FR2550846A1 - Device for shutting off ducts and pipes and for monitoring the ducted products - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device making it possible to shut off ducts and pipes by means of pneumatics mounted in series for which the hubs used as conduit and containing small ducts allow various contact and especially monitoring operations of the ducted products. It is constituted by air chambers 2 mounted on a solid wheel rim 3 inflated by the intermediary of a welded duct 4 which chambers adhere to the wall of the duct 1. The inside of the duct 5 is thus separated from the external medium 6. The interspaces 7 between the pneumatics are put under a different pressure to atmospheric pressure and monitored via the ducts 8 and 9 of the conduit 10. The contact with the ducted product is operated by two ducts 11 and 12. The output 13 or junction 14 ducts are welded. The device according to the invention is particularly intended for ducts and pipes necessitating rapid intervention for stopping the flow, for example following an accident (rupture of the ducts) and the monitoring of the ducted product (pressure, chemical composition ...).

Description

 The present invention relates to a device for closing the pipes and piping containing a liquid, a gas or a solid to allow perfect sealing and stopping the flow of these contents as well as monitoring action on these products.

 There is a known device for a tank based on the same principle but not relating to the pipes and that it was not easy to transpose and adapt the tanks to the pipes.

 The pipes are traditionally closed by valves whose installation and locations are predetermined.

If necessary during use, these valves are open or closed and allow or not the flow of the product.

 In the event of an accident such as broken pipes, inflatable balloons can be used, they then constitute a temporary watertight seal. But then, it is difficult to carry out an action on the product other than temporarily stopping its flow.

 The device according to the invention overcomes this drawback. It in fact comprises a conduit protecting small pipes allowing the mounting of different devices such as devices for monitoring, injecting or withdrawing product and thus authorizing additional actions to stop the flow.

 It also provides a perfect seal, because it, too, consists of an inflatable material adhering to the circular walls of the pipes.

 In fact, it is a question of using a tire whose air chamber mounted on a solid rim is inflated until it adheres perfectly to the wall of the pipe thus guaranteeing the seal, and whose hub is transformed into conduit thus making contact with the product.

 To increase the reliability and therefore the safety of the installation, the tires are mounted in series from 2 to n.

The interval between two tires is filled with a product sometimes of a different nature from the piped product, for example, if the piped product is of batten, the product between two tires can be air.

 The different pressurization of the atmospheric pressure of the fluid in this space and the monitoring of this pressure then makes it possible, according to the known principle of leak detection by pressure variation, to conclude that the seal is perfect if this pressure remains stable. In fact, a failure in the integrity of any one of the two tires would cause a loss of pressure if an overpressure had been produced in the inter-space or an increase in pressure if a depression had been produced in the inter-space, all other things being equal. And so, the reliability of the system is all the more important as the number of tires fitted in series is large and overcomes possible failures.

 FIG. 1 shows in cross section, a device according to the invention presenting, by way of example, 3 tires mounted in series.

 In a pipe (1) 3 air chambers (2) mounted on a full rim (3) inflated via a welded pipe (4) adhere to the wall of the pipe (Ij. They then separate the interior of the pipe (5) of the external environment (6). The sealing is ensured. The spaces (7) between the tires are then filled under pressure different from atmospheric pressure and monitored by two pipes (8). and (9) of the duct (10). Similarly, contact with the product contained in the pipe (1) inside (5) of the pipe takes place by two pipes (11) and (12). the monitoring devices can come into action.The pipes or outlet (13) or junction (14) are welded to allow a perfect seal.

 The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown and described in detail, because various modifications can be made without departing from its scope, in particular in the use of a different number of tires and lines.

 In addition to the interest that this device represents for the obturation of pipelines, it will find many applications in the industry as a final safety shutter on containers or tanks whose content monitoring could be ensured by preventing dissemination of the product to the outside.

 Finally, note the ease of manufacture which can use commercial tires and the speed and simplicity of implementation of the device. There is thus a new original use of tires in the field of sealing.

Claims (2)

1) Dtobturation device ~ tightness of pipes and piping allowing the flow of products <ontenus in these conduits to be stopped by an inflatable device and monitoring of these products by a conduit, characterized in cc that the inflatable device is a series assembly tires (2) with full rim (3) which ensure, after being inflated, the sealed closure of the piping (l) and characterized in that the monitoring conduit (10) results from the use of the hubs as conduit.  2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the monitoring conduit (10) allows the fact that it contains small pipes (8), (9), (11) and (12), the intake or the evacuation of fluid, mounting of control devices for the spaces between the tires (7) and for the pipeline (5).