JP2001027396A - Life estimating device for float type drain trap - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To measure the number of times of opening and closing of a float type drain trap in operation so as to estimate its life. SOLUTION: A free type steam trap 20 is formed with a casing having a valve chamber 3 in the inside by tightening a cover unit 2 to a main unit 1 having an inlet 4 and an outlet 6, and a valve port 7 provided in a lower side wall of the valve chamber 3 is opened/closed by a float 9 arranged in the valve chamber 3. An ultrasonic wave transceiver 14 is mounted in a bottom part outer surface of the valve chamber 3 of the free float type steam trap 20 and connected to a control arithmetic device 15. An ultrasonic wave is radiated toward upward from the ultrasonic wave transceiver 14, a water level of the valve chamber 3 is detected from a time till returning after reflected by the water level, and the number of times of opening and closing in operation are measured from water level displacement of the valve chamber 3 and displayed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the maintenance of a float type drain trap for automatically discharging drain such as condensed water and condensed water generated in steam, compressed air and gas piping systems, and more particularly to the maintenance of a float type drain trap. The present invention relates to an apparatus for estimating the life of a float-type drain trap that measures the number of times of opening and closing operations to estimate the life.

In a float type drain trap, an inlet, a valve chamber, and an outlet are formed by casing, a valve port communicating the valve chamber with the outlet is provided in a lower portion of the valve chamber, and a float for opening and closing the valve port is disposed in the valve chamber. The float rises and falls according to the amount of drain flowing into the valve chamber, and opens and closes the valve port to discharge the drain to the outside.

[0003] If the float type drain trap does not operate normally, gas transport and production activities are seriously hindered. In other words, if the drain opening capacity is reduced due to a reduced or insufficient valve opening function, the drain stagnates on the trap inlet side,
Efficiency of equipment using gas decreases or equipment is destroyed. If the valve closing function is deteriorated and gas is leaked, expensive energy is wasted.

[0004]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, maintenance of a float type drain trap has been regularly and strictly performed. That is, the operation of equipment and various plants is suspended every predetermined period, such as once a year or once every six months, and the float type drain trap is disassembled and inspected and repaired.

[0005]

In this case, maintenance must be performed including the use of a float type drain trap which is infrequently used and therefore has a low probability of occurrence of a failure. There is a problem that high maintenance costs are required.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a float type drain trap life estimating apparatus capable of measuring the number of opening and closing operations of the float type drain trap and estimating the life.

[0007]

Means for solving the above-mentioned problems according to the present invention include an ultrasonic transmitter / receiver mounted on an outer bottom surface of a valve chamber of a float type drain trap, and an ultrasonic transmitter / receiver. Water level detecting means for detecting the water level of the valve chamber from the time until the ultrasonic wave radiated upward from the water surface is reflected and returned, and opening and closing operation from the water level of the valve chamber detected by the water level detecting means The present invention is an apparatus for estimating the life of a float type drain trap, comprising: a number-of-times measuring means for measuring the number of times.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In a float type drain trap, a float rises and falls according to the amount of drain flowing into a valve chamber.
The drain is drained to the outside by opening and closing the valve port. As the number of opening and closing operations increases, the wear of the float and the valve port progresses, and the life is shortened. Therefore, the water level of the valve chamber is detected from the time until the ultrasonic wave radiated upward from the ultrasonic transceiver is reflected on the water surface and returns, and the number of opening / closing operations is measured from the water level of the valve chamber. Thereby, the life of the float type drain trap can be estimated.

[0009]

FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of an apparatus for estimating the life of a float type drain trap according to the present invention. This embodiment is applied to a free-float type steam trap 20.
The casing of the free-float type steam trap 20 is formed of a main body 1 and a lid 2 fastened to the main body 1, and has a valve chamber 3 therein. The main body 1 has an inlet 4, an outlet passage 5, and an outlet 6, and the inlet 4 communicates with an upper part of the valve chamber 3. A valve seat 8 having a valve port 7 opened is attached to a lower side wall of the valve chamber 3. Valve room 3
Communicates with the outlet 6 from the outlet passage 5 through the valve port 7. Hollow spherical float 9 for opening and closing valve port 7 in valve chamber 3
Is placed in a free state. A guide tube 16 for guiding the float 9 in the vertical direction is fixed to the valve chamber 3. The guide cylinder 16 has a small hole on one surface.

An ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 14 is attached to the bottom outer surface of the valve chamber 3 and connected to a control calculator 15. Control calculator 15
Controls the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 14 at predetermined time intervals, radiates ultrasonic waves upward from the bottom outer surface of the valve chamber 3 and reflects the water level of the valve chamber 3 Is detected, and the number of times of opening / closing operation is measured from the change in the water level of the valve chamber 3 and displayed.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a free-float type steam trap, but can also be applied to a lever-float type steam trap. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to a float type steam trap but also to a float type air trap and a float type gas trap.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the water level in the valve chamber is detected by using the ultrasonic transceiver mounted on the outer surface of the bottom of the valve chamber of the float type drain trap. By measuring the number of times of opening and closing operations, an excellent effect that the life of the float type drain trap can be estimated can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of an apparatus for estimating the life of a float type drain trap according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Lid 3 Valve room 4 Inlet 6 Outlet 7 Valve port 9 Float 14 Ultrasonic transceiver 15 Control arithmetic unit 20 Free float type steam trap

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ultrasonic transmitter / receiver attached to the bottom outer surface of a valve chamber of a float type drain trap, and an ultrasonic wave radiated upward from the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver is reflected on a water surface and returned. A float type drain trap, comprising: a water level detecting means for detecting a water level of a valve chamber from time; and a frequency measuring means for measuring the number of times of opening and closing operations from the water level of the valve chamber detected by the water level detecting means. Life estimation device.