FR3070744B1 - 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 of automatic inversion device called "ball inverter", allowing the setting in position "pending" or "in service" a gas container under pressure (or gas bottle), equipped with a pressure reducer called for example chlorometeror chloro-expander, in the case of the determination of chlorine gas. This type of expander is a device open only if it is subjected to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. The regulator must be connected to at least one hydroejecteur equipped with a venturi creating a depression when it is fed with a fluid under pressure, for example water.

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

This type of device is commonly called "inverter".

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

Toggle reversers with springs and diaphragms, or "mechanical" inverters, are systems that are accidentally locked, especially at low flow, thus sometimes preventing good gas dosing when a bottle is empty, the system then not allowing solicitation the second gas bottle that was planned on hold. Intervention, or even maintenance, is then necessary to unlock the inverter. In addition, maintenance is often complicated to perform because the system is complex, because of the large number of parts needed and their fragility.

Motorized inverters, or "electric" inverters, are reliable and easy to maintain. They only lock up very rarely. In contrast, the manufacturing cost is much higher than a toggle switch, and a power supply is required. The object of the invention, the ball inverter, is the creation of an automatic reversing system manual reset, operating in depression: without motor, spring or membrane. It is simple in design, so easy to maintain, and less expensive to produce than traditional inverters. It does not require any power supply.

The purpose of an automatic bottle inverter is to allow the withdrawal of a gas in depression on one of the bottles of a storage (or group of bottles) present on site and to prevent any gas extraction on the tank. 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 comprise two inverter ball devices each connected to the output of a (or group) regulator (s) depression (chlorometer for example), themselves connected to one (or more) bottle (s) ) of gas under pressure. One of the inverter devices must be in the "off" position, thus blocking any withdrawal on the regulator (s) to which it is connected, while the other device is in the "in service" position. ", Allowing him, the withdrawal on the (s) regulator (s) to which (s) he is connected.

In the "waiting" position, a ball placed on the center of a flat elastomeric seal splits the gas passage through the ball-inverter module, thus preventing any gas withdrawal through the device.

When the pressurized gas cylinder "in use" is empty, the depression, which was -0.1 Benviron, increases in the distribution network downstream of the "standby" ball inverter, under the effect of the hydrojector network that is still running. Rapidly, the depression reaches a value between -0.2 bar and -0.3 bar, it is then sufficient to suck the ball and force itspassage through the center of the joint. This then deforms the center of the flat gasket, passes through it, and then falls to the bottom of the ball inverter device, thus releasing the passage of the gas. The gas withdrawal starts then on the new bottle and the depression in the network then falls back to its initial value of withdrawal of -0.1 bar approximately.

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

As with any type of inverter, the operator then chooses the appropriate time to replace the empty gas cylinder with a full gas cylinder. Before starting this operation, it must first reboot the ball-inverter connected to the empty bottle. To do this, it activates a zipper provided for this purpose on our inverter, up to the maximum and then down completely. This has the effect of forcing the ball to be ironed over the flat O-ring, allowing it to again block any draw on the empty container. The operator can then replace the empty bottle with a full bottle, by disconnecting the expander of the bottle, without the risk of drawing air into the gas network in depression. The new bottle is therefore connected to a "standby" ball-inverter device, ready to switch to "service" mode when the bottle being drawn off is exhausted, connected to the ball-inverter device already "in service".

FIG. 1 has a vacuum gas withdrawal network (chlorine gas), comprising a ball inversion system.

FIG. 2 shows the sectional view of a ball-inverter system in the "standby" position. FIG. 3 shows the sectional view of a ball-inverter system in the "in service" position. FIG. 4 shows the sectional view of a reversing ball system being reset. The innovation consists in using the constant of elasticity of a flat gasket and a simple ball instead of an engine, set of springs, membranes, axes or valves which are necessary on the traditional inverters. This principle makes it possible to greatly simplify the inverter device, thus generating economy, and extreme simplification of manufacture and maintenance, while having a very satisfactory reliability of the system. The system can not hang.

With reference to FIG. 1, the inverter 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 vacuum gas pipe ( c), through a gas metering flowmeter (d), then a hydroéjecteur (e). This sucks by venturi effect and dissolves the gas in a fluid (for example water). This fluid comes under pressure thanks for example to a pump (f).

With reference to FIGs. 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 pierced at its center (3). The ball (2), thus positioned, blocks the passage of FIG.2 gas. If the ball (2) passes on the other side of the seal (3), the path of the gas is then released FIG 3. To reinitiate the ball reverser, the assembly is provided with a reset pull (4) in lower part, allowing to move the ball to the initial position FIG. 4, then return to "standby" configuration FIG. 2. The device advantageously comprises the following features:

The materials used are compatible with the metered gas.

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

The inner diameter of the flat gasket (3), the thickness of the gasket (3) and its elasticity are suitable, since these parameters will depend on the force required to force the ball (2) to pass through the center of the flat gasket (3).

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

A zipper (4) allows to reboot the inverter, forcing the ball (2) to iron above the seal (3), to land again on and again block the passage of gas, as thepression in downstream of the device is less than the tilting depression.

The pull tab (4) has a lock to keep it in the up position or in the down position. 4, the ball (2) is pressed above the seal (3), higher than this, which quiforce the device to let the gas. "Forced march" position.

The realization of one or more transparent windows (7), in the lower part of the device, allows the user to know visually whether the inverter is in the "waiting" or "in service" position:

If the ball (2) is visible at the bottom, the device is "in service"

If the ball (2) is not visible at the bottom, 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 remotely the position of the ball, and therefore the state of the device.

Claims (3)

1. Device known as a "ball inverter" for putting into service a container of pressurized gas under full pressure (gas cylinder), or a group of full pressurized gas containers on standby (group of gas bottles), as soon as the (es) pressurized container (s) in service, to act as an automatic gas pressure vessel, or container group, in a dosing system of this gas, to ensure the continuity of the dosing, consisting of a body with a sealed chamber (6), a gas inlet connection (1) at the top and a bottom gas outlet connection (5) and which contains a ball placed on an elastomer seal pierced at its center (3), of a diameter smaller than that of the ball (2), which blocks the passage of the 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 joint in the center, it then releases the passage of gas. The ball inverter then changes from the "pending" state to the "enservice" state. 3. Device according to claim 1, and 2, characterized in that the device is equipped in the lower part ofetetirette (4) of a diameter smaller than the diameter of the pierced seal, forcing the passage of the ball (2) above the seal (3), which has the effect of rebooting the inverter device to go from the state "enservice" to the state "pending". 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 plated above the seal, higher than this one, which forces the device to pass gas. "Forced march" position. 4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the body of the device is equipped with one or more transparent portholes (7), to display the position of the ball in the device, and so to know if the device is in position "In service" or "on hold", 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 remotely the position of the ball (2) and therefore the state of the device. 6. The device consisting of two inverters ball (b), according to any one of the preceding claims, interconnected at their output and which are installed on a gas metering installation in the endépression part; each is connected to one or more pressurized gas containers filled (left and right) via a vacuum expander (a) which supplies the gas at a pressure below atmospheric pressure. If the left-hand reversing device (b), connected to the left-hand withdrawal vessel, is in the "in-service" position, then the other right-hand reversing device (b) connected to the right-hand gas container is in the "waiting" position. ". 7. Inverting method using the device according to claims 6, characterized by the following succession of stages: When the container (left) in withdrawal is empty, the inverter device connected to the container (right), which is in "pending" mode , automatically goes into "in use" mode and allows ainsile racking on the filled container, which is available and connected. It automatically takes over the supply of gas from the rest of the dosing system (c) (d) and (e). The day when the operator decides to replace the empty gas container (left) with a gasplein container, it begins by manually resetting the inverter device (b) connected to the empty container (left), in order to redo it. in "pending" mode. To do this, it uses the rear pull tab (4) located under the device, lifting it up and down. This has the effect of redoing the ball above the flat gasket. Once reset, the inverter device (b) allows to change the empty container by a full container, without disturbing the gas supply in the vacuum circuit. The container on the right feeds the circuit, the one on the left is waiting to be solicited by the left-hand reversing device. Once the right container is empty in turn, the left-hand reversing device automatically turns on the left gas container. When the time comes, the operator then performs, for the container on the right, the same operations previously performed on the left container to replace it with a full container.