JP2022178060A - Inspection method of pressure regulator for fuel gas, and inspection system of pressure regulator for fuel gas - Google Patents

Abstract

To make it possible to simply and suitably inspect occlusiveness of a switching valve.SOLUTION: An inspection method of a pressure regulator 1 for a fuel gas is provided. The pressure regulator comprises: a switching valve 5 opened and closed according to a pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of a main flow path 2; a bypass flow path 3 for bypassing the upstream side and the downstream side of the switching valve 5; and an on-off valve 4 for opening and closing the bypass flow path 3. The inspection method comprises: a first measurement step of measuring a pressure of the downstream side or the bypass flow path 3 by making the fuel gas flow from the upstream side to the downstream side at a prescribed flow rate that can keep the closing state of the switching valve 5 in the state of the on-off valve 4 opened; a second measurement step of measuring the pressure of the downstream side or the bypass flow path 3 by making the fuel gas flow from the upstream side to the downstream side at the prescribed flow rate in the state of the on-off valve 4 closed; and a determination step of performing pass/fail determination of the switching valve 5 based on a difference between the pressure measured in the first measurement step and the pressure measured in the second measurement step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a fuel gas pressure regulator inspection method and a fuel gas pressure regulator inspection system.

As a fuel gas pressure regulator, a switching valve that opens and closes according to the pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the main flow path, a bypass flow path that bypasses the upstream side and the downstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path, and There is known one that includes a leak detection sensor that detects minute amounts of fuel gas flowing through the bypass flow path (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The pressure regulator described in Patent Literature 1 is set such that when the flow rate of the main flow path is less than the set flow rate, the switching valve is closed and a very small flow rate of fuel gas flows through the bypass flow path. A leak detection sensor detects a minute flow rate of the fuel gas in the bypass flow path, thereby detecting a minute leak of the fuel gas.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-200238

In the pressure regulator described in Patent Document 1, it is premised to inspect that the switching valve is reliably closed when the flow rate of the main flow path is less than the set flow rate, so it is necessary to inspect the blockage of the switching valve. be. As a method for inspecting the blockage of the switching valve, the pressure on the upstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path is increased using the diaphragm provided in the pressure regulator, and the pressure between the upstream side and the downstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path is increased. An inspection method for inspecting the occlusiveness of the switching valve by measuring the pressure difference is conceivable.

However, in this inspection method, it is necessary to adjust the pressure on the upstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path in accordance with the minute biasing force of the spring that biases the switching valve, but this adjustment work is difficult. In addition, since the volume differs between the upstream side and the downstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path, the pressure measurement is affected by the temperature. Furthermore, it is necessary to make holes for pressure detection on the upstream side and the downstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a fuel gas pressure regulator inspection method and a fuel gas pressure regulator inspection system capable of easily and suitably inspecting the blockage of a switching valve. intended to provide

A fuel gas pressure regulator inspection method according to the present invention includes a switching valve that opens and closes according to a pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of a main flow path, and the upstream side and the downstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path. and an on-off valve that opens and closes the bypass flow path, wherein the on-off valve is opened and the switching valve is closed. a first measuring step of flowing a maintained predetermined flow rate of fuel gas from the upstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path to the downstream side thereof to measure the pressure of the downstream side or the bypass flow path; a second measuring step of flowing the fuel gas at a predetermined flow rate from the upstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path to the downstream side thereof and measuring the pressure of the downstream side or the bypass flow path; and a determining step of determining whether the switching valve is good or bad based on the difference between the pressure measured in the above step and the pressure measured in the second measuring step.

Further, a fuel gas pressure regulator inspection method according to the present invention includes a switching valve that opens and closes according to a pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of a main flow path, and the upstream side and the downstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path. and an on-off valve for opening and closing the bypass flow path, wherein the switching valve is closed while the on-off valve is open. a measurement step of flowing a predetermined flow rate of fuel gas maintained in a state from the upstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path to the downstream side thereof, and measuring the flow rate of the downstream side and the flow rate of the bypass flow path; and a determination step of determining whether the switching valve is good or bad based on the difference between the flow rate of the main flow path and the flow rate of the bypass flow path measured in .

Further, a fuel gas pressure regulator inspection system according to the present invention is a pressure regulator inspection system used for carrying out the pressure regulator inspection method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first measurement step and an input unit into which the pressure measured in and the pressure measured in the second measurement step are input, and the pressure measured in the first measurement step and input to the input unit and the pressure measured in the second measurement step and a determination unit for calculating a difference from the pressure input to the input unit and executing the determination step.

Further, a fuel gas pressure regulator inspection system according to the present invention is a pressure regulator inspection system used for carrying out the pressure regulator inspection method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the measuring step measures an input unit for inputting the flow rate of the main flow path and the flow rate of the bypass flow path, and the flow rate of the main flow path and the flow rate of the bypass flow path measured in the measuring step and input to the input unit. and a determination unit that calculates the difference between and executes the determination step.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to test|inspect the blockage of a switching valve simply and suitably.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a pressure regulator to be inspected using a pressure regulator inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the pressure regulator shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing the pressure regulator shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is a front sectional view showing the pressure regulator in the first measurement step of the pressure regulator inspection method. FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing the pressure regulator shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is a front sectional view showing the pressure regulator in a second measurement step of the pressure regulator inspection method. FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view showing a pressure regulator in a measurement step of a pressure regulator inspection method according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an experiment for demonstrating an inspection method for pressure regulators according to one embodiment and another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a table showing experimental results. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a pressure regulator inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a pressure regulator inspection system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below along with preferred embodiments. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below, and the embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the embodiments shown below, there are places where illustrations and explanations of some configurations are omitted, but the details of the omitted technologies are as long as there is no contradiction with the contents explained below. Appropriately known or well-known techniques are applied.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a pressure regulator 1 to be inspected using a pressure regulator 1 inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the pressure regulator 1 comprises a primary regulator 10 , a secondary regulator 20 , a leak detector 30 and piping 40 . The pressure regulator 1 also includes a main flow path 2, a bypass flow path 3, an on-off valve 4, and a switching valve 5 (see FIGS. 2 to 6).

The upstream portion of the main flow path 2 constitutes part of the secondary regulator 20 , and the downstream portion of the main flow path 2 is constructed by a pipe 40 . A switching valve 5 is provided at the boundary between the upstream portion and the downstream portion of the main flow passage 2 . The switching valve 5 opens and closes according to the pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the main flow passage 2 .

The bypass flow path 3 is a flow path that bypasses the upstream side and downstream side of the switching valve 5 in the main flow path 2 . The bypass flow path 3 is provided with an on-off valve 4 and a lever 6 . By operating the lever 6, the on-off valve 4 is switched between an open state and a closed state, and the bypass flow path 3 is opened and closed.

The primary regulator 10 is a so-called primary regulator with a switching function, and is connected to left and right LP gas cylinders (not shown). This primary adjuster 10 has a switching lever 11 . By operating this switching lever 11, it is selected whether the fuel gas is to be introduced from either the left or right LP gas cylinder (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the pressure regulator 1 shown in FIG. As shown in this figure, the primary regulator 10 has a diaphragm 12 and the like inside. The primary regulator 10 opens and closes an internal valve body in accordance with the operation of the diaphragm 12 to perform primary pressure reduction to reduce the high-pressure fuel gas to an intermediate pressure. The fuel gas that has been primarily pressure-reduced by the primary regulator 10 is supplied to the secondary regulator 20 .

The secondary regulator 20 performs secondary pressure reduction to lower the pressure of the medium-pressure fuel gas supplied from the primary regulator 10 . The secondary regulator 20 includes a piping portion 21 forming an upstream portion of the main flow passage 2, a diaphragm 22 facing the gas chamber G communicating with the piping portion 21, a pressure reducing valve 25, and the like. Secondary regulator 20 performs secondary pressure reduction by opening and closing pressure reducing valve 25 in response to operation of diaphragm 22 . The fuel gas that has been secondary pressure-reduced by the secondary regulator 20 is supplied to the downstream piping 40 .

In the secondary regulator 20 , when the flow rate of the fuel gas is less than the set flow rate, the fuel gas flows into the bypass flow path 3 by closing the switching valve 5 . On the other hand, in the secondary regulator 20, when the flow rate of the fuel gas is equal to or higher than the set flow rate, the fuel gas flows through both the main flow path 2 and the bypass flow path 3 by opening the switching valve 5. .

The secondary regulator 20 includes a piping section 21 , a diaphragm 22 , a coil spring 23 , a link mechanism 24 , a pressure reducing valve 25 and a housing 26 . The housing 26 includes a cylindrical coil housing portion 26A that houses the coil spring 23, and a disk-shaped air/gas chamber portion 26B that constitutes the air chamber A and the gas chamber G. As shown in FIG. The coil housing portion 26A protrudes from the central portion of the air/gas chamber portion 26B, and the central axis of the coil housing portion 26A is arranged coaxially with the central axis of the air/gas chamber portion 26B.

The coil spring 23 is a compression coil spring, and is housed in the coil housing portion 26A in a state that it can expand and contract in the axial direction of the coil housing portion 26A. One end of the coil spring 23 is fixed to the tip side of the coil accommodating portion 26A. The diaphragm 22 is an elastically deformable disc that separates the inside of the air/gas chamber 26B into an air chamber A on the side of the coil accommodating portion 26A and a gas chamber G on the side of the pipe portion 21 . The other end of the coil spring 23 is attached to the central portion of the diaphragm 22 . A peripheral portion of the diaphragm 22 is attached to the inner peripheral wall portion of the air/gas chamber portion 26B.

Due to the increase in pressure in the gas chamber G, the diaphragm 22 is deformed to expand toward the air chamber A side against the elastic force of the coil spring 23 . On the other hand, due to the decrease in pressure in the gas chamber G, the diaphragm 22 is urged toward the gas chamber G by the elastic force of the coil spring 23 and elastically returns.

The link mechanism 24 includes a first shaft portion 24A, a second shaft portion 24B, and an L-shaped link 24C. The first shaft portion 24A is attached to the center of the diaphragm 22 . The first shaft portion 24A is arranged coaxially with respect to the centers of the coil spring 23 and the coil accommodating portion 26A, and protrudes from the center of the diaphragm 22 into the gas chamber G. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, one end of the second shaft portion 24B is attached to the center of the valve body 25A of the pressure reducing valve 25 . The second shaft portion 24B is arranged coaxially with the central axis of the pipe portion 21 and protrudes from the center of the valve body 25A of the pressure reducing valve 25 into the gas chamber G. As shown in FIG.

The link 24C includes a first link portion 24C1 and a second link portion 24C2 longer than the first link portion 24C1. The first link portion 24</b>C<b>1 is arranged across the inside of the pipe portion 21 and the inside of the housing 26 through a hole 21</b>H formed in the pipe portion 21 . One end of the first link portion 24C1 is connected to the other end of the second shaft portion 24B, and the other end of the first link portion 24C1 is integrally formed with one end of the second link portion 24C2. The central portion of the first link portion 24C1 is rotatably supported by the peripheral portion of the hole 21H in the pipe portion 21. As shown in FIG.

The other end of the second link portion 24C2 is connected to the tip of the first shaft portion 24A. When the diaphragm 22 is deformed so as to expand toward the air chamber A due to an increase in pressure in the gas chamber G, the other end of the second link portion 24C2 is displaced toward the air chamber A, and one end of the first link portion 24C1 is displaced toward the air chamber A. It is displaced away from the valve seat 25B of the pressure reducing valve 25 . At this time, when the diaphragm 22 is brought into a predetermined state, the valve body 25A is brought into a closed state in which it is pressed against the valve seat 25B, and the introduction of the fuel gas into the gas chamber G is cut off. On the other hand, when the diaphragm 22 elastically returns from the predetermined state to the gas chamber G side due to a decrease in the pressure of the gas chamber G, the other end of the second link portion 24C2 is displaced toward the pipe portion 21 side, and the first link portion 24C1 is displaced toward the valve seat 25B side of the pressure reducing valve 25 . At this time, the valve body 25A is in an open state away from the valve seat 25B, and the fuel gas is introduced into the gas chamber G. The secondary regulator 20 reduces the pressure of the fuel gas by repeating the operation of introducing the fuel gas into the gas chamber G and the operation of blocking the introduction of the fuel gas into the gas chamber G.

The pipe 40 is arranged coaxially with the pipe portion 21 . The upstream end of the pipe 40 and the downstream end of the pipe portion 21 are connected. A switching valve 5 is provided at the connecting portion between the pipe 40 and the pipe portion 21 . The switching valve 5 includes a valve body 51 , a valve seat 52 , a shaft portion 53 , a guide 54 and a coil spring 55 .

The valve seat 52 is provided at the connecting portion between the pipe 40 and the pipe portion 21 , and the valve body 51 is arranged downstream from the valve seat 52 . The shaft portion 53 is attached to the center of the valve body 51 and protrudes from the valve body 51 toward the piping portion 21 side through the insertion hole of the valve seat 52 . A flange portion 53A is provided at the tip of the shaft portion 53 . The guide 54 is provided at the connecting portion between the pipe 40 and the pipe portion 21 and guides the shaft portion 53 along the axial direction of the pipe portion 21 .

The coil spring 55 is a compression coil spring, and is sandwiched between the flange portion 53A and the guide 54. As shown in FIG. When the pressure difference between the pipe portion 21 and the pipe 40 is less than a predetermined set value, the switching valve 5 is closed with the valve body 51 pressed against the valve seat 52, and the fuel gas flows from the pipe portion 21 to the pipe 40. flow is interrupted. On the other hand, when the pressure difference between the pipe portion 21 and the pipe 40 is equal to or greater than the predetermined set value, the valve body 51 of the switching valve 5 moves away from the valve seat 52 against the elastic force of the coil spring 55. The open state is established, and the fuel gas flows from the piping section 21 to the piping 40 .

3 and 4 are front sectional views showing the pressure regulator 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. As shown in these figures, the leak detector 30 includes a bypass flow path 3, an on-off valve 4, a lever 6 (see FIG. 1), a leak detection sensor 31, and a pressure sensor 32. By detecting a small amount of fuel gas flowing through the secondary regulator 20 (see FIG. 2), a small leak of fuel gas occurring downstream of the secondary regulator 20 (see FIG. 2) is detected.

The leak detector 30 includes a downstream bypass pipe 33 and an upstream bypass pipe 34 that constitute the bypass flow path 3 . The upstream end of the upstream bypass pipe 34 is connected between the pressure reducing valve 25 and the switching valve 5 in the pipe section 21, and the downstream end of the upstream bypass pipe 34 is connected to the upstream end of the downstream bypass pipe 33. there is A downstream end of the downstream bypass pipe 33 is connected to a pipe 40 downstream of the switching valve 5 . An on-off valve 4 and a lever 6 are provided in the upstream bypass pipe 34 .

When the on-off valve 4 is open and the pressure difference between the pipe portion 21 and the pipe 40 is equal to or greater than a predetermined set value, the switching valve 5 is opened and the fuel gas directly flows from the pipe portion 21 to the pipe 40. It flows from the piping portion 21 to the piping 40 via the bypass flow path 3 . On the other hand, when the on-off valve 4 is open and the pressure difference between the pipe portion 21 and the pipe 40 is less than the predetermined set value, the switching valve 5 is closed and the fuel gas flows from the pipe portion 21 to the bypass flow path 3. only flows into the pipe 40 via the .

A multi-layer unit can be exemplified as the downstream bypass pipe 33 . This multi-layer unit is a rectangular tubular pipe having a plurality of flow dividing plates inside. Moreover, as the leakage detection sensor 31, an ultrasonic flow sensor can be exemplified. This ultrasonic flow sensor includes two sets of ultrasonic transmitters/receivers, and an arithmetic device for calculating the flow rate from the propagation time of the ultrasonic signals transmitted/received by the two sets of ultrasonic transmitters/receivers. Also, the pressure sensor 32 measures the pressure of the downstream bypass pipe 33 .

When the pressure difference between the piping section 21 and the piping 40 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined set value due to the use of the fuel gas on the consumer side, the switching valve 5 is opened, and the fuel gas is discharged from the piping section 21. It is supplied to the consumer side either directly or via the bypass channel 3 . On the other hand, when a minute fuel gas leak occurs downstream of the pipe 40 and the pressure difference between the pipe 21 and the pipe 40 is less than a predetermined set value, a minute flow rate of the fuel gas leaks into the pipe. It flows from the part 21 to the pipe 40 via the bypass channel 3 . At this time, a small amount of fuel gas flowing through the bypass flow path 3 is detected by the leak detection sensor 31, so that a small leak of the fuel gas is detected.

Here, in order for the leak detector 30 to detect a minute fuel gas leak, the switching valve 5 is closed when the pressure difference between the pipe section 21 and the pipe 40 is less than a predetermined set value. maintained is a prerequisite. Therefore, it is necessary to perform an inspection to confirm whether or not the switching valve 5 can normally maintain its closed state. An inspection method for determining the quality of the pressure regulator 1, particularly the switching valve 5, will be described below.

3 shows the state of the pressure regulator 1 in the first measurement step of the inspection method of the pressure regulator 1 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows the second measurement step of the inspection method of the pressure regulator 1 of the present embodiment. shows the state of the pressure regulator 1 at . As shown in these figures, in the inspection method of the pressure regulator 1 of the present embodiment, the pressure gauge 8 is connected to the downstream side of the pipe 40 to measure the outlet pressures P1 and P2 of the pressure regulator 1, and By burning the fuel gas on the gas stove 9 on the side, the fuel gas flows from the pressure regulator 1 to the consumer side. Note that the outlet pressures P1 and P2 of the pressure regulator 1 may be referred to as the pressures P1 and P2 of the main flow path 2 .

As shown in FIG. 3, in the first measurement step, the on-off valve 4 is opened, and the gas stove 9 burns the fuel gas, thereby causing the fuel gas to flow from the pressure regulator 1 to the consumer side. Here, the flow rate of the fuel gas is set to a flow rate (for example, 50 to 100 L/h) at which the switching valve 5 is kept closed when the on-off valve 4 is open. At this time, the pressure gauge 8 measures the outlet pressure P1 of the pressure regulator 1 .

As shown in FIG. 4, in the second measurement step, the on-off valve 4 is closed while maintaining the flow rate of the fuel gas in the first measurement step. At this time, the pressure gauge 8 measures the outlet pressure P2 of the pressure regulator 1 .

Next, in the determination step, the quality of the switching valve 5 is determined based on the difference between the outlet pressure P1 measured in the first measurement step and the outlet pressure P2 measured in the second measurement step. Specifically, when the difference (P1-P2) between the outlet pressure P1 and the outlet pressure P2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (for example, 0.1 kPa), the switching valve 5 is normal (that is, there is no obstruction problem). If the difference (P1-P2) between the outlet pressure P1 and the outlet pressure P2 is less than the predetermined value, it is determined that the switching valve 5 is abnormal (that is, there is a problem with obstruction).

Here, when there is no problem with the closing property of the switching valve 5, the fuel gas does not flow from the piping section 21 to the piping 40 unless the switching valve 5 is changed to the open state in the second measurement step. Therefore, the outlet pressure P2 measured in the second measurement step is lower than the outlet pressure P1 measured in the first measurement step. On the other hand, if there is a problem with the closing property of the switching valve 5, the fuel gas flows from the piping section 21 to the piping 40 even if the state of the switching valve 5 does not change in the second measurement step. Therefore, the outlet pressure P2 measured in the second measurement step does not change from the outlet pressure P1 measured in the first measurement step, or changes only slightly (for example, less than 0.1 kPa).

Therefore, in the inspection method of the pressure regulator 1 of the present embodiment, the difference (P1-P2) between the outlet pressure P1 measured in the first measurement step and the outlet pressure P2 measured in the second measurement step is 0 or If the amount is very small (for example, less than 0.1 kPa), it is determined that the occlusion property of the switching valve 5 is poor, and the inspected pressure regulator 1 is rejected.

In the first measurement step and the second measurement step, the pressure sensor 32 of the leak detector 30 measures the pressures P1' and P2' of the bypass flow path 3, and the difference between them (P1'-P2') is 0. If there is or is a very small amount (for example, less than 0.1 kPa), it may be determined that the occlusion property of the switching valve 5 is poor, and the inspected pressure regulator 1 may be rejected.

Next, a method for inspecting the pressure regulator 1 according to another embodiment of the invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view showing the pressure regulator 1 in a measurement step of an inspection method for the pressure regulator 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, in this embodiment, a flow rate sensor 101 for measuring the flow rate of fuel gas flowing from the pipe 40 to the consumer side is installed downstream of the pipe 40 .

In the method for inspecting the pressure regulator 1 of the present embodiment, in the measurement step, the on-off valve 4 is opened and the fuel gas is burned on the gas stove 9 so that the fuel gas flows from the pressure regulator 1 to the consumer side. As in the above embodiment, the flow rate of the fuel gas is set to a flow rate (for example, 50 to 100 L/h) at which the switching valve 5 is kept closed while the on-off valve 4 is open. At this time, the flow rate sensor 101 measures the flow rate F1 of the fuel gas flowing from the pipe 40 to the consumer side, and the leakage detection sensor 31 measures the flow rate F2 of the fuel gas flowing through the bypass flow path 3 .

Next, in the determination step, the quality of the switching valve 5 is determined based on the difference between the flow rate F1 of the main flow path 2 and the flow rate F2 of the bypass flow path 3 measured in the measurement step. Specifically, in advance, when the switching valve 5 and the on-off valve 4 are opened and the same flow rate of fuel gas is flowed from the pressure regulator 1 to the consumer side, the flow rate F1' of the main flow path 2 and the bypass flow The difference (second value (F1'-F2')) from the flow rate F2' of the passage 3 is obtained in advance, and the difference between the flow rate F1 of the main flow passage 2 and the flow rate F2 of the bypass passage 3 measured in the measurement step. Compare (first value (F1-F2)) with second value (F1'-F2'). As a result of the comparison, if the first value (F1-F2) is significantly smaller than the second value (F1'-F2') (for example, 1/2 to 1/10 or less), the switching valve 5 is determined to be no problem, and there is a significant difference between the first value (F1-F2) and the second value (F1'-F2') (for example, the first value (F1- If F2) does not exceed the second value (1/2 to 1/10 times F1'-F2'), it is determined that there is a problem with the closing property of the switching valve 5. FIG.

Here, if there is no problem with the blockage of the switching valve 5, unless the switching valve 5 is changed to the open state in the measurement step, the fuel gas will flow from the piping section 21 to the piping 40 without passing through the bypass flow path 3. does not flow to Therefore, the flow rate F2 of the bypass flow path 3 measured in the measurement step is larger than the flow rate F2' of the bypass flow path 3 when the switching valve 5 is open. On the other hand, if there is a problem with the closing property of the switching valve 5, the fuel gas flows directly from the piping section 21 to the piping 40 in the measurement step even if the state of the switching valve 5 does not change. Therefore, the flow rate F2 of the bypass flow path 3 measured in the measurement step has no significant difference from the flow rate F2' of the bypass flow path 3 when the switching valve 5 is open.

Therefore, in the inspection method of the pressure regulator 1 of the present embodiment, the first value (F1-F2), which is the difference between the flow rate F1 of the main flow path 2 and the flow rate F2 of the bypass flow path 3 measured in the measurement step, There is no significant difference between the second value (F1'-F2'), which is the difference between the flow rate F1' of the main flow path 2 and the flow rate F2' of the bypass flow path 3 when the switching valve 5 is open. In this case, it is determined that the occlusion property of the switching valve 5 is bad, and the inspected pressure regulator 1 is rejected.

Experiments conducted to demonstrate the inspection method of the pressure regulator 1 according to one embodiment and another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the experiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, in this experiment, a main flow meter 102 and a flow control valve 103 were installed downstream of the pipe 40 . The main flow meter 102 measures the flow rate and pressure of the fuel gas flowing downstream from the pipe 40 . Also, the flow control valve 103 adjusts the flow rate of the fuel gas flowing downstream from the pipe 40 . In this experiment, the inlet pressure of the pressure regulator 1 was set to 0.1 MPa, and the right LP gas cylinder was selected by the switching lever 11 .

FIG. 7 is a table showing experimental results. As shown in this table, in this experiment, under the first to eighth conditions, the fuel gas flow rate was measured by the main flow path meter 102 and the leakage detection sensor 31, and the pressure was measured by the main flow path meter 102 and the pressure sensor 32. carried out.

Under the first to fourth conditions, the switching valve 5 is closed, and under the fifth to eighth conditions, the switching valve 5 is opened. In addition, the flow rate of the fuel gas flowing downstream from the pipe 40 is controlled by the flow rate control valve 103 to be 0 [L/h] for the first and fifth conditions, 3 [L/h] for the second and sixth conditions, and 3 [L/h] for the second and sixth conditions. 3 and 50 [L/h] for the 7th condition, and 100 [L/h] for the 4th and 8th conditions. The gap between the valve body 51 and the valve seat 52 is 0 mm when the switching valve 5 is closed, and the gap between the valve body 51 and the valve seat 52 is about 0.08 mm when the switching valve 5 is open. .

Under each condition, the on-off valve 4 was opened, and the flow rate of the fuel gas was measured by the main flow meter 102 and the leak detection sensor 31, and the pressure was measured by the main flow meter 102 and the pressure sensor 32. Under each condition, the on-off valve 4 was closed, and the flow rate of the fuel gas was measured by the main flow meter 102 and the pressure was measured by the main flow meter 102 and the pressure sensor 32 .

Then, for the first to eighth conditions, the difference between the flow rate of the main flow path 2 measured by the main flow path meter 102 and the flow rate of the bypass flow path 3 measured by the leakage detection sensor 31 when the on-off valve 4 is open. was calculated. Further, for the second to fourth and sixth to eighth conditions, the pressure in the main flow path 2 measured by the main flow meter 102 when the on-off valve 4 is open, and the pressure when the on-off valve 4 is closed A difference from the pressure in the main flow path 2 measured by the main flow meter 102 was calculated. Furthermore, for the second to fourth and sixth to eighth conditions, the pressure in the bypass flow path 3 measured by the pressure sensor 32 when the on-off valve 4 is open and the pressure when the on-off valve 4 is closed The difference from the pressure in the bypass flow path 3 measured by the pressure sensor 32 was calculated.

First, the difference between the flow rate of the main flow path 2 and the flow rate of the bypass flow path 3 when the on-off valve 4 is opened (hereinafter referred to as flow rate difference) will be examined. Between the first condition and the fifth condition where the set flow rate of the flow rate adjusting valve 103 is 0 [L/h], although no significant difference in the flow rate difference can be confirmed, the set flow rate of the flow rate adjusting valve 103 is 3 [L/h]. h] between the second condition and the sixth condition, between the third condition and the seventh condition where the set flow rate of the flow rate adjusting valve 103 is 50 [L/h], and the set flow rate of the flow rate adjusting valve 103 is 100 A significant difference in the flow rate difference was confirmed between the 4th condition and the 8th condition of [L/h]. Specifically, the flow rate difference under the second condition is significantly smaller, approximately 1/5 of the flow rate difference under the sixth condition, and the flow rate difference under the third condition is approximately 1 of the flow rate difference under the seventh condition. /10, and the difference in flow rate under the fourth condition was confirmed to be significantly smaller, approximately 1/10 of the difference in flow rate under the eighth condition.

As described above, the on-off valve 4 is opened to allow the fuel gas to flow through the main flow path 2 and the bypass flow path 3, the flow rate F1 of the main flow path 2 and the flow rate F2 of the bypass flow path 3 are measured, and the flow rate of the main flow path 2 is measured. The difference (F1-F2) between F1 and the flow rate F2 of the bypass flow path 3, and the difference (F1' -F2′), and if there is a significant difference between them, it is determined that there is no problem with the closing of the switching valve 5, and if there is no significant difference between them, the closing of the switching valve 5 The effectiveness of the test method for judging that there is a sexual problem has been demonstrated.

Next, the difference between the pressure in the main flow path 2 when the on-off valve 4 is opened and the pressure in the main flow path 2 when the on-off valve 4 is closed (hereinafter referred to as the pressure difference in the main flow path 2) is examined. do. Between the second condition and the sixth condition where the set flow rate of the flow rate adjusting valve 103 is 3 [L/h], and between the third condition and the seventh condition where the set flow rate of the flow rate adjusting valve 103 is 50 [L/h] Meanwhile, it was confirmed that there is a significant difference in the pressure difference in the main flow path 2 between the fourth condition and the eighth condition where the set flow rate of the flow rate control valve 103 is 100 [L/h]. Specifically, the pressure difference in the main flow path 2 under the fifth to eighth conditions is less than 0.1 [kPa] and equal to 0, and in addition, the pressure difference in the main flow path 2 under the second condition is 0.1 [kPa] or more than the pressure difference in the main flow path 2 under the 6 conditions, and the pressure difference in the main flow path 2 under the 3rd condition is greater than the pressure difference in the main flow path 2 under the 7th condition. significantly greater than the difference by at least about 0.3 [kPa], and the pressure difference in the main flow path 2 under the fourth condition is about 0.3 [kPa] greater than the pressure difference in the main flow path 2 under the eighth condition. ], it was confirmed that it is significantly larger.

As described above, the on-off valve 4 is opened to allow the fuel gas to flow through the main flow path 2 and the bypass flow path 3, the pressure P1 in the main flow path 2 is measured, and the on-off valve 4 is closed to flow the fuel gas into the main flow path 2. is flowed to measure the pressure P2 in the main flow path 2, and if the difference (P1-P2) between the pressure P1 and the pressure P2 is significant, it is determined that there is no problem with the obstruction of the switching valve 5, and the pressure An inspection method in which it is determined that there is a problem with the occlusion of the switching valve 5 when the difference (P1-P2) between P1 and pressure P2 is equal to 0 or is very small (for example, less than 0.1 [kPa]). was demonstrated to be effective.

Next, the difference between the pressure in the bypass flow path 3 when the on-off valve 4 is opened and the pressure in the bypass flow path 3 when the on-off valve 4 is closed (hereinafter referred to as the pressure difference in the bypass flow path 3) ). Between the second condition and the sixth condition where the set flow rate of the flow rate adjusting valve 103 is 3 [L/h], and between the third condition and the seventh condition where the set flow rate of the flow rate adjusting valve 103 is 50 [L/h] Meanwhile, it was confirmed that there is a significant difference in the pressure difference in the bypass flow path 3 between the fourth condition and the eighth condition where the set flow rate of the flow rate control valve 103 is 100 [L/h]. Specifically, the pressure difference in the bypass flow path 3 under the fifth to eighth conditions is less than 0.1 [kPa] and equal to 0, and the pressure difference in the bypass flow path 3 under the second condition is , is significantly larger than the pressure difference in the bypass flow path 3 under the sixth condition by 0.1 [kPa] or more, and the pressure difference in the bypass flow path 3 under the third condition is greater than that of the bypass flow under the seventh condition. 0.3 [kPa] or more than the pressure difference in the passage 3, and the pressure difference in the bypass passage 3 under the fourth condition is 0 more than the pressure difference in the bypass passage 3 under the eighth condition. 0.3 [kPa] or more was confirmed to be significantly large.

As described above, the on-off valve 4 is opened to allow the fuel gas to flow through the main flow path 2 and the bypass flow path 3 to measure the pressure P1′ in the bypass flow path 3, and the on-off valve 4 is closed to flow the fuel gas into the main flow path 2. Fuel gas is flowed to measure the pressure P2' in the bypass flow path 3, and if the difference (P1'-P2') between the pressure P1' and the pressure P2' is significant, the blockage of the switching valve 5 is determined. If it is determined that there is no problem, and the difference (P1'-P2') between the pressure P1' and the pressure P2' is 0 or a small amount (for example, less than 0.1 [kPa]), the switching valve 5 The effectiveness of the test method for judging that there is a problem with obstructiveness has been demonstrated.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an inspection system 100 for the pressure regulator 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the inspection system 100 receives pressures P1' and P2' measured by the pressure sensor 32, and determines whether the pressure regulator 1 is good or bad based on the input pressures P1' and P2'. A terminal 110 is provided.

The terminal 110 is a personal computer, a mobile terminal, or the like. It includes a processing unit 112 that determines whether the adjuster 1 is good or bad, an operation unit 113 , and a display unit 114 . Note that the terminal 110 may include a touch panel that integrates the functions of the operation unit 113 and the display unit 114 .

The terminal 110 and the pressure sensor 32 can be connected by wire or wirelessly, and the pressures P<b>1 ′ and P<b>2 ′ measured by the pressure sensor 32 are input to the input section 111 . The pressures P1' and P2' may be input to the input unit 111 by the operator's input operation.

The processing unit 112 causes the display unit 114 to display an instruction to perform the first measurement step of opening the on-off valve 4 and measuring the pressure P1'. The operator follows the instructions displayed on display unit 114 to perform the first measurement step. When this first measurement step is performed, the pressure sensor 32 measures the pressure P<b>1 ′ of the bypass flow path 3 and this pressure P<b>1 ′ is input to the input section 111 . The processing unit 112 causes the storage unit (not shown) to store the pressure P1′ input to the input unit 111 .

The processing unit 112 causes the display unit 114 to display an instruction to perform the second measurement step of closing the on-off valve 4 and measuring the pressure P2'. The operator follows the instructions displayed on display unit 114 to perform the second measurement step. When this second measurement step is performed, the pressure sensor 32 measures the pressure P<b>2 ′ of the bypass flow path 3 and this pressure P<b>2 ′ is input to the input section 111 . The processing unit 112 causes the storage unit to store the pressure P<b>2 ′ input to the input unit 111 .

The processing unit 112 determines whether the difference (P1′−P2′) between the pressure P1′ and the pressure P2′ stored in the storage unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (eg, 0.1 [kPa]). If it is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value, the pressure regulator 1 is determined to be acceptable, and if it is less than the predetermined threshold value, the pressure regulator 1 is determined to be unacceptable. The processing unit 112 causes the display unit 114 to display the determination result of the pressure regulator 1 .

The pressure gauge 8 is used instead of the pressure sensor 32, the pressures P1 and P2 of the main flow path 2 measured by the pressure gauge 8 are input to the input unit 111, and the processing unit 112 detects the pressures P1, P2 of the main flow channel 2, The quality of the pressure regulator 1 may be determined based on P2.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an inspection system 200 for a pressure regulator 1 according to another embodiment of the invention. As shown in this figure, the inspection system 200 receives the flow rate F1 of the main flow path 2 measured by the flow sensor 101 and the flow rate F2 of the bypass flow path 3 measured by the leak detection sensor 31. A terminal 210 is provided for determining whether the pressure regulator 1 is good or bad based on the flow rates F1 and F2.

The terminal 210 is a personal computer, a mobile terminal, or the like, and includes an input unit 211 to which the flow rate F1 is input from the flow rate sensor 101 and the flow rate F2 is input from the leak detection sensor 31, and the flow rates F1 and F2 input to the input section 211. A processing unit 212 that determines whether the pressure regulator 1 is good or bad based on the above, an operation unit 213, and a display unit 214. Note that the terminal 210 may include a touch panel that integrates the functions of the operation unit 213 and the display unit 214 .

The terminal 210, the flow rate sensor 101, and the leak detection sensor 31 can be connected by wire or wirelessly. 3 and the flow rate F2 are input to the input unit 211 . Note that the flow rates F1 and F2 may be input to the input unit 211 by the operator's input operation.

The processing unit 212 causes the display unit 214 to display an instruction to perform a measurement step of opening the on-off valve 4 and measuring the flow rates F1 and F2. The operator will perform the measurement step according to the instructions displayed on the display unit 214 . When this measurement step is performed, the flow sensor 101 measures the flow rate F1 of the main flow path 2 and inputs this flow rate F1 to the input section 211 . Also, the flow rate F2 of the bypass flow path 3 is measured by the leak detection sensor 31 and this flow rate F2 is input to the input section 211 .

The processing unit 212 determines whether the difference (F1-F2) between the flow rate F1 and the flow rate F2 input to the input unit 211 is less than a predetermined threshold (for example, less than 10% of the flow rate F1), If it is less than the predetermined threshold, the pressure regulator 1 is determined to be acceptable, and if it is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, the pressure regulator 1 is determined to be unacceptable. The processing unit 212 causes the display unit 214 to display the determination result of the pressure regulator 1 .

As described above, the present invention has been described based on the above embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be modified without departing from the scope of the present invention. You can combine techniques.

1 pressure regulator 2 main flow path 3 bypass flow path 4 on-off valve 5 switching valve 100 inspection system 111 input unit 112 processing unit (determining unit)
200 inspection system 211 input unit 212 processing unit (determining unit)
F1 flow rate F2 flow rate F1' flow rate F2' flow rate P1 pressure P2 pressure P1' pressure P2' pressure

Claims (6)

a switching valve that opens and closes according to a pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of a main flow path; a bypass flow path that bypasses the upstream side and the downstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path; and opening and closing the bypass flow path. A method for inspecting a fuel gas pressure regulator comprising an on-off valve,
With the on-off valve opened, a predetermined flow rate of fuel gas, which is maintained in the closed state of the switching valve, flows from the upstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path to the downstream side of the switching valve to flow the downstream side or the bypass flow path. a first measuring step of measuring the pressure of
a second measuring step of flowing the predetermined flow rate of the fuel gas from the upstream side of the switching valve to the downstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path while the on-off valve is closed, and measuring the pressure of the downstream side or the bypass flow path; ,
and a determining step of determining whether the switching valve is good or bad based on the difference between the pressure measured in the first measuring step and the pressure measured in the second measuring step. 2. The determining step according to claim 1, wherein the switching valve is determined to be abnormal when a difference between the pressure measured in the first measuring step and the pressure measured in the second measuring step is less than 0.1 kPa. fuel gas pressure regulator inspection method. a switching valve that opens and closes according to a pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of a main flow path; a bypass flow path that bypasses the upstream side and the downstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path; and opening and closing the bypass flow path. A method for inspecting a fuel gas pressure regulator comprising an on-off valve,
With the on-off valve opened, a predetermined flow rate of the fuel gas maintained in the closed state of the switching valve flows from the upstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path to the downstream side, and the flow rate on the downstream side and the bypass a measuring step of measuring the flow rate of the channel;
and a determination step of determining whether the switching valve is good or bad based on the difference between the flow rate of the main flow path and the flow rate of the bypass flow path measured in the measurement step. In the determination step, a first value that is the difference between the flow rate of the main flow path and the flow rate of the bypass flow path measured in the measurement step, and the predetermined flow rate with the on-off valve and the switching valve open. is compared with a second value that is the difference between the flow rate of the main flow path and the flow rate of the bypass flow path when the fuel gas flows from the upstream side of the switching valve in the main flow path to the downstream side of the switching valve; 4. The fuel gas pressure regulator inspection method according to claim 3, wherein the switching valve is determined to be abnormal when there is no predetermined difference between the value of 1 and the second value. A pressure regulator inspection system used for implementing the pressure regulator inspection method according to claim 1 or 2,
an input unit into which the pressure measured in the first measurement step and the pressure measured in the second measurement step are input;
A determination unit that calculates a difference between the pressure measured in the first measurement step and input to the input unit and the pressure measured in the second measurement step and input to the input unit, and executes the determination step. A pressure regulator inspection system comprising and . A pressure regulator inspection system used for implementing the pressure regulator inspection method according to claim 3 or 4,
an input unit for inputting the flow rate of the main flow path and the flow rate of the bypass flow path measured in the measuring step;
a determination unit that calculates the difference between the flow rate of the main flow path and the flow rate of the bypass flow path measured in the measurement step and input to the input unit, and executes the determination step; .

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