JP2007218433A - Actuator for emergency shut-off valve - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an actuator capable of realizing an emergency shut-off valve when requiring simplicity in a driving source and reliability on transmission of variable signal. <P>SOLUTION: The actuator for an emergency shut-off valve is provided with a direct current motor 4 for driving a valve element 12 of the emergency shut-off valve, a storage battery 5 as a back-up power source of the direct current motor 4 in emergency, and a control circuit substrate 6 comprising a driving circuit for driving the direct current motor 4 and a charging circuit for charging the storage battery 5. The storage battery 5 is structured of an electric double-layer capacitor formed by arranging the electrolyte between a positive electrode active carbon and a negative electrode active carbon so that negative ion is adsorbed by an interface between the positive electrode active carbon and the electrolyte in a charge cycle, and that positive ion is adsorbed by an interface between the negative electrode active carbon and the electrolyte, and that ion adsorbed to the positive electrode active carbon and the negative electrode active carbon moves in the electrolyte in a discharge cycle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an actuator for closing an emergency shut-off valve in an emergency such as a power failure due to an earthquake.

  Conventionally, various types of emergency shut-off valves have been used. However, Patent Document 1 discloses that a seismic device and a battery are provided in a control panel, and the control panel is provided integrally with a valve body. Is disclosed. This emergency shut-off valve closes the valve with a weight, and when an earthquake is detected by a sensor, the solenoid is activated by the signal to unlock the weight, and the valve is closed when the weight is lowered. It is configured. In order to open the valve, it is necessary to manually lift the weight and return it to the locked position, and it is difficult to say that the operability is simple.

  The emergency shut-off valve does not operate normally, and is required to operate reliably in an emergency such as an earthquake where it is not known when it occurs. Therefore, the emergency shut-off valve is required to have a simple drive source, certainty of transmission of various signals, prevention of accidental operation, and ease of on-site inspection at normal times. However, the emergency shut-off valve described above is driven by a weight, and when an earthquake is detected by a vibrator, the solenoid is activated by that signal, and the weight is lowered by releasing the lock that holds the weight. Therefore, there is a problem in certainty that the lock can be easily released even if the external force is not due to the solenoid.

JP-A-9-242918

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, simplifies the normal inspection work by simplifying the drive source of the emergency shut-off valve, and simplifies the opening and closing of the valve in the field during normal times and the valve operation in the field during emergencies. It is an object of the present invention to provide an actuator that can be used for the above.

The emergency shut-off valve actuator of the present invention is driven by a DC power source connected to a commercial power source and opens and closes the emergency shut-off valve,
A storage battery serving as a backup power source for the DC motor at the time of a power failure of the commercial power supply, a drive circuit for driving the DC motor, and a control circuit board including a charging circuit for charging the storage battery,
In the storage battery, an electric field liquid is disposed between the positive electrode activated carbon and the negative electrode activated carbon. In the charging cycle, anions are adsorbed at the interface between the positive electrode activated carbon and the electric field liquid, and cations are adsorbed at the interface between the negative electrode activated carbon and the electric field liquid. The discharge cycle is characterized by comprising an electric double layer capacitor in which ions adsorbed on the positive electrode activated carbon and the negative electrode activated carbon move in the electrolysis solution. This electric double layer capacitor is preferably charged intermittently in a shorter time than the discharge time in terms of life.

  Since the actuator of the present invention uses a storage battery composed of an electric double layer capacitor as a backup power source in case of emergency, the emergency shut-off valve drive source is simple and normal inspection work can be simplified. It is possible to easily open and close the emergency shut-off valve and to perform on-site valve operation in an emergency, and to prevent erroneous operation.

  In the present invention, since the actuator incorporates an electric double layer capacitor (hereinafter referred to as a storage battery) as a backup power source in the event of a power failure, when the commercial power source fails, an electric motor, a control circuit board, a seismic device, a field operation display unit Power for operating the battery is also supplied from this storage battery. If the seismoscope or field operation display unit is installed at a location far from the shut-off valve, a relatively long signal wiring or electrical wiring is required between them. This is cut off by the impact of the earthquake, and the emergency shut-off valve is thereby activated. If the storage battery, the seismic instrument, and the field operation display unit are integrally attached to the actuator and the actuator cover, even if an earthquake occurs, there is no fear that the signal wiring and electrical wiring will be cut. Therefore, it can be operated independently by being isolated from the external situation by the storage battery in the actuator.

  The emergency shut-off valve does not operate normally, and it is necessary to operate it in an emergency such as an earthquake that is not known when it occurs, so normal inspection is important. Therefore, for example, by providing an on-site operation display unit integrally with the emergency shut-off valve actuator, it is possible to easily check the mechanical operation of the valve during normal inspections. The return operation can be performed on the spot, and the simplicity that the valve can be operated on the spot even when the water tank equipped with the emergency shutoff valve is cleaned can be provided.

  In addition, by adding a predetermined operation to prevent accidental operation to the switch that commands the valve closing attached to the local operation display unit, for example, when something collides or the child mischievously switches the valve closing switch. A valve operation is prevented from being closed by an accidental operation such as pressing.

  In addition, the seismic device used for the emergency shut-off valve is equipped with an automatic leveling function, for example, by floating the seismic body in an oil bath, so that the mounting angle of the emergency shut-off valve and the seismic device is vertical or horizontal. Therefore, even if it is slightly tilted, it can be operated accurately, so that a slight tilt is allowed for mounting the emergency shut-off valve, and the mounting work becomes easy.

  Next, an embodiment of an emergency shutoff valve equipped with an actuator of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is an overall elevation view of the emergency shut-off valve, and FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a layout view inside the actuator of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram inside the actuator, and FIG. 5 is a front view of a field operation display unit provided in the actuator. In the figure, 1 is a valve body and 2 is an actuator. A field operation display unit 3 is attached to the outer surface of the actuator 2. The valve body 1 includes a valve box 11, a valve body 12, and a valve rod 13. The valve rod 13 is connected to the actuator 2, and opens and closes the valve body 12 by a DC motor (described later) in the actuator 2. . The valve body 12 uses a segment type ball valve that has a spherical shape only in contact with the seat, ensuring the valve's operating reliability by preventing the valve operating torque from increasing even if the valve is held open for a long period of time. is doing. In the actuator 2, as shown in FIG. 3, a DC motor 4, a storage battery 5, a control circuit board 6, and a vibration sensor 7 mounted on the control circuit board 6 are arranged. The DC motor 4 is connected via a reduction gear mechanism. To the output shaft 8. An automatic leveling type is used as the seismic device 7, and this seismic device has an automatic alignment function for an inclination of up to about 10 degrees.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram in the actuator 2. The control circuit board 6 is provided with a CPU, a motor drive circuit, a power failure detection circuit, and a voltage detection circuit, and is connected to the seismic device 7, the DC motor 4, and the field operation display unit 3. The CPU in the control circuit board 6 receives the vibration detection signal from the seismic sensor 7, determines whether it is an earthquake, and instructs the motor drive circuit to drive the motor if it is determined that the earthquake. Is the main role. While the charging circuit is operated by a DC power source connected to a commercial power source, a control power source is obtained that operates a CPU or the like through the DC / DC power source. Further, the battery 5 is supplied to the storage battery 5 via the charging circuit and charged. However, when the commercial power supply fails, the power failure detection circuit operates, and the input to the DC motor is switched to the storage battery 5. The storage battery 5 is always supplied with power to the motor through a motor drive circuit as a power source for driving the motor. Therefore, the emergency shut-off valve can operate without any trouble even in the event of a sudden power failure or a power failure due to an earthquake.

Since the emergency shut-off valve operates only in an emergency, it is necessary to regularly check the operation and visually check the appearance during normal times. Therefore, providing the on-site operation display unit integrally with the actuator has the following advantages in the above-described operation check and the like.
B) For inspection, it is necessary to check whether there is any problem with the mechanical operation of the valve closing by operating the “shut off” push button. Can be confirmed.
B) After an earthquake has occurred and the emergency shut-off valve has been closed, when there is no damage caused by the earthquake and an attempt is made to open it again, the emergency shut-off valve must be opened after visually confirming the piping conditions around the emergency shut-off valve Can do. Under the circumstances described above, if the emergency shut-off valve and the operation panel that is the operation source are located at a distance, the person who performs inspection and operation will reciprocate between the emergency shut-off valve and the operation source each time. On the other hand, if the on-site operation display unit that is the operation source is provided integrally, inspection and operation can be easily performed without moving by a person.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the layout of the on-site operation display unit 3. In the figure, 31 is an indicator lamp indicating power supply of commercial power, 32 is a shutoff indicator lamp, and lights up when the valve is in the “closed” state. Reference numeral 33 denotes an error indicator lamp which is turned on when the emergency shut-off valve operates abnormally, and 34 is a “shut off” push button. This “shutdown” push button cannot be “closed” with a primary operation simply by pressing for a short time, but by performing a secondary operation that keeps pressing the “shutdown” push button for 15 seconds. The valve can be “closed”. This secondary operation is intended to prevent the valve from being “closed” due to, for example, an accident such as something hitting the “shutdown” pushbutton 34 or a child pushing it tampering. Alternatively, you can double-click the push button. Conventional emergency shut-off valves generally have a “shut-off” push button housed in an operation panel that can be locked, so that the above-mentioned negligence is unlikely to occur. Not. Reference numeral 35 denotes a “return” push button, which is a switch for opening a valve whose valve is “closed” due to an earthquake or the like by pressing this button.

  The emergency shutoff valve actuator of the present invention uses an electric double layer capacitor as a storage battery. This storage battery has an electrolyte placed between the positive active carbon and the negative active carbon, and in the charge cycle, at the interface between the positive active carbon and the electrolytic solution. Anions are adsorbed and cations are adsorbed at the interface between the negative electrode activated carbon and the electrolyte. On the contrary, in the discharge cycle, the ions adsorbed on the positive electrode activated carbon and the negative electrode activated carbon move in the electrolyte solution, so that current can be taken out. This charge / discharge is due to adsorption of ions, and not due to chemical reactions like ordinary storage batteries, so there is no limit to the number of charge / discharge cycles. In general storage batteries such as lead storage batteries and nickel cadmium storage batteries, replacement While the time is about 2 to 3 years, the replacement time of the electric double layer capacitor is as long as about 7 years or more, and the maintenance work can be greatly reduced. In addition, the charging time can be the capacity of the electric double layer capacitor and the charging current, and the one used in this embodiment is fully charged within 2 minutes and can be charged more rapidly than a normal storage battery. It also has the advantage of simplifying the charging circuit.

  On the other hand, although the electric double layer capacitor is completely charged, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of life to always apply a voltage after that. Therefore, a charging circuit was configured to charge intermittently. Specifically, the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor is constantly monitored, the charging is stopped when the fully charged state is reached, and when the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor drops to a certain value due to natural discharge or the like, the battery is fully charged. Recharge until. FIG. 6 shows an actual charging state of the electric double layer capacitor. The electric double layer capacitor voltage at full charge was 14.5V, and the electric double layer capacitor voltage at the start of recharging was 13.5V. At this time, the initial initial charging time is as long as about 2 minutes, but the charging time after the second time is very short as about 30 seconds, whereas the discharge time by spontaneous discharge is about 1 hour in actual measurement, Therefore, the charging time ratio can be kept as low as 0.8%, and the electric double layer capacitor is a charging method with almost no electrical stress. This method is very effective in extending the replacement time of the electric double layer capacitor. Connect a fully charged electric double layer capacitor to the discharge circuit, and measure the time required for the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor to drop to a certain voltage periodically (eg every 3 months) by the CPU. Thus, the actual capacity of the electric double layer capacitor can be calculated, and the replacement time of the electric double layer capacitor can be notified from this capacity.

  FIG. 7 shows an outline of the level meter 9 provided in the emergency shut-off valve actuator of the present invention. A weight 93 suspended from a column 91 by a chain 92 is disposed facing a recess 94 formed on the floor of the actuator. If the diameter of the concave portion 94 is appropriately selected and the weight 93 is in contact with the edge of the concave portion 94 so as to be the allowable inclination limit of the above-described automatic leveling type seismic device 7, this is visually observed. Thus, it can be easily determined whether or not the emergency shut-off valve is mounted within an appropriate inclination.

  Moreover, when using the emergency shutoff valve provided with the actuator of this invention in water tanks, such as a water receiving tank, normally several emergency shutoff valves are used for one water tank. At that time, an emergency shut-off valve shown in FIG. 1 is used as a main emergency shut-off valve, and an electric motor, a motor drive circuit, and an opening detection circuit are provided in the actuator as a slave emergency shut-off valve (refer to the dashed line in FIG. 4). The valve can be used as a simple type in which all the valves are “closed / opened” in accordance with instructions from the main emergency shut-off valve.

It is the elevation view and partial sectional view of an emergency shutoff valve provided with the actuator of the present invention. It is a side view of the emergency shut-off valve of FIG. FIG. 3 is a layout diagram inside the actuator of the present invention. It is a schematic circuit diagram inside the actuator of this invention. It is a top view of the field operation display unit provided in the emergency shut-off valve. It is a diagram which shows the charge condition of an electric double layer capacitor. It is an elevation which shows the level meter provided in the emergency shut-off valve.

Explanation of symbols

1 Emergency shut-off valve, 2 Actuator, 3 On-site operation display unit, 4 DC motor, 5 accumulator, 6 Control circuit board, 7 Sensor, 9 Level meter, 12 Valve body, 13 Valve rod, 34 Shut off push button, 35 Return push button

Claims (3)

A DC motor driven by a DC power source connected to a commercial power source to open and close an emergency shut-off valve;
A storage battery serving as a backup power source for the DC motor at the time of a power failure of the commercial power supply, a drive circuit for driving the DC motor, and a control circuit board including a charging circuit for charging the storage battery,
In the storage battery, an electric field liquid is disposed between the positive electrode activated carbon and the negative electrode activated carbon. In the charging cycle, anions are adsorbed at the interface between the positive electrode activated carbon and the electric field liquid, and cations are adsorbed at the interface between the negative electrode activated carbon and the electric field liquid. An emergency shut-off valve actuator characterized by comprising an electric double layer capacitor in which ions adsorbed on the positive electrode activated carbon and the negative electrode activated carbon move in the liquid electrolyte in the discharge cycle. 2. The charging circuit according to claim 1, wherein the charging circuit is configured to recharge the storage battery until the battery is fully charged in a time shorter than a discharging time when the voltage drops below a predetermined value. Actuator for emergency shutoff valve. The control circuit board detects the voltage of the storage battery, processes the voltage detected there, and stops charging the storage battery when the voltage corresponds to a fully charged voltage; and The emergency shut-off valve actuator according to claim 2, further comprising a CPU that recharges the storage battery when the voltage drops to a set value.