Chemical conditioning device for hydraulic systems

Abstract

Chemical conditioning device (10) for hydraulic systems having a body (100) in which are defined a compartment (A) for chemical conditioning material (P), a conduit (B) that passes through the body (100), a first passage (20) and a second passage (30), each placing the compartment (A) and the conduit (B) in hydraulic communication. The conduit (B) has a first sector (40), into which the first passage (20) opens, a second sector (50), into which the second passage (30) opens, and a restriction (60) which is placed between the first sector (40) and the second sector to generate a pressure difference between the first sector (40) and the second sector (50) in a fluid flowing in the passage conduit (B).

Description

[0001] CHEMICAL CONDITIONING DEVICE FOR HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS DESCRIPTION

[0002] The present invention concerns a chemical conditioning device for hydraulic systems.

[0003] The present chemical conditioning device is especially suitable for being installed in a heating system, domestic or industrial, for dispensing a chemical substance into a flow of fluid flowing in a hydraulic system.

[0004] Especially, the conditioning device according to the present solution allows dispensing, by dissolution, salts into a flow of fluid passing through it in order to condition the composition of the fluid itself.

[0005] In the specific technical field, it is known to provide for the installation of at least one chemical conditioning device in heating systems to release, during operation of the system, a chemical agent suitable for conditioning the composition of the fluid flowing in the system and, in particular, for dissolving salts within the water flowing in said hydraulic system to prevent scale deposits mainly of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate or at least counteract the formation thereof.

[0006] Examples of traditional devices are disclosed for instance in US4347224 and in US6325925. Such devices provide that the flow of liquid passing through them is guided to pass through a compartment in which salt crystallizations containing polyphosphates can be housed, in order to disperse the latter in the flow of water that washes over them when the device is in use.The present Applicant has observed that such known devices have an evident limitation in not allowing an adjustment of the quantity of polyphosphates to be dispersed in the water flow.

[0007] In US6270664 a chemical conditioning device is described for proportional dispersion of polyphosphates in a flow of water passing through it in use. The device described in said document employs a dosing unit composed of a cap adapted to separate the compartment internal to the dosing device into two cavities. A lower interspace is intended for the substance to be dispersed in the water flow and an upper interspace is adapted to contain a filter for the water that passes through the device.

[0008] From the cap, two first cannulas extend towards the bottom of the lower interspace and a second cannula extends towards the upper part of the device, where the water inlet and outlet connectors are provided. Each cannula places the two cavities in hydraulic contact.

[0009] In accordance with said configuration, when the device is traversed by water, at the upper end of the second cannula there is a lower pressure compared to that at the free lower ends of the first cannulas so that the water pervading the lower interspace is drawn by negative pressure through the second cannula and, by compensation, the water of the upper interspace is drawn into the lower interspace to be conditioned.

[0010] In this way a flow of conditioned water is dispersed, by means of the second cannula, into the main flow of water passing through the device, proportionally to the fluid flow rate passing through the device.The present Applicant has however observed that such a solution is structurally complex, fragile, not simple to construct and bulky. Indeed, it necessarily requires the provision of two superimposed cavities between which to arrange the dosing device.

[0011] This, given the thin structure of the cannulas, results in complex construction and is easily damageable during assembly or disassembly, which is required for recharging the conditioning material.

[0012] "Conditioning" in the present document means an operation of chemical alteration of a fluid by adding or combining chemical substances initially not present therein or present in a different concentration. In particular, but not exclusively, conditioning means the dispersion in an aqueous flow of polyphosphates functional to inhibit or counteract concretionary formations of carbonates on the internal walls of a hydraulic system in which said aqueous flow flows.

[0013] The term "substantially" referred to a characteristic that relates two entities means that the two entities maintain an equivalent behavior, depending on the function or intended purpose, to that which they would have if they were precisely correlated by the stated characteristic. For example, two "substantially coaxial" holes may have a coaxiality deviation or error such as not to significantly impair the functionality that in the contingent context their coaxiality requires to be achieved. According to a further example, where the characteristic is referred to a quantity, the expression "substantially" is to be understood as encompassing deviations or errors of the value of the quantityup to 20% of the value itself, preferably up to 10% of said value and more preferably up to 3% or 5% of said value.

[0014] The problem underlying the present solution is therefore that of overcoming the drawbacks of the known devices described above.

[0015] In particular, the Applicant has observed that in the field of accessories for hydraulic systems, the bulk of such accessories is a critical aspect for the insertion thereof in the narrow compartment available inside boiler casings or in the proximity thereof, since such apparatuses are normally installed in narrow niches or, in any case, maximum compactness thereof is desired, which determines the technical competitiveness with competing products. The present Applicant has therefore realized that a structurally simple and robust as well as compact conditioning device could overcome the problems set forth above. The Applicant has therefore realized that providing a proportional dosing assembly should be based on a proportional pressure difference which, however, would be devoid of cannulas or —in any case— of long conduits adapted to determine a pressure difference functional to the proportional distribution of the conditioning material.

[0016] Thus he realized that by providing a dosing assembly that generated in a simple and compact manner the pressure difference functional to obtaining a proportional dosing, it should not be based on the principle adopted in known devices which is founded on generating a depression correlated to the fluiddynamic friction due to the flow through the extended cannulas.

[0017] Therefore, the present Applicant has realized that the dosing assembly can be made simpler and more compact by dividing the passage through theconditioning device into two sections having different pressures and hydraulically connecting the containment compartment of the conditioning material to each of the respective sections at different pressures. In particular, the Applicant has realized that by providing a restriction of said passage and hydraulically connecting the containment compartment of the conditioning material directly upstream and downstream of said restriction, a pressure difference between upstream and downstream is generated in use that promotes a bleed from the main flow passing through the passage, which bleed passes through the containment compartment and re-enters the main flow having a flow rate proportional to the flow rate of the main flow itself. At the same time, the present Applicant has realized that the presence of movable shutters or other means for regulating the flow rate of the main fluid flow along the passage would have compromised the efficiency of the proportional action of the dosing assembly. The Applicant has therefore realized that the conditioning device should be in itself devoid of such means for regulating or intercepting the main fluid flow, at least in the proximity of the dosing assembly.

[0018] Within this framework, the Applicant has realized that the above-mentioned problems of the prior art are overcome by a chemical conditioning device according to claim 1.

[0019] Further details of preferred but non-exclusive implementation of the conditioning device according to the present solution are indicated in the dependent claims.In particular, a chemical conditioning device according to the present solution has a body in which a compartment can be defined, suitable for housing chemical conditioning material of a fluid such as, for example, chemical substances suitable for preventing or counteracting the formation of concretions, especially of calcium and magnesium carbonate, in a hydraulic system in which a fluid flows that passes through the chemical conditioning device.

[0020] In particular, the conditioning material may comprise phosphates, orthophosphates or polyphosphates and / or silicates (sodium, potassium or calcium phosphate) in solid form.

[0021] The compartment can extend along a development direction thereof along which, for example, it can be traversed by a fluid so that the latter comes into contact with the conditioning material.

[0022] In the body a conduit may be defined that passes through it between an inlet and an outlet along a flow direction, wherein the inlet and the outlet are configured to be coupled to corresponding branches of a piping of a hydraulic system.

[0023] Furthermore, a first passage and a second passage can be defined in the body, each placing the compartment and the conduit in hydraulic communication. The body may comprise a separation wall that separates the compartment from the conduit and that is traversed by the first passage and by the second passage.Furthermore, the body may comprise a tank element having an internal surface delimiting a cavity for housing material for chemical conditioning of a fluid.

[0024] The tank element may have an outer surface and the compartment may have an inner surface such that the inner surface and the outer surface together delimit an interspace, when the tank element is housed in the compartment. According to the present solution, the tank element may have an upper portion which is provided with a connector adapted to couple with a connection portion of the separation wall and which is traversed by a hole opening into the cavity and, when the connector is coupled to the separation wall, into the second passage.

[0025] When the connector is coupled to the connection portion, the upper portion can face the separation wall and be spaced therefrom to form an upper part of the interspace into which a mouth of the first passage opens.

[0026] The tank element may have a lower portion which is provided with at least one through opening adapted to place the cavity in hydraulic communication with a lower part of the interspace.

[0027] The at least one through opening and the hole of the tank element can be positioned such that a fluid which -in use- passes through the cavity (entering from the through opening and exiting from the hole, or vice versa) flows over conditioning material contained in the interspace.

[0028] The conduit may have:

[0029] - a first sector, in which the first passage opens,

[0030] - a second sector, into which the second passage opens,- a restriction which is placed between the first sector and the second sector along the outflow direction.

[0031] The restriction may be configured to generate a pressure difference in a fluid flowing in the passage conduit along the flow direction between the first sector and the second sector.

[0032] The first and second passages may, in particular, extend exclusively through the separation wall, without extending appreciably into tubular elements projecting into the interspace or into the cavity.

[0033] In other words, a chemical conditioning device according to the present solution provides that a part of the fluid flow rate passing through the body is tapped off and made to pass through the cavity by effect of the pressure difference between upstream and downstream of the restriction where the first and the second passage are respectively in fluid communication.

[0034] This allows obtaining a particularly compact structure of the chemical conditioning device according to the present solution, avoiding structures that are complicated to form and fragile providing tubular elements adapted to promote a pressure difference necessary to cause the fluid to flow over conditioning material.

[0035] The conduit may be tubular and substantially rectilinear. The restriction may be defined by a protrusion extending internally of the conduit. Preferably, the protrusion is annular and projects into the interior of the conduit along an extension direction having at least one component perpendicular to the flow direction.The body of the chemical conditioning device may comprise a lower element, shaped as a cup or as a cap, which extends along the development direction from an open end thereof.

[0036] The body of the chemical conditioning device may comprise a connection assembly removably couplable to the open end of the tank and traversed by the conduit. The lower element may form an actual tank that predominantly delimits the compartment or may form a cap for a tubular portion, preferably cylindrical, of the connection assembly and that predominantly delimits the compartment.

[0037] The chemical conditioning device may comprise a distribution assembly that is integrated in the connection assembly and that is contained -and preferably completely contained- in the projection of the overall dimensions of the tank along the development direction so as to minimize the overall dimensions of the chemical conditioning device to allow a high structural simplicity of the latter.

[0038] The distribution assembly for example may comprise:

[0039] - a first sector of the conduit, into which the first passage opens,

[0040] - a second sector of the conduit, into which the second passage opens, - the restriction of the conduit, positioned between the first sector and the second sector along the flow direction.

[0041] The restriction may be configured to generate a pressure difference between the first sector and the second sector in a fluid flowing in the passage conduit along the flow direction, for example by Venturi effect.In order to optimize structural and constructional simplicity and compactness, the separation wall may have a predominantly rectilinear development along the flow direction and may be devoid of tubular extensions communicating with the first passage and / or with the second passage, as instead occurs in the prior art.

[0042] The interspace, in detail, may have a lateral part connecting the upper part and the lower part and surrounding, around the development direction, the tank element when the latter is housed in the compartment.

[0043] For structural simplicity, the outer surface of the tank and the inner surface of the compartment may be axially symmetric with respect to a central axis of the compartment that is parallel to the development direction, preferably they are tubular and in particular they are cylindrical.

[0044] The lower portion of the tank element can extend predominantly transversely to the development direction and can face a bottom of the lower element so that a fluid which in operation passes through the tank element crosses the lower portion substantially in the development direction. The upper portion of the tank element can face and extend substantially parallel to the lower portion. Furthermore, it can be configured to be removably connected to the connection assembly by means of a form-fit fitting. In particular, the connector of the upper portion and the connection portion of the separation wall can be coaxial with the central axis and configured to interpenetrate one another according to a form-fit fitting.

[0045] According to the present solution, the chemical conditioning device is devoid of a tap or other means for intercepting a fluid which —in use— flows in theconduit. Particularly, a tap or other means for intercepting a fluid is absent, whose overall dimensions are comprised in the projection of the overall dimensions of the tank along the development direction.

[0046] DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0047] The present solution is described hereinafter according to a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment thereof, provided by way of example and without limitation with reference to the annexed drawings in which:

[0048] • Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a chemical conditioning device according to the present invention;

[0049] • Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the chemical conditioning device of Figure 1;

[0050] • Figure 3 shows a detail III of Figure 2.

[0051] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] With particular reference to the attached figures, a chemical conditioning device for hydraulic systems is indicated overall with 10, having a body 100 in which the following are defined:

[0053] - a compartment A adapted to house chemical conditioning material P of a fluid, said compartment extending along a development direction Y;

[0054] - a conduit B passing through the body 100 between an inlet C thereof and an outlet D thereof along a flow direction X;

[0055] - a first passage (20) and a second passage (30), each placing the compartment (A) and the conduit (B) in hydraulic communication.

[0056] The body 100 comprises- a separation wall (101), which in the example of the attached figures is tubular, which separates the compartment (A) from the conduit (B) and which is traversed by the first passage (20) and by the second passage (30);

[0057] - a tank element (102) having an inner surface (103) delimiting a cavity (E) for housing chemical conditioning material (P) for the treatment of a fluid which -in use- passes through said cavity (E).

[0058] The tank element 102 has an outer surface 104 and the compartment A has an inner surface 105 which, when the tank element 102 is housed in the compartment A, together delimit a interspace I.

[0059] In accordance with the example of the attached figures, the internal surface (105) of the compartment A and the external surface (104) of the tank element (102) may have a cylindrical or frustoconical main portion, coaxial and of dimensions such as to delimit -radially to the common axis- a free volume that forms part of the interspace I so that a fluid passing through the compartment A insinuates itself between the internal surface (105) of the compartment A and the external surface (104) of the container element (102) to reach the interior of the container element (102), or flowing out from the latter.

[0060] The tank element 102 has a substantially flat upper portion 102a, which is provided with a connector 106 having a substantially cylindrical seat 106a suitable for receiving in insertion a connection portion 107 of the separation wall 101 to achieve a form-fit or interference fitting therebetween, optionally by means of an o-ring 108 or other elastic element for hydraulic and mechanical sealing.A hole F passes through the connector 106 and the connection portion 107 and opens into the cavity E. When the connector 106 is coupled to the connection portion, in the second passage 30 to place the cavity E and the conduit B in communication through the second passage 30.

[0061] When the connector 106 is coupled to the connection portion 107, the upper portion 102a faces the separation wall 101 and is spaced therefrom to form an upper part la of the interspace I into which a mouth of the first passage 20 opens.

[0062] The tank element 102 has a lower portion 102b which is provided with a plurality of through openings (not visible in the attached figures) adapted to place the cavity E in hydraulic communication with a lower part lb of the interspace I.

[0063] The through openings and the hole F of the tank element 102 are positioned such that a fluid which -in use- passes through the cavity E entering from the through opening and exiting from the hole F, or vice versa, flows over conditioning material P contained in the cavity E.

[0064] As exemplified in particular in Figure 3, the conduit B has

[0065] - a first sector 40, into which the first passage 20 opens,

[0066] - a second sector 50, into which the second passage 30 opens,

[0067] - a restriction (60) which is placed between the first sector (40) and the second sector (50) along the outflow direction (X).

[0068] The restriction (60) is configured to generate a pressure difference between the first sector (40) and the second sector (50) in a fluid flowing in the passage conduit (B) along the outflow direction (X), as for example schematized inFigure 2 in which flow lines running through the conduit (B) are schematized by means of dashed arrows.

[0069] In accordance with the example shown in the attached figures, the conduit B is tubular and substantially rectilinear, the restriction 60 is defined by an annular protrusion that extends internally of the conduit B so as to generate a reduction of the free cross-section of the conduit B.

[0070] Structurally, the body (100) comprises:

[0071] - a lower element (110) shaped as a cup extending along the development direction Y from an open end thereof to receive inside it the tank element (102);

[0072] - a connection assembly (120) removably couplable to the open end of the lower element (110) and which is traversed by the conduit (B).

[0073] The chemical conditioning device 10 comprises in particular a distribution assembly 121 which is integrated in the connection assembly 120 and completely contained in the projection of the footprint of the tank along the development direction Y.

[0074] The distribution assembly 121, in particular comprises:

[0075] - a first sector 40 of the conduit B in which the first passage 20 opens, - a second sector 50 of the conduit B in which the second passage 30 opens, - the restriction (60) of the conduit B which is arranged between the first sector (40) and the second sector (50) along the flow direction X.

[0076] The restriction (60) is configured such that, when a fluid flow travels through the conduit B - for example in the direction indicated with the reference D inFigure 2 - a pressure drop is generated between the first sector (40) and the second sector (50).

[0077] Said pressure drop promotes a bleeding of fluid from the flow travelling through the conduit B, through the first passage 20. Said bled fluid is then drawn to re-enter the conduit B downstream of the restriction 60 after having traversed the interspace I, the cavity E in which it will have lapped the conditioning material P.

[0078] The separation wall 101 has a predominantly rectilinear development along the outflow direction X and is entirely devoid of tubular extensions communicating with the first passage 20 and / or with the second passage 30, in other words the first passage 20 and the second passage 30 simply pass through the thickness of the separation wall 101 without being extended by means of tubular or cannula-like extensions that would significantly complicate the structure of the chemical conditioning device 10.

[0079] The interspace I has a lateral part connecting the upper part la and the lower part lb and surrounding, around the development direction Y, the tank element 102 when the latter is housed in the compartment A.

[0080] The outer surface of the tank element 102 and the inner surface 103 of the compartment A are axially symmetrical with respect to the development direction Y of the compartment A.

[0081] The lower portion 102b extends predominantly perpendicularly to the development direction Y and faces a substantially flat bottom llOf of the lower element 110 so as to define a substantially discoid shape for the lower part If of the interspace I, so as to uniformly distribute the fluid passing through it tooptimize its interaction with the conditioning material P when it enters the cavity E through the openings of the bottom llOf.

[0082] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of protection of the appended claims. Furthermore, all details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

[0083] In practice, the materials employed, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be varied according to contingent requirements and the state of the art.

[0084] Clearly, the inlet C and the outlet D of the conduit B can be functionally inverted, that is, a fluid can enter through the outlet D and exit through the inlet C.

[0085] Furthermore, as in the example of the attached figures, an auxiliary outlet DI is provided so as to allow a hydraulic circuit according to the so-called T or L modes.

[0086] Where the constructional features and techniques mentioned in the following claims are followed by signs or reference numerals, such signs or reference numerals have been appended with the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims themselves and, consequently, they do not constitute in any way a limitation on the interpretation of each element identified, purely by way of example, by such signs or reference numerals.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Chemical conditioning device (10) for hydraulic systems having a body (100) in which are defined:- a compartment (A) adapted to house chemical conditioning material (P) of a fluid, extending along a development direction (Y);- a conduit (B) passing through the body (100) between an inlet (C) thereof and an outlet (D) thereof along a flow direction (X);- a first passage (20) and a second passage (30), each placing the compartment (A) and the conduit (B) in hydraulic communication; wherein the body (100) comprises- a separation wall (101) separating the compartment (A) from the conduit (B) and traversed by the first passage (20) and by the second passage (30); - a tank element (102) having an inner surface (103) delimiting a cavity (E) for housing chemical conditioning material (P) of a fluid;the tank element (102) has an outer surface (104) and the compartment (A) has an inner surface (105) which, when the tank element (102) is housed in the compartment (A), together delimit a interspace (I);the tank element (102) has an upper portion (102a) which is provided with a connector (106) adapted to couple with a connection portion (107) of the separation wall (101) and which is traversed by a hole (F) that opens into the cavity (E) and, when the connector (106) is coupled to the connection portion (107), into the second passage (30); when the connector (106) is coupled to the connection portion (107), the upper portion (102a) faces the separationwall (101) and is spaced therefrom to form an upper part (la) of the interspace (I) into which a mouth of the first passage (20) opens;wherein the tank element (102) has a lower portion (102b) which is provided with at least one through opening adapted to place the cavity (E) in hydraulic communication with a lower part (lb) of the interspace (I); said at least one through opening and the hole (F) of the tank element (102) are positioned such that a fluid which -in use- passes through the cavity (E) entering from the through opening and exiting from the hole (F), or vice versa, flows over conditioning material contained in the cavity (E);wherein the conduit (B) hasa first sector (40), into which said first passage (20) opens,a second sector (50), into which the second passage (30) opens,a restriction (60) which is positioned between the first sector (40) and the second sector along the flow direction (X) wherein said restriction (60) is configured to generate a pressure difference between the first sector (40) and the second sector (50) in a fluid flowing in the passage conduit (B) along the flow direction (X).

2. Chemical conditioning device (10) according to claim 1 wherein the conduit (B) is tubular and substantially rectilinear, said restriction (60) being defined by a protrusion extending internally into the conduit (B).

3. Chemical conditioning device (10) according to the preceding claim wherein the protrusion is annular and projects into the conduit (B) at least perpendicularly to the flow direction (X).

4. Chemical conditioning device (10) according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the body (100) comprises:- a lower element (110), shaped as a cup or as a cap, extending along the development direction (Y) from an open end thereof;- a connection assembly (120) removably couplable to the open end of the lower element (110) and traversed by the conduit (B);wherein the chemical conditioning device (10) comprises a distribution assembly (121) that is integrated in the connection assembly (120) and completely contained in the projection of the footprint of the tank along the development direction (Y);wherein the distribution assembly (121) comprises:- a first sector (40) of the conduit (B), in which the first passage (20) opens, - a second sector (50) of the conduit (B), in which the second passage (30) opens,the restriction (60) of the conduit (B) which is arranged between the first sector (40) and the second sector (50) along the flow direction (X) wherein said restriction (60) is configured to generate a pressure difference between the first sector (40) and the second sector (50) in a fluid flowing in the passage conduit (B) along the flow direction (X).

5. Chemical conditioning device (10) according to one of the preceding claims wherein the separation wall (101) has a predominantly rectilinear development along the flow direction (X) and is devoid of tubular extensions communicating with the first passage (20) and / or with the second passage.

6. Chemical conditioning device (10) according to one of the preceding claims wherein the interspace (I) has a lateral part connecting the upper part (la) and the lower part (lb) and surrounding, around the development direction (Y), the tank element (102) when the latter is housed in the compartment (A).

7. Chemical conditioning device (10) according to one of the preceding claims wherein the external surface (104) of the tank element (102) and the internal surface (103) of the compartment (A) are axially-symmetric with respect to a central axis of the compartment (A) which is parallel to the development direction (Y).

8. Chemical conditioning device (10) according to claims 4 and 7 wherein the lower portion (102b) extends predominantly transversely to the development direction (Y) and faces a bottom (llOf) of the lower element (110); wherein the upper portion (102a) of the tank element (102) is configured to be removably connected to the connection assembly (120) by means of a form fitting between the connector (106) of the upper portion (102a) and the connection portion (107) of the separation wall (101) which are coaxial with the central axis.

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