JP2020176537A - Pump device and pump operation method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a pump device that is compatible with a wide range of discharge flow rate and discharge pressure and can save energy, and to provide a pump operation method.SOLUTION: A pump device includes a first pump part and a second pump part. The pump device includes: a first connection pipe for connecting a discharge pipe of the first pump part to a suction pipe of the second pump part; a second connection pipe for connecting a discharge pipe of the second pump part to a suction pipe of the first pump part; and an opening/closing mechanism capable of opening and closing a flow passage of the first connection pipe and a flow passage of the second connection pipe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

The present invention relates to a pump device and a pump operation method.

As an example of a pump device, a water supply device for supplying water (tap water) to a building such as an office building or an apartment, or a household water supply device for supplying well water, agricultural water, or the like is widely used. As a water supply device, a water supply device having one pump and a water supply device having a plurality of pumps connected in parallel are known. In a water supply device equipped with a plurality of pumps, the number of pumps to be driven and the rotation speed are controlled according to an increase or decrease in the amount of water used at the water supply destination. Therefore, if the flow rate fluctuates depending on the time of day or the season, by equipping multiple small pumps, some pumps can be stopped when the amount of water used at the water supply destination is small, and a large pump suitable for the maximum amount of water can be used. Energy saving can be achieved as compared with the case where only one unit is provided. Further, since a plurality of pumps are connected in parallel, it is possible to replace and maintain other pumps while continuing the operation of some pumps.

Further, in the water supply device, the first pump and the second pump are provided in parallel, and the discharge pipe of the first pump and the suction side of the second pump are connected by a branch pipe to control the pressure inside the pipe. It has been proposed that a control valve that opens and closes accordingly is provided in a branch pipe (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this water supply device, it is possible to switch between a state in which the first pump and the second pump are connected in parallel and a state in which the second pump is connected to the discharge side of the first pump.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 64-32096

Pumping devices may require a high discharge pressure only in certain cases. As an example, in a device that passes the handling liquid through a filter and filters it, the pump is usually operated at low pressure to filter the handling liquid for a long time in order to protect the filter, but on the other hand, the number of times per month. There is a demand for cleaning (backwashing) the clogging of the filter by backflowing high-pressure water about once. When a pump device for such an application is composed of one pump or a plurality of pumps connected in parallel, there are the following problems. As one problem, selecting the capacity of the pump by matching the maximum efficiency point with the operating point in a specific case where high pressure such as backwashing is required causes a decrease in energy efficiency during normal operation and an increase in the price of the device. Will end up. On the contrary, when the pump capacity is selected by matching the maximum efficiency point with the low pressure operating point at the normal time, there is a problem that the pump device cannot be used when a specific high pressure such as backwashing is required.

Further, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, two pumps can be switched between parallel operation and series operation. However, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when the first pump and the second pump are connected in series, the first pump is always on the low pressure side and the second pump is on the high pressure side. There is a possibility that the degree of deterioration or the like may vary between the first pump and the second pump.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a pump device capable of dealing with a wide range of discharge flow rates and discharge pressures, and can realize energy saving and long life, and a pump operation method. That is one of the purposes.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a pump device including a first pump unit and a second pump unit is proposed. The pump device includes a first connecting pipe that connects a discharge pipe of the first pump portion and a suction pipe of the second pump portion, a discharge pipe of the second pump portion, and the first one. It is provided with a second connecting pipe for connecting the suction pipe of the pump portion, and an opening / closing mechanism capable of opening and closing the flow path of the first connecting pipe and the flow path of the second connecting pipe.
According to such a pump device, the first and second pump units can be operated in series through the first connecting pipe with the first pump unit on the low pressure side and the second pump unit on the high pressure side. Further, through the second connecting pipe, the first and second pump units can be operated in series with the second pump unit on the low pressure side and the first pump unit on the high pressure side. Therefore, according to such a pump device, it is possible to cope with a wide range of discharge flow rates and discharge pressures, and it is possible to achieve energy saving and long life.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first pump unit, a second pump unit, a suction pipe of the first pump unit, and a discharge pipe of the second pump unit are connected. A connecting pipe, a second connecting pipe connecting the suction pipe of the second pump portion and the discharge pipe of the first pump portion, a flow path of the first connecting pipe, and the second connecting pipe. A pump operation method of a pump device equipped with an opening / closing mechanism capable of opening / closing the flow path of the pump device is proposed. According to such a pump operation method, the opening / closing mechanism includes a first state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe is opened and the flow path of the second connecting pipe is closed, and the first connecting pipe. A second state in which the flow path is closed and the flow path of the second connection pipe is open, and a third state in which both the flow path of the first connection pipe and the flow path of the second connection pipe are closed. In the first state, the first pump unit is upstream and the second pump unit is downstream, and in the second state, the second pump unit is operated in series. A series operation is performed upstream and the first pump unit is downstream, and in the third state, the first pump unit and the second pump unit are operated in parallel.
According to such a pump operation method, the first pump unit operates in series on the low pressure side and the second pump unit operates on the high pressure side, and the second pump unit operates in series on the low pressure side and the first pump unit operates on the high pressure side. By switching between the parallel operation of the first and second pump units, it is possible to handle a wide range of discharge flow rates and discharge pressures, which saves energy. By replacing the starting machine, the pump unit can be operated. Can be leveled, and the life of the pump device can be extended.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the water supply device as an example of the pump device of this embodiment. It is a graph which shows an example of the system curve of a pump and the operation point A of a pump in the 3rd state of the opening / closing mechanism, that is, in parallel operation. It is a graph which shows an example of the system curve of a pump and the operating point of a pump in the 1st state or the 2nd state, that is, in a series operation. This is an example of a flowchart of automatic water supply control executed by the control unit. It is a figure which shows an example of the specific structure of the water supply device 10 of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 2A. It is a figure which shows typically the flow of water in the 1st state in the structure shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 3A is an enlarged view showing an opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 3A. It is a figure which shows typically the flow of water in the 2nd state in the structure shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 4A is an enlarged view showing an opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 4A. It is a figure which shows the opening and closing mechanism of a modified example in an enlarged manner. It is a figure which shows another example of the structure of the water supply device 10 of FIG. 1 schematically. It is a figure which shows the specific structure of the opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 5A. It is a figure which shows typically the flow of water in the 1st state in the structure shown in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6A is an enlarged view showing an opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 6A. It is a figure which shows typically the flow of water in the 2nd state in the structure shown in FIG. 5A. FIG. 7A is an enlarged view showing an opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 7A. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the pump part of the 1st modification. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the pump part of the 2nd modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a water supply device as an example of a pump device. The pump device of the present embodiment is used as a water supply device 10 for supplying water to a building such as a detached house, a condominium, an office building, a commercial facility, a factory, or a school. However, the pump device is not limited to those that supply tap water, well water, or reclaimed water to the building, for example, a pump device such as a fire extinguishing pump device that supplies water to a fire extinguishing facility such as a sprinkler, or sewage or miscellaneous drainage. It may be used in various usage modes such as a pump device for transporting sewage. In FIG. 1, the water supply device 10 is used in a direct water supply system, and the suction port 10a of the water supply device 10 is connected to a water pipe (water main) 104 via an introduction pipe 105. However, the water supply device 10 may be used in a water receiving tank system in which the suction port 10a of the water supply device 10 supplies water supplied from the water pipe 104 via a water receiving tank (not shown). A water supply pipe 107 is connected to the discharge port 10b of the water supply device 10, and the water supply pipe 107 communicates with a water faucet (for example, a faucet) of each building. The water supply device 10 boosts the pressure of water from the water pipe 104 (or water receiving tank) and supplies water to each water tap of the building.

As shown in FIG. 1, the water supply device 10 of the present embodiment includes two motor pumps 40a and 40b for increasing the pressure of water from the water pipe 104 (or a water receiving tank) and a variable speed controller for the motor pumps 40a and 40b. An inverter device 50a, 50b, which is an example, and a control unit 60 that controls the motor pumps 40a, 40b are provided. Further, the water supply device 10 of the present embodiment includes check valves 23a, 23b, 25a, 25b for preventing backflow of water, flow switches 24a, 24b for detecting an insufficient amount of water, and a pressure sensor 21 which is a pressure detector. , 26 and.

The pressure sensor 21 is attached to the inflow pipe 20 forming the suction port 10a of the water supply device 10 and detects the pressure of the introduction pipe 105. The pressure sensor 21 is a pressure measuring device for measuring the suction pressure of the water supply device 10 (hereinafter, the suction pressure indicates the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 21). The detected pressure is sent to the control unit 60.

Conveyed to the suction pipe 32a (suction pipe of the first pump) connected to the suction port of the motor pump 40a and the suction pipe 32b (suction pipe of the second pump) connected to the suction port of the motor pump 40b. Check valves 23a and 23b are provided to prevent the liquid from flowing back to the water pipe 104. In the present embodiment, the suction pipes 32a and 32b are branched from the inflow pipe 20 and are connected to the suction ports of the motor pumps 40a and 40b, respectively. In one embodiment, the inflow pipe 20 may be provided in each of the suction pipes 32a and 32b. As the check valves 23a and 23b, for example, check valves can be adopted. Instead of or in addition to the check valves 23a and 23b, a valve capable of opening and closing the flow path of the suction pipes 32a and 32b may be provided manually or automatically.

The motor pump 40a includes a pump 44a (first pump unit) having an impeller (not shown), and a motor 42a which is an example of a drive unit that supplies power to the pump 44a. Similarly, the motor pump 40b includes a pump 44b (second pump unit) having an impeller (not shown) and a motor 42b, which is an example of a drive unit that supplies power to the pump 44b. In the present embodiment, two motor pumps 40a and 40b are provided, but three or more motor pumps may be provided.

A flow switch 24a and a check valve (first discharge side valve) 25a are provided on the discharge pipe 34a (first discharge pipe) connected to the downstream side (discharge side) of the pump 44a. Has been done. Further, a flow switch 24b, a check valve (second discharge side valve) 25b, and a discharge pipe 34b (second discharge pipe) connected to the downstream side (discharge side) of the pump 44b are provided. Is provided.
The flow switches 24a and 24b are flow rate detectors that detect that the flow rate of water flowing through the discharge pipes 34a and 34b has decreased to a predetermined value, that is, an insufficient amount of water (small amount of water).

The check valves 25a and 25b provided on the downstream side of the flow switches 24a and 24b prevent the backflow of water from the discharge collecting pipe 35, which is a confluence of the discharge pipes 34a and 34b, to the pumps 44a and 44b. As the check valves 25a and 25b, for example, check valves can be adopted. Instead of or in addition to the check valves 25a and 25b, a valve capable of opening and closing the flow path of the discharge pipes 34a and 34b may be provided manually or automatically.

Further, the discharge collecting pipe 35 connected to the water supply pipe 107 is provided with a pressure sensor 26 and a pressure tank 28. The pressure sensor 26 is a pressure measuring device for measuring the discharge pressure of the water supply device 10 (hereinafter, the discharge pressure indicates the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 26). The pressure tank 28 is a pressure retainer for holding the discharge pressure while the pumps 44a and 44b are stopped.

In the following description, suction pipes 32a, 32b, motor pumps 40a, 40b, pumps 44a, 44b, motors 42a, 42b, inverter devices 50a, 50b, discharge pipes 34a, 34b, and flow switch 24a are provided for each pump. , 24b and the check valves 25a and 25b, respectively, "suction pipe 32", "motor pump 40", "pump 44", "motor 42", "inverter device 50", "discharge", respectively. It is referred to as a "pump pipe 34", a "flow switch 24", and a "check valve 25".

The water supply device 10 of the present embodiment includes a pipe 36a (first connecting pipe) that connects the discharge pipe 34a of the pump 44a and the suction pipe 32b of the pump 44b. The upstream side of the check valve 25a and the downstream side of the check valve 23a are connected by a pipe 36a. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, one end 36a1 of the pipe 36a is connected between the flow switch 24a and the check valve 25a in the discharge pipe 34a. Further, the other end 36a2 of the pipe 36a (first connecting pipe) is connected between the check valve 23b and the pump 44b in the suction pipe 32b.

Further, the water supply device 10 of the present embodiment includes a pipe 36b (second connection pipe) that connects the discharge pipe 34b of the pump 44b and the suction pipe 32a of the pump 44a. The upstream side of the check valve 25b in the discharge pipe 34b and the downstream side of the check valve 23a in the suction pipe 32a are connected by a pipe 36b. Specifically, one end 36b1 of the pipe 36b is connected between the flow switch 24b and the check valve 25b in the discharge pipe 34b. Further, the other end 36b2 of the pipe 36b is connected between the check valve 23a and the pump 44a in the suction pipe 32a.

The water supply device 10 of the present embodiment includes an opening / closing mechanism 80 capable of opening / closing the flow paths of the pipes 36a and 36b. The opening / closing mechanism 80 includes a first state in which the flow path of the pipe 36a is opened and the flow path of the pipe 36b is closed, a second state in which the flow path of the pipe 36a is closed and the flow path of the pipe 36b is open, and the pipe 36a and It is preferable that the third state in which the flow paths of the pipe 36b are both closed can be switched. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and the opening / closing mechanism 80 may be able to switch between the first state and the second state, and may not be able to switch to the third state. Further, the opening / closing mechanism 80 may be switchable to a fourth state in which the flow paths of the pipes 36a and 36b are both open.

The opening / closing mechanism 80 is, for example, a solenoid valve or an electric valve. Further, the water supply device 10 may include a power source 81 for driving the opening / closing mechanism 80. As the power source 81, various power sources such as a motor, a solenoid, and a pneumatic actuator can be adopted depending on the configuration of the opening / closing mechanism 80. The control unit 60 of the water supply device 10 may automatically operate the power source 81 based on the discharge pressure or the like, or the power source 81 based on an instruction by the user or an external input via wired or wireless communication. May be activated. Further, the user may be able to input an instruction to the power source 81 without going through the control unit 60.

In such a water supply device 10, the flow path of the pipe 36a and the flow path of the pipe 36b are both closed (third state) by the opening / closing mechanism 80, so that the suction port 10a and the discharge port 10b of the water supply device 10 are arranged. On the other hand, the pump 44a and the pump 44b are connected in parallel. At this time, some pumps (for example, pump 44a) can be operated, the remaining pumps (for example, pump 44b) can be stopped, and water can be supplied by the water supply device 10. The operation of only one of the pumps 44a and 44b is called "independent operation". Further, by operating the plurality of pumps 44 together, the amount of water that can be supplied to the water supply destination can be increased. Hereinafter, the operation of the pumps 44a and 44b together in the third state is also referred to as "parallel operation".

By opening the flow path of the pipe 36a by the opening / closing mechanism 80 and closing the flow path of the pipe 36b (first state), the discharge side of the pump 44a is connected to the suction side of the pump 44b. At this time, by operating the pump 44a and the pump 44b together, the water pressurized by the pump 44a can be further pressurized by the pump 44b and supplied to the water supply destination. As a result, the pressure (lift) that can be supplied to the water supply destination can be increased as compared with the independent operation or the parallel operation of the pumps 44a and 44b.

Further, by closing the flow path of the pipe 36a by the opening / closing mechanism 80 and opening the flow path of the pipe 36b (second state), the discharge side of the pump 44b is connected to the suction side of the pump 44a. At this time, by operating the pump 44a and the pump 44b together, the water pressurized by the pump 44b can be further pressurized by the pump 44a and supplied to the water supply destination. As a result, the pressure (lift) that can be supplied to the water supply destination can be increased as compared with the independent operation or the parallel operation of the pumps 44a and 44b as in the second state.

FIG. 1B is a graph showing an example of the system curve P of the pump 44 and the operating point A of the pump when the opening / closing mechanism 80 is in the third state, that is, in parallel operation. FIG. 1C is a graph showing an example of the system curve P of the pump 44 and the operating point A of the pump when the opening / closing mechanism 80 is in the first state or the second state, that is, in series operation. The horizontal axis of FIGS. 1B and 1C is the discharge amount Q, and the vertical axis is the lift H. The operating point of the pump 44 is obtained as the intersection A of the pump lift curve and the pipeline resistance curve R on the coordinates where the discharge amount Q is on the horizontal axis and the total head H is on the vertical axis.

As shown in FIG. 1B, when the opening / closing mechanism 80 is in the third state, the pumps 44a and 44b are operated in parallel with the same performance, and the composition of the pump characteristic curves is obtained by adding the characteristics in the direction of the discharge amount. .. When the performances of the pumps 44a and 44b are different, the control unit 60 limits the rotation speed of the high-performance pumps so that the discharge pressures of all the pumps 44 are equal. By doing so, the pressures in the pipes 36a and 36b become equal, and the discharge amounts of the pumps 44a and 44b are evenly added in the discharge collecting pipe 35.

As shown in FIG. 1C, when the opening / closing mechanism 80 is in the first state or the second state, the pumps 44a and 44b are operated in series with the same performance, and the pump characteristic curves are synthesized by adding the characteristics in the lifting direction. Desired. When the performances of the pump 44a and the pump 44b are different, the control unit 60 sets the high-performance pump as necessary so that the discharge amount of the upstream pump is equal to or larger than the discharge amount of the downstream pump. Limit the rotation speed. By doing so, cavitation of the pump on the downstream side can be prevented.

In this way, the water supply device 10 can supply water at operating points according to a plurality of system curves by switching between parallel operation and series operation of the pumps 44a and 44b by the opening / closing mechanism 80. It is sufficient that all the pumps 44 in the water supply device 10 have the same performance (specifically, the representative performance curves showing the reference performance of the pumps of the same model and the same specifications are the same, and the pumps 44a and 44b have the same performance. If the pumps of the same model are used), all pumps 44 when the opening / closing mechanism 80 requires the maximum amount of water or the maximum head in any of the first, second and third states. Since the maximum efficiency point can be set without limiting the operating point of the pump, energy-saving operation is possible.

Here, the description returns to FIG. 1A. The water supply device 10 includes a control unit 60 that controls the water supply operation. As the control unit 60, a circuit board centered on a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a dedicated circuit board, or the like can be adopted. The signals of the pressure sensors 21 and 26 and the signals of the flow switches 24a and 24b are input to the control unit 60. Further, the control unit 60 receives the signal from the inverter device 50 and transmits a command to the inverter device 50. Further, the control unit 60 may acquire the rotation speed of the motor 42 from a sensor or an inverter device 50 (not shown). Further, the control unit 60 may be capable of transmitting a command to the power source 81.

Here, the water supply control by the control unit 60 will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the opening / closing mechanism 80 is manually switched by the user. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and the control unit 60 may switch the opening / closing mechanism 80 in response to an external operation or automatically.

In the automatic water supply control, the control unit 60 controls the pump 44 based on the feedback control for setting the deviation between the discharge pressure and the predetermined target pressure SV to 0. The control unit 60 outputs a command to the inverter device 50 in order to drive the pump 44 by the motor 42.

FIG. 1D is an example of a flowchart of automatic water supply control executed by the control unit 60.
<Starting the pump (STEP10)>
First, when the discharge pressure drops to a predetermined starting pressure while all the pumps 44 are stopped, the control unit 60 starts at least one of the pumps 44. Specifically, the control unit 60 issues a command to the inverter device 50 to start driving the motor 42.
<Control of the number of pumps (STEP20)>
The control unit 60 adds a pump 44 that can be added when it is determined that the amount of water supplied has increased based on the amount of water used at the water supply destination, the discharge pressure, and the like. (Unit control) Further, when the control unit 60 determines that the amount of water supplied has decreased based on the amount of water used at the water supply destination, the discharge pressure, and the like, the control unit 60 disengages the pump 44 that can be disassembled. (Number control)
<Stop the small amount of water in the pump (STEP30)>
When the use of water in the building is reduced during the operation of the pump 44, the flow switch 24 detects the insufficient amount of water and sends the detection signal to the control unit 60 (small amount of water state). Upon receiving this detection signal, the control unit 60 increases the rotation speed until the discharge pressure of the pump 44 during operation reaches a predetermined stop pressure, accumulates pressure in the pressure tank 28, and then stops all the pumps 44 (small amount of water). Stop).

Here, after the pump 44 stops a small amount of water in STEP 30, it returns to STEP 10, and when water is used again in the building, at least one pump 44 starts. At this time, it is preferable that the control unit 60 rotates the starting pump 44 to prevent water from staying in the pump 44. As a method for detecting a small amount of water, other means such as a low load due to the current value of the motor 42 and a deadline pressure may be used without using the flow switch 24.

Further, in STEP 20 described above, at least one or more of the pumps 44 are in operation. During the operation of the pump 44, control such as estimated end pressure constant control or target pressure constant control is performed by the set pressure (set pressure). Specifically, in the case of constant estimated terminal pressure control, the terminal water is supplied using the rotation speed of the pump 44, the discharge pressure PA at the maximum flow rate, and the target pressure control curve based on the discharge pressure PB at the deadline operation. The target pressure (SV) is set so that the pressure of the plug is constant. Further, in the case of constant target pressure control, a predetermined set pressure is set as the target pressure (SV). Further, using the discharge pressure as the current pressure (PV), PI calculation using the proportional gain Gp and the integrated gain Gi based on the difference between the SV and the PV, or the proportional gain Gp, the integrated gain Gi, and the differential gain Gd. The command rotation speed of the pump 44 is set by performing the PID calculation using.

First, the operation of the pump 44 in a state where both the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b are closed by the opening / closing mechanism 80 (third state) will be described. At this time, the pump 44a and the pump 44b are connected in parallel to the suction port (introduction pipe 105) and the discharge port (water supply pipe 107) of the water supply device 10, and the pumps 44a and 44b can be operated in parallel. Become.

In the third state, the control unit 60 can start the pumps 44a and 44b at the same time in STEP10. Further, in STEP 20, if the control unit 60 determines that the amount of water supplied by the pump 44 in operation is insufficient based on the amount of water used at the water supply destination, the discharge pressure, etc., the additional pump 44 may be added. it can. Then, the control unit 60 controls the pumps 44a and 44b so as to operate with the same amount of water. That is, by operating the pumps 44a and 44b at the same rotation speed, the pumps 44a and 44b have the same amount of water, and the desired amount of water supply can be secured. By operating the plurality of pumps 44 in parallel in this way, the amount of water discharged from the water supply device 10 can be increased.

Subsequently, a state in which the pipe 36a is opened by the opening / closing mechanism 80 and the pipe 36b is closed (first state) will be described. At this time, the discharge side of the pump 44a is connected to the suction side of the pump 44b. That is, in the first state, the pump 44a is upstream and the pump 44b is downstream in series operation. In the first state, if the pressure on the suction side (for example, the water main pressure) is high and the pressure loss when the pump 44 is stopped is small, only one of the pump 44a and the pump 44b (for example, the pump 44b) is used. Can be operated independently to supply water by the water supply device 10, but in the first state, the upstream pump 44a is operated first, and the downstream pump 44b is stopped first. .. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the pump on the downstream side from causing problems such as cavitation due to insufficient suction pressure.

In the first state, the control unit 60 can further pressurize the water pressurized by the pump 44a by the pump 44b and supply it to the water supply destination. In the first state, the water supply device 10 can cope with a target pressure SV higher than that in the third state.

In the first state, the control unit 60 starts only the pump 44a among the pumps 44a and 44b in STEP10. Then, in STEP 20, when the control unit 60 determines that the discharge pressure by the pump 44a during operation is insufficient based on the amount of water used at the water supply destination, the discharge pressure, and the like, the additional pump 44b is added. Then, the control unit 60 fixes the pump 44a, which is the starting pump, to the maximum rotational speed, changes the rotational speed of the pump 44a, which is the secondary pump, and controls so that the discharge pressure PV becomes the target pressure SV. By operating a plurality of pumps 44 in series, the discharge pressure discharged from the water supply device 10 can be increased. After that, in STEP 20, when the control unit 60 determines that the discharge pressure of only the pump 44a is sufficient based on the amount of water used at the water supply destination, the discharge pressure, and the like, the control unit 60 disengages the operating pump 44b. ..

Subsequently, a state in which the pipe 36a is closed by the opening / closing mechanism 80 and the pipe 36b is open (second state) will be described. At this time, the discharge side of the pump 44b is connected to the suction side of the pump 44a. In the second state, the pump 44b is upstream and the pump 44a is downstream in in-line operation.

The second state corresponds to a configuration in which the pump 44a and the pump 44b are replaced with respect to the first state. Therefore, in the second state, the control unit 60 can replace the pump 44a and the pump 44b and perform the same control as the control in the first state described above.

As described above, in the water supply device 10 of the present embodiment, the pumps 44a and 44b can be operated in parallel by setting the third state by the opening / closing mechanism 80. In particular, the amount of supplied water can be increased by operating the pumps 44a and 44b in parallel. Further, by setting the first state or the second state by the opening / closing mechanism 80, the water pressurized by the pumps 44a and 44b can be further pressurized by the pumps 44b and 44a and supplied to the water supply destination. As a result, the pressure (lift) that can be supplied to the water supply destination can be increased as compared with the case where the pump 44a and the pump 44b are operated independently or in parallel. Therefore, the water supply device 10 of the present embodiment can handle a wide range of discharge flow rates and discharge pressures by switching by the opening / closing mechanism 80, and also operates the pump 44 such as the integrated operation time and the number of starts and stops. It can also be used for rotation operation so that it can be leveled.

Further, in the water supply device 10 of the present embodiment, the pump 44 on the upstream side and the downstream side can be switched between the first state and the second state. As a result, it is possible to prevent deterioration and damage of the pumps 44a and 44b from occurring. Further, particularly when the control unit 60 can control the opening / closing mechanism 80 through the power source 81, when a large water supply pressure is required in the third state and the pump is switched to the first state or the second state, for example, the pump currently in operation By switching to the first state or the second state so that 44 is on the downstream side, the operating state can be changed smoothly.

Next, the first to third states of the water supply device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 4B. FIG. 2A is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the conveyed liquid in the third state of the water supply device 10 of FIG. 1A. Further, FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view passing through the center of the opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 2A. FIG. 3A is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the conveyed liquid in the first state of the water supply device 10 of FIG. 1A. Further, FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view passing through the center of the opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 3A. FIG. 4A is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the conveyed liquid in the first state of the water supply device 10 of FIG. 1A. Further, FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view passing through the center of the opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 4A. In the present embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism 80 in FIG. 1 corresponds to the ball valve 180, and in the following figures, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding components other than the opening / closing mechanism 80 in FIG. It is attached. Further, in the following figures, various sensors, a motor 42, an inverter device 50, and a control unit 60 are omitted.

First, the ball valve 180 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 2B, 3B, and 4B will be described. The ball valve 180 (opening / closing mechanism) is provided so as to intervene in both the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b. The ball valve 180 is composed of a ball valve having a spherical valve body 180b inside and having one flow path 180a in the valve body 180b. The ball valve (ball valve 180) includes a valve box 180c and a spherical valve body 180b, and by rotating the valve body 180b in the valve box 180c, for example, around an axis perpendicular to the paper surface, the flow path 180a The position can be moved to form the following three states.
-Open the flow path of the pipe 36a and close the flow path of the pipe 36b. (First rotation position)
-Open the flow path of the pipe 36b and close the flow path of the pipe 36a. (Second rotation position)
-Close both the flow paths of the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b. (Third rotation position)

In the ball valve 180, as shown in FIG. 3B, at least a part of one end 180a1 of the flow path 180a is aligned with one end 36aa of the pipe 136a, and at least a part of the other end 180a2 of the flow path 180a is a pipe. By aligning with the other end 36ab of 36a, it becomes the "first rotation position". In the ball valve 180, as shown in FIG. 4B, one end 180a1 of the flow path 180a is aligned with one end 36ba of the pipe 36b, and the other end 180a2 of the flow path 180a is aligned with the other end 36bb of the pipe 36b. Then, it becomes the "second rotation position". As shown in FIG. 2B, the ball valve 180 has one end 180a1 and the other end 180a2 of the flow path 180a of the pipe 36a at one end 36aa, the other end 36ab, the one end 36ba of the pipe 36b, and the other end 36bb. By setting it in a state that does not match any of them, it becomes a "third rotation position".

Here, in the ball valve 180, in the movable range of the valve body 180b, the flow path 180a communicates with only one of the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b, or the flow path 180a communicates with both the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b. Is configured to block. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2B, 3B, and 4B, the valve box 180c of the ball valve 180 has wall portions 180c1, 180c2 between the connecting portion through which the pipes 36a and 36b communicate and the adjacent connecting portion. , 180c3, 180c4. In the movable range of the valve body 180b, the area of the wall portions 180c1, 180c2, 180c3, 180c4 is equal to or larger than the area of the one end portion 180a1 and the other end portion 180a2. As a result, when switching the "first rotation position" to the "second rotation position", the state of the "third rotation position" is passed, and the state of the "second rotation position" is changed to the "first rotation position". When switching to the "third rotation position" state, it is possible to switch from the "third rotation position" to any of the "first rotation position" and "second rotation position". is there. As a result, in the case of rotation in which the upstream side and the downstream side are exchanged during series operation, it is possible to temporarily perform parallel operation at the "third rotation position" and replace the pump 44 operating in the parallel operation. it can. Since the pump 44 on the upstream side can be operated first, cavitation of the pump 44 on the downstream side can be prevented. Further, since the pump 44 being operated in parallel operation is replaced, the pressure fluctuation can be minimized by controlling the rotation speeds of the first pump and the second pump.

The ball valve 180 may be manually operated so as to be in the “first rotation position”, “second rotation position”, and “third rotation position”, or a power source 81 (not shown) such as a motor or a control unit 60. The opening and closing may be controlled by. Further, if the ball valve 180 is capable of freely rotating the valve body 180b, the opening degree can be adjusted.

In the ball valve 180, as shown in FIG. 2B, the flow path 180a is set to "(3) a state in which both the flow paths of the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b are closed", so that the water supply device 10 is in the third state shown in FIG. 2A. can do.
In FIG. 2A, the flow of water when all the pumps 44 are operated in parallel in the third state is shown by an arrow, the pipe through which the conveyed liquid flows is shown by a solid line, and the pipe separated from the flow path is shown by a dotted line. There is.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the ball valve 180 can put the water supply device 10 in the first state by setting the flow path 180a as the “first rotation position”. In FIG. 3A, the flow of water when the pumps 44 are operated in series in the first state is indicated by an arrow, the pipe through which the conveyed liquid flows is shown by a solid line, and the pipe separated from the flow path is shown by a dotted line. As shown in FIG. 3A, in the first state, the water from the suction port 10a is pressurized by the pump 44a and sent to the suction side of the pump 44b through the pipe 36a (see the thick line), and further by the pump 44b. It is pressurized and discharged from the discharge port (water supply pipe 107) (see thick line). As a result, the pressure (lift) that can be supplied to the water supply destination can be increased as compared with the case where the pumps 44a and 44b are operated independently or when the pumps 44a and 44b are operated in parallel.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the ball valve 180 can be set to the “second rotation position”, and the water supply device 10 can be set to the second state. In FIG. 4A, the flow of water when the pumps 44 are operated in series in the second state is indicated by arrows, the piping through which the conveyed liquid flows is indicated by a solid line, and the piping separated from the flow path is indicated by a dotted line. As shown in FIG. 4A, in the second state, the water from the suction port 10a is pressurized by the pump 44b and sent to the suction side of the pump 44a through the pipe 36b (see the thick line), and further by the pump 44a. It is pressurized and discharged from the discharge port (water supply pipe 107) (see thick line). As a result, the pressure (lift) that can be supplied to the water supply destination can be increased as in the first state.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first state, the second state, and the third state can be switched by the single ball valve 180. Further, by adjusting the speed at which the valve body 180b is rotated and slowing the speed, the change in the amount of water flowing through the flow path 180a can be moderated. In this way, with the ball valve 180, when switching between the first state, the second state, and the third state while operating the pump 44, fluctuations in pressure due to the switching can be suppressed.

In the example shown in FIGS. 2A to 4B, the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b are bent by about 90 degrees at close positions, and the ball valve 180 has a flow path 180a bent by about 90 degrees. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and for example, as in the modified example shown in FIG. 4C, a ball valve 180 is provided at a position where the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b intersect, and the ball valve 180 has a straight flow path 180a. May have. Even in the configuration of such a modification, the same functions and effects as those shown in FIGS. 2A to 4B can be obtained. In FIG. 4C, the ball valve 180 is in the "second rotation position" as in FIG. 4B. Further, in FIG. 4C, the configuration corresponding to FIG. 4B is designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 4B, and duplicate description will be omitted.

Next, another example of the configuration of the water supply device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 7B. The above-mentioned first to third states will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 7B. FIG. 5A is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the conveyed liquid in the third state of the water supply device 10 of FIG. 1A. Further, FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram of the opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6A is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the conveyed liquid in the first state of the water supply device 10 of FIG. 1A. Further, FIG. 6B is an explanatory diagram of the opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 6A. FIG. 7A is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the conveyed liquid in the second state of the water supply device 10 of FIG. 1A. Further, FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram of the opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 7A. In the present embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism 80 in FIG. 1 corresponds to the valve device 280, and in the following figures, the same components as or corresponding to the components other than the valve device 280 are designated by the same reference numerals. ing. Further, in the following figures, various sensors, a motor 42, an inverter device 50, and a control unit 60 are omitted.

The valve device 280 shown in FIGS. 5B, 6B, and 7B has a housing 805 that defines a part of each of the pipes 36a and 36b. Further, the valve device 280 includes on-off valves 801a (first on-off valve) and 801b (second on-off valve) capable of opening and closing the pipes 36a and 36b, and a shaft member 803 to which the on-off valves 801a and 801b are connected. have. The shaft member 803 is provided so as to be movable in the axial direction (longitudinal direction of the shaft member 803) with respect to the housing 805 so as to be in any of the above-mentioned first state, second state, and third state. In the present embodiment, the valve device 280 is adjusted in the axial position by fixing the fastener 804 to any of the recesses 803a to 803c of the shaft member 803, so that the first state, the second state, and the third state It is fixed to one of. In one embodiment, a fixture other than the fastener 804 may be used, or the position may be fixed by a power source 81 or the like (not shown) without using the fastener. The axial movement or fixing of the shaft member 803 may be controlled by manual operation, a solenoid, a pneumatic actuator, a power source 81 (not shown) such as a motor, a control signal from the control unit 60, or the like.

The pipe 36a defined in the housing 805 has an upstream side flow path 807a on the discharge pipe 34a side, an axial flow path 806a along the axial direction, and a downstream side flow path 808a on the suction pipe 32b side. The upstream side flow path 807a and the downstream side flow path 808a are connected substantially perpendicularly to both ends of the axial flow path 806a. Further, in the housing 805, a part of the pipe 36b is defined so as to be axially separated from the pipe 36a.

The pipe 36b defined in the housing 805 has an upstream side flow path 807b on the discharge pipe 34b side, an axial flow path 806b along the axial direction, and a downstream side flow path 808b on the suction pipe 32b side. The upstream side flow path 807b and the downstream side flow path 808b are connected substantially perpendicularly to both ends of the axial flow path 806b. With respect to the axial flow paths 806a and 806b, the upstream side flow path 807a of the pipe 36a and the upstream side flow path 807b of the pipe 36b are connected to opposite sides in the axial direction (inside in the left-right direction of the paper surface in FIG. 5B). Has been done. Similarly, with respect to the axial flow paths 806a and 806b, the downstream side flow path 808a of the pipe 36a and the downstream side flow path 808b of the pipe 36b are opposite sides in the axial direction (in FIG. 5B, outside in the left-right direction of the paper surface). )It is connected to the.

The on-off valves 801a and 801b are arranged in the axial flow paths 806a and 806b of the pipes 36a and 36b, respectively. The on-off valves 801a and 801b are connected to the shaft member 803 via the springs 802a and 802b, and can move in the longitudinal direction (paper surface left-right direction) of the shaft member 803. The springs 802a and 802b urge the on-off valves 801a and 801b toward the sealing portions 809a and 809b. The shaft member 803 and the springs 802a and 802b correspond to an "interlocking mechanism" that interlocks the on-off valves 801a and 801b.

When the on-off valve 801a comes into contact with the sealing portion 809a provided on the downstream side flow path 808a side in the axial flow path 806a, the flow path of the pipe 36a is cut off. On the other hand, when the on-off valve 801a is separated from the sealing portion 809a, the flow path of the pipe 36a is opened.

When the on-off valve 801b comes into contact with the sealing portion 809b provided on the downstream side flow path 808b side, the flow path of the pipe 36b is cut off. On the other hand, when the on-off valve 801b is separated from the sealing portion 809b, the flow path of the pipe 36b is opened.

Further, in the valve device 280, the sealing portions 809 are arranged at positions opposite to each other on the paper surface in the axial flow paths 806a and 806b. Therefore, by moving the shaft member 803 in the axial direction, the following three states can be formed.
-Open the flow path of the pipe 36a and close the flow path of the pipe 36b. (First moving position)
-Open the flow path of the pipe 36b and close the flow path of the pipe 36a. (Second movement position)
-Close both the flow paths of the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b. (Third moving position)

As shown in FIG. 6B, the valve device 280 becomes the "first moving position" when the shaft member 803 is aligned with the recess 803a. As shown in FIG. 7B, the valve device 280 becomes a "second moving position" when the shaft member 803 is aligned with the 803b. As shown in FIG. 5B, the valve device 280 becomes a "third moving position" when the shaft member 803 is aligned with the 803c.

Here, in the valve device 280, similarly to the ball valve 108, in the movable range of the shaft member 803, only one of the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b communicates, or both the flow paths of the pipe 36a and the pipe 36b communicate with each other. It is configured to block. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5B, 6B, and 7B, there is a recess 803c between the recess 803a and the recess 803b. As a result, when switching the "first moving position" to the "second moving position", the state of the "third moving position" is passed, and the state of the "second moving position" is changed to the "first moving position". When switching to the "third movement position" state, it is possible to switch from the "third movement position" to any of the "first movement position" and "second movement position" states. is there. As a result, in the case of rotation in which the upstream side and the downstream side are exchanged during series operation, it is possible to temporarily perform parallel operation at the "third moving position" and replace the pump 44 operating in the parallel operation. it can. As a result, the pump 44 on the upstream side can be operated first, so that cavitation of the pump 44 on the downstream side can be prevented. Further, since the pump 44 being operated in parallel operation is replaced, the pressure fluctuation can be minimized by controlling the rotation speeds of the first pump and the second pump.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the valve device 280 can put the water supply device 10 in the third state by setting the shaft member 803 as the “third moving position”. In FIG. 5A, the flow of water when the pumps 44a and 44b are operated in parallel is shown by arrows and solid lines, and the flow of water pressurized by the pumps 44a and 44b is shown by medium-thick lines. Further, the flow path blocked by the valve device 280 is indicated by a dotted line.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the valve device 280 can put the water supply device 10 in the first state by setting the shaft member 803 as the “first moving position”. In FIG. 6A, the flow of water when operated in series with the pump 44a on the upstream side and the pump 44b on the downstream side is shown by arrows and solid lines, and the flow of water pressurized by the pumps 44a and 44b is shown. It is indicated by a medium-thick line. Further, the flow path blocked by the valve device 280 is indicated by a dotted line.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the valve device 280 can put the water supply device 10 in the second state by setting the shaft member 803 as the “second moving position”. In FIG. 7A, the flow of water when the pump 44b is operated on the upstream side and the pump 44a is operated on the downstream side in series is shown by arrows and solid lines, and the flow of water pressurized by the pumps 44a and 44b is shown. It is indicated by a medium-thick line. Further, the flow path blocked by the valve device 280 is indicated by a dotted line.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 5B to 7B, the valve device 280 includes a shaft member 803 and springs 802a and 802b as an "interlocking mechanism" for interlocking the first valve and the on-off valves 801a and 801b. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and various configurations in which the on-off valve is interlocked may be adopted as the interlocking mechanism.

(Modification example 1)
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a pump portion of the first modification.
In the above-described embodiment, the water supply device 10 including the pumps 44a and 44b as the first pump unit and the second pump unit has been described. However, the water supply device 10 may include the pump unit 1044 shown in FIG. 8 as the first pump unit and the second pump unit, instead of at least one of the pumps 44a and 44b shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the pump unit 1044 includes a motor pump 1040, an inverter device 1050 which is an example of a variable speed controller of the motor pump 1040, and a control unit 1060 which controls the motor pump 1040. Each of the motor pump 1040 and the inverter device 1050 may have the same configuration as each of the motor pump 40 and the inverter device 50 of the embodiment.

In the pump unit 1044, the suction pipe 32 is connected to the suction side of the pump unit 1044, and the discharge pipe 34 is connected to the discharge side of the pump unit 1044. Specifically, the suction pipe 32 is connected to the suction port 1044a, which is one end of the suction pipe 1032 of the pump unit 1044, and the suction pipe 1032 is provided with a pressure sensor 1021 for detecting the pressure of the suction pipe 32. Has been done. Further, the discharge pipe 34 is connected to the discharge port 1044b which is one end of the discharge pipe 1034 of the pump unit 1044, and the discharge pipe 1034 has a flow switch 1024 for detecting an insufficient amount of water and a check valve. A 1025, a pressure sensor 1026 which is a pressure detector, and a pressure tank 1028 are provided. The pressure sensor 1021, the flow switch 1024, the check valve 1025, the pressure sensor 1026, and the pressure tank 1028 are the pressure sensor 21, the flow switch 24, the check valve 25, and the pressure sensor 26 in the water supply device 10 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A. , And each of the pressure tank 28 may have the same configuration.

In the pump unit 1044 shown in FIG. 8, detection signals from various sensors are input to the control unit 1060, and the control unit 1060 can drive the motor pump 1040 by transmitting a command to the inverter device 1050 or the like. That is, the pump unit 1044 shown in FIG. 8 can also be used as a pump device that independently supplies water to the water supply destination.

When such a pump unit 1044 is used as a first pump unit and a second pump unit, when the control unit 60 shown in FIG. 1 and the control unit 1060 shown in FIG. 8 are connected wirelessly or by wire. Good. Then, it is preferable that various detection signals in the pump unit 1044 are sent from the control unit 1060 of the pump unit 1044 to the control unit 60 of the water supply device 10. Further, it is preferable that a signal indicating the open / closed state of the opening / closing mechanism 80, a target pressure of the water supply device 10, or the like is sent from the control unit 60 of the water supply device 10 to the control unit 1060 of the pump unit 1044. The control unit 1060 of the pump unit 1044 used as the first pump unit and the control unit 1060 of the pump unit 1044 used as the second pump unit may be connected to each other so as to be communicable with each other. As described above, even when the pump unit 1044 as shown in FIG. 8 is used as at least one of the first pump unit and the second pump unit, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. it can. When the pump unit 1044 shown in FIG. 8 is used in place of the pump 44 shown in FIG. 1, the motor 42, the inverter device 50, the flow switch 24, the check valve 25, the pressure sensors 21 and 26, and the pressure tank 28 overlap. At least a part of the configuration to be used may be omitted. Further, the control unit 1060a and / and the control unit 1060b may function as the control unit 60, and the control unit 60 may be omitted.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a pump portion of the second modified example.
As the first pump unit and the second pump unit, the pump unit 2044 shown in FIG. 9 may be provided in place of at least one of the pump units 44a and 44b shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the pump unit 2044 controls two motor pumps 2040a and 2040b, inverter devices 2050a and 2050b which are examples of variable speed controllers of motor pumps 2040a and 2040b, and motor pumps 2040a and 2040b. 2060, and a control unit for 2060. The motor pumps 2040a and 2040b and the inverter devices 2050a and 2050b may have the same configurations as the motor pump 40 and the inverter device 50 of the embodiment, respectively.

The pump unit 2044 shown in FIG. 9 includes two motor pumps 2040 connected in parallel to the suction pipe 32 and the discharge pipe 34 of the pump unit 2044. In the example shown in FIG. 9, two motor pumps 2040a and 2040b are provided, but three or more motor pumps may be provided. The suction pipe 32 is connected to the suction port 2044a, which is one end of the suction pipe 2032c of the pump portion 2044, and the suction pipe 2032c of the pump portion 2044 is provided with a pressure sensor 21 for measuring the pressure in the suction pipe 32. Has been done. Further, the suction pipe 2032c branches into a suction pipe 2032a of the motor pump 2040a and a suction pipe 2032b of the motor pump 2040b. Further, the discharge pipe 34 is connected to the discharge port 2044b, which is one end of the discharge collecting pipe 2032c of the pump unit 2044. The suction pipes 2032a and 2032b are connected to the suction ports of the motor pumps 2040a and 2040b by branching from the suction pipe 2032c of the pump unit 2044. Further, the discharge pipes 2034a and 2034b connected to the discharge ports of the motor pumps 2040a and 2040b are integrated and connected to the discharge pipe 2034c of the pump unit 2044. The discharge pipes 2034a and 2034b are provided with flow switches 2024a and 2024b for detecting an insufficient amount of water and check valves 2025a and 2025b. Further, the discharge merging pipe 2034c is provided with a pressure sensor 2026 which is a pressure detector and a pressure tank 2028. The pressure sensor 2021, the flow switch 2024a, 2024b, the check valve 2025a, 2025b, the pressure sensor 2026, and the pressure tank 2028 are the pressure sensor 21, the flow switch 24, the check valve 25, and the pressure sensor 26 in the water supply device 10 of the embodiment. , And each of the pressure tank 28 may have the same configuration.

In the pump unit 2044 shown in FIG. 9, detection signals from various sensors are input to the control unit 2060, and the control unit 2060 drives the motor pumps 2040a and 2040b by transmitting commands to the inverter devices 2050a and 2050b and the like. Can be done. That is, the pump unit 2044 shown in FIG. 9 can also be used as a pump device that independently supplies water to the water supply destination, similarly to the pump unit 1044 shown in FIG.

When such a pump unit 2044 is used as a first pump unit and a second pump unit, when the control unit 60 shown in FIG. 1 and the control unit 2060 shown in FIG. 9 are connected wirelessly or by wire. Good. Then, it is preferable that various detection signals in the pump unit 2044 are sent from the control unit 2060 of the pump unit 2044 to the control unit 60 of the water supply device 10. Further, it is preferable that a signal indicating the open / closed state of the opening / closing mechanism 80, a target pressure of the water supply device 10, or the like is sent from the control unit 60 of the water supply device 10 to the control unit 2060 of the pump unit 2044. The control unit 2060 of the pump unit 2040 used as the first pump unit and the control unit 2060 of the pump unit 2040 used as the second pump unit may be connected to each other so as to be communicable with each other. As described above, even when the pump unit 2044 as shown in FIG. 9 is used as at least one of the first pump unit and the second pump unit, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. it can. When the pump unit 2044 shown in FIG. 8 is used in place of the pump 44 shown in FIG. 1, the motor 42, the inverter device 50, the flow switch 24, the check valve 25, the pressure sensors 21 and 26, and the pressure tank 28 overlap. At least a part of the configuration to be used may be omitted. Further, the control unit 2060a and / and the control unit 2060b may function as the control unit 60, and the control unit 60 may be omitted.

The present embodiment described above can also be described as the following embodiment.
[Form 1] According to Form 1, a pump device including a first pump unit and a second pump unit is proposed. The pump device includes a first connecting pipe that connects a discharge pipe of the first pump portion and a suction pipe of the second pump portion, a discharge pipe of the second pump portion, and the first one. It is provided with a second connecting pipe for connecting the suction pipe of the pump portion, and an opening / closing mechanism capable of opening and closing the flow path of the first connecting pipe and the flow path of the second connecting pipe. According to the first embodiment, the first and second pump units can be operated in series through the first connecting pipe with the first pump unit on the low pressure side and the second pump unit on the high pressure side. Further, through the second connecting pipe, the first and second pump units can be operated in series with the second pump unit on the low pressure side and the first pump unit on the high pressure side. Therefore, according to such a pump device, it is possible to cope with a wide range of discharge flow rates and discharge pressures, and it is possible to achieve energy saving and long life.

[Form 2] According to the second form, in the first form, the opening / closing mechanism includes a first state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe is opened and the flow path of the second connecting pipe is closed, and the first state. The second state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe is closed and the flow path of the second connecting pipe is opened, and the flow path of the first connecting pipe and the flow path of the second connecting pipe are both closed. It is possible to switch between the third state and the third state.

[Form 3] According to the third form, in the second form, the opening / closing mechanism switches between the first state and the second state via the third state.

[Form 4] According to Form 4, in Form 3, the opening / closing mechanism is composed of a single ball valve, and is in the first state at the first rotation position and in the second state at the second rotation position. , The third state is reached at the third rotation position.

[Form 5] According to the fifth form, in the first to third forms, the opening / closing mechanism includes a first on-off valve capable of opening / closing the flow path of the first connecting pipe and a flow path of the second connecting pipe. It has a second on-off valve that can open and close.

[Form 6] According to Form 6, in the fifth form, the on-off mechanism is connected to the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve, and the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are connected. Further has an interlocking mechanism for interlocking with.

[Form 7] According to the seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, the interlocking mechanism has a shaft member that is connected to the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve and can move in the axial direction. As the shaft member moves, the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are moved in the axial direction.

[Form 8] According to the eighth form, in the first to seventh forms, a power source for driving the opening / closing mechanism is further provided. In this way, the opening / closing mechanism can be driven by the power source.

[Form 9] According to the ninth aspect, in the first to eighth forms, the suction pipe of the first pump portion is provided with a first suction side valve on the upstream side of the connection portion with the first connection pipe. The suction pipe of the second pump portion is provided with a second suction side valve on the upstream side of the connection portion with the second connecting pipe.

[Form 10] According to the tenth aspect, in the ninth aspect, at least one of the first suction side valve and the second suction side valve is a check valve.

[Form 11] According to the eleventh form, in the first to tenth forms, the discharge pipe of the first pump portion has a first discharge side valve on the downstream side of the connection portion with the second connection pipe. Is provided, and the discharge pipe of the second pump portion is provided with a second discharge side valve on the downstream side of the connection portion with the first connection pipe.

[Form 12] According to Form 12, at least one of the first discharge side valve and the second discharge side valve is a check valve in the eleventh form.

[Form 13] According to the thirteenth form, in the first to twelfth forms, the first pump section and the second pump section have the same performance. According to the thirteenth aspect, the control of the first pump part and the second pump part can be facilitated.

[Form 14] According to the first form 14, the first pump unit, the second pump unit, the suction pipe of the first pump unit, and the discharge pipe of the second pump unit are connected to each other. A connecting pipe, a second connecting pipe connecting the suction pipe of the second pump portion and the discharge pipe of the first pump portion, a flow path of the first connecting pipe, and the second connecting pipe. A pump operation method of a pump device equipped with an opening / closing mechanism capable of opening / closing the flow path of the pump device is proposed. In the pump operation method, the opening / closing mechanism includes a first state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe is opened and the flow path of the second connecting pipe is closed, and a flow path of the first connecting pipe. A second state in which the flow path of the second connecting pipe is opened and a third state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe and the flow path of the second connecting pipe are closed together. It is switchable, and in the first state, the first pump unit is upstream and the second pump unit is downstream, and in the second state, the second pump unit is upstream. In addition, the first pump unit is operated in series downstream, and in the third state, the first pump unit and the second pump unit are operated in parallel. According to the fourteenth aspect, it is possible to cope with a wide range of discharge flow rates and discharge pressures, and it is possible to achieve energy saving and long life.

[Form 15] According to Form 15, in the in-line operation in which the first pump unit is upstream and the second pump unit is downstream, the step of starting the first pump unit and the first step. It has a step of starting the pump unit of 2. By doing so, it is possible to prevent a negative pressure between the first pump portion and the second pump portion, and it is possible to prevent cavitation of the pump portion on the downstream side.

[Form 16] According to the form 16, in the in-line operation in which the second pump unit is upstream and the first pump unit is downstream in the 14 or 15, the step of starting the second pump unit and the step. , The step of activating the first pump unit. By doing so, it is possible to prevent a negative pressure between the second pump portion and the first pump portion, and it is possible to prevent cavitation of the pump portion on the downstream side.

[Form 17] According to the 17th form, in the 14th to 16th forms, in the parallel operation of the first pump section and the second pump section, the first pump section and the second pump section rotate in the same manner. It has a step of driving at speed. According to the form 17, the amount of discharged water can be made uniform between the first pump unit and the second pump unit.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments of the invention described above are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes an equivalent thereof. In addition, any combination of embodiments and modifications is possible within a range that can solve at least a part of the above-mentioned problems, or a range that produces at least a part of the effect, and is described in the claims and the specification. Any combination of each component or omission is possible.

10 ... Water supply device 10a ... Suction port 10b ... Discharge port 23a, 23b ... Check valve 25a, 25b ... Check valve 32a ... Suction pipe 32b ... Suction pipe 34a ... Discharge pipe 34b ... Discharge pipe 36a ... Connection pipe 36b ... Connection pipes 42a, 42b ... Motor 44a ... Pump (first pump section)
44b ... Pump (second pump section)
50a, 50b ... Inverter 60 ... Control unit 80 ... Opening and closing mechanism 80a ... Flow path 81 ... Power source 105 ... Introduction pipe 107 ... Water supply pipe 180 ... Ball valve (opening and closing mechanism)
280 ... Valve device (opening / closing mechanism)
801a ... 1st on-off valve 801b ... 2nd on-off valve 802a ... Spring 803a-803c ... Recessed 803 ... Shaft member 804 ... Fastener 805 ... Housing

Claims (17)

A pump device including a first pump unit and a second pump unit.
A first connecting pipe that connects the discharge pipe of the first pump part and the suction pipe of the second pump part,
A second connecting pipe that connects the discharge pipe of the second pump part and the suction pipe of the first pump part,
An opening / closing mechanism capable of opening / closing the flow path of the first connecting pipe and the flow path of the second connecting pipe.
A pump device equipped with. The opening / closing mechanism
The first state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe is opened and the flow path of the second connecting pipe is closed.
A second state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe is closed and the flow path of the second connecting pipe is opened.
A third state in which both the flow path of the first connecting pipe and the flow path of the second connecting pipe are closed,
The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the pump device can be switched. The opening / closing mechanism switches between the first state and the second state via the third state.
The pump device according to claim 2. The opening / closing mechanism is composed of a single ball valve, and is in the first state at the first rotation position, the second state at the second rotation position, and the third state at the third rotation position. Item 3. The pump device according to item 3. The opening / closing mechanism has a first on-off valve capable of opening / closing the flow path of the first connecting pipe and a second on-off valve capable of opening / closing the flow path of the second connecting pipe. The pump device according to any one of 1 to 3. The fifth aspect of the present invention further comprises an interlocking mechanism that is connected to the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve to interlock the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve. The pump device described. The interlocking mechanism has a shaft member that is connected to the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve and can move in the axial direction, and with the movement of the shaft member, the first on-off valve and the first on-off valve. The pump device according to claim 6, wherein the second on-off valve is moved in the axial direction. The pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a power source for driving the opening / closing mechanism. The suction pipe of the first pump portion is provided with a first suction side valve on the upstream side of the connection portion with the first connection pipe.
The suction pipe of the second pump portion is provided with a second suction side valve on the upstream side of the connection portion with the second connection pipe.
The pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The pump device according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the first suction side valve and the second suction side valve is a check valve. The discharge pipe of the first pump portion is provided with a first discharge side valve on the downstream side of the connection portion with the second connection pipe.
The discharge pipe of the second pump portion is provided with a second discharge side valve on the downstream side of the connection portion with the first connection pipe.
The pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The pump device according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first discharge side valve and the second discharge side valve is a check valve. The first pump unit and the second pump unit have the same performance.
The pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 12. The first pump part and
The second pump part and
A first connecting pipe that connects the suction pipe of the first pump part and the discharge pipe of the second pump part,
A second connecting pipe that connects the suction pipe of the second pump part and the discharge pipe of the first pump part,
An opening / closing mechanism capable of opening / closing the flow path of the first connecting pipe and the flow path of the second connecting pipe.
It is a pump operation method of a pump device equipped with
The opening / closing mechanism
A first state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe is opened and the flow path of the second connecting pipe is closed.
A second state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe is closed and the flow path of the second connecting pipe is opened.
It is possible to switch between the third state in which the flow path of the first connecting pipe and the flow path of the second connecting pipe are both closed.
In the first state, the first pump unit is upstream and the second pump unit is downstream in series operation.
In the second state, the second pump unit is upstream and the first pump unit is downstream in series operation.
In the third state, the first pump unit and the second pump unit are operated in parallel.
How to operate the pump. In the in-line operation in which the first pump unit is upstream and the second pump unit is downstream, the step of starting the first pump unit and
The step of starting the second pump unit and
Have,
The pump operation method according to claim 14. In the in-line operation in which the second pump section is upstream and the first pump section is downstream,
The step of starting the second pump unit and
The step of starting the first pump unit and
Have,
The pump operating method according to claim 14 or 15. In the parallel operation of the first pump unit and the second pump unit,
A step of operating the first pump unit and the second pump unit at the same rotation speed.
Have,
The pump operation method according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

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