WO2018116229A1

WO2018116229A1 - Silenced nozzle

Info

Publication number: WO2018116229A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/058259
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gabriele GHIDINI
Original assignee: Serotti & Ghidini S.R.L.
Priority date: 2016-12-21
Filing date: 2017-12-21
Publication date: 2018-06-28
Also published as: IT201600129658A1

Abstract

A silenced nozzle that can be mounted on a pressurised gas (F) transfer line, comprising a substantially tubular support structure (10) defining a first axis (X) having a first inlet (12) and a first outlet (13) for the gas (F) and a substantially cylindrical silencing body (30) inserted into the support structure (10) to slide along the axis (X) between a first and a second end-stroke position. The silencing body (30) comprises a plurality of longitudinal through channels (31) each having a second inlet (35) fluidically connected with the first inlet (12) and a second outlet (36) fluidically connected with the first outlet (13) and at least one blind hole (37) fluidically communicating with the first inlet (12) and with the longitudinal through channels (31). The silencing body (30) is made of elastomeric material.

Description

SILENCED NOZZLE

DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

The present invention generally regards the technical field of silencer devices for fluids flowing out from ducts, and in particular it regards a silenced nozzle for high pressure fluids.

State of the Art

Silenced nozzles for ducts within which there flows a fluid, gas generally, comprising an outer cylindrical element having an inlet connected with the duct and an outlet for outflow of the gas, are known.

One or more barriers arranged transversely to the flow of the gas to divert the latter in a radial direction, are generally provided for. In particular, such known silenced nozzles provide for a plurality of shaped elements arranged inside the cylindrical element so as to convey the gas flowing therein along a preferential path. For example, a plurality of sheets and/or small channels and/or holes are provided for.

Thus, such silenced nozzles reveal a high pressure drop.

Furthermore, silenced nozzles comprising sound insulated material both of the porous type, such as expanded polyurethane, expanded melamine, expanded vermiculite, expanded perlite or expanded clay and of the fibrous type such as glass wool, mineral wool, cork or wooden chipboard, are known.

In particular, such silenced nozzles are internally configured to direct the entire, or almost the entire, flow of the gas towards such material so as to reduce the generated noise.

Due to the characteristics of the sound insulated material, these latter nozzles easily get dirty thus increasing the pressure drop, jeopardising the operation of the silenced nozzle and thus risking to damage the latter.

In any case, prior art silenced nozzles are difficult to manufacture and/or require a high number of pieces with the ensuing increase of costs related to the entire device.

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to at least partly overcome the drawbacks illustrated above, by providing a silenced nozzle that is highly efficient and relatively inexpensive.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a silenced nozzle that is easy to disassemble. Another object of the present invention is to provide a silenced nozzle with limited pressure drop. Another object of the present invention is to provide a silenced nozzle suitable for high pressure gas.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a silenced nozzle that is particularly safe. These and other objects to be further clarified hereinafter, are attained by a silenced nozzle having one or more of the characteristics described, illustrated and/or claimed herein.

The dependent claims describe advantageous embodiments of the invention. Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent in light of the detailed description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axonometric view of a silenced nozzle 1;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the silenced nozzle 1 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the silenced nozzle 1 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the silenced nozzle 1 of FIG. 1, in a different operative step; FIG. 5 is a schematic view of some details of the silenced nozzle 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the silenced nozzle 1.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

With reference to the aforementioned figures, herein described is a silenced nozzle 1 that can be mounted on a pressurised fluid F transfer line for reducing the noise generated by the fluid.

The fluid F may be a gas and, preferably, pressurised air. For example, in the latter case, the gas F may have a pressure of at least 3 bars, preferably of about 15 bars.

It is clear that the fluid F may be any gas, a liquid or a mixture such as a colloid, for example an aerosol or an emulsion, without departing from the scopes of protection of the present invention.

Thus, the pressure of the fluid F may suitably be particularly high, even much higher than 15 bars, depending on the characteristics of the fluid F, the needs of the user and/or the configuration of the silenced nozzle 1.

The silenced nozzle 1 may comprise a substantially cylindrical support structure 10 defining an axis X, which may have an inlet 12 and an outlet 13 for the gas F.

In particular, with the aim of reducing the noise, the silenced nozzle 1 may comprise a substantially cylindrical-shaped silencing body 30 which may be arranged inside the cylindrical support structure 10. In particular, as better outlined hereinafter, the silencing body 30 may comprise a plurality of longitudinal through channels 31 for allowing the gas F to flow through the silencing body 30. The longitudinal through channels 31 may preferably have a circular cross-section.

More in particular, the cylindrical support structure 10 may comprise an inner working chamber 11, also substantially cylindrical, susceptible to receive the silencing body 30.

The silenced nozzle 1 may suitably comprise means for locking the silencing body 30 in the cylindrical support structure 10 so that the former does not protrude from the latter.

The cylindrical support structure 10 may comprise a portion 15 that may comprise the inlet 12 and an opposite portion 16 that may comprise the outlet 13.

In particular, each portion 15, 16 may comprise a respective annular relief 17, 18 arranged at the opposite ends of the working chamber 11 at the inlet 12 and at the outlet 13 for the gas F. Thus, the latter may have a substantially circular cross-section. The silencing body 30 may suitably be interposed between the annular reliefs 17, 18 so that the latter prevent it from protruding from the working chamber 11. In other words, such annular reliefs 17, 18 may define the locking means.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, such locking means may be of the removable type.

In particular, the portions 15, 16 of the support structure 10 may be obtained in two different pieces and may be removably coupled to each other, for example, through a thread and counter-thread system.

Thus, the de-coupling of such portions 15, 16 may allow the removal of the silencing body 30 from the working chamber 11 so as to allow the replacement and/or inspection and/or maintenance thereof by an operator in a simple and quick fashion.

Such embodiment shall not be deemed exclusive, in that according to a different embodiment the support structure may comprise at least one annular seat arranged at the inlet 12 and/or at the outlet 13 and at least one stop ring, for example a seeger ring, arranged in the annular seat to prevent the silencing body 30 from protruding from the silencing body 11.

The seeger ring may suitably serve as a safety element in case of excessive pressure and it may protrude from the annular seat thus preventing the silenced nozzle 1 from breaking.

In any case, the silencing body 30 may have a length L3 substantially smaller than the length LI of the working chamber 11 of the support structure 10 so as to form an interspace 14 upon inserting the former into the latter. In other words, the silencing body 30 may slide inside the latter working chamber 11 between an end-stroke position proximal to the inlet 12 in which it abuts against the annular relief 17 and an end-stroke position proximal to the outlet 13 in which it abuts against the annular relief 18.

The silencing body 30 may have an outer diameter substantially equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the working chamber 11 so that the silencing body 30 slides along the axis X, preferably coaxially thereto.

Suitably, as shown in Fig. 6, the longitudinal channels 31 may be substantially parallel to each other and arranged peripherally with respect to the axis X. In particular, each of them may define a respective axis Y substantially parallel to said axis X.

Each of the longitudinal channels 31 may have an inlet 35 and an outlet 36 which may be fluidically connected with the inlet 12 and with the outlet 13 so as to allow the gas F to flow through the silencing body 30.

More in particular, the silencing body 30 may have a front face 32 facing the inlet 12 and a rear face 33 facing the outlet 13 which may thus respectively comprise the inlet 35 and the outlet 36 of the channels 31.

The front face 32 may comprise at least one blind hole 37 having an inlet 38 for the gas F. In particular, the silencing body 30 may comprise a single blind hole 37 arranged in a substantially central position with respect to the silencing body 30, which may be preferably arranged substantially coaxial to the axis X. In other words, the longitudinal channels 31 may be arranged peripherally with respect to the blind hole 37.

Thus, the inlet 38 of the latter may be arranged at the inlet 12. Thus, the flow of the gas F flowing in through the inlet 12 may impact against the blind hole 37 so that the gas present in the latter can damp the flow of the inflowing gas F.

In particular, the inlet 12 may have a section substantially equal to the section of the inlet 38 of the blind hole 37.

As schematically illustrated in Fig. 5, the gas F may flow in through the inlet 12, flow through the interspace 14, impact against the blind hole 37, flow out therefrom and flow into the longitudinal channels 31 through the inlet 35 thereof and flow out from the silenced nozzle 1 flowing through the outlet 36 of the longitudinal channels 31 and the outlet 13 of the support structure 10.

Thus, the flow of the gas F may flow through the silenced nozzle 1 before flowing out therefrom along a direction substantially coincident with the axes Y and thus parallel to the axis X, with low sound emission.

In particular, the surface of the inlet section 38 of the blind hole 37 may be substantially equal to the sum of the surfaces of the inlet sections of the longitudinal channels 31.

The blind hole 37 may suitably have a diameter Dl substantially larger than the diameter D3 of each of the longitudinal channels 31. In particular, the diameter Dl of the blind hole 37 may be at least two times larger than the diameter D3 of the longitudinal channels 31, preferably at least three times larger than the diameter D3 of each of the longitudinal channels 31.

Furthermore, the longitudinal channels 31 may have a section sufficiently large to limit the dirtying and/or clogging thereof.

For example, the diameter Dl of the blind hole 37 may measure about 25 mm, while the longitudinal channels 31 may have a diameter D3 larger than 1 mm, preferably measuring about 1.4 mm.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, contrary to the prior art, the silenced nozzle 1 may not comprise classic sound insulated material of the porous type, such as expanded polyurethane, expanded melamine, expanded vermiculite, expanded perlite or expanded clay or of the fibrous type such as glass wool, mineral wool, cork or wooden chipboard. As a matter of fact, the silenced nozzles comprising such materials reveal high pressure drop and they are subject to clogging and/or breakage.

In particular, the silencing body 30 may be made of polymeric material, preferably it may be an elastomeric polymeric material and it may have a hardness greater than Shore A 70, preferably comprised between Shore A 70 and Shore A 90. For example, such polymeric material may have a hardness of about Shore A 80.

The elastomeric material may have a density greater than 1 g/cm³, preferably greater than 1.1 g/cm³ and even more preferably greater than 1.2 g/cm³. For example, such elastomeric material may be compact polyurethane. It may preferably be a polyether based urethane elastomer.

Furthermore, the support structure 10 may also be made of polymeric material, for example polyoxymethylene.

In order to facilitate the mounting of the silenced nozzle 1 on the gas F transfer line there may be provided for a tubular element 45 defining an axis X' having an end 46' connectable to the pressurised gas F transfer line in a per se known manner, for example by means of thread/counter-thread or by interference and an opposite end 46 mutually connected with the support structure 10.

In particular, the end 46 of the tubular element 45 may have larger dimensions, i.e. it may have an outer diameter substantially larger than the rest of the portion 47 of the tubular element 45.

To this end, the silenced nozzle 1 may comprise an annular ring nut 41 which may be coaxially coupled with the tubular element 45 and integrally coupled with the portion 15 of the support structure 10.

In particular, the latter may have a threaded zone 19, while the annular ring nut 41 may have an annular zone 42 counter-threaded with respect to the threaded zone 19 of the portion 15 of the support structure 10 so as to be integrally coupled with the latter.

Thus, upon mutually screwing the support structure 10 and the annular ring nut 41, the latter may define a substantially cylindrical assembly coaxial to the axis X within which the gas F flows through.

The annular ring nut 41 may possibly have at least one portion with an inner diameter substantially smaller than the outer diameter of the end 46 of the tubular element 45 so that the mutual screwing of the annular ring nut 41 and the portion 15 of the support structure 10 with the interposition of the end 46, prevents the latter from detaching from the support structure 10.

Preferably, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the end 46 may be mutually connected with the support structure 10 in a rotatable fashion. In particular, the end 46 may be spherical so as to act as a ball joint for the support structure 10. In particular, the end portion 46 may be substantially externally semi-spherical so as to rotate with respect to the annular ring nut 41 and the support structure 10.

In other words, the axis X' and the axis X may be substantially aligned (Fig. 2) or they may mutually form an angle a (Fig. 4). For example, such angle a may be comprised between 20° and 45°, preferably between 30° and 35°.

Thanks to such characteristic, the direction of the gas F flowing out from the silenced nozzle 1 may be inclined with respect to the tubular element 45 so as to allow an operator to adjust such outflow direction.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, upon coupling the tubular element 45 with the support structure 10, the end portion 46 may be at the inlet 12.

The end 46 of the tubular element 45 may suitably define the inlet 12. In this case, the inner diameter of the tubular element 45 may coincide with the inlet section and thus it may be substantially equal to the diameter Dl of the opening 38 of the blind hole 37.

In particular, the end 46 may have a substantially diverging inner surface 48 so as to define the diverging inlet 12 for spreading the flow of the gas F in the working chamber 11.

Furthermore, thanks to such characteristic, even when the tubular element 45 is rotated with respect to the support structure 10, the gas F may still flow into the support structure 10.

The operator may operatively fit the annular ring nut 41 into the gas F transfer line and then couple the tubular element 45 with the latter. Furthermore, the operator may mutually screw the portions 15, 16 of the support structure 10 with the interposition of the silencing body 30.

The operator may then subsequently screw the portion 15 of the support structure 10 with the annular ring nut 41 to integrally join the pieces.

Thus, all pieces may be coupled removably according to the description outlined above. As a matter of fact, should there arise the need for the inspection and/or maintenance and/or replacement of one or more of the previously described pieces of the silenced nozzle 1, all that may be required is to unscrew one or more of the pieces in a simple and quick manner.

In light of the above, it is clear that the invention attains the pre-set objectives.

The invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants. All details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, and the materials can be different depending on the technical needs, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. A silenced nozzle that can be mounted on a line for pressurised gas (F) transfer line, comprising

- a substantially tubular support structure (10) defining a first axis (X), said support structure (10) having a first inlet (12) and a first outlet (13) for the gas (F);

- a substantially cylindrical silencing body (30) inserted into said support structure (10) to slide along said axis (X) between a first and second end-stroke position;

wherein said silencing body (30) comprises:

- a plurality of longitudinal through channels (31) each having a second inlet (35) fluidically connected with said first inlet (12) and a second outlet (36) fluidically connected with said first outlet (13);

- at least one blind hole (37) fluidically connected with said first inlet (12) and with said longitudinal through channels (31);

wherein said silencing body (30) is made of elastomeric material.

2. Silenced nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said longitudinal through channels (31) are all substantially parallel to said first axis (X), said at least one blind hole (37) being arranged in a substantially central position with respect to said silencing body (30), said longitudinal through channels (31) being arranged peripherally to said at least one blind hole (37).

3. Silenced nozzle according to the claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one blind hole (37) has an inlet (38) facing towards said first inlet (12) of said support structure (10), said at least one blind hole (37) having a section substantially equal to the section of said first inlet (12).

4. Silenced nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one blind hole (37) is a single blind hole (37) coaxial with respect to said first axis (X) having a diameter (Dl) significantly larger than the diameter (D3) of each of said longitudinal through channels (31).

5. Silenced nozzle according to the preceding claim, wherein the diameter (Dl) of said single blind hole (37) is at least two times larger than the diameter (D3) of each of said longitudinal through channels (31), preferably at least three times larger than the diameter (D3) of each of said longitudinal through channels (31).

6. Silenced nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the area of the inlet section of said single blind hole (37) is substantially equal to the sum of the areas of the inlet sections of said longitudinal through channels (31).

7. Silenced nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said elastomeric material has a density greater than 1 g/cm³, preferably greater than 1.1 g/cm³ and even more preferably greater than 1.2 g/cm³.

8. Silenced nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said elastomeric material has a hardness comprised between Shore A 70 and Shore A 90.

9. Silenced nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said elastomeric material is polyurethane, preferably compact polyurethane.

10. Silenced nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for axially locking said silencing body (30) in said first and second end stroke position, said locking means being at least partially removable so as to allow an operator to remove said silencing body (30) from said cylindrical support structure (10) for the inspection and/or maintenance and/or replacement of the silencing body (30).

11. Silenced nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a tubular element (45) defining a second axis (Χ') having a first end portion (46') connectable to the pressurised gas

(F) transfer line and a second opposite end portion (46) rotatably connected to each other with said cylindrical support structure (10), said first portion (15) of said support structure (10) comprising a threaded zone (19), said support structure (10) further comprising an annular ring nut (41) coaxially coupled with said tubular element (45) for mutual screwing with said threaded zone (19) with the interposition of said second end portion (46) of said tubular element (45), said second end portion (46) being spherical so as to act as a ball joint for said cylindrical support structure (10).

12. Silenced nozzle according to the preceding claim, wherein said second end portion (46) of said tubular element (45) defines said first inlet (12), said second end portion (46) having a substantially diverging inner surface (48).