JP2008033658A - Pressure regulator including power generating function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a pressure regulator to have a power generating function by which a gas pressure regulator is not enlarged and also the responsiveness of a pressure regulating mechanism is not affected. <P>SOLUTION: The pressure regulator includes: a diaphragm 14 for forming a part of the partitioning wall of a pressure regulating chamber 11 which communicates with a gas stream inlet via a pressure regulating valve 20; and a pressure regulating spring 16 for energizing the diaphragm toward the pressure regulating chamber. The pressure regulator regulates the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve linked with the movement of the diaphragm, so as to regulate gas pressure in the pressure regulating chamber. Piezoelectric element modules 61, 62 for converting mechanical energy into electric energy are arranged in parts for receiving the vibration of at least the diaphragm or the pressure regulating spring. Then, power is generated by the vibration of the diaphragm or the pressure regulating spring. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pressure regulator, and more particularly to a pressure regulator having a function of generating electric power using vibration of a pressure regulation mechanism that regulates the pressure of a gas.

  In general, gas supply equipment that supplies fuel gas to industrial or household gas use equipment is provided with a gas pressure regulator that converts high pressure gas supplied from a gas supply source into low pressure gas required by the use equipment. . In addition to the gas pressure regulator, the gas supply facility is provided with attached devices such as a gas meter for measuring the amount of gas used, a safety device for ensuring safety, and the like.

  In some cases, an electronic circuit or a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) is incorporated in these accessory devices, and a primary battery such as a lithium battery is used as a power source for operating the electronic circuit or the microcomputer ( For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  By the way, since the capacity (discharge) of the battery is fixed, it is necessary to design the power consumption of the electronic circuit or the microcomputer to be equal to or less than the capacity of the battery, which may be functionally restricted. Therefore, in Patent Document 2, in order to secure a driving power source for the gas pressure regulator for a long period of time, a rotating blade that rotates by receiving a gas flow is disposed in the gas outlet passage, and the generator is driven by the rotating blade. It has been proposed to store the generated power in a battery. In place of this, it has been proposed to attach a magnet to the diaphragm constituting the pressure adjusting mechanism, place the coil close to the magnet, and store the electric power generated in the coil by the vibration of the diaphragm in the battery.

JP 2004-157074 A JP 2006-185301 A

  However, according to the method of generating power by driving the generator with the rotary blade described in Patent Document 2, there is a problem that the gas pressure regulator becomes large. On the other hand, according to the method of generating power by vibrating a magnet by diaphragm vibration, there is a problem that the responsiveness of the pressure adjusting mechanism is affected because the inertia of the diaphragm increases by the mass of the magnet.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to realize a pressure regulator having a power generation function without increasing the size of the gas pressure regulator and without affecting the responsiveness of the pressure regulation mechanism.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a pressure regulating chamber communicated with a gas inlet via a pressure regulating valve, a gas outlet communicated with the pressure regulating chamber, and a part of a partition wall of the pressure regulating chamber. And a pressure regulating spring that urges the diaphragm toward the pressure regulating chamber, and a valve drive mechanism that adjusts the opening of the pressure regulating valve in conjunction with the movement of the diaphragm. In the regulator, a mechanical-electrical energy conversion element that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy is disposed at a portion that receives vibration of at least one of the diaphragm and the pressure regulating spring.

  The pressure regulator operates by a balance between the gas pressure in the pressure regulating chamber acting on the diaphragm and the biasing force of the pressure regulating pressure regulating spring. For example, when the gas pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber is lower than the set pressure, the valve drive mechanism opens the opening of the pressure adjustment valve. Conversely, when the gas pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber is higher than the set pressure, the opening of the pressure adjustment valve To adjust the flow rate of the gas flowing into the pressure regulating chamber to maintain the gas pressure in the pressure regulating chamber at the set pressure. Due to the gas flow in the pressure regulator, slight vibrations are constantly generated in the diaphragm and the pressure regulating spring.

  According to the present invention, vibration energy of a diaphragm or a pressure regulating spring is converted into electric energy by a mechanical-electrical energy conversion element such as a piezoelectric element arranged at a portion that receives vibrations of the diaphragm and the pressure regulating spring. Therefore, by providing a DC power source having a rectifier circuit that converts AC power converted by the mechanical-electrical energy conversion element into DC power and a battery that is charged by the output of the rectifier circuit, a power source for an electronic circuit or microcomputer Available as The power of the DC power supply can be used as a power supply for its own pressure regulator or other attached equipment.

  The mechanical-electrical energy conversion element is configured by attaching a disk-shaped piezoelectric element to a disk-shaped substrate having a larger diameter than the piezoelectric element, and a boundary between the peripheral edge of the substrate and the piezoelectric element. The portion is supported by the fixed portion via a ring-shaped protrusion, and is configured to receive vibration of at least one of the diaphragm and the pressure regulating spring at a peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate opposite to the protrusion. Is preferred. According to this, the substrate bends and vibrates due to the vibration of the pressure regulating spring, and the piezoelectric element is distorted due to the bending, so that the piezoelectric element can be efficiently distorted by the vibration of the diaphragm and the pressure regulating spring, and the vibration energy is efficiently used. Can be converted into electrical energy well.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a pressure regulator that can generate power without increasing the size of the gas pressure regulator and without affecting the responsiveness of the pressure regulation mechanism.

  FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a pressure regulator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged views of a piezoelectric element module which is an embodiment of a mechanical-electric energy conversion element according to features of the present invention. Indicates. As shown in FIG. 1, the pressure regulator of this embodiment includes a first pressure regulator 1 in FIG. 1A and a second pressure regulator 2 in FIG. 1B connected in series. It is configured. Then, after the high pressure gas supplied from the gas supply source (not shown) to the gas inlet 3 is reduced to the intermediate pressure by the first pressure regulator 1, the intermediate pressure that flows out from the first pressure regulator 1. The gas is further reduced to a low pressure by the second pressure regulator 2 and supplied from the gas outlet 4 to a gas using device (not shown). Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to a two-stage pressure regulator, but can be applied to a one-stage pressure regulator.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, a pressure regulator 1 includes a main casing 12 having a pressure regulating chamber 11 therein, and an upper casing provided by closing an opening formed in an upper partition wall in the figure of the main casing 12. 13 is formed. A diaphragm 14 is provided at a joint portion between the main casing 12 and the upper casing 13 as a part of the partition wall of the pressure regulating chamber 11. A pressure adjusting spring 16 is provided in contact with a spring seat 15 provided on the upper surface of the diaphragm 14, and the other end of the pressure adjusting spring 16 is contacted with a pressure adjusting plate 17 provided in the cylindrical portion of the upper casing 13. Yes. The pressure adjusting plate 17 is formed in a disk shape, and a screw formed on the outer peripheral surface is screwed to a screw formed on the inner surface of the upper casing 13. Therefore, the pressure adjusting plate 17 is formed to be movable up and down in the upper casing 13 by rotation. An operating shaft 18 is connected to the center of the diaphragm 14, and the upper end of the operating shaft 18 is slidably supported by a support portion 19 provided on the pressure adjusting plate 17.

  On the other hand, the gas inlet 3 communicates with the pressure regulating chamber 11 via the pressure regulating valve 20. The pressure regulating valve 20 includes a valve body 23 provided so as to be able to contact and separate from a valve seat 22 having an opening communicated with the pressure regulating chamber 11. The valve body 23 is urged toward the valve seat 22 by a spring 21 and is provided in contact with one end of an arm type lever 25 via a piston 24. The lever 25 is formed so as to swing around the shaft 26, and the other end is in contact with the lower end of the operating shaft 19 connected to the diaphragm 14. These pressure regulating valve 20, piston 24, lever 25, diaphragm 14, pressure regulating spring 16 and the like constitute a valve drive mechanism of the pressure regulator 1. A gas outlet of the pressure regulator 1 is communicated with a gas inlet 29 of the pressure regulator 2 through an excessive outflow prevention mechanism 28 provided in communication with the pressure regulating chamber 11. The overflow prevention mechanism 28 stops the supply of gas when a gas exceeding a specified value flows, but since it is not related to the feature of the present invention, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The pressure regulator 2 includes a main body casing 32 having a pressure adjusting chamber 31 therein, and an upper casing 33 provided by closing an opening formed in the upper partition wall in the figure of the main body casing 32. A diaphragm 34 is provided as a part of the partition wall of the pressure regulating chamber 31 at the joint between the main casing 32 and the upper casing 33. A pressure adjusting spring 36 is provided in contact with a spring seat 35 provided on the upper surface of the diaphragm 34, and the other end of the pressure adjusting spring 36 is in contact with a pressure adjusting plate 37 provided in the cylindrical portion of the upper casing 33. Yes. The pressure adjusting plate 37 is formed in a disk shape, and a screw formed on the outer peripheral surface is screwed to a screw formed on the inner surface of the upper casing 33. Accordingly, the pressure adjusting plate 37 is formed so as to be vertically movable in the upper casing 33 by rotation. An operating shaft 39 is coupled to the center of the diaphragm 34, and a relief mechanism 40 is provided at the upper end of the operating shaft 39.

  The gas inlet 29 of the pressure regulator 2 communicates with the pressure regulating chamber 31 via the pressure regulating valve 41. The pressure regulating valve 41 is configured to have a valve body 43 provided so as to be able to contact and separate from the opening of the nozzle 42 communicated with the gas inlet 29. The valve body 43 is connected to a lever 45 by a pin 46 via a piston 44, and the lever 45 is pivotally supported around a shaft 47 so as to be swingable. The lever 45 is locked to the lower end portion of the operating shaft 39 connected to the diaphragm 34. These pressure regulating valve 41, piston 44, lever 45, diaphragm 34, pressure regulating spring 36, etc. constitute a valve drive mechanism of the pressure regulator 2.

  Next, the structure of the characteristic part of this invention is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 1, the pressure regulators 1 and 2 include disk-shaped piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 via disk-shaped contact plates 58 and 59 on the lower surfaces of the pressure adjusting plates 17 and 37, respectively. It is joined. The pressure adjusting springs 16 and 36 are pressed against the pressure adjusting plates 17 and 37 via the peripheral portions of the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62. The piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 are elements that convert mechanical energy into electric energy, and the converted electricity is drawn out from the top covers of the upper casings 13 and 33 by the electric wires 63 and 64. Enlarged views of the contact plates 58 and 59 and the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, and an enlarged view of the main part of the assembly portion of the contact plates 58 and 59 and the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 is shown in FIG. Show.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the contact plate 58 for the pressure regulator 1 has a circular hole 65 through which the support portion 19 of FIG. The strips 66 are formed concentrically. As shown in FIG. 4, the cross section of the protrusion 66 is formed in a semicircular shape (for example, R = 0.3). 1B, the piezoelectric element module 61 has a hole 67 having the same diameter on the lower surface of the substrate 68 having a hole 67 having the same diameter as the hole 65 through which the support portion 19 of FIG. A disk-shaped piezoelectric element 69 having a central portion is attached. The outer diameter of the piezoelectric element 69 is smaller than the ring diameter of the protrusion 66. The contact plate 58 and the substrate 68 are made of a metal such as stainless steel or copper, for example. Also, the wires 68a and 63b are soldered to the substrate 68 and the piezoelectric element 69, respectively. In the piezoelectric element module 61 formed in this way, as shown in FIG. 4C and FIG. 4, the pressure regulating spring 16 is provided in the ring-shaped region of the outer periphery of the substrate 68 where the piezoelectric element 69 is not provided. It is formed according to the spring diameter of the pressure adjusting spring 16 so as to abut.

  The contact plate 59 and the piezoelectric element module 62 for the pressure regulator 2 are formed in the same shape using the same material except that the contact plate 58 and the piezoelectric element module 61 for the pressure regulator 1 are different in size. Yes. That is, the contact plate 59 is formed in a disk shape having a circular hole 75 through which the electric wires 73a and 73b are drawn out at the center as shown in FIG. 3 (a), and on the lower surface as shown in FIG. A ring-shaped protrusion 76 having a semicircular (for example, R = 0.3) cross section is formed. The piezoelectric element module 62 is formed by attaching a disk-shaped piezoelectric element 78 to the lower surface of a disk-shaped substrate 77. The outer diameter of the piezoelectric element 78 is smaller than the ring diameter of the protrusion 76. Electric wires 64 a and 64 b are soldered to the substrate 77 and the piezoelectric element 78, respectively, and the electric wires 64 a and 64 b are drawn through holes 75 and 79 formed in the contact plate 59 and the piezoelectric element module 62. In the piezoelectric element module 62 formed in this way, as shown in FIG. 4C and FIG. 4, the pressure adjusting spring 36 is provided in the ring-shaped region of the outer periphery of the substrate 77 where the piezoelectric element 78 is not provided. It is formed according to the spring diameter of the pressure adjusting spring 36 so as to abut.

  The electrical outputs of the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 configured as described above are connected to the DC power supply circuit 80 having the same configuration shown in FIG. The DC power supply circuit 80 includes a rectifier 81 that rectifies the AC output of the piezoelectric element 61 (or 62), a capacitor 82 that smoothes the rectified output of the rectifier 81, and a DC that is smoothed by the capacitor 82 is rectified by the resistor 83. The battery 85 is supplied via the element 84, a Zener diode 86 connected to the output of the battery 85, and a constant voltage circuit 87 connected to the Zener diode 86. The direct current output from the constant voltage circuit 87 is supplied as a power source for an electronic circuit or a microcomputer of the pressure regulator 1, 2 or other accessory device. 5 may be incorporated in the pressure regulators 1 and 2 or may be integrally attached to the outside.

  The operation of the embodiment configured as described above will be described below. In FIG. 1, when high-pressure gas is supplied from a gas supply source to the gas inlet 3 of the pressure regulator 1, the diaphragm 14 is displaced up and down according to the gas pressure in the pressure regulating chamber 11. Due to this displacement, the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve 20 is adjusted via the lever 25, and medium-pressure gas held at the set value is introduced into the pressure regulator 2 via the inflow port 29. When medium pressure gas is supplied to the inlet 29 of the pressure regulator 2, the diaphragm 34 is displaced up and down according to the gas pressure in the pressure regulating chamber 31, and the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve 41 is adjusted via the lever 45. Is done. As a result, the low-pressure gas held at the set value is supplied to the gas using device (not shown) via the gas outlet 4.

  The diaphragms 14 and 34 and the pressure regulating springs 16 and 36 that perform pressure regulation in this way constantly vibrate slightly due to the gas flow in the pressure regulator. This vibration is applied to the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 arranged at the upper ends of the pressure regulating springs 16 and 36, and the vibration energy is converted into electric energy by the piezoelectric elements 67 and 77.

  This conversion operation will be described in detail with reference to FIG. When vibrations of the pressure regulating springs 16 and 36 are applied to the peripheral portions of the substrates 58 and 59 of the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62, the substrates 58 and 59 bend and vibrate with the ring-shaped protrusions 66 and 76 as fulcrums. Due to this bending vibration, the piezoelectric elements 69 and 78 are distorted, and the energy of the distortion is converted into electric energy. Electricity converted by the piezoelectric elements 69 and 78 is output to the DC power supply circuit 80 of FIG. 5 provided corresponding to the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 via the wirings 63 and 64, respectively. In the DC power supply circuit 80, AC power input from the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 is converted into DC by the rectifying element 81 and the capacitor 82, and the battery 85 is charged via the resistor 83 and the rectifying element 84. The direct current charged in the battery 85 is supplied via a constant voltage circuit 87 to an electronic circuit or microcomputer not shown.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 are disposed in the portions that receive the vibrations of the diaphragms 14 and 34 and the pressure regulating springs 16 and 36, the piezoelectric element modules 61 and 62 cause the diaphragm to operate. The vibration energy of 14, 34 and the pressure regulating springs 16, 36 is converted into electric energy.

  In particular, the piezoelectric element module is formed by attaching a disk-shaped piezoelectric element to a disk-shaped metal substrate having a larger diameter than the piezoelectric element, and the vibration of the pressure regulating spring is generated at the periphery of the substrate of the piezoelectric element module. In addition, since the boundary between the peripheral edge of the substrate and the piezoelectric element is supported by a ring-shaped protrusion on the back side of the substrate, the piezoelectric element is efficiently distorted by the vibration of the pressure regulating spring. Can do. As a result, vibration energy of the diaphragm and the pressure regulating spring can be efficiently converted into electric energy.

  In addition, since the converted electric energy is stored in the battery 85, the capacity of the battery 85 can be supplemented, and the restrictions on the functions of the electronic circuit and microcomputer driven by the battery 85 can be reduced.

  In particular, since the piezoelectric element is small, a power generation function can be provided without increasing the size of the pressure regulator. In particular, since it does not affect the movement of the diaphragm and the pressure regulating spring, it is possible to provide a power generation function without affecting the responsiveness of the pressure adjusting mechanism.

  In the above embodiment, the embodiment has been described in which vibration energy is converted into electric energy by a piezoelectric element such as a piezoelectric element. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an electrostrictive element or other mechanical-electrical energy conversion element is applied. Needless to say, it can be done.

  Moreover, although the embodiment in which the piezoelectric element module is provided between the pressure adjusting spring and the pressure adjusting plate is shown, it may be provided between the pressure adjusting plate and the spring seat 15. In short, it is arranged at a position that receives vibrations of the diaphragm and the pressure adjusting spring.

The cross-sectional block diagram of the pressure regulator of one Embodiment of this invention is shown, The same figure (A) shows the pressure regulator of an intermediate pressure, The same figure (B) has shown the cross section of the low pressure regulator. The enlarged view of one Embodiment of the piezoelectric element module which concerns on the characteristic of this invention is shown. The enlarged view of other embodiment of the piezoelectric element module which concerns on the characteristic of this invention is shown. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the assembly | attachment state of a piezoelectric element module and a contact plate. The circuit block diagram of the DC power supply circuit of one Embodiment of this invention is shown.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2 Pressure adjusting valve 3 Gas inlet 4 Gas outlet 11, 31 Pressure regulating chamber 14, 34 Diaphragm 16, 36 Pressure regulating spring 17, 37 Pressure regulating plate 18, 39 Actuating shaft 20, 41 Pressure regulating valve 24, 44 Piston 25 45 Lever 61, 62 Piezoelectric element module

Claims (3)

A pressure regulating chamber communicated with the gas inlet through a pressure regulating valve, a gas outlet communicated with the pressure regulating chamber, a diaphragm forming a part of a partition wall of the pressure regulating chamber, and the diaphragm A pressure regulator comprising: a pressure regulating spring biased toward the pressure chamber side; and a valve drive mechanism for adjusting an opening of the pressure regulating valve in conjunction with the movement of the diaphragm, wherein the diaphragm and the pressure regulating spring A pressure regulator comprising a mechanical-electrical energy conversion element that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy at a site that receives at least one of the vibrations. In claim 1,
The mechanical-electrical energy conversion element is configured by attaching a disk-shaped piezoelectric element to a disk-shaped substrate having a larger diameter than the piezoelectric element, and a boundary between the peripheral edge of the substrate and the piezoelectric element Is supported by the fixed portion via a ring-shaped protrusion, and is configured to receive vibrations of at least one of the diaphragm and the pressure regulating spring at the peripheral edge of the surface of the substrate opposite to the protrusion. Characteristic pressure regulator. In claim 1 or 2,
A pressure regulator comprising a direct current power source comprising a rectifier circuit that converts alternating current generated by the mechanical-electrical energy conversion element into direct current, and a battery that is charged by the output of the rectifier circuit.

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