Device for driving a double seat valve capable of seat cleaning

• US 8,469,055 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gea Tuchenhagen Gmbh (GEA Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Gea Tuchenhagen Gmbh (GEA Group AG)
• Inventors: Burmester, Jens, Suedel, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KEVIN L
• Application Number:
  US12/812,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20110114866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 137/312, 13761417-61419, 137/238, 137/240, 251/62, 251/63, 251/63.5
• US Class Current: 137/614.18
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/446 with additional cleaning or venting means between the two seats
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4259 With separate material addition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8275 Indicator element rigidly carried by the movable element whose position is indicated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8671 With annular passage [e.g., spool]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/88038 One valve head carries other valve head

Abstract

A device for driving a double seat valve with two closing elements arranged in series and displaceable with respect to each other. A sleeve-shaped fourth drive piston pressurized by pressure medium, sealingly embraces a second drive piston on the circumference and can engage a catching connection in the direction of a first drive piston, wherein a second drive piston is adapted to be axially displaceable in a limited manner in both directions with respect to the first drive piston and in each case against the force of a second spring.

Claims

1. A device (100) for driving a double seat valve (1) with first and second closing elements (3, 4), arranged in series and displaceable with respect to each other, which in the closed position of the double seat valve (1) prevent the overflow of fluids from a first valve housing part (1a;

1b) into a second valve housing part (1b;

1a) through a connection opening (2c) connecting said first and second valve housing parts (1, 1b) of a valve housing (10) with each other, and which in the closed position as well as in the open position of the double seat valve (1) limit a leakage cavity (9) that is connected to an exterior of the double seat valve (1), with an axially displaceable, annular slide part (5), which in the closed position as well as in the open position of the double seat valve (1) is sealingly received radially at an outer side in a third seating area (2b) formed in the connection opening (2c) and which at an inner side forms a first seating area (5e) which runs coaxially to the connection opening (2c) and is in fluid communication connected with the connection opening (2c), wherein in the closed position, the first closing element (3) is sealingly received in the first seating area (5e) and during its opening movement generated by the device (100) sealingly abuts the second closing element (4), which is associated to a second seating area (2a) realised in the connection opening (2c) and which is realised greater in diameter than the first closing element (3), and the first closing element (3) is also transferred into an open position (H) in the further opening movement, with seat cleaning positions for the first and second closing elements (3, 4) and the annular slide part (5), each generated by the device (100) for rinsing their coaxial seating areas (5e, 2a, 2b), wherein the second closing element (4) is adapted to be transferred into its respective seat cleaning position by a second partial stroke (T2) in the direction of the opening movement, and the slide part by a first partial stroke (T1) directed opposite to the opening movement, with telescopically interlacing first, second and third displacement rods (3a, 4a, 5a) guided outwardly out of the valve housing (10) and into the device (100) at the side of the first closing element (3), wherein the first displacement rod (3a) is associated to the first closing element (3), the second displacement rod (4a) to the second closing element (4) and the third displacement rod (5a) to the slide part (5), wherein the device (100) comprises inside a housing (101/102)

a pot-shaped first drive piston (103), pressurised by pressure medium and fixedly connected to the first displacement rod (3a) and displaceable against the force of a first spring (107;

107′

;

107′

″

)

a second drive piston (104), pressurised by pressure medium and fixedly connected to the second displacement rod (4a) and displaceable against the force of a second spring (108), the second spring (108) being supported directly or indirectly on the first drive piston (103), and the second displacement rod (4a) being sealingly guided through the first displacement rod (3a) which is realised as a hollow rod in connection with the first drive piston (103),

a sleeve-shaped fourth drive piston (106) pressurised by pressure medium, which sealingly embraces the second drive piston (104) on the circumference surface thereof and is adapted to be brought into engagement in a catching connection with the second drive piston (104) in the direction of the first drive piston (103),

and a third drive piston (105) pressurised by pressure medium and fixedly connected to the third displacement rod (5a) and displaceable against the force of the first spring (107), the third displacement rod (5a), realised as a hollow rod in connection with the third drive piston (105) being sealingly penetrated by the first displacement rod (3a),

wherein the second drive piston (104) is adapted to be axially displaceable in a limited manner in both directions with respect to the first drive piston (103) and in each case against the force of the second spring (108),

wherein the first and the second drive pistons (103, 104) partially limit a first pressure medium volume (120) pressurised by a first flow (D1) of pressure medium,

and wherein the second and the fourth drive piston (104, 106) by their front surfaces each facing away from the first drive piston (103) partially limit a second pressure medium space (121) pressurised by a second flow (D2) of pressure medium and each move in the direction towards the first drive piston (103).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device (100), in the closed position of the first closing element (3) and during the opening movement of the double seat valve (1), guides the second closing element (4) towards the first closing element (3) by a pick-up stroke (h) at first, in that the second drive piston (104) abuts the fourth drive piston (106) after the pick-up stroke (h) when the second drive piston (104) is pressurised by the first flow (D1) of pressure medium.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device (100) actuates the double seat valve (1) in which the annular slide part (5), the first, the second and also the third seating area (5e, 2a, 2b) are each realised cylindrically and the closing elements (3, 4) each as slide pistons.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device (100) actuates the double seat valve (1) in which the second closing element (4) at its end facing the first closing element (3), has a recess (4f) with an essentially cylindrical circumference wall (4h) falling in line with the first seating area (5e), and the recess (4f) is dimensioned such as to sealingly receive the first closing element (3) during the opening movement before the second closing element (4) opens.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device (100) actuates the double seat valve (1), namely with a cylindrical second lug (4*) arranged on the second closing element (4) at the leakage space side, which forms an annular second choke gap with the associated second seating area (2a) after the completion of the second partial stroke (T2), with a cylindrical first lug (3*) arranged on the first closing element (3) as to be facing away from the leakage space side, which forms an annular first choke gap with the associated first seating area (5e) after the completion of the first partial stroke (T1), and with a cylindrical third lug (5*) arranged on the slide part (5) at the leakage space side, which forms an annular third choke gap with the associated third seating area (2b) after the completion of the first partial stroke (T1).

6. The device according claim 1, wherein the device (100) actuates the double seat valve (1), in which a transition area (2e) is provided between the second and the third seating areas (2a, 2b), and in which an annular second recess (5c) in the form of a deflection area (5b) is disposed in the front side of the slide part (5) facing the leakage cavity (9).

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first housing (101) is formed by a pot-shaped first housing part and a pot-shaped second housing part (101a, 101b), that the first drive piston (103) is lodged in the first (101a) and the third drive piston (105) in the second housing part (101b) and they are each sealingly guided at the perimeter side there, and receive the first spring (107) between each other, and that a first bottom part (101c) of the first housing part (101a) has a central first passage opening (101e) and a second bottom part (101d) of the second housing part (101b) has a central second passage opening (101f).

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein a connection ring (101h) is provided, which joins and centers centres the lateral areas of the housing parts (101a, 101b) at an inner side, and that the connection between the housing parts (101a, 101b) and the connection ring (101h) is by substance to substance bond.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the first bottom part (101c) has an annular lug (101g) enclosing the first passage opening (101e) and extending axially away from the second bottom part (101d), by way of which there is a detachable connection with the pot-shaped second housing (102) at the outer side.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein a housing bottom (102a) of the second housing (102) is connected with a control unit (30), wherein the housing bottom (102a) has a central third passage opening (102b) in which a second feedback rod (104c), fixedly connected with the second drive piston (104), realised as a hollow rod and engaging into the control unit (30) is sealingly guided, wherein the latter is penetrated by a first feedback rod (103e) that is directly or indirectly fixedly connected to the first drive piston (103) and engaging into the control unit (30).

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first drive piston (103) has a pot-shaped first piston shaft (103a), which is detachably connected with the first displacement rod (3a) in the region of the pot bottom (103c) and sealingly penetrated by the second displacement rod (4a) there, that in a central cylindrical recess (103b) engaging in the first piston shaft (103a) from out the open side is disposed the second spring (108), which is supported under prestress via a first abutment disc (109) on the pot bottom (103c) at one side, and via a second abutment disc (110) on the first piston shaft (103a) at another side, wherein the second displacement rod (4a) penetrates the abutment discs (109, 110) in an axially displaceable way, and in the direction towards the second spring (108) it is adapted to be put into engagement in a catching connection with the respective abutment disc (109, 110) that is in the run.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein a transverse rod (103d) diametrically bridging over the cylindrical recess (103b) is provided in the region of the outlet end of the pot-shaped first piston shaft (103a), that the transverse rod (103d) penetrates there a sleeve-shaped second piston shaft (104a) fixedly connected to the second drive piston (104) within a slot-like shaped cross hole (104b) in such a way that it can be axially displaced in a limited manner, and that the transverse rod (103d) is fixedly connected to the first feedback rod (103e).

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein at its end facing away from the first drive piston (103), the sleeve-shaped fourth drive piston (106) is provided with an inside recess (106a), which forms the catching connection with the second drive piston (104), and a contact surface (106.1) for the same.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the piston area of the first drive piston (103) that is effective when pressurised by pressure medium, is greater than the piston area of the second drive piston (104) that is effective when pressurised by pressure medium.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein a prestress force of the first spring (107) is greater than a prestress force of the second spring (108).

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first spring (107) is realised in the form of a spring packet with an outer, a middle and an inner spring (107′

, 107″

, 107′

″

).

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first pressure medium space (120) is limited by the housing (101/102) and the first drive piston (103) at one side, and by the second and the fourth drive piston (104, 106) at another side.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein a first pressure medium channel (115) destined for the first pressure medium flow (D1) runs out into the first pressure medium space (120), wherein this channel is guided thereto in an extension of the second drive piston (104) penetrating the second housing (102).

19. The device according to claim 10, wherein the ring channel between the second feedback rod (104c) and the first feedback rod (103e) runs out into the first pressure medium space (120) and forms a first pressure medium channel (115) for the first pressure medium flow (D1).

20. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second pressure medium space (121) is limited by the second housing (102) at one side, and by the second and the fourth drive piston (104, 106) at another side.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein a second pressure medium channel (116) runs out into the second pressure medium space (121), wherein this channel is guided thereto via a connection piece on the second housing (102).

22. The device according to claim 1, wherein a third pressure medium space (122) is limited by the first housing (101) at the one side, and by the third drive piston (105) at the other side.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein a third pressure medium channel (117) runs out into the third pressure medium space (122), wherein this channel is guided thereto via a connection piece on the first housing (101).

24. The device according to claim 1, wherein in order to secure the closed position of the first closing element (3), the first drive piston (103) rests on a first contact surface (101a.1) formed on the first housing (101) with a further contact surface (103.1) under a prestress force of the first spring (107).

25. The device according to claim 1, wherein in order to limit the open position of the closing elements (3, 4), the first drive piston (103) rests on a contact surface (105.2) formed on the third drive piston (105) with a further contact surface (103.2).

26. The device according to claim 1, wherein in order to limit the second partial stroke (T2), the fourth drive piston (106) rests on a contact surface (101a.2) formed on the first housing (101) with a further contact surface (106.2).

27. The device according to claim 1, wherein in order to limit the first partial stroke (T1), the third drive piston (105) rests on a contact surface (101h.1) formed on the first housing (101) with a further contact surface (105.1).

28. The device according to claim 1, wherein in order to secure the closed position of the slide part (5), the slide part (5) rests on the transition area (2e) that bridges over the first and the second seating area (2a, 2b).

29. The device according to claim 10, wherein at least three position detectors (15.1, 15.2, 15.3) are disposed in the control unit (30), wherein a first and a second position detector (15.1, 15.2) are associated to the first feedback rod (103) and detect the closed and the open position, and a third position detector (15.3) is associated to the second feedback rod (104c) and detects the second partial stroke (T2).

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein a fourth position detector (15.4) is disposed on a lantern housing (20) connecting the valve housing (10) with the first housing (101), which detects the first partial stroke (T1) via the third displacement rod (5a) (connection bridge (5g)) connected to the slide part (5).