Rupture disc assembly with a rupture disc and an actuator for reducing the rupture pressure

Abstract

A rupture disk assembly comprises: a single-part or multi-part body with an opening that forms an outlet for a conduit or a container; a rupture disk that closes the opening and bursts subject to the action of a rupture pressure in order to unblock the opening; an actuator to reduce the rupture pressure, wherein the actuator includes a plunger to reduce the rupture pressure on the rupture disk, the plunger being configured to strike against the rupture disk; and a housing to receive the actuator, the housing including a housing opening for the plunger.

Claims

1. A rupture disk assembly, comprising: a single-part or multi-part body with an opening that forms an outlet for a conduit or a container, the body including a main bore extending from an inlet to the outlet and a threaded bore that intersects the main bore; a rupture disk that closes the opening and bursts subject to action of a rupture pressure in order to unblock the opening; an actuator located on a pressure side of the rupture disk to reduce the rupture pressure, wherein the actuator includes a plunger to reduce the rupture pressure on the rupture disk, the plunger being configured to strike against the rupture disk; a housing to receive the actuator and being screwable into the threaded bore of the body and projecting into an inner space defined by the main bore, the housing including a housing opening for the plunger; and a cover to close the housing opening, wherein the cover and the actuator are adapted to one another such that, upon actuation of the actuator, a force acting on the plunger of the actuator is sufficient to pierce the cover and to strike against the rupture disk.

2. The rupture disk assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover is a circular blank.

3. The rupture disk assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover consists of plastic or metal.

4. The rupture disk assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a screw cap or perforated cap to mount the cover on the housing, wherein an opening of the screw cap or perforated cap is sufficiently large to permit the plunger of the actuator to pass through.

5. The rupture disk assembly of claim 4, further comprising at least one seal to seal the cover with respect to the housing, the screw cap, or the perforated cap.

6. The rupture disk assembly of claim 1, wherein an end of the housing, provided with the cover, projects into the inner space defined by the main bore.

7. The rupture disk assembly of claim 1, wherein an end of the housing projects beyond the body and comprises an opening through which cables are run from or to the actuator.

8. The rupture disk assembly of claim 1, wherein the body includes a flange on which the rupture disk is mounted.

9. The rupture disk assembly of claim 8, wherein the body includes a hollow cylindrical section that defines the main bore, and the threaded bore is provided in the hollow cylindrical section.

10. The rupture disk assembly of claim 9, wherein the hollow cylindrical section of the body is connected to the flange of the body on a first side and is closed by the rupture disk adjacent to the flange.

11. The rupture disk assembly of claim 10, wherein a second side of the hollow cylindrical section of the body comprises connecting structures for connecting to the container.

12. The rupture disk assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing has a section with an inside thread, the actuator has a section with an outside thread, and the actuator is screwable into the inside thread of the housing.

13. The rupture disk assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is not in contact with pressurized medium to reduce the rupture pressure.

14. A rupture disk assembly, comprising: a single-part or multi-part body with an opening that forms an outlet for a conduit or a container; a rupture disk that closes the opening and bursts subject to action of a rupture pressure in order to unblock the opening; an actuator located on a pressure side of the rupture disk and not in contact with pressurized medium to reduce the rupture pressure prior to an actuation, wherein the actuator includes a plunger to reduce the rupture pressure on the rupture disk, the plunger being configured to strike against the rupture disk; a housing to receive the actuator, the housing including a housing opening for the plunger, wherein the body includes a first side of a hollow cylindrical section that defines a main bore extending from an inlet to the outlet, the hollow cylindrical section being connected to a flange of the body on the first side and closed by the rupture disk adjacent to the flange and the hollow cylindrical section including a threaded bore into which the housing is inserted, the threaded bore intersecting the main bore, and wherein a second side of the hollow cylindrical section of the body comprises connecting structures for connecting to the container; a cover to close the housing opening, wherein the cover and the actuator are adapted to one another such that, upon an actuation of the actuator, a force acting on the plunger of the actuator is sufficient to pierce the cover and to strike against the rupture disk; and a screw cap to mount the cover on the housing.

15. The rupture disk assembly of claim 14, wherein an opening of the screw cap or perforated cap is sufficiently large to permit the plunger of the actuator to pass through.

16. The rupture disk assembly of claim 15, further comprising at least one seal to seal the cover with respect to the housing or the screw cap.

17. The rupture disk assembly of claim 14, wherein the threaded bore includes an inside thread, and the housing is screwable into the threaded bore by an outside thread.

18. The rupture disk assembly of claim 14, wherein the housing projects into an inner space defined by the main bore.

19. The rupture disk assembly of claim 14, wherein an end of the housing, provided with the cover, projects into an inner space defined by the main bore.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of one exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross section of a container secured with a rupture disk assembly according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross section of the rupture disk assembly,

(4) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the rupture disk assembly, and

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cut rupture disk assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) The container 1, secured by the rupture disk assembly of the present invention, is a gas cylinder. The gas cylinder is constructed in the conventional way and comprises a short and wide bottle neck 11 on the upper end. The bottle neck 11 has an outside thread.

(7) The rupture disk assembly 2 is mounted on the bottle neck 11. The rupture disk assembly 2 comprises a body 21 with a hollow cylindrical section 211 and a bulging section 212, which forms a flange. The flange is provided on a first (in the embodiment) upper end of the body 21. The end, which is located opposite the first end and is part of the body 21, is provided with an inside thread, with which the body 21 is screwed permanently to the bottle neck 11.

(8) A shoulder is provided on the flange 212. The result of this shoulder is an inner, retracted ring-shaped face. The threaded bores 213 begin in this face.

(9) The rupture disk assembly 2 comprises a rupture disk 22. The circular rupture disk 22 is a reversible rupture disk. That means that it is curved in the direction of the inner space of the gas cylinder, which is pressurized during operation. The circular rupture disk has an outside diameter, which corresponds to the outside diameter of the inner ring of the flange 212. The rupture disk 22, which is produced from a sheet metal blank, has, in addition to an inner region 221, which is curved in the direction of the inner space of the gas cylinder, an annular region 222, which lies on the inner ring of the flange 212. In this case circular holes in the annular region 222 of the rupture disk 22 are located above the threaded bores 213; and the rupture disk is connected, optionally subject to the concomitant action of other components, which are not shown in greater detail, to the body 21 with screws, which are not shown.

(10) A first threaded bore, which passes at an angle through the wall of the section 211 and is aligned with the rupture disk 22, is provided in the hollow cylindrical section 211 of the body. A housing 23 is disposed in this first threaded bore. The housing 23 resembles a screw, which has an axial passage hole that extends from a screw head 231, provided with an outer hexagon, up to the tip of the screw. The housing 23 is screwed into the first threaded bore in the body 21.

(11) The tip of the screw-like housing 23 is provided with a screw cap 24. The screw cap 24 is screwed on the tip of the housing 23. The screw cap 24 holds a cover 25 pressed against the tip of the housing 23 and, in so doing, closes the tip of the housing 23. The cover 25 is a sheet metal blank. In order to improve the sealing, a seal 27 is provided between the cover 25 and the housing 23.

(12) The cover 25 closes the inner space of the housing 23 with respect to the inner space of the body 21 and the gas cylinder 1.

(13) An actuator 26 is provided in the housing 23. The actuator 26 has a plunger 261 and a drive, which is not shown. The actuator is connected to a controller, which is also not shown, by cables 265.

(14) The drive of the actuator 26 may drive the plunger 261 against the cover 25, so that the cover 25 is destroyed; and the plunger 261 is then impelled against the rupture disk 22. In this way the structure of the rupture disk 22 is changed, as a result of which the rupture pressure is lowered.