GB2457997A - A nozzle and deflector combination which can be cleaned by increasing the fluid pressure - Google Patents

Abstract

A nozzle 1 suitable for a hose / pipe comprises a body 3 with a fluid channel 5 extending through it, and deflection means 29 arranged at or near the downstream end of the channel for deflecting the fluid flow leaving the nozzle, the position of the deflecting means being adjustable relative to the end of the nozzle depending on fluid pressure. The deflector/ disperser 29 is preferably spring-loaded 31, and ideally conical. When a nozzle is clogged, the pressure is increased so that the deflector lifts even more to make the outlet clearance larger and enable the dirt / blockage to be flushed and cleared, thereby cleaning the nozzle. The deflector may be mounted on a spindle 7, which in turn is supported on buttresses 11 extending from the body. Ideally, there exists debris fragmenting means 9, 43 upstream of the nozzle in the form of sharp edges. Off-shore application to provide a heat-shield water-curtain is envisaged.

Description

1 2457997 1 Nozzle

3 Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a nozzle for a hose or pipe installed in an off-shore 6 environment, and more particularly to a nozzle for use in providing a water curtain in 7 an offshore environment.

9 Background to the Invention

11 In oil and gas production, refining and storage, there is a periodic need to vent and 12 burn off unwanted hydrocarbons as a flare. Flares generate a great deal of heat and it 13 is not always practicable for flares to be positioned a sufficient distance from other 14 operations for those operations not to be prone to damage from the heat of the flare.

16 Therefore, water curtains are routinely employed to protect operations from damage 17 cause by the heat from a flare. The provision of a water curtain permits operations 18 behind a water curtain to continue and personnel may continue to utilise work areas 19 which are separated from a flare by a water curtain.

21 Water curtains are also used to protect buildings and equipment from other sources 22 of heat, in particular where it is not required or where it is not practicable to extinguish 23 the source of heat. For example, water may be most effectively used to protect 24 buildings and equipment from bush fires, until said fires have passed. Alternatively, it may be required to disperse water over a wide area in order to soak that area and 26 prevent combustion within that area.

1 Water curtains are typically formed by passing pressurised water through a deflecting 2 nozzle. Nozzles commonly in use comprise a body with a through channel, opening 3 onto a deflector positioned at or close to the outlet of the channel.

Typically, the large quantities of water required are drawn from locally available 6 natural water sources, such as sea water, or water from rivers, lakes or aquifers.

7 Such water sources typically contain debris such as silt, mud, rocks and the like and it 8 is a known problem in the use of deflecting nozzles for the nozzles to become 9 blocked by such debris.

11 Nozzles of the prior art, for example nozzle type D42 produced by Spraying Systems 12 Co. (Carol Stream, Illinois, USA), are required to be disassembled in order to clear 13 blockages. This requires that the water supply must be discontinued, which can result 14 in costly or potentially dangerous suspension of operations.

16 International Patent Application No. PCTIGB2005/000758 (Optima Solutions UK 17 Limited) describes an electromechanical "self-cleaning" mechanism operable to 18 automatically adjust the area of the nozzle outlet and clear blockages. However, no 19 embodiments of the mechanism are described and It Is difficult to envisage how a suitable mechanism compatible with the nozzle designs therein disclosed might be 21 implemented with sufficient reliability to be used in either off-shore or fire fighting 22 applications.

24 Therefore, there remains a need for a nozzle which is less prone to blockage than nozzles of the prior art and which can be cleared of blockages which do occur without 26 the requirement for the supply of water to be shut off.

28 Accordingly, some aspects of the present invention are directed to means for 29 preventing blockages from occurring in nozzles, and some aspects of the present invention are directed towards the removal of blockages.

32 Summary of the Invention

34 According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle for a hose or pipe, the nozzle comprising a body, a fluid channel extending through the 36 body, deflecting means arranged at or near the downstream end of the channel for 1 deflecting a flow of fluid leaving the nozzle and means for adjusting the position of the 2 deflecting means relative to the end of the channel, said adjusting means being 3 responsive to fluid pressure.

Typically, the adjusting means is responsive to fluid pressure in excess of a pre- 6 determined threshold fluid pressure. Preferably the adjusting means is a resilient 7 member. Advantageously, the resilient member is a spring. Preferably a resilient 8 member is selected having a pre-load which exceeds the force on the deflecting 9 means applied by normal operating fluid pressure in the unblocked, partially blocked or fully blocked nozzle. Operation of the adjusting means requires a user to increase 11 fluid pressure above a threshold pressure determined by the force on the deflecting 12 means required to overcome the pre-load of the resilient member. An adjusting 13 means comprising a resilient member having such a pre-load will therefore not trigger 14 in response to small variations in fluid pressure, thus ensuring consistent operation of the nozzle.

17 Preferably the adjusting means is demountable and thereby replaceable. A 18 demountable adjusting means may be replaced by alternative adjusting means 19 chosen to be responsive to a pre-determined threshold pressure of fluid in the nozzle, selected according to the required operating conditions of the nozzle. Adjusting 21 means may thus be installed on a given nozzle to suit changing operating conditions, 22 without the requirement to install an alternative complete nozzle.

24 Preferably the deflecting means is a deflector. Preferably the deflector is conical.

26 Conveniently, the adjusting means is fixed between the deflector and an end cap 27 mounted in the end of the fluid channel. Access to adjust or replace the adjusting 28 means is thus effected by removal of the end cap.

Advantageously, the length of the resilient member is changed in response to fluid 31 pressure applied by fluid flowing through the channel and impinging on the deflecting 32 means.

34 If, in use of the nozzle, the outlet between the end of the body and the deflecting means becomes blocked by debris in the fluid, an operator can increase the fluid 36 pressure through the hose or pipe (and thus in the nozzle) so that the fluid pressure 1 overcomes the pre-loading of the resilient member. The position of the deflecting 2 means then changes, thereby allowing the debris to pass through the outlet. Once the 3 blockage has been flushed out of the end of the nozzle, the operator can decrease 4 the fluid pressure through the hose or pipe to normal, causing the adjusting means and the deflector to return to their normal positions.

7 Preferably the nozzle is formed of a light weight material. Preferably the light weight 8 material is a marine grade aluminium.

The body is preferably tubular and most preferably, the body has a generally circular 11 cross section. In a preferred embodiment the deflector is secured to a mounting 12 member, and the mounting member is positioned centrally within the channel and 13 connected to the body by one or more buttresses. Preferably, the mounting member 14 is generally circular, such that at least a portion of the channel is annular. Most preferably, the mounting member is hollow (for example, tubular) to minimise the 16 mass of the nozzle.

18 In a preferred embodiment the upstream end of the mounting member is provided 19 with a conical tip, which may be a sharp conical tip. Advantageously, the upstream edge of the or each buttress is also provided with a sharp profile. In use, the provision 21 of one or more buttresses with sharp upstream edges and/or a mounting member 22 with a conical tip, both smoothes fluid flow in the nozzle past the mounting member, 23 and acts to break up clumps of debris within the fluid, thereby functioning as debris 24 fragmenting means.

26 According to an embodiment, the deflector is secured to a spindle, and the spindle is 27 secured to the body. Preferably, the spindle is adapted to be secured, for example 28 threadably secured, to a mounting member.

Preferably, the spindle is hollow. Most preferably, the spindle is generally tubular.

32 Conveniently, the adjusting means is a spring fixed between the deflector and an end 33 cap mounted on the end of the spindle.

In one embodiment, the size of the outlet between the end of the body and the 36 deflecting means may be adjusted.

2 Preferably, the deflector is mounted on a spindle, and may be slideably mounted on 3 the spindle, and the spindle is attached to the body. Preferably, the spindle and/or the 4 deflector is demountable and thereby replaceable.

6 In an embodiment, the size of the outlet between the end of the body and the 7 deflecting means is adjustable by adjusting the position of the deflector on the 8 spindle, for example by placing one or more spacers on the spindle between the 9 deflector and the body.

11 According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nozzle for 12 a hose or pipe, the nozzle comprising a body, a fluid channel extending through the 13 body, deflecting means arranged at or near the downstream end of the channel for 14 deflecting a flow of fluid leaving the nozzle, and debris fragmenting means positioned within the channel upstream of the deflecting means for breaking up debris within 16 fluid passing through the nozzle, in use.

18 The body is preferably tubular and most preferably, the body has a generally circular 19 cross section.

21 In one embodiment, the deflecting means is a deflector. Preferably, the deflector is 22 secured to a mounting member, and the mounting member is positioned within the 23 channel (and preferably centrally within the channel) and connected to the body by 24 one or more buttresses.

26 In a preferred embodiment the upstream end of the mounting member is convex.

27 Preferably the upstream end of the mounting member is a conical tip and may be a 28 sharp conical tip. Advantageously, the upstream edge of the or each buttress is also 29 provided with a sharp profile. In use, the provision of one or more buttresses with sharp upstream edges and/or a mounting member with a convex upstream end such 31 as a conical tip, both smoothes fluid flow in the nozzle past the mounting member, 32 and acts to break up clumps of debris within the fluid, thereby functioning as debris 33 fragmenting means.

1 In one embodiment, the size of the outlet between the end of the body and the 2 deflector is adjustable. Preferably the size of the outlet between the end of the body 3 and the deflector is adjustable by adjusting the position of the deflector.

Preferably, the conical deflector is threadably secured to the mounting member. In 6 one embodiment, the deflector is provided with a threaded member adapted to be 7 threadably secured to the mounting member. In one embodiment the position of the 8 deflector is adjustable by rotating the deflector.

Preferably, the mounting member is generally circular, such that at least a portion of 11 the channel is annular. Most preferably, the mounting member is hollow (for example, 12 tubular) to minimise the mass of the nozzle.

14 In an embodiment, the deflector is secured to a spindle, and the spindle Is secured to the body. Preferably, the spindle is adapted to be secured, for example threadably 16 secured, to a mounting member.

18 Preferably, the spindle is hollow. Most preferably, the spindle is tubular.

Preferably, the spindle and/or the conical deflector are demountable and thereby 21 replaceable.

23 Preferably, the deflector is slideably mounted on the spindle.

In a preferred embodiment, the nozzle further comprises adjusting means for 26 adjusting the position of the deflecting means and responsive to pressure.

28 Preferably the adjusting means is a resilient member. Advantageously, the resilient 29 member is a spring. Preferably a resilient member is selected having a pre-load which exceeds the force on the deflecting means applied by normal operating fluid 31 pressure in the unblocked, partially blocked or fully blocked nozzle. Operation of the 32 adjusting means requires a user to increase fluid pressure above a threshold 33 pressure determined by the force on the deflecting means required to overcome the 34 pre-load of the resilient member. An adjusting means comprising a resilient member having such a pre-load will therefore not trigger in response to small variations in fluid 36 pressure, thus ensuring consistent operation of the nozzle.

2 Preferably the adjusting means is demountable and thereby replaceable. A 3 demountable adjusting means may be replaced by alternative adjusting means 4 chosen to be responsive to a pre-determined threshold pressure of fluid in the nozzle, selected according to the required operating conditions of the nozzle. Adjusting 6 means may thus be installed on a given nozzle to suit changing operating conditions, 7 without the requirement to install an alternative complete nozzle.

9 Conveniently, the adjusting means is a spring fixed between the deflector and an end cap mounted on the end of the spindle. Access to adjust or replace the adjusting 11 means is thus effected by removal of the end cap.

13 In an embodiment, the size of the outlet between the end of the body and the 14 deflectIng means is adjustable by adjusting the position of the deflector on the spindle. For example, the position of the conical deflector on the spindle may be 16 adjusted by placing one or more spacers on the spindle between the deflector and 17 the body. In art alternative embodiment, the deflector is threadably mounted on the 18 spindle and the position of the deflector is adjustable by rotating the deflector.

Preferably the nozzle is formed of a light weight material. Preferably the light weight 21 material is a marine grade aluminium.

23 Preferably the deflector is conical.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit of parts for 26 a nozzle for a hose or pipe, comprising a body with a fluid channel extending 27 therethrough, adapted to be connected to a hose or pipe at the upstream end, 28 deflecting means for deflecting a flow of fluid leaving the nozzle adapted to be 29 attached to the body at or near the downstream end of the channel, and adjusting means for adjusting the position of the deflecting means relative to the end of the 31 channel, adapted to be attached to the body, said adjusting means being responsive 32 to fluid pressure.

34 Preferably the adjusting means is a resilient member. Advantageously, the resilient member is a spring.

1 Preferably the kit comprises a plurality of resilient members, such that the kit can be 2 used to assemble nozzles having adjusting means chosen to be responsive to a pre- 3 determined threshold pressure of fluid in the nozzle, selected according to the 4 required operating conditions of the nozzle.

6 A kit comprising a plurality of resilient members can be advantageously assembled at 7 a location and a resilient member having a pre-load appropriate to the pressure of the 8 fluid to be used at that location may be selected. Thus there is no requirement to ship 9 a plurality of complete nozzles, each comprising resilient members having a different pre-load.

12 Preferably the deflecting means is a deflector. Preferably the deflector is conical.

14 Conveniently, the adjusting means is fixed between the deflector and an end cap mounted in the end of the fluid channel.

17 In an embodiment, the body is tubular and most preferably, the body has a generally 18 circular cross section.

Preferably the deflector is secured to a mounting member, and the mounting member 21 is positioned centrally within the channel and connected to the body by one or more 22 buttresses. Preferably, the mounting member is generally circular, such that at least a 23 portion of the channel is annular. Most preferably, the mounting member is hollow (for 24 example, tubular) to minimise the mass of the body.

26 In a preferred embodiment the upstream end of the mounting member is convex.

27 Preferably the upstream end of the mounting member is a conical tip and may be a 28 sharp conical tip.. Advantageously, the upstream edge of the or each buttress is also 29 provided with a sharp profile. In use, the provision of one or more buttresses with sharp upstream edges and/or a mounting member with a convex upstream end such 31 as a conical tip, both smoothes fluid flow in the nozzle past the mounting member, 32 and acts to break up clumps of debris within the fluid, thereby functioning as debris 33 fragmenting means.

1 In one embodiment, the kit comprises a spindle adapted to be secured to the body, 2 and the deflector is adapted to be secured to the spindle. Preferably, the spindle is 3 adapted to be secured, for example threadably secured, to a mounting member.

Preferably, the spindle is hollow. Most preferably, the spindle is generally tubular.

7 Advantageously, the kit further comprises one or more spacers suitable to be 8 installed on the spindle between the body and the deflector.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit of parts 11 for a nozzle for a hose or pipe, comprising a body having a fluid channel extending 12 therethrough, deflecting means for deflecting a flow of fluid leaving the nozzle, 13 adapted to be secured to the body at or near the downstream end of the channel, 14 wherein the body comprises disrupting means within the channel for breaking up debris within fluid passing through the nozzle, in use.

17 The body is preferably tubular and most preferably, the body has a generally circular 18 cross section.

Preferably the deflecting means is a deflector. Preferably, the deflector is adapted to 21 be secured to a mounting member positioned within the channel (and preferably 22 centrally within the channel) and connected to the body by one or more buttresses.

24 Preferably the deflector is conical.

26 In a preferred embodiment the upstream end of the mounting member is convex.

27 Preferably the upstream end of the mounting member is a conical tip and may be a 28 sharp conical tip. Advantageously, the upstream edge of the or each buttress is 29 provided with a sharp profile. In use, the provision of one or more buttresses with sharp upstream edges and/or a mounting member with a convex upstream end such 31 as a conical tip, both smoothes fluid flow in the nozzle past the mounting member, 32 and acts to break up clumps of debris within the fluid, thereby functioning as debris 33 fragmenting means.

1 Preferably, the mounting member is generally circular, such that at least a portion of 2 the channel is annular. Most preferably, the mounting member is hollow (for example, 3 tubular) to minimise the mass of the nozzle.

In an embodiment, the kit further comprises a spindle adapted to be secured to the 6 body, and the deflector is adapted to be secured to the spindle. Preferably, the 7 spindle is adapted to be secured, for example threadably secured, to a mounting 8 member.

Preferably, the spindle is hollow. Most preferably, the spindle is generally tubular.

12 Preferably, the deflector is adapted to be slideably mounted on the spindle.

14 Advantageously, the kit further comprises one or more spacers suitable to be installed on the spindle between the body and the deflector.

17 Preferably the nozzle is formed of a light weight material. Preferably the light weight 18 material is a marine grade aluminium.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of 21 flushing debris from a nozzle connected to a water supply, wherein the nozzle 22 comprises a body, a fluid channel extending through the body, deflecting means 23 arranged at or near the downstream end of the channel for deflecting a flow of fluid 24 leaving the nozzle, wherein a fluid outlet is defined by the downstream end of the channel and the deflector, and means for adjusting the position of the deflecting 26 means relative to the end of the channel, said adjusting means being responsive to 27 fluid pressure, the method comprising the steps of identifying that the nozzle has 28 become blocked, increasing the pressure of water in the nozzle above a pre- 29 determined level so as to cause said adjusting means to adjust the position of the deflecting means relative to the end of the channel from a first position to a second 31 position, wherein the size of the fluid outlet defined by the deflector in a second 32 position is larger than the size of the fluid outlet defined by the deflector in the first 33 position, thereby permitting trapped debris to exit the nozzle, and decreasing the 34 pressure of water in the nozzle below a pre-determined level, so as to cause said adjusting means to return the deflecting means to the first position.

1 It will be understood that optional features of the nozzle of the method according to 2 the fifth aspect correspond to optional features of the nozzle according to the first 3 aspect.

Optional features mentioned above in relation to any one of the five aspects of the 6 invention are also optional features of each of the five aspects of the invention.

8 An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to and 9 as shown in the accompanying figures in which:- 11 Fig 1 is a perspective view of a nozzle according to one aspect of the present 12 invention; 14 Fig 2 is an end elevation of the nozzle of Fig 1; 16 Fig 3 is a cross-section on the line A-A of Fig 2; 18 Fig 4 is a perspective view of the body of the nozzle of Fig 1; Fig 5 is an end elevation of the body of Fig 4; 22 Fig 6 is a section on the line A-A of Fig 5; 24 Fig 7 is a perspective view of the deflector of the nozzle of Fig 1; 26 Fig 8 is an end elevation of the deflector of Fig 7; 28 Fig 9 is a section on the line A-A of Fig 8; Fig 10 is a perspective view of a cap of the nozzle of Fig 1; 32 Fig 11 is an end elevation of the cap of Fig 10: 34 Fig 12 is a cross section on the line A-A of Fig 11; 36 Fig 13 is a perspective view of a spacer of the nozzle of Fig 1; and 2 Fig 14 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a nozzle according to 3 the present invention, showing a cross sectional view through the body.

Turning now to Figure 3, there is shown a nozzle 1 for a hose or pipe comprising a 6 body 3 which is provided with a threaded portion 4 at the upstream end, adapted to 7 be mounted on a hose or pipe. A fluid channel 5 is provided through the body. A 8 mounting member 9 is positioned in the channel and is attached to the body by 9 buttresses 11. A spindle 7 is attached to the mounting member and extends from the end of the body. This can be more clearly seen in Figure 6. The spindle may be 11 integral with the mounting member (which itself may be integral with the body), or the 12 spindle may be threadably secured to the mounting member.

14 The upstream end of the mounting member has a sharp conical tip 13. The sharp upstream edges 43 of buttresses 11 are also provided with a sharp profile, along line 16 A marked on Figure 5.

18 The downstream end of the spindle has a reduced diameter threaded region 15 19 adapted to receive a cap 17.

21 Referring now to Figure 12, the cap is provided with an internally threaded inner bore 22 19 which is adapted to receive the threaded portion 15 of the spindle 7. The cap is 23 also provided with an outer bore 21 with a larger diameter than the inner bore. An 24 annular shoulder 23 is formed between the inner and outer bores.

26 A deflector 27, for deflecting flow of a fluid passing through the body and out of the 27 end of the fluid channel, is slideably mounted on the spindle. As shown in Figures 7 28 and 8, the deflector comprises a conical upstream surface 33 to deflect fluid passing 29 through the nozzle. The deflector comprises an inner bore 35, having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the spindle, and a larger outer bore 31 37. An annular shoulder 39 is formed between the inner and outer bores.

33 A fluid outlet 29 is defined between the end of the body and the deflector. A spacer 34 41 may be provided between the end of the body and the deflector to vary the size of the fluid outlet.

1 A resilient member, which in the embodiment shown is a spring 31, is mounted on the 2 spindle between the defector and the cap. The spring extends into outer bores 21 and 3 37, and abuts annular shoulders 23 and 39.

In use, fluid flows through the channel 5, and is deflected by the deflector 27 through 6 the outlet 29. Conical tip 13 and sharp upstream edges 43 smooth the flow of fluid 7 past mounting member 9 and buttresses 11.

9 In the event that debris Is carried in the fluid stream to the outlet of the nozzle, the nozzle may become blocked. Large clumps of debris (for example soil) may impinge 11 the conical tip and/or sharp upstream edges 43 and the sharpened profiles of these 12 features act to break the debris into smaller pieces, These sharpened features thus 13 function as debris fragmenting means and increase the probability that debris within 14 the fluid Is broken into fragments sufficiently small to pass through the fluid outlet.

16 However, the fluid outlet may still become partially or completely blocked by debris 17 within thefluid.

19 If fluid pressure in the nozzle is increased so as to overcome the pre-load of the spring, the deflector will move downstream against the bias of the spring, thereby 21 increasing the size of the outlet and allowing trapped debris to exit the nozzle. The 22 fluid pressure may then be return to the standard operating pressure, and the spring 23 will return the deflector to the normal operating position.

The pre-load of the spring may be selected to suit the fluid pressure to be used with 26 the nozzle. Use of a spring having insufficient pre-load may result in inconsistent 27 operation of the nozzle. Advantageously therefore, the nozzle can be disassembled 28 in order to install a spring having a pre-load which is suitable for a given application.

It is envisaged that the nozzle may be formed of light weight materials such as marine 31 grade aluminium. This is particularly useful in providing a nozzle for a hose or pipe in 32 which a fluid curtain is required around an object at a very high temperature such as 33 is experienced in an offshore application on oil rigs or other floating platforms.

34 Lightweight materials are particularly advantageous in applications of the nozzle requiring that the nozzle be manually handled, for example in bush fire fighting 36 operations.

2 Figure 14 shows an alternative embodiment of a nozzle 100 according to the present 3 invention, comprising opposing conical deflectors 45 and 47, and wherein the 4 mounting member 49 is attached to the body 51 by four buttresses 53. The width of upstream conical deflector 45 is equal to or greater than the width of the body and is 6 greater than the width of downstream conical deflector 47, which is equal to or less 7 than the width of the body. Opposing conical deflectors 45,47 define a conical fluid 8 outlet. Each buttress is provided with a sharp upstream edge 55 and the mounting 9 member is provided with a conical tip 57.