GB908989A - Improvements in or relating to means for sealing and centering a piston in a gas holder - Google Patents

Abstract

908,989. Gas holders. BINMORE, J. M. Feb. 13, 1959 [Dec. 3, 1957], No. 37561/57. Class 54. For sealing and centring the piston 1 of a gas holder, annular peripheral chambers 10 at the top and bottom of the piston are closed by flexible rings 3, 4 having rubbing rings 8 and the chambers are divided into six compartments 11 by flexible partitions 9, each compartment being in communication with a header tank 13 to provide a liquid head which maintains the rings in engagement with the wall of the holder. Each of the tanks 13 is formed by two compartments 14, 15 connected by a conduit 16 so that, if the tanks are filled halfway up the conduit when the piston is level, any tilting of the piston will cause rapid increases or decreases of head in the tanks to which liquid is forced or from which liquid is drawn. The header tanks are connected in diametrally-opposite pairs to float chambers 17 in which floats 18 are connected to a lever 19 controlling a master filling valve which opens if the level in both float chambers falls below the mean level; this will happen if there is leakage affecting one header tank, as tilting of the piston will lower the level in the diametrally-opposite tank. The lowering of the level in a make-up tank 20 may give an alarm. Alternatively, a gauge glass side-by-side with a gauge glass connected to the header tank may be connected by a liquid column to a cylinder having a piston linked to a roller bearing on the gas-holder wall. To prevent water hammer, the conduit 16 in the header tanks may be carried a short distance below the top of the lower compartment 13, to provide an air lock or an air vessel may be provided at the top of each chamber 10 in the conduit from the header tank. The space 8A between the rubbing rings 8 may be supplied with lubricant under pressure and loose segments 29 of hard material may be fitted in the spaces 8A to prevent tripping of the rings 8. A fringe of springs 30 secure the rings 3 to angle members 5, 6 and engage the top and bottom rings 8 to relieve the rings 3 of the force necessary to take the rubbing rings upon and down with the piston. The rings 3, 4 and 8 may be made from rubber or synthetic rubber reinforced, if necessary, by fibrous laminates.