Automatically-actuated safety device with a double-seated valve to regulate the flow rate of a fluid
AssigneeGaz de France
InventorsCyrille Delprat, David Leme, Lahouari Bouajaj, Sylvain Pineau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safety device for insertion into a pipeline (K) in which fluid circulates in an upstream (X−) and a downstream (X−) direction, comprises a tube (1) that provides the fluid with a central circulatory passage (CC) regulated by a central valve (3) that closes in the event of an excessive flow of this fluid. There is an annular valve closure member (4) which is elastically malleable, mounted to the external periphery of the tube (1), and provides the fluid with a peripheral circulatory passage which it selectively obstructs by subjecting a radial expansion in the event of an excessive flow of fluid.
Claims14
Safety device inserted into a fluid pipeline (K) having a set minimal sectional area, said device protecting said pipeline against excessive flow rates of fluid circulating in said pipeline from upstream (X−) to downstream (X−i−), said device comprising:
- (a) a tube (1) with open upstream and downstream ends (10, 11) and providing a central circulatory passage (CC) for the fluid;
- (b) a retention device (2) to hold the tube (1) in place within the pipeline (K), and
- (c) a fluid circulation regulator comprising:
- (1) a central valve having:
- (i) a valve seat (30) embedded in the tube (1);
- (ii) a central valve closure member (31) selectively applied to the valve seat (30);
- and
- (iii) a spring (32) exerting on the central valve closure member (31) an elastic opening force which opens the central valve closure member a distance from the valve seat (30), counter to a closure force exerted on the central valve closure member (31) by loss of head which increases with a flow rate of fluid in the pipeline (K),
- (2) an annular valve closure member (4) which is elastically malleable, mounted to an external periphery of the tube (1), and separated radially from the pipeline (K), in a rest configuration of the device, by an annulus (EA) providing the fluid with a peripheral circulatory passage (CP), said annular valve closure member (4) being subject to, in the event of excessive flow rate of the fluid, a radial expansion by which it is pressed against the pipeline. (K) and obstructs the peripheral circulatory passage (CP);
- wherein said device changes between the rest configuration, which the device adopts in the event of a normal fluid flow rate and in which the central valve (3) frees the. central circulatory passage (CC), and a safety configuration, which the device adopts in the event of an excessive fluid flow rate and in which the central valve (3) obstructs the central circulatory passage (cc).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.