Pressure accumulator having a monitoring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11268541-B2
Application number	US-201916981784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2019
Priority date	Mar 19, 2018
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A pressure accumulator having an accumulator housing (10) in which a movable separating element (16) separates a gas chamber (12) filled with a working gas from a fluid chamber (14) in a fluid-sealed manner. A monitoring device (46) is provided, which, in the event of a fault impairing the sealing effect of the separating element (16), provides an optically discernible indication and has an inspection window (54), through which an indicator can be observed. The monitoring device is connected to the gas chamber (12) and changes optical properties discernibly when wetted with the fluid. The indicator changing its optical properties is accommodated in a capsule (48) with a capsule wall (50) permeable to the passage of the fluid and arranged between the inspection window (54) and the separating element (16) in the accumulator housing (10).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pressure accumulator, comprising:
an accumulator housing having a gas chamber fillable with a working gas and a liquid chamber inside thereof;
a movable separating element separating the gas chamber and the liquid chamber by a seal;
a monitoring device being connected in fluid communication to the gas chamber, having an indicator providing an optically discernible indication upon a fault in the seal of the separating element and having an inspection window through which the indicator can be observed, the indicator having optical properties that change discernibly when the indicator is wetted with a liquid from the liquid chamber;
a capsule having the indicator accommodated in an interior thereof, the capsule having a permeable capsule wall allowing passage of the liquid from the liquid chamber through the capsule wall and being located between the inspection window and the separating element in the accumulator housing; and
a circumferential trough rim protruding from the capsule in a direction of the inspection window and holding a portion of the indicator that may become dissolved or disbursed in the liquid that emerges from upper passages in an upper capsule shell of the capsule wall, lower passages in a lower capsule shell of the capsule wall permitting the liquid to pass into the capsule.

2. A pressure accumulator according to claim 1 wherein the interior of the capsule has a pad located between liquid-permeable protective layers, the pad configured to accommodate the indicator.

3. A pressure accumulator according to claim 2 wherein
the pad is a fleece.

4. A pressure accumulator according to claim 2 wherein
the pad is at least one of a glass fiber fleece or a glass fiber fabric.

5. A pressure accumulator according to claim 2 wherein
the pad is a glass silk fabric.

6. A pressure accumulator according to claim 1 wherein
the circumferential trough rim is a lateral rim of the lower capsule shell and projects axially beyond the upper capsule shell forming a receptacle trough.

7. A pressure accumulator according to claim 6 wherein the receptacle trough is spanned by a transparent lid part permitting viewing of contents in the receptacle trough from the inspection window.

8. A pressure accumulator according to claim 7 wherein the lid part has at least one of a prismatic property, a magnification property, or a coating.

9. A pressure accumulator according to claim 7 wherein the lid part and the capsule are held by a screen body inserted in a cover end part of the accumulator housing from a side facing the separating element.

10. A pressure accumulator according to claim 9 wherein the screen body is held in position in the cover end part by a screw insert.

11. A pressure accumulator according to claim 1 wherein the inspection window is formed of a gauge glass inserted into a cover-side closure part of the accumulator housing and permits viewing of the capsule from outside of the accumulator housing.

12. A pressure accumulator according to claim 1 wherein
the indicator changes from a neutral color to a signal color when contacted by the liquid and is a (diethylamino)benzo[a]phenoxazine.

13. A monitoring device for detecting an undesired liquid in a device chamber and for providing an optically discernible indication of a detection of the liquid in the device chamber as a fault, the monitoring device comprising:
an indicator providing the optically discernible indication of the fault upon being wetted by the liquid by a change in an optical property of the indicator;
an inspection window allowing observation of the indicator through the inspection window;
a capsule having an interior in which the indicator is accommodated, the capsule having a capsule wall permeable to passage of the liquid therethrough and being in a position observable through the inspection window;
a circumferential trough rim protruding from the capsule in a direction of the inspection window and holding a portion of the indicator that may become dissolved or disbursed in the liquid emerging from upper passages in an upper capsule shell of the capsule wall, lower passages in a lower capsule shell of the capsule permitting the liquid to pass into the capsule.

14. A monitoring device according to claim 13 wherein the interior of the capsule has a pad configured to accommodate the indicator.

15. A monitoring device according to claim 14 wherein the pad is accommodated between liquid-permeable protective layers.

16. A monitoring device according to claim 14 wherein the pad is a fleece.

17. A monitoring device according to claim 13 wherein
the circumferential trough rim is a lateral rim of the lower capsule shell and projects axially beyond the upper capsule shell forming a receptacle trough.

18. A monitoring device according to claim 17 wherein the receptacle trough is spanned by a transparent lid part permitting viewing of contents in the receptacle trough from the inspection window.

19. A monitoring device according to claim 18 wherein the lid part has at least one of a prismatic property, a magnification property, or a coating.

20. A monitoring device according to claim 13 wherein
the indicator changes from a neutral color to a signal color when contacted by the liquid and is a (diethylamino)benzo[a]phenoxazine.

Assignees

• Hydac Technology Gmbh

Inventors

• Baltes Herbert
• Kloft Peter
• Jochum Petra
• Rau Daniel

Classifications

• G01N31/222

  for investigating moisture content · CPC title

• F15B1/08

  using a gas cushion; Gas charging devices; Indicators or floats therefor · CPC title

• G01M3/042

  by using materials which expand, contract, disintegrate, or decompose in contact with a fluid (G01M3/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F15B1/103 Primary

  the separating means being bellows · CPC title

• F15B2201/405

  Housings · CPC title