Adjustment valve with energy recovery

• US 10,458,554 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valpres S.R.L. (Rubinetterie Bresciane Bonomi SpA)
• Original Assignee: Loclain S.R.L.
• Inventors: Gattavari, Claudio Angelo, Ferioli, Lorenzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tulsidas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quigley, Thomas K
• Application Number:
  US14/765,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20150369375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 137501, 137504, 137505
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 11/004 Valve arrangements F03B3/10 takes precedence; adjustable wicket gates F03B3/183; valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 15/04 of turbines rotors having adjustable blades F03B3/06, F03B3/14; adjustable guide vanes F03B3/18; specially adapted for turbines with jets of high-velocity liquid impinging on bladed or like rotors F03B15/20
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/20 within closed fluid conduits, e.g. pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/602 with energy recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/08 with circular plates rotatable around their centres
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 47/08 for decreasing pressure or noise level and having a throttling member separate from the closure member , e.g. screens, slots, labyrinths
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 47/12 the throttling channel being of helical form
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/50 Hydropower in dwellings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8376 Combined

Abstract

A control valve (1) comprising a valve body (2) having an inlet opening (3) and an outlet opening (4) for a fluid; a obturator (6) placed within the valve body (2) between the inlet and outlet openings (3, 4); recovery means (5) configured to transfer kinetic energy and/or potential energy extracted from the fluid out of the valve body (2), the recovery means (5) comprising a rotating element (7) placed within the valve body (2) downstream of the obturator (6) and configured to be put in rotation by the fluid.

Claims

1. A control valve (1) comprising:

a valve body (2) which has an inlet opening (3) and an outlet opening (4) for a fluid;

recovery means (5) configured to transfer the kinetic and/or potential energy extracted from said fluid out of said valve body (2);

a obturator (6) placed within said valve body (2) between said inlet and outlet openings (3, 4), said obturator (6) being configured to direct the fluid towards the recovery means (5) and to assume a closing configuration of the valve (1);

wherein said recovery means (5) comprise a rotating element (7) placed within said valve body (2) downstream of the obturator (6) and configured to be put into rotation by said fluid;

the inlet opening (3) defining a first fluid flow direction, the outlet opening (4) defining a second fluid flow direction, the first fluid flow direction being (a) in the same direction as, and (b) parallel to, the second fluid flow direction;

wherein said obturator (6) comprises at least a first plate (10) and a second plate (11) placed transversally with respect to the axis of rotation (A) of the rotating element (7);

said first plate (10) and second plate (11) each having at least one passage opening (12);

said first plate (10) and said second plate (11) being mobile with respect to each other to pass reversibly from a closing configuration wherein said passage openings (12) are completely disaligned with respect to each other to prevent the passage of the fluid to at least an opening configuration wherein said passage openings (12) are at least partially overlapping to permit the passage of the fluid, each of said first and second plates (10, 11) having a central portion, the first plate central portion being unconstrained with respect to the second plate central portion.

2. The valve (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said recovery means (5) comprise a stator associated with the valve body (2) and placed at said rotating element (7);

said rotating element defining a rotor electromagnetically coupled with said stator.

3. The valve (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said rotating element (7) is provided with at least one blade (8) or another element adapted to interact with the fluid and to allow the development of aero/hydrodynamic forces able to put the rotating element (7) in rotation.

4. The valve (1) according to claim 1, comprising a deflector (31), interposed between the obturator (6) and the recovery means (15), structured to align the liquid flow parallel to a prefixed direction (F), wherein the deflector (31) comprises one or more blades (32) of constant thickness that extend at least partially in a radial direction with respect to the prefixed direction (F).

5. The valve according to claim 4, wherein the deflector (31) has one or more annular segments (33) of constant thickness that are concentric between each other.

6. The valve (1) according to claim 1, wherein the obturator (6) comprises a first plate (10) and a second plate (11), the valve (1) defining a fluid flow channel between the obturator (6) and the rotating element (7), the fluid flow channel defining a third fluid flow direction, the third fluid flow direction being (a) in the same direction as, and (b) parallel to, the first fluid flow direction, the first plate (10) and the second plate (11) being placed transversally with respect to the third fluid flow direction.

7. The valve (1) according to claim 6, wherein the first plate (10) and the second plate (11) are placed transversally with respect to the third fluid flow direction immediately downstream of the obturator (6).

8. The valve (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first plate (10) and/or the second plate (11) comprises a grille (13), the grille (13) being a plurality of grille openings which are in addition to the at least one passage opening (12), each grille opening being smaller than the at least one passage opening (12).

9. The valve (1) according to claim 8, wherein the grille (13) contributes to (a) prevention of cavitation of the fluid within the valve (1) and (b) reduction in noise caused by passage of fluid within the valve (1).

10. The valve (1) according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second plates (10, 11) has a perimeter, the perimeter of the first plate (10) or the perimeter of the second plate (11) being located within and rotatable within a groove in a housing around said first and second plates (10, 11).

11. The valve (1) according to claim 8, wherein the first plate (10) and the second plate (11) comprises a grille (13), each of the first and second plates (10, 11) having only two passage openings (12), each said grille (13) being (a) located immediately adjacent a respective passage opening (12) and (b) occupying a space substantially the same size and shape of said grille'"'"'s respective passage opening (12).