ADJUSTMENT VALVE WITH ENERGY RECOVERY

• US 20150369375A1
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Published: 12/24/2015
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,458,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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).

2. The valve according to claim 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.

3. The valve (1) according to claim 2, 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.

4. The valve (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said recovery means (5) comprise an electrical energy generator placed outside said valve body (2) and mechanical transmission means configured to transfer the kinetic energy from said rotating element (7) to said generator.

5. 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.

6. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the rotating element (7) has a substantially tubular and cylindrical structure and comprises an outer wall (7a) and a central portion (7b), concentric to the outer wall (7a), between which an inner zone (7c) is defined along which the fluid can transit.

7. The valve according to claim 6, wherein 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, is arranged at said inner zone (7c).

8. The valve (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that said inner zone (7c) is configured to guide said fluid along an at least partially transversal path with respect to said axis of rotation (A) of said rotating element (7).

9. The valve (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that said inner zone (7c) is configured to guide said fluid along a substantially parallel path to said axis of rotation (A) of said rotating element (7).

10. The valve (1) according to claim 6, comprising at least two tubular portions (71, 72) each of which is provided with external blades (81, 82).

11. The valve (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that said obturator (6) comprises at least a first (10) and a second plate (11) placed transversally with respect to the axis of rotation (A) of the rotating element (7);

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

said first (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.

12. The valve (1) according to claim 2, wherein the obturator (6) comprises two portions (61, 62), hinged to each other in correspondence with a hinge axis (P), which can rotate between an enlarged configuration, in which they close the passage to the fluid, and a narrow configuration, in which they allow the passage of the fluid.

13. The valve (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said obturator (6) comprises a sliding element (14) associated with said inlet opening (3) and mobile moving away from/towards said inlet opening (3) to open it and/or close it.

14. The valve (1) according to claim 13, characterised in that said sliding element (14) is arranged coaxially with respect to said rotating element (7).

15. The valve (1) according to claim 14, wherein:

the rotating element (7) is provided with two tubular elements (71, 72) each of which has radial openings (71a, 72a) afforded on the lateral wall of an axial conduit (141) along which the sliding element (14) is slidable;

sliding along said axial conduit (141), the sliding element (14) progressively uncovers or closes the radial openings (71a, 72a).

16. 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).

17. The valve according to claim 16, in which the deflector (31) comprises one or more blades (32) that extend at least partially in a radial direction with respect to the prefixed direction (F).

18. The valve according to claim 16, comprising one or more annular segments (33) that are concentric between each other.

19. The valve according to claim 1, in which;

the obturator (6) comprises a rotating body (34), provided with a passage cavity (35), that is rotatable along a regulating axis (B) perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (X);

the recovery means (5) are located internally of the passage cavity (35).

20. The valve according to claim 19, comprising a deflector (31) according to any one of the preceding claims from 16 to 18, positioned at the end of the passage cavity (35).