Emergency detachment device of fluid handling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10371298-B2
Application number	US-201615738419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2016
Priority date	Jul 10, 2015
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

An object is to provide an emergency detachment device of a fluid handling device, the emergency detachment device having exceptional heat insulation performance and making it possible to handle extremely-low-temperature fluids such as liquid hydrogen. A first coupler 2 and a second coupler 3 are provided with a vacuum section 10 between an inner pipe section 5 and an outer pipe section 6, and are provided with two valves 1 in series. A remaining-fluid-transferring mechanism is provided such that, after second valves 1B provided further inward enter a closed-valve state during emergency detachment, residual fluid that remains closer to the first valves 1A than the second valves 1B is transferred into the inner pipes sections 5 provided further inward of the second valves 1B. Once emergency detachment is in a completed state, heat insulation sections 9 are formed in the space between the first valve 1A and the second valve 1B in each of the first coupler 2 and the second coupler 3, and heat insulation performance is improved by the heat insulation sections 9 and the vacuum sections 10.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An emergency detachment device of a fluid handling device, the emergency detachment device being configured so that two of a first valve and a second valve are provided to a first coupler and second coupler, respectively, for shutting off the passage of fluid that is being passed within handling piping and preventing the fluid from flowing out to the exterior, said first coupler and said second coupler are detachably connected by a connection mechanism to allow emergency detachment to be performed, and the emergency detachment device being configured so that, in an emergency, the valves of each of the first coupler and the second coupler operate to enter a closed-valve state and shut off passage of the fluid, the connection mechanism disestablishes the connection between the first coupler and the second coupler, and the first coupler and the second coupler separate, wherein the emergency detachment device of a fluid handling device has a construction in which: each of the first coupler and the second coupler is formed in a vacuum dual-layer structure, in which an inner pipe section through which the fluid passes is covered by an outer pipe section, and in which a space between the inner pipe section and the outer pipe section is placed in a vacuum state, and said first and second valves are provided in series within the inner pipe section in the direction in which the fluid passes; the emergency detachment device of a fluid handling device is provided with a remaining-fluid-transferring mechanism for causing residual fluid that remains on the coupler-opening side of second valves to be transferred into the inner pipe sections, which are further inward than the second valves, after the second valves have both assumed the closed-valve state during emergency detachment, said second valves within the inner pipe section, provided further inward than said first valves, which are provided on the coupler-opening sides; the remaining-fluid-transferring mechanism is configured so that a gas for fluid transfer is introduced into a residual fluid section, in which the residual fluid remains, via a section for introduction of gas for fluid transfer provided in the inner pipe section on the coupler-opening side of the second valve, the residual fluid is discharged from the residual fluid section, and the residual fluid is transferred via a transfer piping section into the inner pipe section provided further inward than the second valve of one or both of the first coupler and the second coupler; and in an emergency detachment action completion state in which the first valves and the second valves are in the closed-valve state and the first coupler and the second coupler are separated, the space sections partitioned and formed by each of the first valves and the second valves in the closed-valve state in the first coupler and the second coupler become heat insulation sections, heat conduction to the inner pipe sections and the second valves is reduced to an extent possible by the heat insulation sections and vacuum sections between the inner pipe sections and the outer pipe sections, evaporation of fluid within the inner pipe sections is prevented, the conduction of coldness of the fluid to the outer pipe sections and the first valves is reduced to an extent possible, and the coupler surfaces are prevented from reaching extremely low temperatures.

2. The emergency detachment device of a fluid handling device according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid is liquid hydrogen, and the gas for fluid transfer is helium gas.

3. The emergency detachment device of a fluid handling device according to claim 1 , wherein: during emergency detachment, the second valves of each of the first coupler and the second coupler enter the closed-valve state, and residual fluid that remains in the space between the second valve of the first coupler and the second valve of the second coupler, which are in the closed-valve state, is transferred by the remaining-fluid-transferring mechanism to the inner pipe section provided further inward than the second valve of one or both of the first coupler and the second coupler; the space between the second valve of the first coupler and the second valve of the second coupler is replaced with the gas for fluid transfer, whereupon the first valves, of each of the first coupler and the second coupler are caused to assume the closed-valve state and the heat insulation sections are formed in the space between the first valves and the second valves; and after the heat insulation sections have been formed, the connection established by the connection mechanism is disestablished, the first coupler and the second coupler are separated, and emergency detachment is performed.

4. The emergency detachment device of a fluid handling device according to claim 1 , wherein: during emergency detachment, the connection established by the connection mechanism is disestablished and the first coupler and the second coupler are separated, and the first valves and the second valves of both the first coupler and the second coupler enter the closed-valve state through the separating of the first coupler and the second coupler; residual fluid that remains in the space between the first valves and the second valves that are in the closed-valve state in each of the first coupler and the second coupler is transferred into the inner pipe sections provided inward of the second valves by the remaining-fluid-transferring mechanism; and the space between the first valves and the second valves in each of the first coupler and the second coupler is replaced with the gas for fluid transfer, the heat insulation sections being formed between the first valves and the second valves.

5. The emergency detachment device of a fluid handling device according to claim 2 , wherein: during emergency detachment, the second valves of each of the first coupler and the second coupler enter the closed-valve state, and residual fluid that remains in the space between the second valve of the first coupler and the second valve of the second coupler, which are in the closed-valve state, is transferred by the remaining-fluid-transferring mechanism to the inner pipe section provided further inward than the second valve of one or both of the first coupler and the second coupler; the space between the second valve of the first coupler and the second valve of the second coupler is replaced with the gas for fluid transfer, whereupon the first valves, of each of the first coupler and the second coupler are caused to assume the closed-valve state and the heat insulation sections are formed in the space between the first valves and the second valves; and after the heat insulation sections have been formed, the connection established by the connection mechanism is disestablished, the first coupler and the second coupler are separated, and emergency detachment is performed.

6. The emergency detachment device of a fluid handling device according to claim 2 , wherein: during emergency detachment, the connection established by the connection mechanism is disestablished and the first coupler and the second coupler are separated, and the first valves and the second valves of both the first coupler and the second coupler enter the closed-valve state through the separating of the first coupler and the second coupler; residual fluid that remains in the space between the first valves and the second valves that are in the closed-valve state in each of the first coupler and the second coupler is transferred into the inner pipe sections provided inward of the second valves by the remaining-fluid-transferring mechanism; and the space between the first valves and the second valves in each of the first coupler and the second coupler is replaced with the gas for fluid transfer, the heat insu

Assignees

• Tokyo Boeki Eng Ltd
• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kawai Tsutomu
• Takase Tomonori
• Unno Shuntaro

Classifications

• F16L29/04 Primary

  with a cut-off device in each of the two pipe ends, the cut-off devices being automatically opened when the coupling is applied · CPC title

• F16L37/30

  with fluid cut-off means in each of two pipe-end fittings · CPC title

• Y10T137/8807

  Articulated or swinging flow conduit · CPC title

• B67D9/00 Primary

  Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids when loading or unloading ships (ship-based equipment B63B27/00) · CPC title

• F16L37/32

  at least one of two lift valves being opened automatically when the coupling is applied · CPC title