FR3070744A1 - AUTOMATIC INVERTER OF BOTTLES OF GAS SUPPORTED IN LOW. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic inverter device for gas containers connected to a vacuum-metering network with respect to the atmosphere. It consists of a chamber (6), a seal pierced at its center (3) and a ball (2) which blocks the passage of gas through the chamber. When the gas container in use is empty, the vacuum increases and the ball of the device connected to the holding gas container is sucked. The ball falls thus freeing the gas passage of the container waiting which then feeds the network. The replacement of the empty gas container is done after rebooting the device by raising the pull tab (4). The device according to the invention is intended for the dosing of gases in depression, for example chlorine gas for the treatment of water.

Description

The present invention relates to a new generation automatic reversing device called a ball reverser, allowing the placing in the "standby" or "in service" position of a pressurized gas container (or gas bottle), equipped with a pressure reducer in depression called for example chlorometer or chloro-regulator, in the case of the metering of chlorine gas. This type of regulator being a device which opens only if it is subjected to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. The regulator must be connected to at least one hydro-ejector equipped with a venturi creating a vacuum when it is supplied with a pressurized fluid, for example water.

The reversing device automatically switches from the "waiting" phase to the "in service" phase as soon as the gas cylinder initially in service is empty.

This type of device is commonly called an inverter.

Traditionally, the inverters that already exist on the market are devices that use either electric motors or a rocker system with springs. Their disadvantages are:

Rocker inverters with springs and membranes, or mechanical inverters, are systems that accidentally lock, especially at low flow rates, thus sometimes preventing good continuity of gas dosage when a bottle is empty, the system then not allowing request the second gas cylinder which was scheduled on standby. Intervention, even maintenance, is then necessary to unlock the reverser. In addition, maintenance is often complicated to perform because the system is complex, due to the large number of parts required and their fragility.

Motorized inverters, or electric inverters, are reliable and easy to maintain systems. They rarely hang. On the other hand, the manufacturing cost is much higher than a rocker reverser, and an electrical supply is necessary.

The object of the invention, the ball reverser, is the creation of an automatic reversing system with manual reset, operating under vacuum: without motor, spring or diaphragm. It is simple in design, therefore easy to maintain, and less expensive to produce than traditional inverters. It requires no power supply.

The purpose of an automatic bottle reverser is to allow the withdrawal of a vacuum gas on one of the bottles of a storage (or group of bottles) present (s) on site and to prevent any gas withdrawal on the other bottle (or group of bottles) present on site as long as the first bottle (or group of bottles) is not used up (empty).

For its operation, the installation must include two ball reversing devices each connected to the outlet of a (or group) of pressure reducer (s) in depression (chlorometer for example), themselves connected to one (or more) bottle (s) of pressurized gas. One of the reversing devices must be in the "standby" position, thus blocking any withdrawal from the regulator (s) to which it is connected, while the other device is in the " in service ”, allowing it to be drawn off on the regulator (s) to which it is connected.

-2In the "standby" position, a ball placed on the center of a flat seal pierced with elastomer blocks the passage of gas through the ball reversing module, thus preventing any gas being drawn through the device.

When the pressurized gas cylinder "in service" is empty, the vacuum, which was approximately -0.1 B, increases in the distribution network downstream of the ball idler "on standby", under the effect of the hydroejector of the network which is still in operation. Quickly, the vacuum reaches a value between -0.2 bar and -0.3 bar, it is then sufficient to suck the ball and force its passage through the center of the joint. This then deforms the center of the flat seal, passes through it, and then falls to the bottom of the ball reversing device, thereby freeing the passage of gas. The gas withdrawal then begins on the new bottle and the vacuum in the network then falls to its initial withdrawal value of approximately -0.1 bar.

Following this step, the empty bottle remains connected to the vacuum network. The reversing device, which is connected to it, remains in the "in service" position.

As with any type of reverser, the operator then chooses the time that suits him to replace the empty gas cylinder with a full gas cylinder. Before starting this operation, he must first prime the ball reversing device connected to the empty bottle. To do this, he activates a pull tab provided for this purpose on our inverter, raising it up as far as possible and then lowering it completely. This has the effect of forcing the ball to iron over the flat O-ring, allowing the latter to again block any withdrawal on the empty container.

The operator can then replace the empty cylinder with a full cylinder, by disconnecting the regulator from the cylinder, without risking drawing air into the vacuum gas network. The new bottle is therefore connected to a “standby” reversing ball device, ready to switch to “in use” mode as soon as the bottle is exhausted during racking, connected to the ball reversing device already “in use”.

FIG. 1 shows a network for withdrawing gas under vacuum (chlorine gas), comprising a ball reversing system.

FIG. 2 shows the sectional view of a ball reversing system in the "standby" position. FIG. 3 shows the sectional view of a ball reversing system in the "in service" position. FIG. 4 shows the sectional view of a ball reversing system during resetting.

The innovation consists in using the constant elasticity of a flat seal and a simple ball instead of a motor, set of springs, membranes, axes or valves which are necessary on traditional reversers. This principle makes it possible to simplify the reversing apparatus enormously, thus generating a saving, and an extreme simplification of manufacture and maintenance, while having a very satisfactory reliability of the system. The system cannot hang.

With reference to FIG. 1, the reversing device (b) is installed on a gas metering network comprising at least two pressurized gas containers, each equipped with a vacuum regulator (a), the gas is conveyed via a gas line in depression (c), through a gas metering flow meter (d), then a

-3 hydro-ejector (e). This sucks in by venturi effect and dissolves the gas in a fluid (for example water). This fluid arrives under pressure thanks for example to a pump (f).

With reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the device consists of a sealed chamber (6), with a gas inlet at the top (1) and a gas outlet at the bottom (5). On the gas path, a ball (2) rests on a flat seal drilled in its center (3). The ball (2), thus positioned, blocks the passage of gas FIG.

2. If the ball (2) passes on the other side of the joint (3), the gas path is then released FIG 3. To re-prime the ball reverser, the assembly is provided with a reset rod ( 4) in the lower part, allowing the ball to be returned to the initial position FIG. 4, then return to the standby configuration FIG. 2. The device advantageously includes the following characteristics:

The materials used are compatible with the metered gas.

The size, surface condition of the ball (2) and its density are suitable, because on these parameters depends the force with which the ball (2) will be sucked through the seal (3), for a given vacuum value .

The inside diameter of the flat seal (3), the thickness of the seal (3) and its elasticity are suitable, because on these parameters will depend the force necessary to force the ball (2) to pass through the center of the flat seal (3 ).

In our application, for chlorine gas for example, we had to obtain a system not allowing movement of the ball (2) for a downstream depression of less than -0.2 bar, and a passage of the ball (2) through the seal (3) for a downstream depression between -0.2 bar and -0.3 bar.

A pull tab (4) allows to re-prime the reverser, by forcing the ball (2) to pass over the joint (3), to land again on it and thus again block the passage of gas, as long as the vacuum downstream of the device is less than the tilting depression.

The pull tab (4) has a lock to keep it in the high position or in the low position. Position raised FIG. 4, the ball (2) is pressed above the seal (3), higher than the latter, which forces the device to let the gas pass. "Forced on" position.

The production of one or more transparent portholes (7), in the lower part of the device, allows the user to visually know whether the reverser is in the "standby" or "in service" position:

If the ball (2) is visible in the lower part, the device is "in service"

If the ball (2) is not visible in the lower part, the device is "waiting"

According to a variant not illustrated, a sensor (for example optical or capacitive or magnetic) can make it possible to know at a distance the position of the ball, and therefore the state of the device.

Claims (7)

1. Device called ball reverser allowing to put into service a container of gas under pressure full waiting (gas bottle), or a group of containers of gas under pressure full waiting (group of gas bottles), as soon as the exhaustion (es) pressurized container (s) in service, to act as an automatic reverser of a pressurized gas container, or group of containers, within a metering system for this gas, in order to ensure the continuity of metering, composed of a body with a sealed chamber (6), a gas inlet connection (1) in the upper part and a gas outlet connection in the lower part (5) and which contains a ball placed on an elastomer seal pierced in its center (3), with a diameter less than that of the ball (2), which blocks the passage of gas through the inverter in the waiting state. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the elasticity and the dimensions of the seal are chosen so that from a certain depression applied to the outlet, the ball is sucked and passes through the seal in its center, it then frees the passage of gas. The ball reverser then changes from the "waiting" state to the "in service" state. 3. Device according to claim 1, and 2, characterized in that the device is equipped in the lower part with a pull tab (4) with a diameter less than the diameter of the drilled joint, making it possible to force the passage of the ball (2 ) above the seal (3), which has the effect of re-priming the reversing device to go from the "in service" state to the "standby" state. This pull tab (4) has two lockable positions: Low position, the ball is free to change the state of the inverter. Or Position raised, the ball is pressed above the seal, higher than the latter, which forces the device to let the gas pass. "Forced on" position. 4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the body of the device is equipped with one or more transparent windows (7), making it possible to visualize the position of the ball in the device, and thus to know visually whether the device is in the "in service" or "standby" position, without the need to use a sensor. 5. Device according to claim 1. characterized in that the device can be equipped with sensors (for example optical or capacitive or magnetic) making it possible to know at a distance the position of the ball (2) and therefore the state of the device. 6. The device consisting of two ball reversers (b) according to any one of the preceding claims, interconnected at their outlet and which are installed on a gas metering installation in the vacuum part; each is connected to one or more filled gas pressure vessels (left and right) via a vacuum regulator (a) which supplies the gas at a pressure below atmospheric pressure. If the I _ς Page 5 reversing device (b) on the left, connected to the racking container on the left, is in the "in service" position, then the other reversing device (b) on the right, connected to the gas container on the right is in the "in position" waiting ”. 7. Inversion method using the device according to claims 6, characterized by the succession of the following steps: When the container (on the left) for racking is empty, the reversing device connected to the container (on the right), which is in "standby" mode, automatically switches to "in service" mode and thus authorizes racking on the filled container, which is available and connected. It thus automatically takes over from the gas supply to the rest of the metering system (c) (d) and (e). The day the operator decides to replace the empty gas container (on the left) with a full gas container, this begins by manually resetting the reversing device (b) connected to the empty container (on the left), in order to redo switch to "standby" mode. To do this, it uses the reset lever (4) located under the device, by lifting it then lowering it. This has the effect of re-passing the ball over the flat seal. Once reset, the reversing device (b) allows the empty container to be changed to a full container, without disturbing the gas supply to the vacuum circuit. The container on the right feeds the circuit, the one on the left waits to be activated by the left-hand reversing device. Once the right container is empty in turn, the left reversing device automatically activates the left gas container. When the time comes, the operator then performs, for the container on the right, the same operations as previously carried out on the container on the left to replace it with a full container.