Pneumatic emergency shut-off valve

Abstract

A drive device for generating a drive movement includes a consumer, a fuel tank, which is connected to the consumer through a fuel line, and a pneumatically operable emergency shut-off valve in the fuel line. The emergency shut-off valve shuts off the fuel line in a closed position and allows fuel to pass through in an open position. The device provides a greater level of safety, in that the emergency shut-off valve remains in its closed position, or even automatically shifts to the closed position, in the event of defective operation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for protecting systems with a consumer, a fuel tank, and a fuel line connecting the consumer to the fuel tank; the apparatus comprising: an emergency shut-off valve disposed in the fuel line, said emergency shut-off valve having a closed position in which the fuel line is closed and an open position in which fuel is allowed to pass through the fuel line, said emergency shut-off valve, in the absence of actuation, remaining in the closed position or automatically moving into the closed position; and wherein said emergency shut-off valve is a combined pneumatically actuated and electrically and/or electromagnetically actuated valve, said emergency shut-off valve having an electrically actuated coil and including an electrical shut-off valve circuit connected to an electrical energy storage device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said emergency shut-off valve is connected via a compressed air line to a compressed air container.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, which comprises a compressed air switch disposed in said shut-off valve circuit and connected via a compressed air line to a compressed air container, said compressed air switch interrupting said shut-off valve circuit upon pneumatic actuation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said emergency shut-off valve and said compressed air switch are connected via a common compressed air line section to the compressed air container, and comprising a pilot control valve disposed in said common compressed air line section.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said pilot control valve is an electrically or electromagnetically actuated valve.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, which comprises an energy storage device connected via a pilot control valve circuit to said pilot control valve for its actuation.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, which comprises start switches for closing and interrupting said pilot control valve circuit and/or a shut-off valve circuit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, which comprises at least one emergency-off switch connected in said pilot control valve circuit and/or in said shut-off valve circuit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, which comprises at least one emergency-off switch connected in a pilot control valve circuit and/or in a shut-off valve circuit.

10. In a system having a consumer, a fuel tank, a fuel line connecting the consumer to the fuel tank, and a shut-off valve for shutting off a fuel supply from the fuel tank to the consumer, a protection apparatus comprising: the shut-off valve being a pneumatically-actuated emergency shut-off valve disposed in the fuel line, said shut-off valve having a closed position in which the fuel line is closed and an open position in which fuel is allowed to pass through the fuel line, said emergency shut-off valve being a normally-closed valve which, absent an actuation thereof, remains in the closed position or automatically assumes the closed position; and wherein said emergency shut-off valve is combined pneumatically actuated or electrically and/or electromagnetically actuated valve, said shut-off valve including an electrically actuated coil and having an electrical shut-off valve circuit connected to an electrical energy storage device.

11. A rail vehicle, comprising an apparatus according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Further expedient embodiments and advantages of the invention are the subject matter of the description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention given below, which refers to the FIGURE of the drawing, in which the

(2) FIGURE shows an exemplary embodiment of the inventive apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) The single FIGURE of the drawing shows an exemplary embodiment of an inventive apparatus 1 having a fuel tank 2 and also a diesel engine 3 as consumer. The fuel tank 2 is filled with a fuel 4, wherein the fill level of the fuel tank 2 is detected by a float 5 and is displayed in the driver's cab of a locomotive by a signal transmission means not shown in the FIGURE.

(4) The diesel engine 3 is connected via a fuel line 6 to the fuel tank 2. An emergency shut-off valve 7 is disposed in the fuel line 6. The emergency shut-off valve 7 shown involves a two-way valve with a closed rest position. In other words the emergency shut-off valve 7, in the absence of actuation, either moves into its closed position shown in the FIGURE or remains in said position. If the emergency shut-off valve 7 is in its shown closed position, the connection between diesel engine 3 and fuel tank 2 is interrupted. The safety requirements imposed on the apparatus are thus fulfilled within the framework of the invention. The emergency shut-off valve 7 shown in the FIGURE involves a pneumatically-actuatable emergency shut-off valve 7, wherein at the same time an electrical or electromagnetic emergency actuation is possible, which will be discussed in greater detail later.

(5) The apparatus 1 further comprises a compressed air container 8, which can be connected to a pneumatic control connection 9 of the emergency shut-off valve 7 and also to a compressed air switch 10. The pneumatic control connection 9 is connected for this purpose via a first compressed air connection 11 and the compressed air switch via a second compressed air connection 12 to the compressed air container 8. In this case a compressed air line section 13 common to both connections is embodied, in which a preliminary control valve 14 is disposed. The preliminary control valve 14 is able to be actuated electrically and in this case electromagnetically, wherein for electromagnetic actuation for example a coil 15 of the preliminary control valve must be excited. For its electrical or electromagnetic actuation the emergency shut-off valve 7 likewise has a coil 15. The coil 15 of the preliminary control valve 14 is connected via a preliminary control valve circuit 16 to a battery 17 as energy store. The coil 15 of the emergency shut-off valve 7 is connected via a shut-off valve circuit 18 to the same battery 17. A start switch 19 is connected into the shut-off valve circuit 18 and also into the preliminary control valve circuit 16, which is disposed in the driver's cab of a locomotive. A second start switch not shown in the FIGURE is connected in parallel to the start switch 19 and is disposed in the other driver's cab of the locomotive. In addition for example six emergency-off switches 20 are provided which, like the start switches 19, serve to interrupt and close the shut-off valve circuit 18 and the preliminary control valve circuit 16. Two emergency-off switches are disposed in the driver's cabs, two further switches outside on the side wall and finally two in the engine compartment. In order to be able to interrupt both circuit 16 and 18 simultaneously with the same switches 19, 20, shut-off valve circuit 18 and preliminary control valve circuit 16 have a common branch 21, in which the said switches 18 and 20 are disposed.

(6) The compressed air container 8 can be filled with compressed air when the diesel engine 3 is running via a compressor of the rail vehicle not shown in the FIGURE. In this case the compressor is driven during operation by the diesel engine 3.

(7) To decommission the rail vehicle the diesel engine 3 is switched off. Subsequently the preliminary control valve 14 is moved into its closed position shown in the FIGURE by actuation of a start switch 19 in the driver's cab. Thus the pneumatic actuation of the emergency shut-off valve 7 is dispensed with. Since by opening the shut-off valve circuit 18 and the preliminary control valve circuit 16 with the aid of the start switch 19 an electromagnetic actuation of the emergency shut-off valve is also no longer possible, this is moved automatically for example into its closed position by a spring not shown in the FIGURE, so that the diesel engine 3 is disconnected from the fuel tank 2 as prescribed. The closed position is therefore at the same time the rest position of the emergency shut-off valve 7.

(8) To interrupt the emergency shut-off valve circuit 18 the compressed air switch 10 interacts with a switch 22 which is disposed in the shut-off valve circuit 18. If compressed air is applied to the compressed air switch 10, the compressed air switch 10 opens the switch 22. This ensures that the shut-off valve circuit 18 is interrupted and thus that the coil 15 of the emergency shut-off valve 7 is no longer excited. In this way heating up of the coil 15 and of the emergency shut-off valve 7 by the coil 15 and additionally an unwanted consumption of energy can be avoided.

(9) To start the locomotive the start switch 19 in one of the driver's cabs is actuated. Thus both preliminary control valve circuit 16 and also shut-off valve circuit 18 are closed. The battery 17 excites the coil 15 of the preliminary control valve 14 so that said valve is moved into its open position. If compressed air is present in the compressed air container. The compressed air switch 10 is actuated, through which the shut-off valve circuit 18 is interrupted. The emergency shut-off valve 7 is thus moved solely pneumatically into its open position. After the locomotive has been standing for long periods of time all compressed air can have escaped from the compressed air container 8. Thus no compressed air is available within the meaning of the invention. The emergency shut-off valve 7 can therefore not be actuated pneumatically. Within the context of the invention however this does not result in the opening of the shut-off valve circuit 18 by the compressed air switch 10 or the switch 22. In other words the coil 15 of the emergency shut-off valve 7 remains connected to the battery 17 and is therefore excited. The result is electromagnetic actuation of the emergency shut-off valve 7, which is moved into its open position by this action. Now the diesel engine 3 can be started, which in turn drives the compressor for providing compressed air in the compressed air container 8. If the compressed air container 8 is sufficiently filled with compressed air this results in pneumatic actuation of compressed air switch 10 and of the emergency shut-off valve 7, wherein the connection between the coil 15 of the emergency shut-off valve 7 and the battery 17 is interrupted by opening the switch 22. Now the emergency shut-off valve 7 will be actuated solely pneumatically and thus practically loss-free.