Valve with heat transport monitor for leakage determining rate

• US 3,938,544 A
• Filed: 05/28/1974
• Issued: 02/17/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henry J. Bernaerts
• Original Assignee: Henry J. Bernaerts
• Inventors: Bernaerts, Henry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Klinksiek, Henry T.
• Application Number:
  US05/473,853
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 137/334, 137/341, 137/551, 73/46, 73/204, 73/40
• US Class Current: 374/5
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/00 Special means in or on valves or other cut-off apparatus for indicating or recording operation thereof, or for enabling an alarm to be given
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 49/002 Electric heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/00 Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary taps of the lift-valve type F16K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/002 by using thermal means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/184 for valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6416 With heating or cooling of the system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

A valve having means for measuring leakage through the valve. The valve body has a small heater in the leakage flow path downstream of the upstream seal and a heat sensor upstream of the downstream seal in the leakage path; fluid that leaks past the upstream seal is heated and its presence detected by the heat sensor which then indicates the fact that the valve is leaking.

Claims

1. A valve comprising:

a body;

a closure element within said body;

sealing members between said valve body and said closure element; and

means within said valve body for determining the leakage of the fluid of the main fluid flow controlled by said valve, between said closure element and said sealing members.

2. A valve as in claim 1 wherein said means for determining said leakage includes means within said valve body for heating said leakage fluid.

3. A valve as in claim 2 including means within said valve body for determining the temperature of said leakage fluid.

4. A valve as in claim 3 wherein said means for heating said leakage comprises an electric resistance heater.

5. A valve as in claim 4 wherein said means for determining the temperature of said leakage comprises a thermocouple.