JP7323924B2 - Liquid pumping device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid pumping device for pumping liquid such as drain.

In a steam system or the like, a liquid pumping device is used that recovers liquid such as generated drain and pumps it to the utilization side by the pressure of the steam (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-8-145290

In the liquid pumping apparatus described above, there is a demand for energy saving of the entire system by generating new power by utilizing the fluid force of the drain and steam.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid pumping device capable of generating new power.

The liquid pumping device provided by the present invention comprises a casing having a liquid inlet and outlet, a working gas inlet and outlet, and a fluid storage space formed therein, and is vertically accommodated in the storage space. and an opening/closing mechanism for switching opening and closing of the inlet and the outlet according to the operation of the connected float, and the liquid in the storage space is discharged from the outlet by introducing the working gas from the inlet to the storage space. Discharge. Further, the liquid pumping device includes a power generation member that is fixed at one end to a wall surface forming the storage space and fixed at the other end to the outer peripheral surface of the float, and that generates power by expanding at least according to the up-and-down motion of the float. .

One end of the power generation member may be fixed to the upper part of the wall surface forming the storage space, the other end may be fixed to the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the float, and the float may be in an extended state when the float is at the lowest position in the lifting range. .

The power generation member may be a thread obtained by twisting carbon nanotubes.

According to this invention, since the power generation member that extends or the like according to the up-and-down motion of the float is provided in the storage space, it is possible to generate new power such as extension, and power can be generated using this power. Therefore, the generated electric power can be used in a system using the liquid pumping device, etc., and the energy saving of the entire system can be achieved.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a liquid pumping device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an air supply valve and an exhaust valve of the liquid pumping device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A liquid pumping device that is an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the structure of this invention is not limited to embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a liquid pumping device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the liquid pumping device shown in FIG. 1, showing a schematic configuration of an air supply valve and an exhaust valve.

The liquid pressure-feeding device 1 pressure-feeds the collected liquid to the utilization side by the pressure of the working gas. A liquid pumping device 1 is provided, for example, in a steam system. The liquid pumping device 1 collects drain (condensate) generated by condensation of steam in the steam system, and pumps it to a boiler, a waste heat utilization device, or the like by the pressure of the steam. In the liquid pumping device 1 of the present embodiment, the drain is the liquid to be pumped, and the steam is the working gas for pumping the liquid.

The liquid pumping device 1 includes a casing 10, an air supply valve 20, an exhaust valve 30, a valve operating mechanism 40, a power generation member 70, and the like. The casing 10 is a closed container in which a body portion 11 and a lid portion 12 are screwed together with bolts. A drain storage space 13 is formed inside the casing 10 . The lid portion 12 is provided with an inflow port 14, a discharge port 15, an introduction port 16, and an exhaust port 17 that communicate the storage space 13 with the outside.

The inflow port 14 is provided near the upper portion of the lid portion 12, and drainage flows in from the outside. Drain is stored in the storage space 13 through the inflow port 14 from the outside. The discharge port 15 is provided in the lower portion of the lid portion 12 and discharges the drain in the storage space 13 to the outside. The introduction port 16 is provided in the upper portion of the lid portion 12, and steam is introduced from the outside. Steam passes through the inlet 16 from the outside and is stored in the storage space 13 . The exhaust port 17 is provided on the upper portion of the lid portion 12 and exhausts the steam in the storage space 13 .

An air supply valve 20 is provided in the inlet 16 . The air supply valve 20 has a valve case 21 , a valve body 22 and an elevating rod 23 and opens and closes the inlet 16 . The valve case 21 has a through hole in the axial direction, and a valve seat 24 is formed above the through hole. An opening 25 is formed in the intermediate portion of the valve case 21 to communicate the through hole with the outside (the inside of the casing 10). The valve body 22 is formed in a spherical shape and is integrally provided at the upper end of the lifting rod 23 . The lifting rod 23 is inserted into a through hole of the valve case 21 so as to be vertically movable. In the air supply valve 20, when the elevating rod 23 rises, the valve body 22 leaves the valve seat 24 to open the inlet 16, and when the elevating rod 23 descends, the valve body 22 sits on the valve seat 24 to open the inlet. Close 16.

An exhaust valve 30 is provided at the exhaust port 17 . The exhaust valve 30 has a valve case 31 , a valve body 32 and an elevating rod 33 and opens and closes the exhaust port 17 . The valve case 31 has a through hole in the axial direction, and a valve seat 34 is formed slightly above the through hole. The valve case 31 is formed with an opening 35 that communicates the through hole with the outside (inside the casing 10). The valve body 32 is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape and is provided integrally with the upper end of the lifting rod 33 . The lifting rod 33 is inserted into a through hole of the valve case 31 so as to be vertically movable. In the exhaust valve 30, when the lifting rod 33 rises, the valve body 32 is seated on the valve seat 34 to close the exhaust port 17, and when the lifting rod 33 moves down, the valve body 32 leaves the valve seat 34 to close the exhaust port 17. Open.

A valve operating rod 36 is connected to the lower end of the lifting rod 33 . The lifting rod 33 moves up and down as the valve operating rod 36 moves up and down. A connecting plate 37 is attached to the valve operating rod 36 and extends to a region below the lifting rod 23 of the air supply valve 20 . When the valve operating rod 36 rises, the lifting rod 23 is pushed up by the connecting plate 37 and rises. Therefore, when the valve operating rod 36 rises, the air supply valve 20 opens the inlet port 16 and the exhaust valve 30 closes the exhaust port 17 . Also, when the valve operating rod 36 descends, the air supply valve 20 closes the introduction port 16 and the exhaust valve 30 opens the exhaust port 17 .

The valve actuation mechanism 40 is provided inside the casing 10 and has a float 41 and a snap mechanism 50 . The valve operating mechanism 40 vertically moves the valve operating rod 36 to open and close the intake valve 20 and the exhaust valve 30 in accordance with the vertical movement of the float 41 . That is, the intake valve 20 , the exhaust valve 30 , and the valve operating mechanism 40 are opening/closing mechanisms that switch opening and closing of the introduction port 16 and the exhaust port 17 according to the operation of the float 41 .

The float 41 is formed in a hollow spherical shape and accommodated in the storage space 13 so as to be able to move up and down. Specifically, the float 41 is attached to one end of a lever 42 so as to move up and down without contacting the wall surface of the storage space 13 . The float 41 moves up and down from the position (lowest position) shown in FIG. Lever 42 is rotatably supported by shaft 43 provided on bracket 44 . A shaft 45 is provided at the other end of the lever 42 .

The snap mechanism 50 has a float arm 51 , a sub arm 52 , a coil spring 53 and two receiving members 54 and 55 . One end of the float arm 51 is rotatably supported by a shaft 58 provided on a bracket 59 . Both brackets 44 and 59 are screwed together and attached to the lid portion 12 . A groove 51a is formed in the other end of the float arm 51, and the shaft 45 of the lever 42 is fitted in the groove 51a. With this configuration, the float arm 51 swings around the shaft 58 as the float 41 rises and falls (rises and falls). A shaft 56 is provided on the float arm 51 .

The sub arm 52 has an upper end rotatably supported by a shaft 58 and a lower end provided with a shaft 57 . The receiving member 54 is rotatably supported by the shaft 56 of the float arm 51 , and the receiving member 55 is rotatably supported by the shaft 57 of the sub arm 52 . A compressed coil spring 53 is attached between the receiving members 54 and 55 . A shaft 61 is provided on the sub arm 52 , and the lower end of the valve operating rod 36 is connected to the shaft 61 .

The power generation member 70 is, for example, a thread (twistron) in which carbon nanotubes are twisted together. Carbon nanotube threads have the property of generating electricity by stretching or twisting them. One end of the power generation member 70 is fixed near the top of the wall surface (the inner wall surface of the casing 10 ) forming the storage space 13 , and the other end is fixed to the top of the outer peripheral surface of the float 41 . As shown in FIG. 1, the power generation member 70 is in a stretched state when the float 41 is positioned at the lowest position in the lifting range. Moreover, the power generation member 70 is in a relaxed state when the float 41 rises from the lowest position. That is, the power generating member 70 expands, relaxes, and twists according to the up-and-down motion of the float 41 . Thereby, the power generation member 70 generates power.

Next, the operation of the liquid pumping device 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, when no drain is accumulated in the storage space 13 (less than a predetermined amount), the float 41 is positioned at the bottom of the storage space 13 (lowest position in the lifting range). In this state, the valve operating rod 36 is lowered, the intake valve 20 is closed, and the exhaust valve 30 is opened. When drain is generated in the steam system, the drain flows from the inlet 14 and accumulates in the storage space 13 . When the amount of drain in the storage space 13 reaches or exceeds a predetermined amount, the buoyant force of the drain acts on the float 41 to raise it. That is, the float 41 rises as the drain accumulates in the storage space 13 . Note that steam is discharged from the exhaust port 17 as drain accumulates in the storage space 13 . In this manner, the drain is stored.

Then, when the water level of the drain in the storage space 13 reaches a predetermined high water level (normally inverted high water level), the snap mechanism 50 raises the valve operating rod 36 . As a result, the air supply valve 20 is opened and the exhaust valve 30 is closed. When the air supply valve 20 is opened, steam (high-pressure steam) in the steam system flows from the inlet 16 and is introduced into the upper portion of the storage space 13 (the space above the drain). Then, the drain accumulated in the storage space 13 is pushed downward by the pressure of the introduced steam and discharged from the discharge port 15 . That is, the drain in the storage space 13 is pressure-fed from the discharge port 15 to the outside. That is, in the liquid pumping device 1, the drain in the storage space 13 is discharged (pumped) to the outside by introducing steam into the storage space 13. FIG. The drain pressure-fed by the liquid pressure-feeding device 1 is supplied to a boiler and a waste heat utilization device.

Further, when the drain water level in the storage space 13 drops due to drain discharge, the float 41 descends. In this manner, the operation of discharging the drain is performed. Then, when the drain water level in the storage space 13 reaches a predetermined low water level (normally inverted low water level), the snap mechanism 50 lowers the valve operating rod 36 . As a result, the air supply valve 20 is closed and the exhaust valve 30 is opened.

As described above, the float 41 moves up and down as the drain water level in the storage space 13 changes. In a state where the float 41 is positioned at the bottom of the storage space 13 (the lowest position in the lifting range), the power generation member 70 is in an extended state. Then, as the float 41 rises, the power generating member 70 relaxes. Thereafter, as the float 41 descends, the power generation member 70 extends. That is, the power generation member 70 is stretched or twisted according to the up-and-down motion of the float 41 . Thereby, the power generation member 70 generates power.

The generated electric power can be used to charge the battery by connecting the power generation member 70 and a battery (not shown), for example, via a wire cable (not shown). In this case, an insertion hole (not shown) for inserting an electric cable from the outside into the storage space 13 may be formed in the casing 10 . This battery can be used, for example, as an emergency power supply for a steam system, a power supply for sensor equipment or communication equipment, and the like. Also, by doing so, electrical work for charging the battery becomes unnecessary.

As described above, since the power generation member is provided in the storage space to extend or the like according to the up-and-down motion of the float, it is possible to generate new power such as extension, and to generate power using this power. Therefore, by using the generated electric power in a steam system or the like using the liquid pumping device, the energy saving of the entire system can be achieved.

It should be noted that any member can be applied as the power generating member of the above-described embodiment as long as it is a member capable of generating power by the up-and-down motion of the float.

One end of the power generation member of the above-described embodiment is fixed near the top of the wall surface forming the storage space, but is not particularly limited to this. Any position on the wall surface forming the storage space can be applied as long as it is a position where stretching force, twisting force, or the like acts on the power generation member according to the up-and-down motion of the float. The other end of the power generation member is also fixed to the uppermost portion of the outer peripheral surface of the float, but it is not particularly limited to this. Any position on the outer peripheral surface of the float can be applied as long as it is a position where a stretching force, a twisting force, or the like acts on the power generation member according to the up-and-down motion of the float.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for generating new power in a liquid pumping device that pumps liquid by introducing working gas.

Reference Signs List 1 liquid pumping device 10 casing 13 storage space 14 inflow port 15 discharge port 16 introduction port 17 exhaust port 41 float 70 power generation member

Claims (3)

a casing having a liquid inlet and outlet, a working gas inlet and outlet, and a storage space for the liquid formed therein; a float housed in the storage space so as to move up and down; an opening/closing mechanism for switching opening and closing of the introduction port and the exhaust port according to the operation of the float, and discharging the liquid in the storage space from the discharge port by introducing working gas from the introduction port into the storage space. A liquid pumping device,
A power generating member that has one end fixed to the wall surface forming the storage space and the other end fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the float, and that generates power by extending at least according to the up-and-down motion of the float;
A liquid pumping device characterized by comprising: One end of the power generation member is fixed to the upper part of the wall surface forming the storage space, the other end is fixed to the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the float, and the power generating member is in an extended state when the float is at the lowest position in the lifting range. 2. The liquid pumping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The liquid pumping device according to claim 1, wherein the power generation member is a thread of twisted carbon nanotubes.

Images