JP7651791B2 - Emergency valve - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an emergency valve.

For example, emergency valves that shut off or open piping in an emergency are known (see Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses an emergency valve (emergency shutoff valve) that is installed in a pipeline that supplies flammable fluids such as gas or oil, and shuts off the pipeline in the event of an emergency such as an earthquake or fire.

Patent No. 6649072

In Patent Document 1, a high-pressure gas container containing high-pressure gas is opened to supply high-pressure gas to a cylinder, and a piston inside the cylinder is moved to close a shutoff valve that is mechanically connected to the piston. For this reason, for example, if the sliding resistance of the piston is greater than expected, or if water has entered the compartment on the opposite side of the cylinder to the side to which the high-pressure gas is supplied, the movement of the piston may be restricted. As a result, the piston may not be able to move to the closed position using only the pressure of the high-pressure gas released all at once. Furthermore, in the case of an emergency release valve, if a similar configuration is adopted, it may not be possible to move the piston to the open position all at once using only the pressure of the high-pressure gas.

Therefore, in consideration of the above problems, the objective is to provide technology that can operate emergency valves more appropriately.

In order to achieve the above object, in one embodiment of the present disclosure,
A valve portion;
A cylinder;
a first container in which a predetermined gas is sealed;
a passageway connecting the first container and the cylinder;
an opening portion for opening the first container;
a piston that is provided to divide the inside of the cylinder into two spaces, is mechanically connected to the valve portion, and moves in a direction to close or open the valve portion when the first container is opened by the opening portion and the predetermined gas is supplied to one of the two spaces through the passage;
When the first container is opened by the opening unit, the predetermined gas in the first container is supplied stepwise to the cylinder through the passage.
An emergency valve is provided.

According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the emergency valve can be operated more appropriately.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an emergency shutoff system including an emergency shutoff valve. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of an emergency cutoff valve. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of an emergency cutoff valve. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a high-pressure gas supply unit. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for setting a control mode for control related to an emergency cutoff valve. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an emergency shutoff process. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of a fuel supply system including an emergency cutoff valve. 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of an emergency shutoff process.

The following describes the embodiment with reference to the drawings.

[Example of emergency shutdown system configuration]
First, an example of the configuration of an emergency shutoff system 1 including an emergency shutoff valve 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the emergency shutoff system 1. Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing an example of the structure of the emergency shutoff valve 10. Specifically, Figure 2 is a diagram showing the emergency shutoff system 1 when the emergency shutoff valve 10 (valve section 12) is in an open state, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing the emergency shutoff system 1 when the emergency shutoff valve 10 (valve section 12) is in a closed (shutoff) state. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the high-pressure gas supply section 20.

For convenience, the following will explain the directions up, down, front, back, left, and right in accordance with the notation in Figures 2 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the emergency shutoff system 1 includes an emergency shutoff valve 10 and a control device 100.

In an emergency, the emergency shutoff system 1 controls the emergency shutoff valve 10 from the control device 100, and transitions the emergency shutoff valve 10, which is normally in an open state, to a closed state. An emergency is, for example, when an earthquake occurs or when a fire occurs in a facility in which a fluid pipeline in which the emergency shutoff valve 10 is installed is installed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the emergency shutoff valve 10 (an example of an emergency operating valve) includes a valve section 12, an opening/closing drive section 14, a cylinder 16, a piston 18, and a high-pressure gas supply section 20. The emergency shutoff valve 10 also includes passages 30, 36, 38, solenoid valves 40, 42, 44, a recovery container 46, safety valves 48, 50, 52, a limit switch 60, and a water detection sensor 62.

The valve unit 12 is provided in a pipeline through which a specified fluid flows. The valve unit 12 normally maintains the pipeline through which the specified fluid flows in an open state, and in an emergency, is driven by the opening/closing drive unit 14 to cut off the flow of the specified fluid in the pipeline. In this example, the valve unit 12 corresponds to a so-called ball valve. The specified fluid is, for example, city gas or oil.

The valve portion 12 includes a pipeline portion 12A through which a specific fluid flows, a valve body 12B, and a flange portion 12C.

A specific fluid flows through the duct section 12A. The valve body 12B is housed in the middle of the axial direction (left-right direction in Figs. 2 and 3) through which the specific fluid flows.

The valve body 12B switches between a state in which a predetermined fluid can flow through the inside of the pipe line portion 12A and a state in which the predetermined fluid cannot flow through the inside of the pipe line portion 12A. The valve body 12B has a substantially ball shape (spherical shape) and is configured to be rotatable around an axis along the vertical direction. The valve body 12B has a through hole 12B1 with a circular cross section that passes through its center in the horizontal direction and has an inner diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the pipe line portion 12A. In the open state, the valve body 12B is arranged so that the through hole is along the axial direction of the pipe line portion 12A, i.e., the left-right direction. On the other hand, in the closed state (shutoff), the valve body 12B is arranged so that the through hole is along the front-rear direction. The valve portion 12 can be switched between the open state and the closed state (shutoff) by rotating the valve body 12B 90 degrees around a rotation axis along the vertical direction.

The flange portion 12C is provided on both ends of the pipeline portion 12A in the axial direction, i.e., in the left-right direction. The valve portion 12 is sandwiched between the upstream and downstream pipelines through which a specific fluid flows, and is attached to the pipeline through which the specific fluid flows by connecting the flange portion of each pipeline to the flange portion 12C.

The valve unit 12 may be realized by a valve of a type different from a so-called ball valve. For example, the valve unit 12 may be realized by a butterfly valve.

The opening/closing drive unit 14 switches the valve unit 12 between an open state and a closed state (shutoff state) by rotating the valve body 12B with the power transmitted from the piston 18. The opening/closing drive unit 14 includes a housing 14A, a rotating shaft portion 14B, and a link portion 14C.

The housing 14A is connected to the top of the pipeline portion 12A of the valve portion 12 and supports the pipeline portion 12A from above. The housing 14A also supports the rotating shaft portion 14B. A vent port 14A1 that connects the internal space to the external space is provided at the bottom end of the housing 14A.

The rotating shaft portion 14B is a member that corresponds to the center of rotation of the valve body 12B. The rotating shaft portion 14B is provided to extend in the vertical direction, penetrates the housing 14A from top to bottom, and is rotatably supported by the housing 14A. The upper end portion of the valve body 12B is connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft portion 14B. This allows the valve body 12B to rotate together with the rotating shaft portion 14B in response to the rotation of the rotating shaft portion 14B.

The link portion 14C is provided in the internal space of the housing 14A and in the internal space (cylinder chamber 16A) of the cylinder 16 described below, and connects the rotating shaft portion 14B and the piston 18 so that the rotating shaft portion 14B can be rotated by the power of the piston 18. The link portion 14C includes link portions 14C1 and 14C2.

The base end of link portion 14C1 is connected to the rotating shaft portion 14B, and the tip is connected to the tip of link portion 14C2 so that it can rotate around an axis along the vertical direction.

The base end of link part 14C2 is connected to piston 18 so as to be rotatable around an axis in the vertical direction, and the tip is connected to the tip of link part 14C1 so as to be rotatable around an axis along the same vertical direction as the tip of link part 14C1.

The cylinder 16 is disposed adjacent to the right side of the housing 14A so as to extend in the left-right direction. The cylinder 16 is also configured so that its internal space is in communication with the internal space of the housing 14A.

The piston 18 is positioned so as to divide the interior of the cylinder 16 into a left cylinder chamber 16A and a right cylinder chamber 16B (an example of one space). The piston 18 is configured to be able to move left and right within the cylinder 16.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the valve portion 12 is in an open state, the piston 18 is located at the right end of the cylinder 16.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, when the valve portion 12 is in a closed state, the piston 18 is located in the center of the cylinder 16 in the left-right direction.

When high-pressure gas (described below) is supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B on the right side of the piston 18 with the valve portion 12 in the open state, the piston 18 moves to the left. This shortens the distance between the rotating shaft portion 14B and the piston, so that the connecting portion at the tip of the link portions 14C1 and 14C2 moves to the front in the figure, and the link portion 14C1 can rotate the rotating shaft portion 14B clockwise when viewed from above. As a result, the valve body 12B rotates 90 degrees in response to the rotation of the rotating shaft portion 14B, achieving a closed valve state (shutoff state).

The piston 18 is also provided with an orifice 18A that connects the cylinder chamber 16A and the cylinder chamber 16B. As a result, the high-pressure gas supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B moves the piston 18 to the left, then moves slowly through the orifice 18A to the cylinder chamber 16A, and is discharged to the outside from the vent port 14A1 through the cylinder chamber 16A and the internal space of the housing 14A. Therefore, in an emergency, if a certain amount of time has passed after the valve unit 12 transitions to a closed state, there is no high-pressure gas in the cylinder chamber 16B, and the operator can easily manually operate the rotating shaft unit 14B to return the valve unit 12 to an open state.

In an emergency, the high-pressure gas supply unit 20 supplies high-pressure gas to the cylinder chamber 16B of the cylinder 16 under the control of the control device 100. The high-pressure gas is a specified gas having a relatively high pressure. The specified gas is, for example, carbon dioxide gas or nitrogen gas. The high-pressure gas supply unit 20 includes a high-pressure gas container 22, an opening mechanism unit 24, and a solenoid 26.

The high-pressure gas container 22 (an example of a first container) is a container in which high-pressure gas is sealed. As shown in FIG. 4, a sealing plate 22A is provided at the opening at the top end of the high-pressure gas container 22. When the sealing plate 22A is broken by an opening mechanism 24 (a cutter 24A described below), the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure gas container 22 flows out from the opening to the outside and is supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B through a passage 30.

The volume and pressure of the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure gas container 22 are set to a state that sufficiently exceeds the volume and pressure required to switch the open state of the valve portion 12 to a closed state (shutoff state) by displacing the piston 18 and rotating the valve body 12B. For example, the volume and pressure of the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure gas container 22 are set to a state that is sufficient to switch the open state of the valve portion 12 to a closed state multiple times (e.g., twice) by supplying the gas to the cylinder chamber 16B, as described below.

Note that the high-pressure gas indicates that the gas is in a relatively high-pressure state when it is opened from the high-pressure gas container 22, and may be, for example, in a liquid state inside the high-pressure gas container 22.

The opening mechanism 24 (an example of an opening mechanism) is driven by the power of the solenoid 26 and opens the high-pressure gas container 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the opening mechanism 24 includes a cutter 24A, a rod 24B, a coil spring 24C, and a locking ball 24D.

Cutter 24A is provided at the tip (lower end) of rod 24B and is used to break the sealing plate 22A of the high-pressure gas container 22.

The rod 24B is arranged to extend vertically above the high-pressure gas container 22 (sealing plate 22A).

The coil spring 24C is arranged to bias the rod 24B downward (towards the high-pressure gas container 22).

The locking ball 24D is restricted in its vertical movement by the plunger 26A described below, and holds the rod 24B in the upper end position against the coil spring 24C.

The solenoid 26 is communicatively connected to the control device 100 through a specified communication line, and operates under the control of the control device 100. Specifically, when a shutoff signal is received from the control device 100, the solenoid 26 operates and displaces the plunger 26A upward. This displaces the locking ball 24D, releasing the locked state of the rod 24B, and the rod 24B moves downward due to the biasing force of the coil spring 24C. As a result, the cutter 24A at the tip of the rod 24B penetrates the sealing plate 22A from top to bottom, and the sealing plate 22A can be broken.

The specified communication line is, for example, a one-to-one communication line. The specified communication line also includes, for example, a local network (LAN) of a facility in which the emergency shutoff valve 10 is installed. The specified communication line may also include a wide area network (WAN) when the control device 100 is installed outside the facility in which the emergency shutoff valve 10 is installed. Wide area networks include, for example, a mobile communication network with a base station as its terminal, a satellite communication network using a communication satellite, the Internet network, and the like. The specified communication line may also include, for example, a short-distance communication line based on a wireless communication standard such as WiFi or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

Passage 30 connects the opening of the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder 16 (cylinder chamber 16B). Passage 30 includes passages 32 and 34.

The passage 32 connects the opening of the high-pressure gas container 22 and the inlet of the cylinder chamber 16B over a relatively short distance.

Passage 34 branches off from passage 32 and connects the opening of the high-pressure gas container 22 and the inlet of the cylinder chamber 16B over a relatively long distance. Passage 34 includes passages 34A to 34D.

Passage 34A connects passage 32 and solenoid valve 42.

Passage 34B connects the solenoid valve 42 to the inlet of the collection container 46.

Passage 34C connects the outlet of collection container 46 to solenoid valve 44.

The inlet and outlet of the collection container 46 may be shared or may be provided separately.

Passage 34D connects the solenoid valve 44 to the inlet of cylinder chamber 16B.

The inlet of the cylinder chamber 16B to which the passage 32 is connected and the inlet of the cylinder chamber 16B to which the passage 34 is connected may be provided separately as shown in Figures 2 and 3, or may be a common inlet.

Passage 36 connects passage 34A to solenoid valve 40.

Passage 38 connects between solenoid valve 40 and safety valve 48.

The solenoid valve 40 is communicatively connected to the control device 100 via a specified communication line, and switches between communication and non-communication between the passages 36 and 38 under the control of the control device 100. When the solenoid valve 40 is in a closed state, the high-pressure gas in passage 34A ejected from the high-pressure gas container 22 does not flow into passage 38, whereas when the solenoid valve 40 is in an open state, the high-pressure gas in passage 34A flows into passage 38. As a result, when the solenoid valve 40 is in an open state, if the pressure of the high-pressure gas in passage 34A exceeds a specified set pressure of the safety valve 48, the high-pressure gas in passage 34A is released (relieved) to the outside from the safety valve 48.

The solenoid valve 42 is communicatively connected to the control device 100 via a specified communication line, and switches between communication and non-communication between passages 34A and 34B under the control of the control device 100. When the solenoid valve 42 is in a closed state, the high-pressure gas in passage 34A ejected from the high-pressure gas container 22 does not flow into passage 34B, whereas when the solenoid valve 42 is in an open state, the high-pressure gas in passage 34A flows into passage 34B and is collected in a collection container 46.

The solenoid valve 44 is communicatively connected to the control device 100 via a specified communication line, and switches between communication and non-communication between passages 34C and 34D under the control of the control device 100. When the solenoid valve 44 is in a closed state, the high-pressure gas in the recovery container 46 does not flow into passage 34D through passage 34C, whereas when the solenoid valve 44 is in an open state, the high-pressure gas in the recovery container 46 flows into passage 34D through passage 34C and is supplied to the cylinder 16 (cylinder chamber 16B).

The recovery container 46 (an example of a second container) recovers the high-pressure gas sprayed from the high-pressure gas container 22, which flows in through the passages 34A and 34B. As a result, the solenoid valves 42 and 44 are maintained in a closed state, and the high-pressure gas is maintained at a relatively high pressure in the recovery container 46. Then, in this state, the solenoid valve 44 is opened, and the high-pressure gas in the recovery container 46 can be supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B through the passages 34C and 34D.

The safety valve 48 releases the gas in the passage 38 to the outside when the pressure in the passage 38 reaches or exceeds a predetermined set pressure. As a result, for example, when the solenoid valve 40 is open and the solenoid valve 42 is closed, the safety valve 48 can maintain the pressure of the high-pressure gas in the cylinder chamber 16B and the passage 32, which are connected through the passages 34A, 36, and 38, below the predetermined set pressure.

The safety valve 50 is provided in the passage 34B, and when the pressure in the passage 34A reaches or exceeds a predetermined set pressure while the solenoid valve 42 is in an open state, the safety valve 50 releases the gas in the passage 34A downstream of the passage 34B. This allows the pressure of the high-pressure gas in the passage 34B and the collection container 46 to be maintained at a relatively high level, for example, when the solenoid valve 42 is closed after the high-pressure gas ejected from the high-pressure gas container 22 is collected in the collection container 46 through the passage 34B.

The safety valve 52 releases the gas in the recovery container 46 to the outside when the pressure in the recovery container 46 reaches or exceeds a predetermined set pressure. This makes it possible to maintain the pressure of the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure gas container 22 at or below the predetermined set pressure, for example, when the solenoid valve 42 is closed after the high-pressure gas ejected from the high-pressure gas container 22 is recovered into the recovery container 46 through the passage 34B.

The limit switch 60 detects the open state (state in FIG. 2) and closed (shut-off) state (state in FIG. 3) of the valve section 12. Specifically, the limit switch 60 outputs a valve open signal when the valve section 12 is in an open state, and outputs a valve close signal when the valve section 12 is in a closed state. The output of the limit switch 60 is taken into the control device 100 via a specified communication line.

The water detection sensor 62 detects whether water has entered the cylinder chamber 16A or the internal space of the housing 14A that communicates with the cylinder chamber 16A. The output signal representing the detection result of the water detection sensor 62 (whether water has entered) is received by the control device 100 via a specified communication line.

The control device 100 controls the emergency shutoff valve 10.

The control device 100 is, for example, a dedicated control panel (operation panel) provided in a management office or the like of the facility in which the emergency shutoff valve 10 is installed. The control device 100 may also be, for example, a dedicated control panel (operation panel) provided in a management center or the like outside the facility in which the emergency shutoff valve 10 is installed. The control device 100 may also be, for example, a server device provided in a management center or the like outside the facility in which the emergency shutoff valve 10 is installed. The server device may be an on-premise server, a cloud server, or an edge server.

The functions of the control device 100 are realized by any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. For example, the control device 100 is configured around a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory device such as an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), an auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory, and an interface device for input and output with the outside.

[An example of a method for controlling an emergency shutoff valve]
Next, an example of a method for controlling the emergency cutoff valve 10 by the control device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Control mode setting process>
5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for setting a control mode for control of the emergency cutoff valve 10 by the control device 100. This flowchart is repeatedly executed at predetermined control intervals when the emergency cutoff valve 10 is not in a cutoff state.

In addition, in Figures 5 and 6, for convenience, solenoid valve 40, solenoid valve 42, and solenoid valve 44 are referred to as "solenoid valve (1)," "solenoid valve (2)," and "solenoid valve (3)," respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5, in step S102, the control device 100 determines whether or not water intrusion into the internal space of the cylinder chamber 16A or the housing 14A has been detected based on the latest output signal of the water detection sensor 62. If the control device 100 has not detected water intrusion into the internal space of the cylinder chamber 16A or the housing 14A, it proceeds to step S104, and if water intrusion has been detected, it proceeds to step S106.

In step S104, the control device 100 sets the control mode for controlling the emergency shutoff valve 10 to the first mode (normal mode). Then, as a standby state in the first mode, the control device 100 sets the solenoid valves 40, 42, and 44 to an open state, a closed state, and a closed state, respectively. As a result, when the high-pressure gas container 22 is opened in the first mode, all of the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure gas container 22 is supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B through the passage 32, except when the pressure of the high-pressure gas rises above the predetermined set pressure of the safety valve 48.

When the control device 100 completes the processing of step S104, it ends the processing of this flowchart.

Meanwhile, in step S106, the control device 100 sets the control mode for controlling the emergency shutoff valve 10 to the second mode (water intrusion response mode). Then, as a standby state in the second mode, the control device 100 sets the solenoid valves 40, 42, and 44 to a closed state, an open state, and a closed state, respectively. As a result, when the high-pressure gas container 22 is opened in the second mode, a portion of the injected high-pressure gas is supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B through the passage 32, and the remainder of the injected high-pressure gas is collected in the collection container 46 through the passages 34A and 34B.

When the control device 100 completes the processing of step S106, it ends the processing of this flowchart.

In this way, in this example, the second mode is set to deal with water intrusion, and when water intrusion into the housing 14A or the cylinder chamber 16A is detected, the control mode for controlling the emergency shutoff valve 10 can be set (switched) to the second mode.

The first mode may be omitted, and the control device 100 may constantly use the second mode as the control mode for controlling the emergency shutoff valve 10, regardless of the detection of water intrusion into the housing 14A or the cylinder chamber 16A. In this case, the passages 36, 38, the solenoid valve 40, and the safety valve 48 are omitted, and the processes of steps S102 and S104 in the flowchart of FIG. 5 and the process of closing the solenoid valve 40 in step S106 are omitted. Then, when the emergency shutoff valve 10 is not in the shutoff state, the solenoid valves 42 and 44 are kept in the open and closed states of step S106, respectively, as a standby state.

<Emergency shutoff process of emergency shutoff valve>
Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of emergency shutoff processing of the emergency shutoff valve 10 by the control device 100. This flowchart is started when a predetermined emergency such as an earthquake or fire occurs in the facility in which the emergency shutoff valve 10 is installed. The same applies to the flowchart in Fig. 8 described below.

As shown in FIG. 6, in step S202, the control device 100 outputs a shutoff signal to the solenoid 26.

When the control device 100 completes processing of step S202, it proceeds to step S204.

In step S204, the control device 100 determines whether the control mode for control of the emergency shutoff valve 10 is set to the second mode. If the control device 100 is set to the second mode, the control device 100 proceeds to step S206, and if the control device 100 is not set to the second mode, i.e., if the control device 100 is set to the first mode, the control device 100 ends this flow chart.

When the first mode is selected, as described above, when the high-pressure gas container 22 is opened, all of the high-pressure gas ejected from the high-pressure gas container 22 is supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B through the passage 32, except for the gas released from the safety valve 48. Also, as described above, when the first mode is omitted, step S204 is omitted.

In step S206, the control device 100 determines whether a predetermined time T1 has elapsed since the output of the shutoff signal (i.e., the opening of the high-pressure gas container 22). The predetermined time T1 is set, for example, to the time required for the injection of high-pressure gas from the high-pressure gas container 22 to end, or a time shorter than the required time. The predetermined time T1 is determined in advance, for example, through actual testing of the emergency shutoff valve 10 or computer simulation of the emergency shutoff valve 10, based on the time required from the start of injection of high-pressure gas from the high-pressure gas container 22 until the piston 18 is displaced and a valve close signal is received from the limit switch 60. If the predetermined time T1 has elapsed since the output of the shutoff signal, the control device 10 proceeds to step S208, and if the predetermined time T1 has not elapsed, the control device 100 waits while repeating the processing of this flowchart until the predetermined time T1 has elapsed.

In step S208, the control device 100 transitions the solenoid valve 42 from an open state to a closed state. This causes the solenoid valves 42 and 44 to be in a closed state, and the pressure of the high-pressure gas in the recovery container 46 can be maintained at a relatively high level within a range below the set pressure of the safety valve 52.

When the control device 100 completes processing of step S208, it proceeds to step S210.

In step S210, the control device 100 determines whether or not a valve close signal has been received from the limit switch 60. If the control device 100 has not received a valve close signal from the limit switch 60, the control device 100 proceeds to step S212, and if the control device 100 has received a valve close signal, the control device 100 ends this flow chart.

In step S212, the control device 100 determines whether a predetermined time T2 (> T1) has elapsed since the output of the shutoff signal.

The predetermined time T2 is determined in advance, for example, through an actual test using the emergency shutoff valve 10 or a computer simulation of the emergency shutoff valve 10. Specifically, the predetermined time T2 may be determined in advance as a time longer than the time (operation delay time) required for the high-pressure gas container 22 to be opened based on the output of a shutoff signal and the high-pressure gas ejected from the high-pressure gas container 22 to be supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B, displacing the piston 18, and receiving a valve close signal from the limit switch 60, when the emergency shutoff valve 10 is operating normally, and the high-pressure gas supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B through the passage 32 is released to the outside of the cylinder chamber 16B through the orifice 18A and the safety valves 50 and 52, and the pressure in the cylinder chamber 16B to drop to a predetermined standard set to be equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure. This increases the likelihood that the emergency shutoff valve 10 will close because the piston 18 is not displaced sufficiently by the high-pressure gas supplied from the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder chamber 16B based on the output of the shutoff signal, thereby displacing the piston 18 and closing the emergency shutoff valve 10 by supplying high-pressure gas to the cylinder chamber 16B again.

If the predetermined time T2 has elapsed since the output of the interruption signal, the control device 100 proceeds to step S214; if not, the control device 100 returns to step S210.

In step S214, the control device 100 transitions the solenoid valve 44 from a closed state to an open state. This causes the high-pressure gas in the recovery container 46 to be supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B through passages 34C and 34D.

When the control device 100 completes processing of step S214, it proceeds to step S216.

In step S216, the control device 100 determines whether or not a valve close signal has been received from the limit switch 60. If the control device 100 has not received a valve close signal, it waits by repeating the process of this step until a valve close signal is received, and if a valve close signal has been received, it proceeds to step S218.

In step S218, the control device 100 transitions the solenoid valve 44 from an open state to a closed state.

When the control device 100 completes processing of step S218, it ends the processing of this flowchart.

Thus, in this example, even if the valve portion 12 cannot be closed by the high-pressure gas supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B through the passage 32 alone, the control device 100 supplies the high-pressure gas collected in the collection container 46 to the cylinder chamber 16B through the passage 34 to close the valve portion 12.

This allows the control device 100 to gradually supply the high-pressure gas sealed in the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder chamber 16B. Therefore, even if the valve unit 12 cannot be properly shut off because, for example, the sliding resistance of the piston 18 becomes greater than expected or water enters the housing 14A or the cylinder chamber 16A, the high-pressure gas in the recovery container 46 can be used to more properly shut off the valve unit 12.

In this example, the control device 100 may utilize all of the high-pressure gas collected in the collection container 46, regardless of whether or not a valve close signal is received from the limit switch 60. In this case, steps S210, S216, and S218 may be omitted.

[Another Example of Emergency Shutdown System Configuration]
Next, another example of the configuration of the emergency shutoff system 1 including the emergency shutoff valve 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The following description will focus on the parts that differ from the above example (Fig. 1), and descriptions of the same or corresponding contents as the above example may be omitted.

Figure 7 shows another example of the configuration of the emergency shutdown system 1.

The structures of the emergency shutoff valve 10 and the high-pressure gas supply unit 20 are the same as those in the above-mentioned example, so please refer to the above-mentioned example (Figures 2 to 4) and omit illustrations of them.

As shown in FIG. 7, this example differs from the above example in that the passages 34, 36, 38, solenoid valves 40, 42, 44, recovery container 46, and safety valves 50, 52 are omitted, and solenoid valve 70 and safety valve 72 are added.

Passage 30 corresponds to passage 32 in the above example. Passage 30 includes passages 30A and 30B.

Passage 30A connects the opening of the high-pressure gas container 22 to the solenoid valve 70.

Passage 30B connects the solenoid valve 70 to the inlet of the cylinder 16 (cylinder chamber 16B).

The solenoid valve 70 (an example of an on-off valve) is communicatively connected to the control device 100 via a specified communication line, and switches between communication and non-communication between the passages 30A and 30B under the control of the control device 100. As a result, when the high-pressure gas container 22 is opened, the solenoid valve 70 switches between an open state and a closed state, thereby gradually supplying the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder chamber 16B.

The safety valve 72 releases high-pressure gas to the outside when the pressure in passage 30B exceeds a predetermined set pressure. This allows the pressure of the high-pressure gas in the cylinder chamber 16B and passage 30B to be maintained below the predetermined set pressure.

[Another example of a method for controlling an emergency shutoff valve]
Next, another example of the method for controlling the emergency cutoff valve 10 by the control device 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

<Control mode setting process>
In this example, the control mode setting process for controlling the emergency cutoff valve 10 is the same as that in the flowchart of Fig. 5 except that in steps S104 and S106, only the first mode or the second mode is set and the setting of the solenoid valves 40, 42, 44 in the standby state is omitted. Therefore, a description of the control mode setting process in this example will be omitted.

As in the above example, the first mode may be omitted, and the control device 100 may always use the second mode as the control mode for controlling the emergency shutoff valve 10, regardless of whether water has entered the housing 14A or the cylinder chamber 16A. In this case, the flowchart of FIG. 5 is omitted.

<Emergency shutoff process of emergency shutoff valve>
FIG. 8 is a flow chart that illustrates another example of the emergency shutoff process of the emergency shutoff valve 10 by the control device 100. In FIG.

The counter C used in this flow chart indicates the number of times that the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure gas container 22 is supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B in stages by opening and closing the solenoid valve 70, as described below. The explanation will proceed under the assumption that the counter C is set to an initial value of "0" at the start of this flow chart.

As shown in FIG. 8, steps S302 and S304 are the same as steps S202 and S204 in FIG. 6, so their explanation is omitted.

In step S304, if the control mode for control of the emergency shutoff valve 10 is set to the second mode, the control device 100 proceeds to step S306, and if it is not set to the second mode, i.e., if it is set to the first mode, the control device 100 ends the processing of this flowchart.

As mentioned above, if the first mode is omitted, step S304 is omitted.

In step S306, the control device 100 determines whether a predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the output of the shutoff signal. The predetermined time T3 is determined in advance as an upper limit of the time required for the valve portion 12 to reach a closed state within the range of expected sliding resistance between the cylinder 16 and the piston 18, for example, through actual testing of the emergency shutoff valve 10 or computer simulation of the emergency shutoff valve 10. If the predetermined time T3 has elapsed, the control device 100 proceeds to step S308, and if the predetermined time T3 has not elapsed, the control device 100 waits while repeating the processing of this step until the predetermined time T3 has elapsed.

In step S308, the control device 100 transitions the solenoid valve 70 from an open state to a closed state and increments the counter C by 1 (C = C + 1).

When the control device 100 completes processing of step S308, it proceeds to step S310.

In step S310, the control device 100 determines whether the counter C is equal to a predetermined threshold value Cth (an integer equal to or greater than 2). If the counter C is not equal to the threshold value Cth, the control device 100 proceeds to step S312, and if the counter C is equal to the threshold value Cth, the control device 100 ends this flow chart. This is because if the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 70 in step S308 and step S316 described below are repeated a certain number of times, the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure gas container 22 will become empty.

In step S312, the control device 100 determines whether or not a valve close signal has been received from the limit switch 60. If the control device 100 has not received a valve close signal from the limit switch 60, the control device 100 proceeds to step S314, and if the control device 100 has received a valve close signal, the control device 100 ends the processing of this flowchart.

In step S314, the control device 100 determines whether a predetermined time T4 has elapsed since the solenoid valve 70 was switched to a closed state in step S308.

The predetermined time T4 is determined in advance, for example, through actual testing of the emergency shutoff valve 10 or through computer simulation of the emergency shutoff valve 10. Specifically, the predetermined time T4 is determined in advance as the time required for the high-pressure gas container 22 to be opened based on the output of a shutoff signal, for the high-pressure gas ejected from the high-pressure gas container 22 to be supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B, displacing the piston 18, and for a valve close signal to be received from the limit switch 60 (operation delay time), when the emergency shutoff valve 10 is operating normally, and the high-pressure gas supplied to the cylinder chamber 16B through the passage 30 is released to the outside of the cylinder chamber 16B through the orifice 18A and the safety valve 72, and the pressure in the cylinder chamber 16B to drop to a predetermined standard set to be equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure.

If the predetermined time T4 has elapsed since the solenoid valve 70 was closed, the control device 100 proceeds to step S316, and if the predetermined time T4 has not elapsed, the control device 100 returns to step S312.

In step S316, the solenoid valve 70 is transitioned from a closed state to an open state. As a result, even if the emergency shutoff valve 10 does not close because the high-pressure gas supplied from the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder chamber 16B based on the output of the shutoff signal does not sufficiently displace the piston 18, the control device 100 can increase the possibility of displacing the piston 18 and closing the emergency shutoff valve 10 by supplying high-pressure gas to the cylinder chamber 16B again.

When the processing of step S314 is completed, the control device 100 returns to step S306.

In this way, the control device 100 repeatedly performs the process of supplying high-pressure gas from the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder chamber 16B for a predetermined time T3, with an interval of a predetermined time T4 between each repetition until the valve section 12 closes.

This allows the control device 100 to gradually supply the high-pressure gas sealed in the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder chamber 16B. Therefore, even if the valve unit 12 cannot be properly shut off due to, for example, the sliding resistance of the piston 18 becoming greater than expected or water entering the housing 14A or the cylinder chamber 16A, the valve unit 12 can be shut off more appropriately.

[Action]
Next, the operation of the emergency cutoff valve 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

For example, if the sliding resistance of the piston 18 against the cylinder 16 is greater than expected, or if water has entered the compartment on the opposite side of the cylinder 16 to the side to which the high-pressure gas is supplied, the movement of the piston 18 may be restricted. As a result, the piston 18 may not be able to move to the valve-closed position using only the pressure of the high-pressure gas released all at once.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the emergency cutoff valve 10 includes a valve portion 12, a cylinder 16, a high-pressure gas container 22, a passage 30, an opening mechanism 24, and a piston 18. Specifically, high-pressure gas is sealed in the high-pressure gas container 22. The passage 30 connects the high-pressure gas container 22 and the cylinder 16 (cylinder chamber 16B). The opening mechanism 24 opens the high-pressure gas container 22. The piston 18 is provided to divide the interior of the cylinder 16 into two spaces, and is mechanically connected to the valve portion 12. When the high-pressure gas container 22 is opened by the opening mechanism 24 and high-pressure gas is supplied to one of the two spaces (cylinder chamber 16B) through the passage 30, the piston 18 moves in a direction to close the valve portion 12. Then,
When the high-pressure gas container 22 is opened by the opening mechanism 24 , the emergency cutoff valve 10 supplies the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder 16 in stages through the passage 30 .

This allows the emergency shutoff valve 10 to push high-pressure gas into the cylinder chamber 16B in stages multiple times. This allows the emergency shutoff valve 10 to shut off the valve portion 12 more reliably.

In addition, in this embodiment, the emergency shutoff valve 10 may include a collection container 46. Specifically, the collection container 46 may store a portion of the high-pressure gas passing through the passage 30 (high-pressure gas branching from passage 32 to passage 34A) when the high-pressure gas container 22 is opened by the opening mechanism 24. Then, the emergency shutoff valve 10 may supply the high-pressure gas in the collection container 46 to the cylinder 16 (cylinder chamber 16B) when a predetermined time (e.g., the total time of the predetermined time T1 and the predetermined time T2) has elapsed after the high-pressure gas container 22 is opened by the opening mechanism 24.

As a result, the emergency shutoff valve 10 can, specifically, supply high-pressure gas from the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder 16 (cylinder chamber 16B) in stages by utilizing the recovery container 46.

In addition, in this embodiment, the emergency cutoff valve 10 may include a solenoid valve 70. Specifically, the solenoid valve 70 may switch between opening (valve open state) and closing (valve closed state) the passage 30.
The solenoid valve 70 is in an open state when the high-pressure gas container 22 is opened by the opening mechanism 24, and then switches to a closed state before all the high-pressure gas has passed, and then switches to the open state again.

As a result, the emergency shutoff valve 10 can, specifically, supply high-pressure gas from the high-pressure gas container 22 to the cylinder 16 (cylinder chamber 16B) in stages by utilizing the solenoid valve 70.

[Transformations/Changes]
Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist described in the claims.

For example, in the above embodiment, an emergency shutoff valve 10 has been described as an example, but the above technology may also be applied to an emergency opening valve (an example of an emergency operating valve) that opens from a closed state in the event of an emergency.

1 Emergency shutoff system 10 Emergency shutoff valve (emergency operating valve)
12 Valve portion 12A Pipe portion 12B Valve body 12B1 Through hole 12C Flange portion 14 Opening/closing drive portion 14A Housing 14A1 Vent port 14B Rotating shaft portion 14C Link portion 14C1 Link portion 14C2 Link portion 14H Housing 16 Cylinder 16A Cylinder chamber 16B Cylinder chamber (one space)
18 Piston 18A Orifice 20 High-pressure gas supply unit 22 High-pressure gas container (first container)
22A Sealing plate 24 Unsealing mechanism section (unsealing section)
24A Cutter 24B Rod 24D Locking ball 26 Solenoid 26A Plunger 30 Passage 30A Passage 30B Passage 32 Passage 34 Passage 34A Passage 34B Passage 34C Passage 34D Passage 36 Passage 38 Passage 40 Solenoid valve 42 Solenoid valve 44 Solenoid valve 46 Collection container (second container)
48 Safety valve 50 Safety valve 52 Safety valve 60 Limit switch 62 Water detection sensor 70 Solenoid valve (on-off valve)
72 Safety valve 100 Control device

Claims (3)

A valve portion;
A cylinder;
a first container in which a predetermined gas is sealed;
a passageway connecting the first container and the cylinder;
an opening portion for opening the first container;
a piston that is provided to divide the inside of the cylinder into two spaces, is mechanically connected to the valve portion, and moves in a direction to close or open the valve portion when the first container is opened by the opening portion and the predetermined gas is supplied to one of the two spaces through the passage;
When the first container is opened by the opening unit, the predetermined gas in the first container is supplied stepwise to the cylinder through the passage.
Emergency valve. a second container that stores a portion of the predetermined gas passing through the passage when the first container is opened by the opening portion,
When a predetermined time has elapsed after the first container is opened by the opening unit, the predetermined gas in the second container is supplied to the one space of the cylinder.
2. The emergency valve of claim 1. an opening/closing valve for switching between opening and closing the passage;
The on-off valve is in an open state when the first container is opened by the opening portion, and thereafter switches to a closed state before all of the predetermined gas has passed through, and then switches to an open state again.
2. The emergency valve of claim 1.

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