JP4435242B2 - Pump device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pump device for separating a gas bubble contained in a fluid pumped by a pump and collecting it in a float chamber while pumping the liquid to a predetermined device, and more specifically, a gas-liquid separation mechanism for separating gas-liquid. About.

  Gas stations handle volatile liquids such as gasoline and light oil, and the refueling equipment used during refueling is a pump that pumps liquid, a gas-liquid separation mechanism that separates bubbles mixed in the liquid, and separation A float chamber for storing the liquid and a float valve for returning to the pump side when the separated liquid reaches a predetermined amount are provided.

As a gas-liquid separation mechanism used for this kind of application, for example, it has a bottomed cylindrical shape arranged horizontally, a small hole is provided at the center of the bottom, and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body has a tangential direction. What was comprised so that a fluid may flow in is used (for example, refer patent document 1). The fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation mechanism swirls in a spiral shape, and is separated into a component having as few bubbles as possible and a component containing as many bubbles as possible by centrifugal force. A liquid containing a large amount of gas flows into the float chamber from the small hole at the bottom, the gas is released to the atmosphere from the atmosphere communication hole at the top of the float chamber, and the liquid again passes through the return channel provided at the bottom of the float chamber. Returned to the pump. The component having as few bubbles as possible separated by the gas-liquid separation mechanism is discharged from the outlet.
JP 61-54212 A

However, in the conventional gas-liquid separation mechanism, the hole diameter of the small hole for discharging the bubble component is fixed, so if there is a large amount of fluid separated as a component having as many bubbles as possible, it is discharged from the small hole to the float chamber. There was a possibility that the air bubbles could not be sufficiently separated due to lack of space. On the other hand, if the diameter of the small hole is set large in advance, the amount of liquid flowing into the float chamber becomes too large when the separated fluid is small or the processing amount is small, and the liquid that should be discharged from the outlet The fluid with many components flows out to the float chamber, and the discharge amount of the fluid decreases.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is a main object of the present invention to provide a pump device that can change the separation capability of the gas-liquid separation mechanism depending on the size of the bubble component.

  The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a pump that pressurizes fluid sucked from an inflow port, gas-liquid separation of the fluid after pressurization by centrifugal force, and a separation hole provided at the center of the end on the inflow side. A gas-liquid separation mechanism for allowing gas to flow out and allowing liquid to flow from the open end on the opposite side; and a separation chamber for separating the liquid recovered by the pump from the fluid flowing in from the separation hole of the gas-liquid separation mechanism; In the pump device including a float valve provided with a flow path from the separation chamber to the suction port of the pump, the gas-liquid separation mechanism is arranged substantially horizontally, and a pipe through which a fluid flows, A variable valve capable of adjusting the amount of fluid sent to the separation chamber on the fluid inflow side, the variable valve being separated from the cap in the pipe and the cap in which the separation hole is formed; Urged in the direction A main body, a nozzle having an outer shape capable of closing the separation hole, and a small hole having a smaller diameter than the separation hole so as to communicate with the separation chamber, and a fluid formed and separated around the nozzle And a communication hole that can guide the gas to the separation hole.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the pump device according to claim 1, wherein the separation hole and the small hole are arranged coaxially with the pipe.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the pump device according to the first or second aspect, the valve main body extends toward an open end beyond a connection port through which a fluid flows into the pipe. Is provided with a slit that allows inflow of fluid from the connection port.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one rib is provided outside the valve body in parallel to the sliding direction of the valve body, A groove for engaging with the rib is provided inside the pipe.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the pump device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the outer shape perpendicular to the sliding direction of the valve body is D-shaped, and the inside of the pipe is The shape is a D shape that can accommodate the valve body.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the pump device according to the third aspect, the rectifying plate rectifies the flow of the fluid flowing in through the slit as much as possible in the tangential direction of the peripheral surface of the valve body. Is provided in the valve body.

  According to the present invention, when the variable valve is opened, the fluid flows into the separation chamber through the separation hole having a large opening area, and when the variable valve is closed, the separation hole is closed and through the small hole having a smaller diameter than the separation hole. Since the separated fluid flows out into the separation chamber, the amount of the fluid separated by the gas-liquid separation mechanism can be controlled by the variable valve, and the fluid can be stably discharged from the pump device.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a pump device according to the present embodiment. The pump device 1 has a housing 2, and a fuel oil (fluid) inlet 3 and outlet 4 are provided in the housing 2. A check valve 5 is provided inside the inflow port 3 and communicates with a filter chamber 7 in which a strainer 6 is provided. The filter chamber 7 is connected to the suction port 9A of the pump 9 via the upper suction chamber 8. A known internal gear pump is used as the pump 9 in this embodiment. The discharge port 9 </ b> B of the pump 9 is connected to the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 through the liquid path 10. The liquid passage 10 extends substantially linearly, and is connected to the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 so that fuel oil flows into one end of the pipe 12 of the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 in the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 12. Has been.

  The gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 is provided with a variable valve 13 characterized by the present invention at one end (an end on the inflow side) on the side to which the liquid passage 10 is connected, and has a bottomed cylindrical shape as a whole. Have. The open end communicates with the filter chamber 15. On the other hand, a separation hole 14 is formed in the variable valve 13 and communicates with the separation chamber 21 (float chamber) via the separation hole 14.

  The open end of the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 is drawn into the filter chamber 15. A strainer 16 is provided in the filter chamber 15 so as to surround the end of the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11. A control valve 17 is provided between the filter chamber 15 and the outlet 4. The control valve 17 is normally urged in the valve closing direction by a spring. Further, the filter chamber 15 is provided with a bypass hole 18 communicating with the suction chamber 8. Opening and closing of the bypass hole 18 is controlled by a bypass valve 19 provided on the suction chamber 8 side.

  The separation chamber 21 is a space for temporarily retaining the fluid that is slightly mixed with air bubbles discharged from the separation hole 14 and separating the gas and the liquid in the fluid by gravity or buoyancy. A hole 22 for releasing the separated air is formed in the upper part of the separation chamber 21. A float valve 23 is provided on the bottom side of the separation chamber 21. The float valve 23 is provided to control the opening and closing of the return flow path 24 extending from the separation chamber 21 to the filter chamber 7.

Here, the details of the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 according to this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pipe 12 of the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 is disposed substantially horizontally and is provided with a connection port 10 </ b> A for connection with the liquid path 10. In the vicinity of the connection port 10A including the connection port 10A, the inner diameter is enlarged with a step, and the valve body 31 of the variable valve 13 is slidably inserted therein. In addition, a pair of grooves 38 are carved in parallel with the axis at positions symmetrical to the central axis, avoiding the connection port 10A, on the inner circumference of the expanded diameter portion of the pipe 12. The end of the pipe 12 on the side of the connection port 10 </ b> A is closed by the cap 32 of the variable valve 13.

  The variable valve 13 includes a cap 32 that closes the end of the pipe 12, a valve main body 31 that includes a nozzle 34 that can enter a separation hole 14 that is provided coaxially with the pipe 12 in the center of the cap 32, and the valve main body 31 and the cap. And a coil spring 35 inserted between them.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the cap 32 has a separation hole 14 formed in the center. A receiving portion 32A for inserting the coil spring 35 is annularly recessed on the inner surface of the cap 32.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the valve body 31 has a body portion 39 extending in the axial direction, and a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the body portion 39 is D-shaped. A flat rectifying plate 40 is provided in the body portion 39 so as to be substantially parallel to the flow of the fuel oil flowing into the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11, and a connection port 10 </ b> A is provided at a part of the upper side of the rectifying plate 40. A slit 41 for allowing inflow of the fuel oil from is formed. In this embodiment, since the liquid pipe 10 extends substantially vertically upward, the rectifying plate 40 is disposed substantially vertically. The direction of the rectifying plate 40 is set within a range of ± 20 ° so that the flow of the fuel oil flowing through the connection port 10A is as tangential to the peripheral surface of the valve body 31 as much as possible.
The diameter d1 of the inner peripheral portion of the body portion 39 of the arc portion excluding the rectifying plate 40 is substantially equal to the inner diameter d2 of the portion where the pipe 12 is not expanded. Further, a pair of ribs 42 are provided on the curved surface portion of the outer periphery of the valve body 31 in accordance with the formation position of the groove 38 on the pipe 12 side, that is, symmetrical with respect to the central axis and parallel to the central axis. Yes. In the valve body 31, one end facing the cap 32 is provided with a bottom 43 at a position lowered by one step, and the opposite end is open.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the bottom portion 43 of the valve body 31 has an arc shape so that the nozzle 34 is integrally formed at the center and a pair of communication holes 44 penetrating the bottom portion 43 sandwich the nozzle 34. Is formed. In addition, a circular rib 45 is provided around the communication hole 44. The end of the coil spring 35 is accommodated in an annular recess formed from the rib 45 to the outer wall of the valve body 31.
The nozzle 34 protrudes outward along the axis from the bottom 43, and a tip 46 that bulges in the radial direction is provided at the tip. The front end portion 46 has a circular plane at the end portion, and the outer edge portion has a tapered guide surface 46A that reduces the outer diameter in the protruding direction of the nozzle 34. The outer surface of the guide surface 46A has a size that allows a part of the nozzle 34 to enter the sealing hole 14 and seal it when the nozzle 34 is inserted into the cap 32. The smallest diameter portion on the tip side of the guide surface 46A is the separation hole. The largest diameter portion on the proximal end side of the guide surface 46 </ b> A is smaller than the hole diameter of 14 and is formed in a truncated cone shape larger than the hole diameter of the separation hole 14. Further, the nozzle 34 is provided with a small hole 47 penetrating in parallel with the axis. The hole diameter of the small hole 47 is smaller than the separation hole 14 on the cap 32 side.

  The variable valve 13 is inserted while fitting the slit 41 of the valve main body 31 to the connection port 10 </ b> A and fitting the rib 42 of the valve main body 31 into the groove 38. The valve body 31 and the pipe 12 have the same D shape, and the rib 42 is inserted into the groove 38, thereby preventing the valve body 31 from rotating with respect to the pipe 12.

Next, the operation of the pump device 1 will be described.
The fuel oil supplied to the inlet 3 of the pump device 1 shown in FIG. 1 flows into the suction chamber 8 after dust and the like are removed by the strainer 6 of the filter chamber 7. Further, the air is sucked into the pump 9 through the suction port 9A, pressurized to a predetermined pressure, and then discharged into the liquid passage 10. The fuel oil is guided to the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 through the liquid passage 10. In the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11, fuel oil and air mixed as bubbles are separated by the action of centrifugal force. The fuel oil is mainly discharged from the other open end through the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 12 of the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 and guided to the filter chamber 15. And the control valve 17 is pushed open, it sends out from the outflow port 4, for example, is supplied to the fuel tank of a motor vehicle from a fueling nozzle. On the other hand, the bubbles contained in the fuel oil are collected mainly in the center of the pipe 12 of the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 and are discharged to the separation chamber 21 through the variable valve 13. Air as a bubble is discharged to the atmosphere from the hole 22 at the top of the separation chamber 21, and fuel oil as a liquid component accumulates at the bottom of the separation chamber 21. When the liquid level in the separation chamber 21 rises, the fuel oil accumulated by opening the float valve 23 is returned to the filter chamber 7 from the return flow path 12 and pressurized again by the pump 9.

Here, the fuel oil flowing into the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 is rectified and flows in the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the valve body 31 as much as possible by the rectifying plate 40 of the body portion 39 of the valve body 31. As a result, a swirl flow of the fuel oil is formed in the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11, and the gas and the liquid are separated by the centrifugal force generated thereby.
Furthermore, in the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 according to this embodiment, when separating the fuel oil into a component with as little air as possible and a component with much air, it is variable according to the fluid pressure that varies depending on the amount of air mixed in. The valve 13 opens and closes to control the amount of flow into the separation chamber 21.

When the amount of air mixed in the fuel oil is high, the amount of air is large, so the viscosity of the whole fluid is reduced, the fluid resistance is lowered, and the fuel pressure is relatively low. descend. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the force for pressing the valve body 31 against the cap 32 is weakened, the coil spring 35 is extended, the valve body 31 is separated from the cap 32, and the variable valve 13 is opened. That is, the nozzle 34 is completely drawn into the pipe 12 and the separation hole 14 of the cap 32 is opened.
The fuel oil that has flowed into the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 flows along the inner peripheral surface of the valve body 31 from the connection port 10A, the fuel oil having a higher specific gravity is directed outward by centrifugal force, and the air having a lower specific gravity is directed toward the center. Separated. In the center, a fluid mainly containing air and containing a small amount of fuel oil is separated. The separated fluid passes through a small hole 47 of the nozzle 34 and a communication hole 44 sandwiching the nozzle 34 as shown by an arrow in FIG. 2, passes through a space 51 formed by the valve body 31 and the cap 32, and passes through the cap 32. It flows out from the separation hole 14 into the separation chamber 21.

The entire opening area and shape of the small hole 47 and the pair of communication holes 44 of the nozzle 34 of the variable valve 13 are easy to flow the fluid to the same degree as or more than the separation hole 14, and the separated fluid is It flows out smoothly into the separation chamber 21.
On the other hand, the fluid mainly composed of fuel oil gathered outside the pipe 12 and the valve body 31 flows out from the open end of the pipe 12 into the filter chamber 15 and is discharged from the outlet 4 as described above.

On the other hand, when the amount of air mixed in the fuel oil is low, since the amount of air is small, the viscosity of the fluid as a whole increases, the fluid resistance increases, and the fuel is relatively large. The fluid pressure inside increases. When the fluid pressure in the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 exceeds a predetermined pressure, as shown in FIG. 7, the force that presses the valve body 31 against the cap 32 becomes strong, the coil spring 35 contracts, and the variable valve 13 close. At this time, the nozzle 34 enters the separation hole 14 of the cap 32. The nozzle 34 is smoothly guided into the separation hole 14 by the taper of the guide surface 46 </ b> A to close the separation hole 14, and communicates with the separation chamber 21 only by the small hole 47 of the nozzle 34.
Therefore, the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 and collected in the center flows out to the separation chamber 21 through only the small hole 47 of the nozzle 34 as shown by the arrow. On the other hand, the fluid mainly composed of fuel oil collected outside flows out from the open end of the pipe 12 into the filter chamber 15. In addition, since the variable valve 13 is in an open state to a closed state, the valve opening changes in accordance with the amount of mixed gas due to the fluid drag related to the fluid pressure, viscosity, and density before separation and the action of the coil spring 35. The discharge amount to the separation chamber 21 can be changed according to the change in the gas mixing amount.

  Here, FIG. 8 shows the result of examining the relationship between the air mixing amount and the measurement error in the pump device 1 according to the present embodiment. As a comparison, the measurement error of the conventional pump device is indicated by a broken line. In the conventional pump device, the separation hole is adjusted assuming that the air mixing amount is small, so if the air mixing amount increases, the air that could not be separated is discharged together with the fuel oil, and the air mixing amount is reduced to 30%. When exceeded, the measurement error was 3% or more, and the measurement error was large. On the other hand, in the pump device 1 according to the present embodiment, the valve opening is adjusted according to the air mixing amount. Therefore, the measurement error is less than 1% regardless of the air mixing amount, and the measurement error is reduced. It becomes possible to suppress.

  As described above, in the pump device 1 according to this embodiment, the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 is provided with the variable valve 13 whose valve opening degree is automatically adjusted by the fluid pressure depending on the bubble content, Since the flow path of the fluid flowing out to the separation chamber 21 is increased when the amount of mixing is large, a large amount of fluid mainly composed of air can be reliably collected in the separation chamber 21. When the amount of mixed air is small, the variable valve 13 is closed and the flow path of the fluid flowing out into the separation chamber 21 becomes small, so that a large amount of fuel oil does not flow out into the separation chamber 21 and the pump device 1 It can be operated efficiently and stably. The pump device 1 also flows into the separation chamber 21 by opening the variable valve 13 when the amount of fuel oil flowing into the gas-liquid separation mechanism 11 is small and closing the variable valve 13 when the amount of inflow is large. The amount of fluid to be adjusted can be adjusted.

Further, since the valve body 31 extends in the axial direction, the pipe 12 can be stably slid. The valve body 31 extends to the filter chamber 15 side beyond the position where the connection port 10A is formed. However, the slit 41 is provided in the valve body 31 and a curved surface substantially the same shape as the pipe 12 is formed inside. The flow is not disturbed.
Since the cross section of the valve body 31 is D-shaped, and the internal shape of the pipe 12 receiving it is also D-shaped accordingly, the rotation of the valve body 31 is prevented. Similarly, the combination of the groove 38 and the rib 42 prevents the valve body 31 from rotating. Further, the D shape, the groove 38 and the rib 42 also have a role of facilitating positioning when inserting the valve body 31 into the pipe 12.

  Note that only one of the cross-section of the valve body 31 and the inner shape of the pipe 12 may be D-shaped or the grooves 38 and the ribs 42 may be provided. When the ribs 42 are provided, one or more ribs may be provided.

Here, FIG.9 and FIG.10 shows the cross-sectional structure of the gas-liquid separation mechanism 61 used for the pump apparatus 1 as a modification.
The gas-liquid separation mechanism 61 includes a variable valve 63 on the connection port 10 </ b> A side of the cylinder 62. The variable valve 63 includes a cap 72 that covers the end of the cylinder 62 and a valve body 71 that is biased in a direction away from the cap 72 by the coil spring 35. The cap 72 is only formed with the separation hole 14 in the center, but the accommodating portion 32A of the coil spring 35 may be provided like the cap 32 described above. The valve body 71 has a shape in which a cylinder extends from the bottom 43 toward the cap 72, and the bottom 43 is provided with a nozzle 34 and a pair of flow holes 44.
The cylinder 62 secures a space for sliding the valve body 71. For this reason, the valve main body 71 can move to the connection port 10 </ b> A side until it contacts the step.

  When the amount of fuel oil mixed in is high and the fluid pressure in the gas-liquid separation mechanism 61 is low, the force that presses the valve body 71 against the cap 72 is weak, so the coil spring 35 extends and the valve body 71 moves away from the cap 72. Then, the variable valve 63 is opened. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the nozzle 34 is completely drawn into the pipe 62, and the separation hole 14 of the cap 72 is opened. The separated fluid passes through the small hole 47 of the nozzle 34 and the communication hole 44 sandwiching the nozzle 34, passes through the space 51 formed by the valve body 71 and the cap 72, and flows out from the separation hole 14 of the cap 72 to the separation chamber 21. To do.

  In contrast, when the amount of fuel oil mixed in is low and the fluid pressure in the gas-liquid separation mechanism 61 is high, the force pressing the valve body 71 against the cap 72 becomes strong. When the fluid pressure in the gas-liquid separation mechanism 61 exceeds a predetermined pressure, the coil spring 35 contracts and the variable valve 63 closes as shown in FIG. At this time, the tip end portion 46 of the nozzle 34 enters and closes the separation hole 14 of the cap 72 and communicates with the separation chamber 21 only by the small hole 47 of the nozzle 34. The separated fluid flows out into the separation chamber 21 only through the small hole 47 of the nozzle 34.

It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the pump apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows a gas-liquid separation mechanism. It is a perspective view which shows the pipe of a gas-liquid separation mechanism. FIG. 3 is a front view of the cap, as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the back side of the valve main body, as seen from the direction of arrow B in FIG. It is a perspective view of the front side of a valve body. It is a figure which shows the state which the variable valve closed. It is a graph which shows the measurement error of the pump apparatus of embodiment of this invention, and the conventional measurement error. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of a gas-liquid separation mechanism, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the state which the variable valve closed. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of a gas-liquid separation mechanism, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the state which the variable valve opened.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pump apparatus 3 Inlet 9 Pump 10A Connection port 11 Gas-liquid separation mechanism 12 Pipe 13, 63 Variable valve 14 Separation hole 21 Separation chamber 31, 71 Valve body 32, 72 Cap 34 Nozzle 38 Groove 40 Rectification plate 41 Slit 42 Rib 44 Communication hole 46 Nozzle tip 47 Small hole

Claims (6)

A pump that pressurizes the fluid sucked from the inflow port, and the pressurized fluid is separated into gas and liquid by centrifugal force, and the gas flows out from the separation hole provided at the center of the end on the inflow side, and from the open end on the opposite side A gas-liquid separation mechanism for allowing liquid to flow; a separation chamber for separating the liquid recovered by the pump from the fluid flowing in from the separation hole of the gas-liquid separation mechanism; and from the separation chamber to an inlet of the pump In a pump device including a float valve provided with a flow path leading to
The gas-liquid separation mechanism is configured to include a pipe that is arranged substantially horizontally and through which fluid flows, and a variable valve that can adjust the amount of fluid sent to the separation chamber on the fluid inflow side, The variable valve has a cap in which the separation hole is formed, a valve body biased in a direction away from the cap in the pipe, and an outer shape capable of closing the separation hole, and has a smaller diameter than the separation hole. The nozzle device is provided with a nozzle that can communicate with the separation chamber, and a communication hole that is formed around the nozzle and can guide the separated fluid to the separation hole. .   The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the separation hole and the small hole are arranged coaxially with the pipe.   The valve body extends toward an open end beyond a connection port through which fluid flows into the pipe, and the valve body is provided with a slit that allows inflow of fluid from the connection port. The pump device according to claim 1 or 2.   The at least 1 rib is provided in the outer side of the said valve main body in parallel with the sliding direction of the said valve main body, and the groove | channel which engages with the said rib was provided in the inner side of the said pipe. The pump device according to any one of the above.   The outer shape perpendicular to the sliding direction of the valve main body is D-shaped, and the inner shape of the pipe is D-shaped capable of accommodating the valve main body. The pump device according to claim 1. The rectifying plate for rectifying the flow so that the flow of the fluid flowing in through the slit is tangential to the peripheral surface of the valve body as much as possible is provided on the valve body. Pump device.

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