Emergency release device for fluid handling equipment

Abstract

The objective is to provide an emergency release device for a fluid handling device that can efficiently discharge residual fluid accumulated in a recess formed in the lower coupler during emergency release. [Solution] An emergency release device for a fluid handling device, comprising a residual fluid discharge mechanism that discharges residual fluid remaining in the space between valve bodies 6 formed when the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 are in a closed state using purge gas, the residual fluid discharge mechanism includes an introduction channel 7 for introducing purge gas into the space between valve bodies 6 and an discharge channel 8 for discharging residual fluid from the space between valve bodies 6, the introduction channel 7 is provided in a downward inclined state at a predetermined angle toward the space between valve bodies 6 such that the purge gas is ejected toward a position below the apex 4b of the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an emergency disconnect device for a fluid handling device provided with a residual fluid discharge mechanism for preventing the fluid remaining between the valve bodies of each coupler from being discharged to the outside during emergency disconnection.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a butterfly valve or a ball valve has generally been used for the emergency shut-off valve of an emergency disconnect device provided in a fluid handling device.

[0003] However, in the butterfly valve established in the emergency disconnect device provided in the fluid handling device for ammonia, since the Cv value (a coefficient representing the ease of flow) is low, it is not suitable for a large flow rate handling process. When the flow rate is increased, the emergency disconnect device needs to be enlarged, and there is a concern about the enlargement of the accompanying equipment.

[0004] Also, conventionally, since ammonia is toxic to living organisms, in the emergency disconnect device provided in the fluid handling device for ammonia, a purge mechanism is provided to prevent the fluid remaining between the emergency shut-off valves of each coupler from being discharged to the outside during emergency disconnection.

[0005] This purge mechanism is configured to introduce a purge gas such as an inert gas or air into the space between the valve bodies formed by the emergency shut-off valves of each coupler being closed in the emergency disconnection operation, and to discharge the fluid remaining in the space between the valve bodies and transfer it to a predetermined location. However, when a butterfly valve is adopted in an ammonia large flow rate handling process, the volume of the space between the valve bodies becomes larger than that of a ball valve, and it takes time to discharge, so the time required for emergency disconnection becomes longer, and there is a risk in the separation function.

[0006] From such a background, in an ammonia large flow rate handling process, it is considered preferable to adopt a ball valve for the emergency shut-off valve of the emergency disconnect device provided in the fluid handling device.

Summary of the Invention

[0007] However, in conventional emergency release devices that use a ball valve for the emergency shut-off valve, when the emergency shut-off valve is closed, due to its structure, as shown in Figure 11, residual fluid accumulates in the recess 24 formed around the emergency shut-off valve 22 of the lower coupler 21, specifically on the outer circumference (seal portion) of the base of the spherical surface 23 (seal surface) of the emergency shut-off valve 22. In conventional purging structures (structures in which the inlet pipe 25 and discharge pipe 26 shown in Figure 11 are provided horizontally), it is difficult to create flow in the residual fluid in the recess 24. As a result, the residual fluid is difficult to discharge and tends to remain in the recess 24, and this remaining residual fluid is released to the outside when the coupler separates, which presents a problem.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an emergency release device for a fluid handling device that is equipped with an emergency shut-off valve composed of a ball valve, which can efficiently discharge residual fluid accumulated in a recess formed in the lower coupler during emergency release, and can prevent the residual fluid from being released to the outside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The gist of the present invention will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

[0010] An emergency release device for a fluid handling device comprises an upper coupler 1 equipped with a first emergency shut-off valve 3, which is a ball valve; a lower coupler 2 equipped with a second emergency shut-off valve 4, which is a ball valve, and is detachably connected to the upper coupler 1; a connecting and holding means 5 that maintains the connected state of the upper coupler 1 and the lower coupler 2; and a valve body operating mechanism that opens and closes the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4, wherein after the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 are closed by the operation of the valve body operating mechanism, the connecting and holding state of the upper coupler 1 and the lower coupler 2 by the connecting and holding means 5 is released, and the upper coupler 1 and the lower coupler 2 become detachable. The present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device, characterized in that, when the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 are in a closed state, the device includes a residual fluid discharge mechanism that discharges residual fluid remaining in the space 6 between the valve bodies of the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 using a purge gas, the residual fluid discharge mechanism includes an introduction channel 7 for introducing the purge gas into the space 6 between the valve bodies, and an discharge channel 8 for discharging the residual fluid from the space 6 between the valve bodies, and the introduction channel 7 is provided in a downward inclined state at a predetermined angle toward the space 6 between the valve bodies such that the purge gas is ejected toward a position below the apex 4b of the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge channel 8 is provided on the opposite side of the coupler central axis O from the introduction channel 7.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge passage 8 is provided in an upward inclined state at a predetermined angle toward the outside from the space between the valve bodies 6, and the lower end opening 8a of the discharge passage 8 is provided in a position as close as possible to the recess 9 formed on the outer circumference of the base of the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4 when the second emergency shut-off valve 4 is in a closed state.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 2, wherein the discharge passage 8 is provided in an upward inclined state at a predetermined angle toward the outside from the space between the valve bodies 6, and the lower end opening 8a of the discharge passage 8 is provided in a position as close as possible to the recess 9 formed on the outer circumference of the base of the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4 when the second emergency shut-off valve 4 is in a closed state.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 3, characterized in that the introduction channel 7 and the discharge channel 8 are provided in the upper coupler 1.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 4, characterized in that the introduction channel 7 and the discharge channel 8 are provided in the upper coupler 1.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 5, wherein the upper coupler 1 is provided with a first connecting pipe 10 that communicates with the introduction passage 7, and the upper coupler 1 is provided with a second connecting pipe 11 that communicates with the discharge passage 8, and the introduction passage 7 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first connecting pipe 10, and the discharge passage 8 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the second connecting pipe 11.

[0017] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 6, wherein the upper coupler 1 is provided with a first connecting pipe 10 that communicates with the introduction passage 7, and the upper coupler 1 is provided with a second connecting pipe 11 that communicates with the discharge passage 8, and the introduction passage 7 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first connecting pipe 10, and the discharge passage 8 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the second connecting pipe 11.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the introduction channel 7 and the discharge channel 8 are provided in symmetrical positions with respect to the coupler central axis O.

[0019] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the residual fluid is configured to be transferred to a residual fluid recovery device 12 which is installed separately.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 9, characterized in that the residual fluid is configured to be transferred to a residual fluid recovery device 12 which is installed separately.

[0021] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the residual fluid is configured to be returned to the piping upstream of the first emergency shut-off valve 3 of the upper coupler 1.

[0022] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 9, characterized in that the residual fluid is configured to be returned to the piping upstream of the first emergency shut-off valve 3 of the upper coupler 1. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] As described above, the present invention provides an emergency release device for a fluid handling device equipped with an emergency shut-off valve consisting of a ball valve, which can efficiently discharge residual fluid accumulated in a recess formed in the lower coupler during emergency release and prevent the release of residual fluid to the outside. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0024] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing the usage state of this embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a reference sectional view showing this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing the purge gas flow in this embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing each residual fluid discharge mechanism in the experiment verifying the effect of this embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a simulation result showing the fluid velocity in the introduction flow path and the discharge flow path in this embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a graph showing the CFD analysis result in the experiment verifying the effect of this embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a graph showing the ppm evaluation result by Python code in the experiment verifying the effect of this embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a graph showing the ppm evaluation result by Python code in the experiment verifying the effect of this embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a graph showing the ppm evaluation result by Python code in the experiment verifying the effect of this embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a graph showing the ppm evaluation result by Python code in the experiment verifying the effect of this embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a reference sectional view showing a conventional example.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention considered to be suitable will be briefly described based on the drawings while showing the operation of the present invention.

[0026] In this invention, the introduction channel 7 is provided in a state of downward inclination at a predetermined angle toward the space between valve bodies 6 such that the purge gas is ejected toward a position below the apex 4b of the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4. As a result, the purge gas ejected from the introduction channel 7 strikes the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4 at a position below the apex 4b of the spherical surface 4a. As shown in Figure 2, the purge gas that strikes the spherical surface 4a flows downward toward the recess 9 formed along the outer circumference of the base of the second emergency shut-off valve 4. This flow of purge gas into the recess 9 stirs up the residual fluid accumulated in the recess 9, and as shown in Figure 3, a flow is created in which the residual fluid in the recess 9 flows toward the discharge channel 8.

[0027] Thus, the present invention efficiently discharges residual fluid from the recess 9 by using a purge gas to stir up the residual fluid in the recess 9 on the introduction channel 7 side, sucking up and discharging this stirred-up residual fluid in the discharge channel 8, and sending the residual fluid in the recess 9 to the discharge channel 8 side, and then sucking up and discharging the residual fluid sent to the discharge channel 8 from the discharge channel 8. [Examples]

[0028] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0029] This embodiment is an emergency release device for a fluid handling device, comprising an upper coupler 1 equipped with a first emergency shut-off valve 3 composed of a ball valve, a lower coupler 2 equipped with a second emergency shut-off valve 4 composed of a ball valve and detachably connected to the upper coupler 1, a connecting and holding means 5 that maintains the connected state of the upper coupler 1 and the lower coupler 2, and a valve body operating mechanism that opens and closes the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4, wherein after the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 are closed by the operation of the valve body operating mechanism, the connected state between the upper coupler 1 and the lower coupler 2 by the connecting and holding means 5 is released, and the upper coupler 1 and the lower coupler 2 become detachable.

[0030] Specifically, this embodiment includes a residual fluid discharge mechanism (so-called purge mechanism) that, when the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 are closed, discharges residual fluid remaining in the space between the valve bodies 6 formed between the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 from the space between the valve bodies 6 using purge gas and transfers it to a predetermined location. In an emergency, the valve body operating mechanism closes the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 to shut off the flow of fluid in the cargo handling piping, and after the fluid remaining in the space between the valve bodies 6 (residual fluid) is discharged (purged) to the space between the valve bodies 6, the coupling and holding means 5 releases the coupling and holding between the upper coupler 1 and the lower coupler 2, making the upper coupler 1 and the lower coupler 2 in a state where they can be detached (separated) in an emergency. In this embodiment, the device is configured as an emergency release device for a fluid handling device L (loading arm) installed on land, as shown in Figure 1. However, it may also be configured to be installed on a bunkering boom on a fuel supply vessel (tanker) such as an ammonia tanker, and the design can be modified as appropriate.

[0031] The components of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper coupler 1 is connected to the piping on the side of the fluid handling device L installed on land, and the lower coupler 2 is connected to the piping on the side of the tanker (not shown). They are arranged side by side in the vertical direction and are connected by a connecting and holding means 5 so that they can be separated (and detached in an emergency). Note that the connecting and holding means 5 in this embodiment uses known technology (for example, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-132768), so a detailed explanation thereof is omitted here.

[0033] Furthermore, the upper coupler 1 and the lower coupler 2 each utilize ball valves for their emergency shut-off valves (first emergency shut-off valve 3 and second emergency shut-off valve 4), and are configured to open and close simultaneously by a valve body operating mechanism (not shown). Note that the valve body operating mechanism in this embodiment, like the connecting and holding means 5 described above, employs known technology (for example, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-132768), and therefore a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0034] Next, the residual fluid discharge mechanism (purge mechanism) of this embodiment will be described.

[0035] The residual fluid discharge mechanism of this embodiment includes a purge gas supply device 13 that supplies purge gas into the space between valve bodies 6, an introduction channel 7 for introducing the purge gas supplied from the purge gas supply device 13 into the space between valve bodies 6, a discharge channel 8 for discharging residual fluid from the space between valve bodies 6, and a residual fluid recovery device 12 for recovering the residual fluid discharged from the space between valve bodies 6. As shown in Figure 1, the mechanism is configured to introduce the purge gas supplied from the purge gas supply device 13 into the space between valve bodies 6 via a purge gas transfer pipe 14, discharge (replace) the residual fluid in the space between valve bodies 6 with this purge gas, and then transfer and recover the discharged residual fluid to the residual fluid recovery device 12 via a residual fluid transfer pipe 15.

[0036] Specifically, nitrogen gas is used as the purge gas supplied by the purge gas supply device 13. However, the purge gas is not limited to nitrogen gas; other inert gases such as helium or air may also be used.

[0037] Furthermore, the residual fluid recovery device 12 is a demister and is configured to properly recover and process residual fluid mixed with purge gas (nitrogen).

[0038] In this embodiment, the residual fluid is collected in the residual fluid recovery device 12 as described above. However, the residual fluid may not be collected in the residual fluid recovery device 12, but instead returned to the piping upstream of the first emergency shut-off valve 3 of the upper coupler 1.

[0039] Furthermore, the introduction channel 7 is provided in the upper coupler 1 and is positioned at a predetermined downward angle toward the space between valve bodies 6 so that the purge gas is ejected toward a position below the apex 4b of the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4.

[0040] Specifically, the introduction channel 7 is a through-hole formed through the peripheral wall of the upper coupler 1, and is provided at an inclination angle of 40° to 50° (45° in this embodiment) with respect to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the central axis O of the upper coupler 1, and is configured to eject toward a position approximately midway between the apex 4b of the spherical surface 4a and the lower end (seal portion 4c) in the direction of the coupler's central axis O.

[0041] Furthermore, the introduction channel 7 is provided in communication with the first connecting pipe 10, which is projected horizontally outward from the circumferential surface of the upper coupler 1 and to which the purge gas transfer pipe 14 is connected. Moreover, the introduction channel 7 is set to have a smaller cross-sectional area than the flow channel cross-section of the first connecting pipe 10 (it is set to have a smaller diameter than the pipe diameter of the first connecting pipe 10). As shown in Figure 5, the flow velocity of the purge gas in the introduction channel 7 (symbol o in the figure) is faster than the flow velocity in the first connecting pipe 10 (symbol f in the figure), so that the purge gas is ejected more forcefully into the space between the valve bodies 6.

[0042] Furthermore, the discharge passage 8 is provided in the upper coupler 1 and is positioned at an appropriate distance from the inlet passage 7, with an upward inclination at a predetermined angle toward the outside from the space between valve bodies 6. Alternatively, the discharge passage 8 may be provided in the lower coupler 2.

[0043] Specifically, the discharge passage 8 is a through-hole formed through the peripheral wall of the upper coupler 1, and is located on the opposite side of the coupler central axis O from the introduction passage 7 (in this embodiment, symmetrical positions with respect to the introduction passage 7 and the coupler central axis O), at an inclination angle of 40° to 50° (45° in this embodiment) with respect to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the central axis O of the upper coupler 1. Furthermore, the lower end opening 8a is located as close as possible to the recess 9 (recessed portion) formed along the outer circumference of the base of the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4 when the second emergency shut-off valve 4 is in the closed state.

[0044] In other words, in this embodiment, the flow path cross-sectional center of the introduction flow path 7 and the flow path cross-sectional center of the discharge flow path 8 are located on a straight line passing through the coupler central axis O.

[0045] Specifically, the discharge channel 8 is positioned such that the center of its lower end opening 8a is 25 mm to 40 mm from the lower end of the upper coupler 1 (the abutting surface with the lower coupler 2) (the position is adjusted appropriately depending on the diameter of the discharge channel 8, i.e., the size of the lower end opening 8a of the discharge channel 8).

[0046] Furthermore, the discharge channel 8 is provided in communication with a second connecting pipe 11 that protrudes horizontally outward from the circumferential surface of the upper coupler 1 and to which a residual fluid transfer pipe 15 is connected. The discharge channel 8 is set to have a smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of ​​the second connecting pipe 11 (it is set to have a smaller diameter than the diameter of the second connecting pipe 11).

[0047] In other words, in this embodiment, by making the discharge channel 8 small in diameter, it acts as a throttle valve for the space between valve bodies 6. As shown in Figure 5, the flow velocity increases within the discharge channel 8 from the space between valve bodies 6 side towards the second connecting pipe 11 side (the velocity increases in the order of symbols d→h→o→r in the figure), which creates an orifice effect, resulting in a lower pressure inside the discharge channel 8 than in the space between valve bodies 6. This configuration creates a suction effect in the discharge channel 8 from the space between valve bodies 6 towards the discharge channel 8.

[0048] Furthermore, the inlet channel 7 and outlet channel 8 configured as described above can have their pipe diameters (channel cross-sectional areas) set according to the pipe diameter of the first connecting pipe 10 (second connecting pipe 11), as shown in Table 1 below (when the pipe diameter of the upper coupler 1 and lower coupler 2 is 12 inches).

[0049] [Table 1]

[0050] Furthermore, in accordance with the setting of each pipe diameter described above, the position of the lower end opening 8a of the discharge passage 8 (distance from the opening end face of the upper coupler 1 (the joint surface with the lower coupler 2)), the distance between the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 (distance between vertices), and the volume of the space between the valve bodies 6 can be set as shown in Table 2 below.

[0051] [Table 2]

[0052] In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, one inlet channel 7 and one outlet channel 8 are provided in the upper coupler 1. However, as shown in Figure 4(b), a configuration with two inlet channels 7 and two outlet channels 8 is also possible.

[0053] The effects and advantages of this embodiment, configured as described above, will be explained below.

[0054] In this embodiment, the introduction channel 7 for introducing purge gas into the space between valve bodies 6 is provided at a downward inclination angle of 45° toward the space between valve bodies 6, and is configured to eject the purge gas toward a position below the apex 4b of the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4. As a result, the purge gas that hits the spherical surface 4a of the second emergency shut-off valve 4 flows downward and the residual fluid in the space between valve bodies 6 flows toward the recess 9 formed along the outer circumference of the base of the second emergency shut-off valve 4. This flow of purge gas into the recess 9 causes the residual fluid in the recess 9 on the introduction channel 7 side to be stirred up, and a flow is created toward the discharge channel 8 side of the residual fluid in the recess 9.

[0055] In this embodiment, the discharge channel 8 for discharging residual fluid is provided in an upward inclined state at a 45° angle from the space between valve bodies 6 toward the outside, and the lower end opening 8a of the discharge channel 8 is provided as close as possible to the recess 9. As a result, the stirred-up residual fluid is efficiently sucked into the discharge channel 8 and discharged, and the residual fluid that has flowed to the discharge channel 8 side is sucked up through the lower end opening 8a. Through these interactions, the residual fluid in the recess 9 is efficiently discharged.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the introduction channel 7 is set to have a smaller diameter than the first connecting pipe 10, resulting in a smaller cross-sectional area of ​​the channel. As a result, the purge gas increases in velocity within the introduction channel 7 and is ejected forcefully, which allows the aforementioned choke-up effect and the effect of residual fluid flowing towards the discharge channel 8 to occur more efficiently.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the introduction channel 7 and the discharge channel 8 are provided in the upper coupler 1, and the discharge channel 8 is also provided in a symmetrically inclined manner with respect to the introduction channel 7. This configuration makes it possible to bring the first emergency shut-off valve 3 and the second emergency shut-off valve 4 as close together as possible. Compared to the conventional example shown in Figure 11, the volume of the space between the valve bodies 6 can be significantly reduced. As a result, the amount of residual fluid is reduced, the time required to discharge the residual fluid is shortened, the time required for emergency release is shortened, and emergency release can be performed more safely. Moreover, by reducing the volume of the space between the valve bodies 6, the emergency release device itself can be made smaller and lighter, which helps to suppress the enlargement of the fluid handling device.

[0058] The following describes experimental examples that support the effectiveness of this embodiment.

[0059] In this experiment, the residual fluid discharge performance was evaluated for residual fluid discharge mechanisms with different configurations of the introduction channel 7, discharge channel 8, first connecting pipe 10, and second connecting pipe 11 of the upper coupler 1 and lower coupler 2, each with a pipe diameter of φ12 inches.

[0060] Specifically, the residual fluid discharge performance was evaluated using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis for four residual fluid discharge mechanisms with different configurations of the inlet channel 7, discharge channel 8, first connecting pipe 10, and second connecting pipe 11, as shown in Figures 4(a) to (d).

[0061] Here, Figure 4(a) shows a conventional configuration without an inlet channel 7 and an outlet channel 8 (conventional example), Figure 4(b) shows the configuration of each pipe as shown in Table 1-B in this embodiment (Example 1), Figure 4(c) shows the configuration of each pipe as shown in Table 1-C in this embodiment, and also includes two inlet channels 7 and two outlet channels 8 (Example 2), and Figure 4(d) shows the configuration of each pipe as shown in Table 1-A in this embodiment (Example 3).

[0062] Furthermore, the CFD parameters were set as shown in Tables 3 (Numerical Parameter) and 4 (Physical Parameter) below.

[0063] [Table 3]

[0064] [Table 4]

[0065] The CFD analysis results from this experiment are shown in Table 5 and Figures 6-10 below. Figure 6 is a graph of the numerical data from Table 5. Figures 7-10 are graphs of ppm evaluation (changes in ammonia residual fluid concentration near the ERS) using Python code under each condition (Figure 7: Conventional example, Figure 8: Example 1, Figure 9: Example 2, Figure 10: Example 3). In this experiment, the graphs specifically show the changes immediately before the completion of purging.

[0066] [Table 5]

[0067] As shown in Table 5 and Figures 6-10, while the conventional example failed to eliminate residual fluid in the space between valve bodies 6 within a purging time of 7 seconds, the present examples (Examples 1-3) achieved the result of eliminating residual fluid in the space between valve bodies 6 within a purging time of 6 seconds or less.

[0068] In particular, in Example 3, where φ2-inch (50.8 mm) piping is used for the first connecting pipe 10 and the second connecting pipe 11, the pipe diameter of the inlet passage 7 and the discharge passage 8 is set to φ29 mm, and the position of the lower end opening 8a of the discharge passage 8 is set to 36.1 mm from the lower end of the upper coupler 1 (the abutting surface with the lower coupler 2), it was confirmed that the discharge (replacement) of residual fluid can be completed in a purging time of 2.5 seconds.

[0069] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the specific configuration of each constituent element can be designed as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 1 Upper coupler 2 Lower coupler 3. First emergency shutoff valve 4. Second emergency shutoff valve 4a Spherical surface 4b vertex 5 Connection holding means 6. Space between valve bodies 7. Inlet channel 8. Discharge channel 8a Lower end opening (of the discharge channel) 9 recesses 10 First connecting pipe 11 Second connecting pipe 12 Residual fluid recovery device O Coupler Center Axis

Claims

1. An emergency release device for a fluid handling apparatus is configured to include an upper coupler equipped with a first emergency shut-off valve made of a ball valve, a lower coupler equipped with a second emergency shut-off valve made of a ball valve and detachably connected to the upper coupler, a connecting and holding means for maintaining the connection between the upper coupler and the lower coupler, and a valve body operating mechanism for opening and closing the first and second emergency shut-off valves, wherein after the first and second emergency shut-off valves are closed by the operation of the valve body operating mechanism, the connecting and holding means releases the connection between the upper coupler and the lower coupler, and the upper coupler and the lower coupler become detachable. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device, comprising a residual fluid discharge mechanism for discharging residual fluid remaining in the space between the valve bodies of the first emergency shut-off valve and the second emergency shut-off valve by purge gas when the first emergency shut-off valve and the second emergency shut-off valve are in a closed state, wherein the residual fluid discharge mechanism includes an introduction channel for introducing the purge gas into the space between the valve bodies and an discharge channel for discharging the residual fluid from the space between the valve bodies, and the introduction channel is provided in a downward inclined state at a predetermined angle toward the space between the valve bodies such that the purge gas is ejected toward a position below the apex of the spherical surface of the second emergency shut-off valve.

2. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge channel is provided on the opposite side of the coupler central axis from the introduction channel.

3. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge passage is provided in an upward inclined state at a predetermined angle toward the outside from the space between the valve bodies, and the lower end opening of the discharge passage is provided in a position as close as possible to a recess formed on the outer circumference of the base of the spherical surface of the second emergency shut-off valve when the second emergency shut-off valve is in a closed state.

4. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 2, wherein the discharge passage is provided in an upward inclined state at a predetermined angle toward the outside from the space between the valve bodies, and the lower end opening of the discharge passage is provided in a position as close as possible to a recess formed on the outer circumference of the base of the spherical surface of the second emergency shut-off valve when the second emergency shut-off valve is in a closed state.

5. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 3, characterized in that the introduction channel and the discharge channel are provided in the upper coupler.

6. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 4, characterized in that the introduction channel and the discharge channel are provided in the upper coupler.

7. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 5, wherein the upper coupler is provided with a first connecting pipe that communicates with the introduction channel, and the upper coupler is provided with a second connecting pipe that communicates with the discharge channel, and the introduction channel has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first connecting pipe, and the discharge channel has a smaller cross-sectional area than the second connecting pipe.

8. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 6, wherein the upper coupler is provided with a first connecting pipe that communicates with the introduction channel, and the upper coupler is provided with a second connecting pipe that communicates with the discharge channel, and the introduction channel has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first connecting pipe, and the discharge channel has a smaller cross-sectional area than the second connecting pipe.

9. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the introduction channel and the discharge channel are provided in symmetrical positions with respect to the coupler's central axis.

10. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the residual fluid is configured to be transferred to a separately installed residual fluid recovery device.

11. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 9, characterized in that the residual fluid is configured to be transferred to a separately installed residual fluid recovery device.

12. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the residual fluid is configured to be returned to the piping upstream of the first emergency shut-off valve of the upper coupler.

13. An emergency release device for a fluid handling device according to claim 9, characterized in that the residual fluid is configured to be returned to the piping upstream of the first emergency shut-off valve of the upper coupler.

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