Apparatus For Operating A Fitting In A Supply Line, And Arrangement

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an apparatus for operating a fitting in a supply line. The apparatus is formed with a coupling device which is configured to be connected to a rotatable actuator of a fitting in a supply line in order to transmit a rotary drive movement to the rotatable actuator for operating the fitting; a drive motor which is configured to provide the rotary drive movement; a transmission device which is connected on the drive side to the drive motor and on the output side to the coupling device in order to transmit the rotary drive movement; and an internal receptacle having an internal motor opening extending through the drive motor and an internal transmission opening extending through the transmission device, which transmission opening at least partially overlaps the internal motor opening in a direction of passage of the internal receptacle to form the internal receptacle.

Claims

1. Apparatus for operating a fitting in a supply line, comprising: a coupling device which is configured to be connected to a rotatable actuator of a fitting in a supply line in order to transmit a rotary drive movement to the rotatable actuator for operating the fitting; a drive motor which is configured to provide the rotary drive movement; a transmission device which is connected on the drive side to the drive motor and on the output side to the coupling device in order to transmit the rotary drive movement; and an internal receptacle having an internal motor opening extending through the drive motor and an internal transmission opening extending through the transmission device, which transmission opening at least partially overlaps the internal motor opening in a direction of passage of the internal receptacle to form the internal receptacle.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive motor comprises an external rotor motor and the internal motor opening is formed through the external rotor motor.

3. (Previous Presented) Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the internal motor opening is formed in a hollow motor shaft of the drive motor.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission device comprises a shaft transmission and the internal transmission opening is formed through the shaft transmission.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling device comprises a connecting element which can be functionally connected to a manual operating device such that the manual operating device, after being connected to the connecting element, extends in the direction of passage in the internal receptacle having the internal motor opening and the internal transmission opening.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling device comprises a passage which at least partially overlaps with the internal receptacle in the direction of passage.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a control device is provided, which is connected to the drive motor and configured to actuate the drive motor for operating the fitting in accordance with control signals, the control device being formed around an internal control device opening extending through the control device and forming part of the internal receptacle.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the internal receptacle has a receptacle diameter of at least approximately 8 mm and the internal motor opening and the internal transmission opening each have an opening diameter which is at least equal to the receptacle diameter.

9. Device according to claim 1, designed as a stationary operating apparatus which is configured to be arranged in a stationary manner on the fitting for operating.

10. Arrangement, comprising a fitting which is arranged in a supply line; and an apparatus for operating the fitting, which apparatus is connected to the fitting and is configured according to claim 1.

11. Arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the fitting is arranged in a subsurface supply line.

12. Arrangement according to claim 11, characterized in that the apparatus for operating the fitting is arranged in a subsurface installation.

13. Arrangement according to claim 11, characterized in that the apparatus for operating the fitting is connected to a receiving component which is received in the surrounding ground in a rotationally fixed manner.

14. Arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the fitting comprises a rising spindle which, when the fitting is operated, can be displaced at least in portions into the internal receptacle through a passage in the coupling device, which passage at least partially overlaps with the internal receptacle.

15. Arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the apparatus for operating the fitting is arranged on the fitting in a stationary and exchangeable manner as a stationary operating apparatus for operating.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Further embodiments are explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an arrangement having both a fitting in a supply line and an apparatus for operating the fitting;

[0032] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a further arrangement having both a fitting in a subsurface supply line and an apparatus for operating the fitting, in which apparatus an operating point is arranged within a surface box;

[0033] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of another arrangement having both a fitting with an alternative fitting type in a subsurface supply line and an apparatus for operating the fitting in which an operating point is arranged within a surface box;

[0034] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an apparatus for operating a fitting in a supply line;

[0035] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the apparatus from FIG. 4;

[0036] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a further apparatus for operating a fitting in a supply line; and

[0037] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another apparatus for operating a fitting in a supply line.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an arrangement having a supply line 1, for example a pipeline for transporting gas, oil, water, or district heating. The supply line 1 may be a subsurface supply line or an above-ground (surface) supply line. In a pipe 2 of the supply line 1, a final control element 3 of a fitting 4 is arranged, for example in one embodiment as a pivoting fitting having a transmission. By rotating a rotatable actuator of the fitting 4, the final control element 3 of the fitting 4 is placed (rotated) in the pipe 2 so as to allow varying degrees of flow through an opening 5 in the pipe 2.

[0039] In order to achieve this, an apparatus 6 for operating is arranged in a stationary manner on the fitting 4, with which apparatus a rotary drive movement is provided in order to transmit said movement to the rotatable actuator of the fitting 4 and thus adjust the final control element 3. The arrangement having both the fitting 4 and the apparatus 6 for operating can be provided in the exemplary case of a subsurface supply line in the subsurface installation. Alternatively, at least the apparatus 6 for operating the fitting 4 can be arranged above the ground surface, even in the case of a subsurface supply line, for example in a shaft structure. The apparatus 6 for operating the fitting 4 comprises an external housing 6a.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows an arrangement having both a subsurface supply line 1 and the associated fitting 4. The apparatus 6 for operating the fitting 4 is arranged within a surface box 7 in the ground. As an alternative to the embodiment in FIG. 2, the apparatus 6 for operating can be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the surface box 7 which in turn is received in the ground in a rotationally fixed manner and can thus absorb a counter-torque occurring when the fitting 4 is operated. In the embodiment in FIG. 2, the apparatus 6 for operating is flanged onto the fitting. The counter-torque is absorbed by the fitting 4.

[0041] In order to allow access to the apparatus 6 for operating and thus the operating point of the fitting 4, a cover 8 which is arranged on the surface box 7 can be opened, as is known per se. The drive movement provided by means of the apparatus 6 for operating is transmitted to the fitting 4 via a coupling 9.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of another arrangement having both the fitting 4 with a final control element 3 designed as a horizontally displaceable slide in a subsurface supply line 1 and the apparatus 6 for operating the fitting 4 in which an operating point is arranged inside a surface box 7. The apparatus 6 for operating the fitting 4 is received on a support plate 7a which is arranged below the surface box 7 and the cover 8 and is received in the ground in a rotationally fixed manner. As a result, forces that occur when the fitting 4 is actuated by means of the apparatus 6 for operating can be absorbed by the support plate 7a.

[0043] In the embodiment shown, a protruding coupling component 9a which comprises a square, for example, for coupling to a manual rotary wrench (not shown) is provided as part of a manual operation in the apparatus 6 for operating.

[0044] FIGS. 4 to 7 show various embodiments of components of the apparatus 6 for operating the fitting 4 in a front view and in section A-A, with the housing 6a being omitted.

[0045] A drive motor 10 is provided as the drive device, which drive motor in the embodiments shown is formed as an external rotor motor having an external rotor 11 and an internal stator 12. The drive motor 10 comprises an internal motor opening 13 which is formed in a hollow motor shaft 14.

[0046] A transmission device 15 is arranged below the drive motor 10 and is formed with a shaft transmission 16 in the embodiment shown. The transmission device 15 comprises an internal transmission opening 17 which, together with the internal motor opening 13, is part of an (internal) receptacle 18 into which, for example, a component 19 of a manual operating device can be inserted. The detachably or non-detachably arranged component 19, optionally in connection with an operating device (e.g. a T-wrench), serves to transmit a manually generated force to the turning of the actuator of the fitting 4, can operate the fitting 4 by hand rotation, i.e. via a coupling component 20 which is rotatably mounted by means of a pivot bearing 20a and to which a circumferential seal 21 is assigned. The rotational movement provided by the drive motor 10 is transmitted in the same way via the coupling component 20. In particular in the case of a non-detachable assembly, the component 19 can be designed as part of a manual operation in order to provide, for example, the coupling component 9a (see also FIG. 1) which can be connected to a rotary wrench (e.g. a T-wrench), for example, for manual operation.

[0047] In the example shown, the apparatus 6 for operating the fitting 4 thus makes both available, namely a mechanical or motor-driven drive for operating and the option for manual operation. Both the drive motor 10 and the transmission device 15 are designed to save space around the internal receptacle 18. The coupling component 20 can be connected to the rotating actuator (not shown) of the fitting 4 via a coupling point 22 (e.g. a receptacle) on said coupling component in order to effect manual or mechanical operation thereof.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a further representation of the embodiment from FIG. 5, with the component 19 being detached from the coupling component 20 and removed from the internal receptacle 18. For example, a manual operating device (such as a rotary wrench) can then be inserted into the internal receptacle 18 and connected directly to the coupling component 20.

[0049] In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 7, the coupling component 20 is formed with a passageway 23 in the vertical direction, which passageway overlaps, in particular is centered, with the internal receptacle 18 in the vertical direction of passage. As a result, for example, a rising spindle (not shown) of the fitting 4 can pass through the passageway 23 into the internal receptacle 18 during operation when the fitting 4 is operated. In this case, the rotational movement for operating the fitting 4 is transmitted as the spindle rises again via the coupling component 20, for example to a spindle nut assigned to the rising spindle, which spindle nut is connected to the coupling component 20 for this purpose in order to transmit the drive movement provided by the drive motor 10 via the transmission device 15.

[0050] In different embodiments, the apparatus 6 for operating the fitting 4 can be designed in supply lines with a minimum nominal diameter of DN40, alternatively for a fitting for a supply line with a minimum nominal diameter of DN60 or a minimum nominal diameter of DN80.

[0051] The features disclosed in the above description, the claims, and the drawings can be of relevance, both individually and also in any combination, for realizing the different embodiments.