Gas regulator
Regulator for a gas control apparatus, particularly suitable for installation in a gas transport and/or distribution network, including a containment body with a gas inlet and a gas outlet. Inside the containment body, the regulator includes at least one regulation stage configured to cause a reduction of the pressure of the gas which, passing through the regulator, goes from the inlet to the outlet. The regulator also includes a safety block having a passage opening between an upstream zone and a downstream zone, a shutter for the complete closure of a further passage opening, and a control head having a group for the controlled movement of the shutter.
1 . Regulator for a gas control apparatus in a gas transport and/or distribution network, comprising a containment body with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and wherein, inside the containment body, the regulator comprises:
at least one regulation stage configured to cause a pressure reduction of the gas which, passing through the regulator, goes from the inlet to the outlet, wherein said at least one regulation stage comprises a first regulation stage comprising:
a first passage opening between a first zone and a second zone which is downstream of said first zone,
a first shutter that is movable for obstructing the first passage opening,
a first control head comprising a first group that is movable for the controlled movement of the first shutter, and wherein said regulator further comprises a safety block comprising:
a further passage opening between an upstream zone and a downstream zone,
a further shutter for the complete closure of said further passage opening,
a further control head comprising a further group for the controlled movement of the further shutter, and wherein the further group comprises:
a first movable dividing element with a first side on which directly acts the gas at pressure that corresponds to the gas pressure exiting the regulator or downstream of the regulator itself,
a second movable dividing element positioned on or facing a second side of the first dividing element that is opposite to said first side of said first movable dividing element on which acts gas at pressure and wherein:
the first movable dividing element is made entirely or mostly of elastically deformable material,
the second movable dividing element is made entirely or mostly of elastically deformable material.
2 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the safety block is configured so that:
when the first movable dividing element is intact and/or free of breaks or punctures, the second movable dividing element is associated with said first movable dividing element so as to move integrally with the first movable dividing element, thus not altering the operation of the first movable dividing element,
when the first movable dividing element is damaged and/or has breaks or punctures, the second movable dividing element moves independently of the first movable dividing element, thus acting as a safety movable dividing element in the event of failure or breakage of the first movable dividing element.
3 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein said safety block is positioned upstream of said at least one regulation stage.
4 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein said safety block is configured to:
operate normally open,
cause, when activated, the closure of said further passage opening,
be controlled based on gas pressure, corresponding to the gas pressure exiting the regulator or downstream of the regulator itself.
5 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein said safety block is configured so that the gas at pressure, which acts directly on the first movable dividing element or on the second movable dividing element in case of damage to the first movable dividing element, is drawn from a zone inside the containment body of the regulator.
6 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the first movable dividing element is constituted by a first membrane and wherein the second movable dividing element is constituted by a second membrane.
7 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first control head comprises a chamber wherein a first dividing element is housed which is movable and which divides the chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber,
the further control head comprises a chamber wherein the first movable dividing element and the second movable dividing element are housed, thereby dividing the chamber into a further first sub-chamber and a further second sub-chamber,
said further second sub-chamber is fluidically connected to an outlet zone of the regulator and/or to an outlet duct of said regulator, thus receiving the gas at pressure,
thrust means are housed in said further first sub-chamber.
8 . The regulator according to claim 7 , wherein the further group comprises a structure that is movable between:
a first position corresponding to a condition of deactivation of the safety block wherein the further shutter is spaced from the further passage opening,
a second position corresponding to a condition of activation of the safety block wherein the further shutter completely closes the further passage opening
and wherein the movement of the structure from the first position to the second position is controlled:
when the first movable dividing element is intact, by the force exerted by the gas at pressure on said first movable dividing element in contrast to the action exerted by the thrust means,
when the first movable dividing element is not intact, by the force exerted by the gas at pressure on said second movable dividing element in contrast to the action exerted by the thrust means.
9 . The regulator according to claim 8 , wherein the safety block comprises a gasket for sealing the gas at pressure towards the further first sub-chamber, said gasket being positioned on said structure so as to receive the gas only in the event of breakage or puncture of the first movable dividing element.
10 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the safety block is normally open and it becomes activated when the thrust of the gas at pressure on the first or second movable dividing element exceeds an activation pressure value and, when activated it brings the further shutter from an open position wherein the further shutter is spaced with respect to the further passage opening to a closed position wherein the further shutter completely closes the further passage opening, thus preventing the passage of the gas through said further passage opening as to prevent the gas entering the regulator from the inlet from reaching the outlet of the regulator, the at least one regulation stage is configured to cause a reduction of the pressure of the gas between the first zone to the second zone, the upstream zone of the safety block is in direct fluidic connection with said gas inlet, the downstream zone of the safety block comprises or corresponds at least partially to the first zone.
11 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the further group comprises a structure that is movable,
the first movable dividing element is made of elastically deformable material, has a substantially annular disc shape, is centrally constrained to a fixed component of the regulator
the second movable dividing element is made of elastically deformable material, has a substantially annular shape, and externally, is integral with the first movable dividing element, while internally, the second movable element is constrained to the structure.
12 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the safety block is configured so that the first movable dividing element acts by resting on or coming into contact with a structure on which the second movable dividing element is fixed.
13 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the further group comprises a structure that is movable,
the first movable dividing element is made of elastically deformable material, has a substantially annular disc shape, is centrally constrained to a fixed component of the regulator, and includes an annular sector that is moved by the pressure of the gas at pressure and acts on the structure,
the second movable dividing element is made of elastically deformable material, has a substantially annular shape, and is externally integral with the first movable dividing element, while internally it is constrained to the structure.
14 . The regulator according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one channel to convey to the second movable dividing element the gas at pressure that passes through the first movable dividing element from side to side.
15 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the second movable dividing element is configured so that, when the first movable dividing element is damaged, the second movable dividing element triggers the block at substantially a same setpoint value as configured for the first movable dividing element.
16 . The regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the safety block comprises thrust means, which act on the further group in a direction opposite that of the gas at pressure and further thrust means, which act on the further shutter in such a way as to push the shutter towards the further passage opening.
17 . Regulator for a gas control apparatus in a gas transport and/or distribution network, comprising a containment body with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and wherein, inside the containment body, the regulator comprises:
at least one regulation stage configured to cause a pressure reduction of the gas which, passing through the regulator, goes from the inlet to the outlet, wherein said at least one regulation stage comprises a first regulation stage comprising:
a first passage opening between a first zone and a second zone which is downstream of said first zone,
a first shutter that is movable for obstructing the first passage opening,
a first control head comprising a first group that is movable for the controlled movement of the first shutter,
and wherein said regulator further comprises a safety block comprising:
a further passage opening between an upstream zone and a downstream zone,
a further shutter for the complete closure of said further passage opening,
a further control head comprising a further group for the controlled movement of the further shutter,
and wherein the further group comprises:
a structure that is movable between:
a first position corresponding to a condition of deactivation of the safety block wherein the further shutter is spaced from the further passage opening,
a second position corresponding to a condition of activation of the safety block wherein the further shutter completely closes the further passage opening;
a first movable dividing element with a first side on which directly acts the gas at pressure that corresponds to the gas pressure exiting the regulator or downstream of the regulator itself;
a second movable dividing element positioned on or facing a second side of the first dividing element that is opposite to said first side of said first movable dividing element on which acts gas at pressure, wherein the first control head comprises a chamber wherein a first dividing element is housed which is movable and which divides the chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber;
the further control head comprises a chamber wherein the first movable dividing element and the second movable dividing element are housed, thereby dividing the chamber into a further first sub-chamber and a further second sub-chamber,
said further second sub-chamber is fluidically connected to an outlet zone of the regulator and/or to an outlet duct of said regulator, thus receiving the gas at pressure,
thrust means are housed in said further first sub-chamber, wherein the safety block is configured so that the gas at pressure and thrust means act in opposing directions on the further group, and in that the further group comprises a mechanism, which is actuated/controlled by the movement of the structure, and wherein:
when said structure is in said first position, the structure is configured to lock a further shaft to the structure,
when said structure is in said second position, the structure is configured to release from the structure the force of the further shaft towards the closure of the further passage opening.
18 . Regulator for a gas control apparatus in a gas transport and/or distribution network, comprising a containment body with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and wherein, inside the containment body, the regulator comprises:
at least one regulation stage configured to cause a pressure reduction of the gas which, passing through the regulator, goes from the inlet to the outlet, wherein said at least one regulation stage comprises a first regulation stage comprising:
a first passage opening between a first zone and a second zone which is downstream of said first zone,
a first shutter that is movable for obstructing the first passage opening,
a first control head comprising a first group that is movable for the controlled movement of the first shutter,
and wherein said regulator further comprises a safety block comprising:
a further passage opening between an upstream zone and a downstream zone,
a further shutter for the complete closure of said further passage opening,
a further control head comprising a further group for the controlled movement of the further shutter,
and wherein the further group comprises:
a first movable dividing element with a first side on which directly acts the gas at pressure that corresponds to the gas pressure exiting the regulator or downstream of the regulator itself,
a second movable dividing element positioned on or facing a second side of the first dividing element that is opposite to said first side of said first movable dividing element on which acts gas at pressure and wherein:
the first control head comprises a chamber wherein a first dividing element is housed which is movable and which divides the chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber,
the further control head comprises a chamber wherein the first movable dividing element and the second movable dividing element are housed, thereby dividing the chamber into a further first sub-chamber and a further second sub-chamber,
the second movable dividing element comprises at least one passthrough hole to define a communication between the further second sub-chamber and the further first sub-chamber, which is provided with a discharge outlet towards the environment in which the regulator is intended to be installed.
19 . The regulator according to claim 18 , wherein said at least one passthrough hole of the second movable dividing element faces a support portion with surface roughness to prevent the at least one passthrough hole from clogging and to reduce gas emission through the hole.