GB2251054A

GB2251054A - A condensate drain device for a steam distribution network

Info

Publication number: GB2251054A
Application number: GB9027135A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Guy Joseph Marie Lorrain; Henri Fernand Besnard
Original assignee: Trouvay and Cauvin SA
Current assignee: Trouvay and Cauvin SA
Priority date: 1989-11-08
Filing date: 1990-12-14
Publication date: 1992-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 2010-12-14
Also published as: GB2251054B; FR2654189B1; GB9027135D0; DE4040408A1; FR2654189A1

Abstract

A condensate drain device for a steam distribution network comprises: - a support equipped with an input (12) for fluid charged with condensate, and a condensate output (13), - a drain element (16) connected to the support by removable connecting means (161) and communication means between the input (12) and the drain element, and between the drain element and the output, wherein the communication means is characterised in that the input is on the central axis, the output is eccentric thereto, and the valve block has its delivery port central and its output collection port in the form of an arcuate or circular groove. The arrangement of the invention permits a wide variation in the orientation of the drain element to the support. <IMAGE>

Description

1 A condensate drain device for a steam distribution network The invention

relates to a drain device.

Drain stations are already known which comprise a drain positioned behind a upstream valve in a steam distribution network. When the network recovers the condensate, downstream of the drain is arranged a downstream valve. Thus, in certain cases, upstream of the upstream valve there is arranged a T-junction connected to an upstream drain valve.

These drain stations which are extremely numerous in steam heating networks (tracking etc) in industry often require attention, either for maintenance or repair purposes. For this reason the drain station comprises the upstream and downstream valves which allow the drain to be isolated for such attention. However, these known stations suffer from the disadvantage that they are bulky and that their installation is costly on account of the different components which constitute the drain station. The facts that these valves, drains, etc are generally welded further increases their installation costs and necessitates a fire permit.

Furthermore, such a drain station is relatively bulky both in width and in height.

The aim of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages and to provide a drain station which can be easily integrated in a steam distribution network, whatever the layout of the lines of this network, with recovery of the condensate or disposal of the condensate, which can be installed and maintained easily, and with greatly reduced bulk.

For this purpose the invention relates to a condensate drain device for a steam distribution network characterised in that it comprises: - a support equipped with an inlet for fluid charged with condensate, and a condensate outlet, 2 a drain element connected to the support by removable connecting means, and communication means for the inlet and the outlet of the support and the drain element, the support being equipped at least with one valve which controls the inlet of the fluid charged with condensate or the outlet of the condensate from the drain element.

The device corresponding to the invention can be installed in any steam distribution line layout since it is independent of the orientation of the lines. The installation of this device is extremely simple since it requires only two connections, for example two connections welded to the fluid input and, where appropriate, to the condensate output.

This device is extremely compact since the upstream and downstream valves are integrated with the device. The device is even more compact in that, in accordance with another characteristic, the valves are provided in the support with inclined axes, the control wheels thus still remaining easily accessible for control purposes despite their rearrangement. This compactness is in no way detrimental to disassembly or to the adjustability of the drain element in relation to the support, so that, whatever the orientation of the support, the drain element remains correctly aligned in relation to the vertical.

In accordance with another characteristic the support comprises an upstream valve and a downstream valve which control respectively the passage of fluid charged with condensate towards the drain element, and the return of the condensate from the element.

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, the support comprises an upstream drain valve, connected to the input upstream of the upstream valve.

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, the communication means which connects the input to the drain element comprises a duct which extends from the upstream valve and leads into the input opening of the drain, and the output of the support 3 comprises, upstream of the output valve, a duct which leads, on the front surface of the support opposite the base of the drain element, into a circular groove centred with respect to the axis of the duct, the input opening of the drain element being located opposite the duct, whereas the output of the drain element is spaced from its input by a distance equal to the radius of the circular groove, and the removable connecting means between the support and the drain element are formed by removable connecting means which allow a relative orientation of the support and of the drain element about an axis passing through the opening of the duct in the front surface of the support.

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, the support comprises at least one bore which accommodates the sealing joints, a lantern and the piston of the upstream valve, in addition to a bore, joints, lantern and piston of the downstream valve.

In accordance with a further characteristic of the invention, the input corresponds to a triple bore in the form of a T for the branching of the inputs in one of the three directions and, where appropriate, the branching of the upstream drain valve.

The invention will be described in further detail making reference to the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a drain station corresponding to the prior art.

Figure 2 is a diagram, similar to that shown in Figure 1, illustrating a first embodiment of a drain device corresponding to the invention.

Figure 3 is a partial section corresponding to II-II of Figure 2, on a different scale.

Figure 4 is a partial section corresponding to IV-IV of Figure 3.

4 Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of a drain device corresponding to the invention, in a sectional diagram similar to that shown in Figure 3.

In accordance with Figure 1, a drain station corresponding to the prior art comprises an input line 1 via which the fluid (steam and condensate) arrives, connected by a Tee 2 to a line 3 which extends to the drain 4. The line 3 is equipped with an upstream valve 5. The output of the drain 4 is connected to a condensate output line 6 equipped with a downstream valve 7.

The third branch of the Tee 2 is connected to a line 8 which comprises an upstream drain valve 9. In other examples of drain stations the condensate is not recovered so that the downstream valve is not present.

The drain station described in the aforegoing corresponds to a steam network with feedback of the condensate via the line 6.

When attention is required to the drain 4, either for its repair or its replacement, the upstream valve 5 and the downstream valve 7 are closed in order to isolate the drain 4, which allows repair or maintenance to be carried out. At the end of this operation the valves 5 and 7 are reopened.

In the event of prolonged intervention it may be important to prevent the condensate from accumulating in the input line 1, and in this case the upstream drain valve 9 is also opened to allow the condensate, and possibly also steam, to escape.

Figure 2 illustrates a drain station equipped with a drain device 10 according to the invention. This device comprises a support 11 equipped with an input 12 which receives the mixture of condensate and steam, and an output 13 for the condensate. The support is equipped with an upstream valve 14, a downstream valve 15, an upstream drain valve 17 and the drain element 16.

The sectional diagram in Figures 3 and 4 illustrates the drain device corresponding to the invention in greater detail.

The example illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 employs the same references as used in Figure 2 to designate corresponding components.

Figure 3 provides a more detailed view of the structure of the support 11 and the valves 14, 15.

The support 11 comprises a tapping which forms the input 12. This tapping communicates with the bore 141 of the valve 14. This bore is extended by a duct 111 connected to the base 161 of the drain element 16. The fluid (steam and condensate) thus enters the drain 16 via the input 12, the bore 141 and the duct 111.

The bore 141 accommodates the valve 14 which, in this example, is a piston valve; it comprises a lower seal 142, an upper seal 143, these two seals being separated by a lantern 144 in order to link the input 12 to the duct 111 whilst maintaining the spacing between the seals 142 and 143 and permitting the latter to be subjected to the compressive force required for sealing. This force is exerted by the bonnet 145 of the valve 14.

The bonnet 145 is connected to the support 11 by screws (not shown).

The closing-off part of the valve 14 is formed by the piston 146 connected to the rod 147, the end of which comprises the wheel 148. By turning the wheel 148 the piston 146 is displaced and thus closes off the lantern by sealing at the level of the seals 142 and 143.

The input bore 12 communicates with a vertical bore 18 extending downwards, which is connected to the upstream drain valve 17 (not shown in this Figure).

The downstream valve 15 is designed in a similar fashion to the upstream valve 14. The valve 15 is housed in a bore 151 of the block 11. This bore communicates with the tapping which forms the output 13 and is extended by a duct 112 which communicates with the drain element 16 via its base 161. The condensate separated by the drain element 16 thus passes through the duct 112, the bore 151 and the output tapping 13.

6 The bore 151 accommodates the fittings 152 and 153 together with the lantern 154. The compression of this sealing assembly 152, 153, 154 is effected by the bonnet 155 of the valve 15. This bonnet likewise comprises the piston 156, the piston rod 157 and the wheel 158. The opening and closing of the valve 15 are controlled by the wheel 158.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 the axes of the bores 141, 151 are not perpendicular to the reference surface formed by the surface 114 but, on the contrary, these axes are inclined, i.e. define an included angle other than zero so as to reduce the bulk and bring the bores 141, 151 closer together despite the presence of the control wheels 148, 158 of the two valves.

Figure 4 is a sectional diagram of the structure of the block in the region of the input 12: the triple bore in the region of the input tapping 12 comprises, above and below, a tapping 18 and a tapping 19. By blanking off one of the three openings, the steam and condensate inlet pipe and the upstream drain valve may be connected as desired to the other two.

In accordance with the invention the condensate output duct 112 leads into an arcuate groove 113 of the front surface 114 of the block 111. This circular or semi-circular groove is centred on the axis X-X of the support. In contrast, the steam and condensate inlet duct 111 opens into the axis X-X.

This arrangement, together with an adjustable fixing means between the base 161 of the drain element and the support 11, allow a modification of the relative orientation of the drain element 16 and of the support 11 by rotation about the axis X-X.

The drain element 16, which can moreover be of any shape, must always comply with a preferential orientation which depends upon its functioning principle, whereas the fluid input lines and condensate output lines can be orientated other than horizontally or vertically because of integration requirements of these lines on the site.

7 In the event of attention being required to the drain element 16, it is sufficient to close the valves 14 and 15 in order to isolate the element 16 and allow its repair or replacement.

Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of the drain device corresponding to the invention. This device is simplified in comparison to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 in that the condensate drain valve is not present. However, the elements which correspond to both of the embodiments have been provided with the same references.

In summary, the drain device illustrated in section in Figure 5 comprises only an input valve 14 and no output valve 15. This simplifies the shape of the support 11.

The structure of the valve 14 corresponds precisely to that of the valve 14 in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3.

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Claims

A condensate drain device comprising: a support (11) equipped with an input (12) for fluid charged with condensate, and a condensate output (13), a drain element (16) connected to the support (11) by removable connecting means (161) and communication means for the input (12) and the output (13) of the support (11) and the drain element (16), the support (11) being equipped at least with one valve (14, 15) which controls the inlet of the fluid charges with condensate or the out let of the condensate from the drain element (16), wherein the communication means which connects the input (12) to the drain element (16) comprise a duct (111) which extends from the upstream valve (14) and which leads into the input opening of the drain element (16), and the output (13) of the support (11) comprises, upstream of the output valve (15), a duct (112) which leads, in the front face (114) of the support (11) opposite the base (161) of the drain element (16), into an arcuate groove (113) concentric with the duct (111), the input opening of the drain element (16) being located opposite the duct (111), whereas the output of the drain element (16) is spaced from its input by a distance equal to the radius of the circular groove (113), and removable connecting means between the support (11) and the drain element (16) being formed by removable connecting means which allow a relative orientation of the support (11) and the drain element (16) about an axis (X-X) passing through the opening of the duct (111) in the front face (114) of the support.
2. circular A device according to Claim 1, wherein the arcuate groove is
3. A drain device according to Claim 1, wherein the support comprises an upstream drain valve (17) connected to the input (12) upstream of the upstream valve (14).

1 9
4. A drain device according to Claim 1, wherein the support (11) comprises at least one bore (141) which accommodates seals (142, 143), a lantern (144) and the piston (146) of the valve (14), as well as a bore (151), seals (152, 153), a lantern (154), and a piston (156) of the downstream valve (15).
5. A drain device according to Claim 3, wherein the axes of the bores (141, 151) form a mutual angle other than zero.
6. A drain device according to Claim 1, wherein the input (12) and the output (13) correspond to a triple bore in the form of a T (12, 18, 19) for the branching of the inputs (12) in one of the three directions and, where appropriate, the branching of the upstream drain valve (17).
7. A drain device as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.