TURBINE ASSEMBLY FOR DRIVING A PUMP OF A FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM, AND A TURBINE WHEEL IN SAID TURBINE ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A turbine assembly is for driving a pump of a fire extinguishing system, the pump being configured for injection of a chemical into a fire water column. The turbine assembly includes a housing provided with a flow channel extending therethrough for guiding at least a portion of the fire water column through the turbine assembly and a turbine wheel for being arranged in the flow channel. The turbine wheel includes turbine blades and two opposite side portions connected to and separated by the turbine blades. The turbine wheel is provided with openings between the turbine blades in order to provide at least one flow channel through the turbine wheel even when it does not rotate. The at least one flow channel through the turbine wheel starts between two turbine blades, runs through the turbine wheel, and ends between two other turbine blades.

Claims

1. A turbine assembly for driving a pump of a fire extinguishing system, said pump being configured for injection of a chemical into a fire water column, wherein the turbine assembly comprises: a housing provided with a flow channel extending therethrough for guiding at least a portion of the fire water column through the turbine assembly; a turbine wheel for being arranged in the flow channel, wherein said turbine wheel comprises turbine blades; wherein the turbine wheel further comprises two opposite side portions connected to and separated by said turbine blades; wherein the turbine wheel is provided with openings between the turbine blades in order to provide at least one flow channel through the turbine wheel even when it does not rotate; and wherein the at least one flow channel through the turbine wheel starts between two turbine blades, runs through the turbine wheel, and ends between two other turbine blades.

2. The turbine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the turbine wheel is hollow.

3. The turbine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the turbine wheel is made in one piece.

4. The turbine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the turbine wheel is connected to the housing via a shaft mounted on one of the side portions, and an opposite shaft mounted on the second of the side portions.

5. The turbine assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a flow guiding device arranged in the flow channel for guiding the water in a desired direction.

6. The turbine assembly according to claim 5, wherein the guiding device is arranged to be connected to the housing and provided with an opening delimited by at least one inclined surface for directing the water.

7. The turbine assembly according to claim 5 wherein the guiding device is arranged to divide the water column into at least two water columns via partitions of the opening of the guiding device.

8. A fire extinguishing system comprising the turbine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a pump arranged to be driven by the turbine assembly.

9. A turbine wheel for being arranged in a flow channel of a turbine assembly, said turbine wheel comprising: turbine blades; two opposite side portions connected to and separated by said turbine blades; wherein the turbine wheel is provided with openings between the turbine blades in order to provide at least one flow channel through the turbine wheel even when it does not rotate, wherein the at least one flow channel through the turbine wheel starts between two turbine blades, runs through the turbine wheel and ends between two other turbine blades.

10. A guiding device for being arranged in a flow channel of a turbine assembly for driving a pump of a fire extinguishing system, said pump being configured for injection of a chemical into a fire water column, wherein the turbine assembly comprises: a housing provided with a flow channel extending therethrough for guiding at least a portion of the fire water column through the turbine assembly; a turbine wheel for being arranged in the flow channel, wherein said turbine wheel comprises turbine blades; wherein the turbine wheel further comprises two opposite side portions connected to and separated by said turbine blades; wherein the turbine wheel is provided with openings between the turbine blades in order to provide at least one flow channel through the turbine wheel even when it does not rotate; and wherein the at least one flow channel through the turbine wheel starts between two turbine blades, runs through the turbine wheel, and ends between two other turbine blades; said guiding device being adapted to guide water in a desired direction in the flow channel via at least one inclined surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In the following is described an example of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic overview of a firefighting system comprising a turbine assembly;

[0032] FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a turbine assembly according to the invention seen from above;

[0033] FIG. 3 is a side view of the turbine assembly of FIG. 2;

[0034] FIG. 4A shows a turbine assembly according to the invention installed in a water column and during rotation of the turbine wheel;

[0035] FIG. 4B shows the same turbine assembly as in FIG. 4A, still installed in a water column, but where the turbine wheel is not rotating;

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a turbine wheel according to the invention; and

[0037] FIG. 6 shows a guiding device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The figures are shown in a simplified and schematic manner, and details that are not important in order to highlight what is new about the invention may have been omitted from the figures. The various elements in the figures are not necessarily shown to scale relative to each other. Like or corresponding elements will be indicated by the same reference numeral in the figures.

[0039] Any positional specifications such as over, under, above, below, left and right reflect the position shown in the figures.

[0040] Reference is first made to FIG. 1 showing, in a schematic form, a fire extinguishing system 1. The system 1 comprises a firewater pipe 2 connected to a turbine assembly 3. The firewater pipe 2 is provided with a valve 21 which in an open position will let a column of firewater through to the turbine assembly 3, and in a closed position will close off the water flow. When the valve 21 is in its open position, the firewater column enters through to the turbine assembly 3 and drives a turbine wheel 31 (shown in FIGS. 2-5) therein. The system 1 further comprises a foam tank 4 connected to a pump 5. The pump 5 is connected to the turbine assembly 3 via a connecting means 51 such as an axle, such that when the firewater drives the turbine wheel 31, the turbine assembly 3 provides energy to the pump 5 and an amount of foam is pumped into the firewater column downstream of the turbine wheel 31 via a connecting pipe 52. The firewater column with the added foam then continues through a pipe system 6 as shown, i.e. a deluge sprinkler system, or for instance through a fire hose.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of the turbine assembly 3. An arrow F on the figure indicates the flow direction of the firewater column. In addition to the already mentioned turbine wheel 31, the turbine assembly 3 in this embodiment comprises a housing 32. The housing 32 is provided with a flow channel 321 in which the turbine wheel 31 is placed. It can be seen from the figure that the turbine wheel 31 is adapted to the size of the housing 32, or the other way around. The housing 32 is typically a tubular housing such as a tube. The turbine wheel 31 is provided with turbine blades 311 which are curved. The turbine blades 311 may be curved in two directions, both in order to be able to collect water and in order to fit inside the tubular housing 32. In this embodiment the turbine assembly 3 further comprises a guiding device 33 for guiding the firewater into the turbine wheel 31. It can be seen from the figure that the guiding device 33 may be split into an inlet flow guiding device 331 and an outlet flow guiding device 332, arranged at an inlet portion of the turbine assembly 3 and at an outlet portion of the turbine assembly 3, respectively. The inlet flow guiding device 331 is arranged to divide the water column of firewater into multiple water columns and bend or divert the flow towards the concave surface of the turbine blades 311. The turbine blades 311 are connected to two opposing side portions 312 of the turbine wheel 31, wherein one of the side portions 312 is shown in FIG. 2 and both are shown in FIG. 5.

[0042] In FIG. 3 it is illustrated how the turbine wheel 31 in one embodiment is connected to the housing 32 of the turbine assembly 3. One of the two side portions 312 of the turbine wheel 31 is connected to a shaft 34 and the other of the two side portions 312 is connected to another, opposite shaft 34 for secure and stable connection of the turbine wheel 31 to the housing 32 without the need for a through shaft which would have taken up space within the turbine wheel 31. Openings 313 in the turbine wheel 31 (better shown in FIG. 5) allow for water to pass through the turbine wheel 31. One of the shafts 34, on FIG. 3 this is the topmost shaft 34, is arranged with an opening 341 for receiving the connecting means 51 (FIG. 1), such as an axle, for connecting the turbine wheel 31 to the pump 5 (FIG. 1). The pump 5 is thereby driven and pumps chemical/foam into the turbine assembly 3 downstream of the turbine wheel 31. The foam enters the turbine assembly 3 through the pipe 52 ending in an opening 322 provided in the housing 32. It must be understood that the foam in an alternative embodiment may be added to the water column at another point in the fire extinguishing system 1.

[0043] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B illustrate how the firewater passes through the turbine wheel 31 when the turbine wheel 31 is rotating and when the turbine wheel 31 has stopped rotating, for example due to a foreign element which has entered in the water flow, respectively. When the water flow causes the turbine wheel 31 to rotate, some of the water will pass through the openings 313 of the turbine wheel 31. Due to the rotation of the turbine wheel 31, the water column passing through the turbine wheel 31 will be bent. This is illustrated by two flowlines in FIG. 4A. When the movement of the turbine wheel 31 has been blocked, the openings 313 in the turbine wheel 31 allow for the water column to pass through the turbine wheel 31 in a straighter line. In this case the water column will lose some power in trying to rotate the stuck turbine wheel 31, but since the openings 313 in this embodiment are as big as possible and the turbine wheel 31 is hollow, i.e. without a through shaft, the power loss is minimized.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a turbine wheel 31 machined in one piece, having two side portions 312 adapted to be connected to shafts 34, and multiple turbine blades 311 arranged with openings 313 in between them for allowing firewater to enter through the turbine wheel 31 even when the turbine wheel 31 is not rotating.

[0045] FIG. 6 shows the guiding device 33. The flow guiding device 33 is here shown as two separate parts, an inlet flow guiding device 331 and an outlet flow guiding device 332. The two parts 331, 332 are arranged to be mounted in the flow channel 321 of the turbine assembly 3. The inlet flow guiding device 331 is here shown with a plurality of partitions for dividing the water flow and for guiding the different parts of the water flow at an optimized angle towards the turbine wheel 31 (shown in FIGS. 2-5). The outlet flow guiding device 332 has inclined walls for collecting the water flow and making the water flow which exits the turbine assembly 3 more uniform than the water flow which leaves the turbine wheel 31. The outlet flow guiding device 332 is thus arranged downstream of the turbine wheel 31 and the inlet flow guiding device 331 is arranged upstream of the turbine wheel 31.

[0046] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb comprise and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article a or an preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

[0047] The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.