date: 2024-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-18
Also published as: EP3986627A1; IT201900009483A1; WO2020255027A1; PL3986627T3; HUE066326T2; ES2976757T3

Description

This invention refers, in general, to an apparatus for the cleaning of heating and plumbing plants. More specifically, it is an apparatus that allows to wash and descale thermal and hydraulic plants and closed circuit plants in a comfortable and effective way.
The document US-A-3128779 discloses an apparatus in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
As it is well known, thermal and/or hydraulic plants, for example heating plants, can present problems of corrosion and sludge formation due to the presence of impurities and incrustations inside the pipes.
To avoid such problems, the heating and/or plumbing plants must be properly cleaned.
For this purpose there is on the market an apparatus including a pump, a tank with the cleaning fluid, and multiple pipes for connecting the pump and the tank with the pipes of the plant to be cleaned.
Such apparatus is, however, complicated to use, in particular when connecting to the plant.
It is also rather difficult to manage and control the direction of the cleaning fluid flow inside the plant. In fact, to reverse the flow, it is necessary to disconnect and reconnect the cleaning apparatus ducts to the different pipes of the plant to be cleaned.
The purpose of this invention is to offer an easy-to-use apparatus for the cleaning of thermal and hydraulic plants.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a heating and plumbing cleaning apparatus that is easy to connect to the plant to be cleaned.
A further purpose is to provide an apparatus for the cleaning of heating and plumbing plants that allows to control the flow of the cleaning fluid quickly and conveniently, without having to disconnect and re-connect the apparatus to the plant to be cleaned.
These and other purposes are achieved, according to the invention, by an apparatus for the cleaning of thermal and hydraulic plants according to claim 1, preferred embodiments being defined by the dependent claims.
The apparatus makes it possible to reverse the flow of the washing and/or descaling and rinsing and draining liquid, characteristics that are combined in a single device.
In fact, currently these functions are obtained only by using valves and diverters connected to each other with common hydraulic fittings, devices arranged on auxiliary frames.
All this would imply a conspicuous encumbrance, with the possibility of leaks and greater complexity in normal use and maintenance operations.
Further features and details can be better understood from the following description, given as a non-dischargeive example, as well as from the attached drawing tables in which:

figure 1 is a side view in section of an apparatus, according to the invention, for the cleaning of thermal and hydraulic plants;
Figure 2 is an exploded side view of the apparatus in Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 are top views of the apparatus in Figure 1, with and without a closing cover, respectively;
Figures 5 to 8 are schematic views of a portion of the apparatus in figure 1, configured according to the mode of use.

With reference to the attached figures, in particular to figure 1, reference number 10 denotes an apparatus as a whole for the cleaning of thermal and hydraulic plants.
Apparatus 10 includes:

a tank, not shown in the figures, to contain the washing liquid,
a pump for handling the washing liquid;
a selecting device 30 for managing the flows of this washing liquid and for connecting apparatus 10 to the plant to be washed.

Apparatus 10 comprises a support flange 12 to which a motor 14 is attached on one side and an extension 16 crossed by a vertical shaft 18, connected to motor 14, on the other side.
The extension 16 ends in a suction chamber 20 defined between two plates 22, 24 and in which an impeller 26, connected to the vertical shaft 18, is housed.
In suction chamber 20 there is an opening 28 and is connected by means of a suction pipe 29 to a selecting device 30 on the support flange 12.
The pump of the apparatus 10 therefore consists of motor 14, extension 16, vertical shaft 18, suction chamber 20, plates 22, 24 and impeller 26.
The selecting device 30 comprises a connection chamber 32, a first chamber 34, a second chamber 36 and a discharge chamber 38 located in the support flange 12.
The connection chamber 32 communicates on the one hand with the first chamber 34 and on the other hand with the second chamber 36.
Similarly, discharge chamber 38, connected with a discharge duct 39, communicates on one side with the first chamber 34 and on the other side with the second chamber 36.
Connection chamber 32 and discharge chamber 38 are not directly communicating with each other.
Connection chamber 32 communicates with a suction duct 40, connected to suction pipe 29, and a return duct 42.
Connection chamber 32 houses a movable septum 44 which can be controlled by a central lever 46.
The first chamber 34 communicates with a first conduit 48 to be connected upstream or downstream of the plant to be cleaned and similarly the second chamber 36 communicates with a second conduit 50 to be connected downstream or upstream of the plant to be cleaned.
The first chamber 34 houses a first obstruction element 52 in the form of a circular sector, pivoted in the centre of the first chamber 34. The first obstruction element 52 can be moved by means of a first lever 54 so that it can be arranged alternately either to obstruct the passage between the first chamber 34 and discharge chamber 38, as in figure 4, or to obstruct the passage between the first chamber 34 and connection chamber 32, as in figure 8.
A second obstruction element 56, also in the form of a circular sector, pivoted in the centre of the second chamber 36, is accommodated in the second chamber 36. The second obstruction element 56 can be moved by means of a second lever 58 so that it can be arranged alternately either to obstruct the passage between the second chamber 36 and the discharge chamber 38, as in figure 4, or to obstruct the passage between the second chamber 36 and the connecting chamber 32, as in figure 7.
The four chambers 32, 34, 36, 38 are closed at the top by a cover 60 to which the discharge duct 39, the first conduit 48 and the second conduit 50 are fixed so that they can communicate with the respective chambers, as described above.
The operating methods of the apparatus for cleaning thermal and hydraulic plants are described below.
The apparatus 10 is placed in a tank containing cleaning liquid, so that the support flange 12 with the motor 14 is higher than the free surface of the liquid, while the impeller 26 with pump function is embedded in the liquid so that it is pumped into the plant to be cleaned.
The first conduit 48 and the second conduit 50 are connected respectively upstream and downstream of the plant (or vice versa).
Discharge duct 39 is instead connected to a suitable container for the discharge of the dirty liquid obtained by washing the plant.
As shown in Figure 5, for flushing the plant, the central lever 46 is arranged in such a way that the movable septum 44 allows the flow of the flushing liquid from suction line 40 to the first chamber 34 and from there to the first conduit 48, since the first obstruction element 52 is arranged in such a way as to close the passage between the first chamber 34 and the discharge chamber 38.
From the first conduit 48 the purging liquid flows through the plant to be cleaned, then back into the apparatus 10 through the second conduit 50 and from here to the second chamber 36.
The second obstruction element 56 is arranged in such a way as to close the passage between the second chamber 36 and the discharge chamber 38, but it allows the return liquid that returns from the plant to pass from the same second chamber 36 to the return pipe 42 through which it is discharged into the tank of the apparatus 10 and then it is fished out and fed back into the plant to be cleaned through the suction duct 40 and the suction duct 29.
In this way, apparatus 10 washes the plant to be cleaned in a first direction.
The apparatus 10 according to the invention allows to easily carry out the cleaning of the plant even in the opposite direction to the one just described. It is, in fact, sufficient to turn the central lever 46 so that the mobile septum 44 moves from the previous position described and illustrated in figure 5 to the position illustrated in figure 6.
In this position, the mobile septum 44 allows the flow of the washing liquid from the suction duct 40 to the second chamber 36 and from here to the second conduit 50, since the second obstruction element 56 is arranged to close the passage between the second chamber 36 and the discharge chamber 38.
From the second conduit 50 the purging liquid flows through the plant to be cleaned, then back into the apparatus 10 through the first conduit 48 and from here to the first chamber 34.
The first obstruction element 52 is arranged in such a way as to close the passage between the first chamber 34 and the discharge chamber 38, but it allows the return liquid that returns from the plant to pass from the same first chamber 34 to the return duct 42 through which it is discharged into the tank of the apparatus 10 and then it is fished out and fed back into the plant to be cleaned through the suction pipe 40 and the suction pipe 29.
in this way, apparatus 10 washes the plant to be cleaned in a second direction, opposite to the first direction previously described.
When the operator using apparatus 10 believes that the cleaning of the plant can be completed, the washing liquid can be discharged.
In order to carry out this operation, if the cleaning of the plant has been carried out according to the first direction of crossing, it is sufficient that the second obstruction element 56 is arranged in such a way as to close the passage between the second chamber 36 and the connection chamber 32, allowing, however, the passage between the same second chamber 36 and the discharge chamber 38, and from there through the discharge pipe 39, as shown in figure 7.
If, instead, the cleaning of the plant has been carried out according to the second direction of crossing, as shown in figure 6, the washing liquid is discharged, as shown in figure 8, by positioning the first obstruction element 52 to close the passage between the first chamber 34 and the connection chamber 32, but allowing the flow between the same first chamber 34 and the discharge chamber 38, and from there through the discharge pipe 39.
It is therefore evident how the apparatus 10 according to the invention allows the cleaning of a hydraulic plant in a simple way, easily managing the direction of the washing liquid flows and the discharge of the same at the end of the washing.
In fact, once the inlet and outlet of the plant are connected to the first conduit 48 and the second conduit 50, it is sufficient, in fact, to activate the pump and act on the central lever 46, on the first lever 54 and on the second lever 58.
The hydraulic connections are obtained with anti-acid quick couplings with safety plug.
The fittings can be angled at 90°, which in turn can be rotated in their seat, unlike the known technique which involves the use of threaded fittings or brass bayonet fittings.
In this way, you get a great speed and ease in connecting the pipes to the pump and extreme security in the seal, even in case of continuous movement of the pipes.
In addition, variants can be included in the scope of the invention.
For example, the shape and position of chambers 32, 34, 36, 38 can be different according to the space and the construction and construction requirements of the apparatus.

Claims

Apparatus (10) for cleaning a thermal or hydraulic plant comprising:
- a tank suitable for containing washing liquid;

- a pump suitable for pumping the washing liquid from the tank to the thermal or hydraulic plant by means of a suction duct (40);

- a selecting device (30) suitable for managing the flows of the washing liquid and connecting the tank and the pump to the thermal or hydraulic plant to be washed;
wherein the selecting device (30) includes:
- a connection chamber (32) connected to the suction duct (40) and to a return duct (42) for the discharge of the washing liquid into the tank;

- a discharge chamber (38) communicating with a discharge duct (39) adapted to discharge the washing liquid outside of the apparatus (10);

- a first chamber (34) connected to a first conduit (48) and communicating with the connection chamber (32) and the discharge chamber (38); a first obstruction element (52) being received in the first chamber (34) and adapted to alternatively block the communication with the connection chamber (32) or with the discharge chamber (38);

- a second chamber (36) connected to a second conduit (50) and communicating with the connection chamber (32) and the discharge chamber (38); characterized in that the apparatus comprises a second obstruction element (56) being received in the second chamber (36) and adapted to alternatively block the communication with the connection chamber (32) or with the discharge chamber (38);
in that a movable septum (44) is included in the connection chamber (32) and adapted to separate the connection chamber (32) into two parts in order to separate the suction duct (40) and the return duct (42) from each other, so that the suction duct (40) can communicate alternatively with the first chamber (34) and the return duct (42) with the second chamber (36), or alternatively that the suction duct (40) can communicate alternatively with the second chamber (36) and the return duct (42) with the first chamber (34); and in that the connection chamber (32), the discharge chamber (38), the first chamber (34) and the second chamber (36) are all formed in a support flange (12).
Apparatus (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the pump includes a motor (14), an extension (16), a vertical shaft (18), a suction chamber (20) formed between two plates (22, 24), and an impeller (26) arranged in the suction chamber (20).
Apparatus (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable septum (44) can be controlled by a central lever (46).
Apparatus (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first obstruction element (52) can be controlled by means of a first lever (54).
Apparatus (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second obstruction element (56) can be controlled by means of a second lever (58).
Apparatus (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hydraulic connections between the ducts and the support flange (12) are obtained with anti-acid quick couplings with safety pin.
Apparatus (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the couplings are angled at 90° and are rotatable in their turn in their seat.