FR2647177A1 - SOLENOID VALVE FOR FLOWING FLUIDS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a solenoid valve for the passage of fluids. According to the invention, it has a valve body 1 which comprises a seat and a shutter which can be placed in the open or closed position, an actuating mechanism 5 controlled by an electric motor 6 and a control circuit 7. The invention applies in particular to the transport or distribution of fluids in inaccessible or difficult to access places.

Description

The present invention relates to an electro-

  valve for the flow of fluids, which is

  controlled and is designed to occupy two states or positions, one called "open" to allow the passage of fluid and the other called "closed" to prevent this passage. This valve is remotely controlled by means of electrical signals coded through two wires; it can also be controlled manually by means of an incorporated manual operating lever, as long as the

  conditions specified below are fulfilled.

  The coded order that will be called "permission to

  arming "although not modifying in itself the previous position of the valve (open or closed), puts the device in a state in which an operator can open or close

  the valve at will, by acting on the lever of action-

manually.

  The coded order that will be called "cutoff", on the contrary, directly determines that the valve is in the "closed" position, thus preventing the passage of the fluid.This puts the apparatus in a state where the valve can not open or close by acting on the lever

manual actuation.

  The coded order that will be called "de-activation" allows that, when the valve is in the "reset permission" state, the power and control cables are short-circuited without the valve passing through.

  automatically in the state of "cutoff".

  In summary, it can be said that it is a passage valve or flow, which has two states in one of them, it behaves like a normal valve manual operation and in the Another state occurs when the valve is shut off leaving the manual reset mechanism without function. The valve goes to this second state for various reasons, either because the order is given by the same cables as those of control and power supply or because a fault occurs in these (broken wires, short ones). -circuits etc.) The only possibilities once it is to these second state, to return to the first, is by means of an order given through the

  control and power cables. The order of "deactivation

  n may be used to manipulate lines or associated control equipment during authorized interventions without causing closure

of this valve.

  This device can be useful in all industries in general that process, transport or distribute fluids, in applications where a remote controlled valve is traditionally used: situation in inaccessible places or difficult access

  because of physical location (underground applications

  rains, terrestrial with difficult, expensive or legally restricted access), restricted access due to a hazardous environment (temperature

  high, chemically or biologically

  explosive atmospheres, pulverulent or with high ambient humidity), and finally in applications where manual operation and safety are required.

  shutdown in the event of faults or alarms.

  To justify the innovation and benefits derived from the new valve design according to

  the invention, the characteristics and functions corresponding to

  at valves and solenoid valves currently

  and known will be cited.

  Solenoid valves that can currently be found on the market can be divided into two major families: those that require operation at a permanent voltage, and those with impulses. They will be called respectively of the type P and the type I. The characteristics of firsts can be summarized as follows:

High consumption.

  Need to maintain the presence of a tension to maintain one of the two working positions,

and lack of tension for the other.

  Wide variety of shapes and tension values

working.

  If the connection wires are open or short-circuited, they pass into the rest position (which can be, depending on the type, the passage or

the non passage of the fluid).

  They do not have an external lever for

manual actuation.

  The main features of the pulse valves are: The application of a voltage pulse makes them

change state.

  Since they do not require the permanent application of a voltage, their consumption is

well reduced.

  They do not change state when the connection cables are cut or shorted. They do not have an external lever for

manual actuation.

  In addition to these two basic types of electro-

  valves, there exists in the United States of America a particular type of solenoid valve characterized in that it can be closed remotely by means of a two-wire connection. Nevertheless, this valve can always be reset

  mechanically, irrespective of whether the order of

  re was given or not. By the fact that once cut, only authorized persons can perform the reset, they must be provided with a special mechanical lever that is used directly on the body of the valve. For rearming it is necessary that the authorized person has access to the valve. On the other hand, the maximum length of the connection cable for cutting only is 30 meters. We will call this valve, in the frame

  of the present description, solenoid valve type T.

  In each of the types of valves mentioned, the basic aspects to consider are: Consumption. Fraudabilité. Autocuts in the case of damage in the

connection wires.

  Possibility of manual control. Possibility of knowing from a distance the state where the

valve is located.

  Number of connection wires and maximum length

of these.

  None of the valves mentioned above can optimize all these points. Those of the P type have the auto-break property in the case of a damage

  in connection cables, but at the cost of a consumer

  high level. Those of type I have a consumption

  reduced but do not respond to the break or short circuit of the connection cables. None of the two types P or I have special anti-fraud features. None of the types P, I or T has the possibility of a manual control, nor the possibility of knowing remotely the state of the valve. The number of threads is two in all cases, but in the case T, their length is limited to 30 meters. None of the types P.I or T

  can be operated directly by a detecting device

  gas generator, in safety applications.

  Taking into account all of the above

  above, the subject of the present invention is an electro-

  a valve that brings together the fundamental aspects previously indicated, and for which a new system has been devised that will be referred to from a structural and electronic point of view, which results in a new solenoid valve that combines all the characteristics and

  benefits that will be exposed below.

  1. Presents continuous consumption that is not

than a few mW.

  - 2. Causes the valve to close, in the event of a short circuit or an open circuit of the external cables, or in the case of a

  disappearance of the tension that exists between them.

  3. The connecting cables may have lengths of up to 2 kilometers, and they do not need to be sheathed. 4. It has the property of presenting different consumptions in each of the different states, so that one can know to

  distance in what state it is.

  5. It may be manually controlled by means of an external lever incorporated, provided that prior authorization has been obtained by means of

  of a coded order, by the connection cables.

  6. The orders to produce a change of state are coded, so it is very difficult to a

  unauthorized person to act on the valve.

  7. It can be ordered directly by a -

  gas detector device or any other

alarm device.

  8. The automatic shut-off function can be inhibited, if necessary and by means of a pre-order, in the event of a supply voltage failure or a failure in the connection of the control and

-d'alimentation.

  On the other hand, if the solenoid valve according to the invention is associated with an intelligent central, it is possible to obtain other services such as: automatic shutdown in

  intention of fraud on the equipment installed

  and other causes (eg excess flow, etc.); manual shutdown by authorized personnel without the need for physical access to the valve etc. More concretely, the solenoid valve is structurally formed by the combination of a number of components which are as follows: Valve body comprising the corresponding seat and shutter.

  Mechanism for actuating the shutter.

Electromechanical bistable motor.

Electronic control circuit.

  Outside lever for manual control, and Adjustment wires. Based on these components, the solenoid valve can be in one of two positions or states, which obviously correspond to the "reset" working positions! and "breaking" of the bistable motor, the latter being actuated at one or the other position in accordance with the coded commands by means of the electronic control circuit. The design of the bistable motor is also a fundamental feature since, regardless of the open or closed state of the shutter, if the motor

  switch to the "break" position, the shutter automatically switches

  to the "close" position regardless of the position or action exerted on the

manual command.

  Finally, the existence of a mechanism that transmits the action exerted by the operator on the outer lever for manual control, up to the shutter rod is also a fundamental feature, allowing the opening and closing of it, even when the bistable motor is in the "reset" position. If this engine is in the "off" position, this prevents the action on the outer lever being transmitted by the actuating mechanism to the shutter tioe, making it impossible for an operator to open or close.

the valve at will.

  The invention will be better understood, and other purposes, features, details and advantages thereof

  will become clearer during the description

  explanatory text which will follow with reference to the appended schematic drawings given solely by way of example and illustrating an embodiment of the invention and in which: FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the solenoid valve according to FIG. invention, in association with its various components; and FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show the respective graphs of the states corresponding to the "reset", "cutoff" and "deactivation" commands of the engine

  bistable, for the control of the solenoid valve.

  Referring to the figures, and more particularly

  In Figure 1, the solenoid valve according to the invention comprises a valve body 1 which comprises the corresponding shutter 2 and the inlet and outlet 3 and 4, respectively. The shutter 2 is associated with an actuating mechanism 5 thereof, which is represented by a

schematic block.

  On this actuating mechanism 5 acts on the one hand a bistable electric motor 6 controlled by an electronic control circuit 7, and which is fed in the assembly by son 8 and on the other hand, a lever of

manual control 9.

  According to this schematic structure, the functions are as follows: The shutter 2 can be in one of two positions, "open" (allowing the passage of the fluid)

  or "closed" (interrupting the passage of fluid).

  The electromechanical bistable motor 6 can adopt one of the two positions "reset" or "break", according to

  references 6a and 6b, respectively.

  The electronic control circuit 7 can remain

  to one of two states: "On" or "Off!"

  The mechanism 5 for actuating the shutter 2 transmits the action exerted by the operator on an external manual control lever 9, up to the stem of the shutter, allowing the opening and closing thereof. ; however, provided that the electromechanical bistable motor is in the "reset" position, if this motor is in its other "off" position, this prevents the action on the outer lever from being transmitted by the actuating mechanism to the rod. the shutter, thus making it impossible for the valve to open or close at will by an operator.Also, regardless of the open or closed state of the shutter, if the bistable motor goes to the "cutoff" position , the shutter

  automatically switches to the "closed" position, independently

  position or action exerted on the lever

manual control.

  It can be deduced from the above that if the bistable motor is in the "reset" position, it is possible to open and close the valve by hand, if it is in the "off" position it totally prevents

  the valve unconditionally in the closed position.

  The electronic control circuit is responsible for coding the commands received through the two wires 8, from a remote point, and for applying the necessary signals to the bistable motor 6 so that it is placed at one or the other position 6a or 6b. The characteristics of the electronic control circuit include the following: It is powered by the same wires as those driving the orders and contains neither batteries nor batteries nor other elements that must be

subject to periodic maintenance.

  It shows continuous consumption which is not

than a few mW.

  It causes the bistable motor to automatically switch to the "off" position (and thus close the valve) in the event of a short circuit or open circuit of the external cables, or in the event of the disappearance of the

tension that exists between them.

  The carrying cables of the orders (the same as those of supply) can have lengths up to two kilometers, and it is not

necessary that they be sheathed.

  The cables can be connected to any polarity.

  He owns the property of presenting

  different states in each of the different states, so one can know from a distance the state in which

it turns out that.

  It allows, by means of a planned order, the cancellation of the automatic shutdown function in the case of loss of supply voltage or failures

connections.

  The orders for valve control are coded, and will be described and listed below. Between the two sons can exist three different levels of

  potential difference, regardless of the polarity.

  These three levels being A, B and C (with the tolerances), we have: - Order of permission to reset the valve, that is to say order to place the bistable motor in the "reset" position (FIG. ): This order consists of a sequence of states of the potential difference between the control wires: First: set the level A.

  Second, change from level A to B and -

  vice versa according to a coded sequence.

  Third, establish level A in the

now indefinitely.

  After executing this order, the electronic circuit

  The drive remains in the "on" state, the bistable motor remains in the "reset" position and the shutter

does not change position.

  - Order of shutdown of the valve, that is to say order to place the bistable motor in the position "cut" (figure 3):

Put level C indefinitely.

  After executing this order, the electronic circuit

  The control unit remains in the "deactivated" state, the bistable motor remains in the "off" position and the shutter

stays in the "closed" position.

  - Order to disable the valve so that it can be manipulated without causing a change in the position of the bistable motor (Figure 4): Set level B for a specified time then go to level C indefinitely or go to B After executing this command, the electronic control circuit remains in the "deactivated" state and the bistable motor and the shutter do not change.

more position.

  As can be understood from FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the ordinate axis corresponds to the voltages (V.- levels of the input commands, Vc cutoff and Vr reset permission) while the abscissa corresponds to

at the time.

Claims (2)

R E V E N D I C A T I 0 N S   1.- Solenoid valve for the flow of fluids, of the type that can be used in any field of application where it is necessary to transport and / or distribute fluids, to inaccessible places or difficult to access, characterized in that it consists of a valve body (1) which comprises a seat and a shutter can be placed in an "open" position for the passage of fluid or "closed" interrupting said passage; said shutter being associated with an actuating mechanism (5) which is activated by a bistable electric motor (6) which receives operating commands by an electronic control circuit (7), feeding the set by means of two son; said electronic control circuit (7) being provided to respond to coded commands for actuating the bistable electric motor to place it in one of the two working positions: "reset" or "break"; with the particularity that the connection of said bistable motor, regardless of the position of opening or closing of the shutter, automatically switches to the "closed" position when said bistable motor is in a "cut" position, this regardless of the corresponding position of an associated manual operating lever   shutter actuation mechanism.   2. Solenoid valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the manual operating lever is connected to the general actuating mechanism, so that in the position of "reset permission" of the bistable electric motor, said lever transmits the manual order to said shutter, by the general operating mechanism while at the "cut-off" position of said bistable electric motor, this prevents the opening or   closing the shutter by said manual lever.