SAFETY CAP FOR A PRESSURISED FLUID STORAGE VESSEL

Abstract

A safety cap for a pressurised gas storage vessel is disclosed comprising a valve that is movable between: (i) a first position in which an entrance port and anti-recoil apertures are in fluid communication such that gas is able to flow out of the safety cap through the anti-recoil apertures; and (ii) a second position in which the gas is unable to exit the safety cap through the anti-recoil apertures and in which the entrance port is in fluid communication with an exit port such that gas is able to flow from the entrance port, through the exit port and out of the safety cap.

Claims

1. A safety cap for a pressurised fluid storage vessel comprising: an entrance port for receiving fluid from the storage vessel; at least one pair of anti-recoil apertures through one or more wall of the cap; an exit port; and a valve that is movable between first and second positions; wherein the valve is movable between: (i) a first position in which the entrance port and anti-recoil apertures are in fluid communication such that fluid is able to flow out of the safety cap through the anti-recoil apertures and in opposing directions; and (ii) a second position in which the fluid is unable to exit the safety cap through the anti-recoil apertures and in which the entrance port and exit port are in fluid communication such that fluid is able to flow from the entrance port, through the exit port and out of the safety cap.

2. The safety cap of claim 1, wherein the valve is biased towards the first position.

3. The safety cap of claim 1, wherein the valve is movable to the second position upon insertion of an object into the exit port or by attachment of a connector to the exit port.

4. The safety cap of claim 1, wherein the safety cap comprising first connecting means proximate the entrance port for securing the cap to the fluid storage vessel; optionally wherein the first connecting means comprises a screw thread; and/or wherein the safety cap comprising second connecting means proximate the exit port for securing the cap to a connector of another equipment; optionally wherein the second connecting means comprises a screw thread.

5. The safety cap of claim 1, comprising a housing defining the entrance and exit ports, wherein the valve comprises a carriage member having the anti-recoil apertures arranged therein and that is movable within the housing such that when the valve is in the first position the carriage member fills the exit port and protrudes therethrough so that the anti-recoil apertures are arranged outside of the housing for permitting fluid to flow from the entrance port, through the housing and out of the cap through the anti-recoil apertures.

6. The safety cap of claim 5, wherein the carriage member is movable within the housing such that when the valve is in the second position the anti-recoil apertures are retracted within the housing.

7. The safety cap of claim 5, wherein the cap is configured such that when the valve is in the second position the carriage member does not fill the exit port.

8. The safety cap of claim 5, wherein the cap is configured such that when the valve is in the second position the fluid is able to flow from the entrance port, around and/or through the carriage member and out of the exit port; and/or wherein the cap is configured such that when the valve is in the first position the fluid is not able to flow around the carriage member and out of the exit port.

9. The safety cap of claim 1, further comprising: a housing defining the entrance port, exit port and anti-recoil apertures; wherein the valve comprises one or more blocking members arranged so that when the valve is in the first position the one or more blocking members prevent fluid flowing from the entrance port out of the exit port, and when the valve is in the second position the one or more blocking members move so as to cover the anti-recoil apertures such that fluid is unable to flow from the entrance port and out of the anti-recoil apertures.

10. A fluid storage system comprising: a fluid storage vessel having a discharge port for discharging pressurised fluid stored therein; and a safety cap according to claim connectable to the fluid storage vessel such that the entrance port of the safety cap is arranged over the discharge port of the fluid vessel.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the fluid storage vessel contains a pressurised fire suppressant.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the pressurised fire suppressant is an inert gas.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein fluid gas storage vessel comprises a discharge valve at or upstream of the discharge port.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising: a fluid connector configured to be connectable to the exit port of the safety cap in a fluid tight manner, wherein the fluid connector and safety cap valve are configured so that upon connection of the fluid connector to the exit port the valve is automatically moved from the first position to the second position.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the fluid connector is configured with a portion that extends into the exit port after connection so as to force the valve from the first position to the second position; or wherein the valve is configured with a protrusion that extends in a downstream direction so that after connection the fluid connector abuts the protrusion and maintains the valve in the second position.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising fluid distribution piping connected to the fluid connector for conveying the fluid from the fluid connector to another area, such as an area to be protected from fire.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the fluid connected is connected to the exit port.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Various embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a prior art gas storage system comprising a pressurised gas cylinder and a safety cap for protecting the discharge valve of the cylinder;

[0037] FIG. 2A shows a schematic of a safety cap according to a first embodiment of the invention when the valve is in a first position;

[0038] FIG. 2B shows the embodiment of FIG. 2A when the valve is in a second position;

[0039] FIG. 3A shows a schematic of a safety cap according to a second embodiment of the invention when the valve is in a first position;

[0040] FIG. 3B shows the embodiment of FIG. 3A when the valve is in a second position; and

[0041] FIGS. 4A and 4B show schematics of a safety cap according to another embodiment in first and second configurations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a prior art gas storage system comprising a pressurised gas cylinder 2 having a discharge valve 4 comprising a discharge port 5, and a safety cap 6 for protecting the discharge valve. Once the body of the cylinder 8 has been filled with pressurised gas, the discharge valve 4 is sealed such that the gas cannot exit the cylinder 2 through the discharge port 5. The cap 6 is then screwed on to the end of the gas cylinder 2 over the discharge valve 4, thereby protecting the discharge valve during storage, transport and handling. In order to install the gas cylinder 2 in its desired position for use, or to connect the discharge valve 4 to other equipment for receiving the pressurised gas from the discharge port 5, it is necessary to remove the cap 6 from the gas cylinder 2. However, during the period between removing the cap 6 and installing or connecting the gas cylinder 2, the discharge valve 4 may be inadvertently opened, e.g. by knocking or dropping the cylinder 2. This presents a safety hazard, since the gas itself may be hazardous and/or the sudden release of the gas from the cylinder 2 may cause the cylinder 2 to violently recoil.

[0043] It is also known in the art to provide a safety cap that allows the gas to discharge from the cylinder if the discharge valve 4 is inadvertently opened, but in a manner that substantially does not cause the cylinder to recoil. This is achieved by arranging pairs of apertures in the wall of the cap, wherein the apertures in each pair are arranged on opposing sides of the cap such that when the gas discharges through these openings there is substantially no net force on the cap. However, these caps must also be removed during installation and connection of the gas cylinder to other equipment and so these caps still present a recoil hazard during this period.

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention provide a safety cap that need not be removed during installation and connection of the gas cylinder to other equipment.

[0045] FIG. 2A shows a schematic of a safety cap according to an embodiment of the present invention in a first configuration. The cap comprises a housing sleeve 10 having an entrance port 12 for securing to the gas cylinder 2 and an exit port 14 for use in a second configuration, which will be described in more detail below. The entrance port 12 is secured to the gas cylinder 2 over the discharge port 5 of the gas cylinder 2. This may be achieved by providing screw threads on the housing sleeve 10 proximate to the entrance opening 12 that cooperate with screw threads on the gas cylinder 2 that are proximate to the discharge port 5. However, other means of securing the sleeve 10 to the cylinder 2 are also contemplated, such as welding, soldering or riveting etc.

[0046] The cap also includes a carriage member 16, which in the first configuration fills the exit port 14 and protrudes out of the housing 10 through the exit port 14. The carriage member 16 is movable along the axis of the exit port 14, but is biased in a direction out of the exit port 14 to the position shown in FIG. 2A. The carriage member 16 may be biased by one or more springs, or by any other resilient biasing members. The carriage member 16 is biased through the exit port 14 until one or more stop members 18 on the carriage member 16 abut one or more stop members 20 on the housing 10 so as to prevent the carriage member 16 leaving the housing 10 completely through the exit port 14. The carriage member 16 is a hollow member having a gas conduit 22 therethrough, which is in fluid communication with the entrance port 12. The carriage member 16 has anti-recoil apertures 24 therethrough for allowing fluid communication between the entrance port 12 and the exterior of the safety cap, in the first configuration. The anti-recoil apertures 24 are arranged in pairs, with a first anti-recoil aperture in each pair located so that gas may exit the carriage 16 in a first direction and a second anti-recoil aperture located so that gas may simultaneously exit the carriage 16 in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The axes through the anti-recoil apertures 24 in each pair are desirably coaxial. Any number of pairs of anti-recoil apertures 24 may be provided, although the sectional view of FIG. 2A shows a first pair and one of the apertures of a second pair.

[0047] The safety cap is connected to the gas cylinder 2 and remains in the first configuration described above during storage, transportation and handling, i.e. for the period before it is desired that gas is discharged from the gas cylinder 2. If the discharge valve 4 of the gas cylinder 2 is inadvertently opened, e.g. due to the cylinder 2 being dropped or knocked, then the pressurised gas 8 will exit the cylinder 2 through the discharge port 5 of the discharge valve 4 and pass into the entrance port 12 of the safety cap. The gas 8 will then pass into the conduit 22 in the carriage member 16 and out of the anti-recoil apertures 24. As the anti-recoil apertures 24 are arranged in pairs as described above, the gas 8 will exit the cap in opposite directions with substantially the same magnitude in each direction. As such, although the cap does not prevent the gas 8 from being discharged inadvertently, it does prevent such a gas discharge from causing the cap (and hence the cylinder) from violently recoiling.

[0048] Although gas 8 may inadvertently discharge as described above, it is desired that the gas 8 will not be discharged until the desired moment, i.e. after a gas connector has been arranged in fluid communication with the discharge port 5 on the gas cylinder 2. Conventionally, this has required the safety cap to be removed from the cylinder 2, thus posing a safety hazard until the gas connector has been connected. In contrast, embodiments of the present invention do not require the safety cap to be removed in order to arrange the gas connector in fluid communication with the discharge valve 4 on the gas cylinder 2.

[0049] Referring back to FIG. 2A, a gas connector (not shown) is pushed towards the exit port 14 and against the carriage member 16 so as to force the carriage member 16 against the springs and into the housing 10. The gas connector is then connected to the exit port 14 of the safety cap. This may be achieved by providing screw threads on the housing sleeve 10 proximate to the exit opening 14 that cooperate with screw threads on the gas connector. However, other means of securing the sleeve 10 to the gas connector are also contemplated. Means that allow the gas connector to be repeatedly connected and disconnected are desirably used.

[0050] FIG. 2B shows the safety cap of FIG. 2A after connection of the gas connector 26 to the exit opening 14. The gas connector 26 may be configured with a protrusion 28 that enters through the exit port 14 of the cap during connection so as to force the cap into a second configuration in which the carriage member 16 is pushed to a position upstream of the exit port 14. It is alternatively contemplated that the protrusion 28 may be part of the carriage member 16 rather than the gas connector 26, so as to enable conventional gas connectors to be used to perform this function.

[0051] Once the gas connector 26 has been connected to the exit port 14, the discharge valve 4 of the gas cylinder 2 may be deliberately opened, allowing gas to enter the entrance port 12 of the cap. The gas flows through the housing 10, past the carriage member 16, out of the exit port 14 and into the gas connector 26. The gas 8 may then be delivered to whatever equipment is connected to the gas connector 26. For example, the gas connector 26 may be a connector of a fire suppression system that is connected to gas distribution piping and one or more distribution nozzles. Such a system may comprise a smoke and/or heat and/or gas and/or flame detector that triggers the opening of the discharge valve 5 on the gas cylinder 2 upon detection of smoke and/or heat and/or a gas and/or flames.

[0052] It will therefore be appreciated that that the carriage member 16 acts as a valve that is movable between first and second positions. In a first position, the entrance port 12 and anti-recoil apertures 24 are in fluid communication such that gas is substantially only able to flow out of the safety cap through the anti-recoil apertures 24 and in opposing directions out of the cap. In a second position, gas 8 is unable to exit the safety cap through the anti-recoil apertures 24, but rather the entrance and exit ports 12,14 are in fluid communication such that gas is 8 able to flow from the entrance port 12, through the exit port 14 and out of the safety cap.

[0053] The mechanism may be configured such that the gas discharge is not slowed by the safety cap during the first and/or second configurations. For example, the cap may be configured such that in the second configuration the annulus around the carriage member 16 is no smaller than the discharge port 5 on the gas cylinder 2 (or smallest aperture on the cylinder 2).

[0054] FIGS. 3A-3B show schematics of a safety cap according to another embodiment in first and second configurations. FIG. 3A shows a schematic of a safety cap in a first configuration. The cap comprises a housing sleeve 10 having an entrance port 12 for securing to the gas cylinder 2 and an exit port 14 for use in a second configuration, which will be described in more detail in relation to FIG. 3B. The entrance port 12 is secured to the gas cylinder 2 in the same manner as described above. The housing 10 also comprises anti-recoil apertures 24 therethrough for allowing fluid communication between the entrance port 10 and the exterior of the safety cap, in the first configuration. The anti-recoil apertures 24 are arranged in pairs, with a first anti-recoil aperture in each pair located so that gas 8 may exit the housing 10 in a first direction and a second anti-recoil aperture located so that gas may simultaneously exit the housing in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The axes through the anti-recoil apertures in each pair are desirably coaxial. Any number of pairs of anti-recoil apertures 24 may be provided, although the sectional view of FIG. 3A shows only a first of apertures.

[0055] The housing 10 also includes a valve 30 between the entrance and exit ports 12,14 that is formed from pivotable blocking members 32 that are pivotably attached to the walls of the housing 10. The blocking members 32 are biased in a direction to close the conduit between the entrance and exit ports 12,14, i.e. to the position shown in FIG. 3A. The blocking members 32 may be biased by one or more springs, or by any other resilient biasing members.

[0056] The safety cap is connected to the gas cylinder 2 and remains in the first configuration described above during storage, transportation and handling, i.e. for the period before it is desired that gas 8 is discharged from the gas cylinder 2. If the discharge valve 4 of the gas cylinder 2 is inadvertently opened, e.g. due to the cylinder 2 being dropped or knocked, then the pressurised gas 8 will exit the cylinder 2 through the discharge port 5 of the discharge valve 4 and pass into the entrance port 12 of the safety cap. The gas 8 will then pass out of the anti-recoil apertures 24. As the anti-recoil apertures 24 are arranged in pairs as described above, the gas 8 will exit the cap in opposite directions with substantially the same magnitude in each direction and prevent the cap (and hence the cylinder) from violently recoiling.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 3B, a gas connector 26 is connected to the exit port 14 of the safety cap during installation of the gas cylinder 2. This may be achieved by providing screw threads 34 on the housing sleeve 10 proximate to the exit opening 14 that cooperate with screw threads on the gas connector 26. However, other means of securing the sleeve 10 to the gas connector 26 are also contemplated. Means that allow the gas connector 26 to be repeatedly connected and disconnected are desirably used.

[0058] FIG. 3B shows the safety cap of FIG. 2A after connection of the gas connector 26 to the exit opening 14. The gas connector 26 may be configured with one or more protrusion 28 that enters through the exit port 14 of the cap during connection so as to force the cap into a second configuration in which the blocking members 32 are pivoted open so as to open the conduit between the entrance and exit ports 12,14. It is alternatively contemplated that the protrusions 28 may extend from the downstream side of the blocking members 32, rather than the gas connector 26, so as to enable conventional gas connectors 26 to be used to perform this function. The blocking members 32 are pivoted until they cover the anti-recoil apertures 24, thus preventing gas 8 from passing through those apertures 24. One or more seal 36 may be arranged on the housing wall(s) or on the blocking members 32 (e.g. an O-ring) so that when the blocking members 32 are pivoted open the seal(s) 36 is arranged between the blocking members 32 and the housing wall(s), thereby presenting a gas tight seal that prevents the gas 8 from leaving through the apertures 24.

[0059] Once the gas connector 26 has been connected to the exit port 14, the discharge valve 4 of the gas cylinder 2 may be deliberately opened, allowing gas 8 to enter the entrance port 12 of the cap. The gas flows through the housing 10, out of the exit port 14 and into the gas connector 26. The gas 8 may then be delivered to whatever equipment is connected to the gas connector 26, in the same manner as described above.

[0060] FIGS. 4A-4B show schematics of a safety cap according to another embodiment in first and second configurations. This embodiment is similar to that shown and described in relation to FIGS. 3A-3B, except that the blocking members 32 are radially movable (relative the axis through the exit port 14), rather than being pivotable. The blocking members 32 are biased radially inwards so as to close the conduit between the entrance and exit ports 12,14, as shown in FIG. 4A. The blocking members 32 comprise blocking plates 38 that are positioned so as not to cover the anti-recoil apertures when the conduit is closed. In this position, if the discharge valve 4 of the gas cylinder 2 is inadvertently opened, then the pressurised gas 8 will pass into the entrance port 12 of the safety cap and will then pass out of the anti-recoil apertures 24.

[0061] FIG. 4B shows the safety cap of FIG. 4A after connection of the gas connector 26 to the exit opening 14. The gas connector 26 may be configured with one or more protrusion 28 that enters through the exit port 14 of the cap during connection so as to force the cap into a second configuration in which the blocking members 32 are forced radially outwards so as to open the conduit between the entrance and exit ports 12,14. This may be achieved, for example, by providing a curved profile on the downstream side of the blocking members 32 such that when the protrusion 28 of the gas connector 26 enters the exit port 14 it pushes against the curved surface and progressively forces the blocking members 32 radially outwards. The blocking members 32 are forced radially outwards until the blocking plates 38 cover the anti-recoil apertures 24, thus preventing gas 8 from passing through those apertures 24. One or more seal 36 may be arranged on the housing wall(s) or on the blocking members 32 (e.g. an O-ring) so that when the blocking members 32 are forced outwards the seal(s) 36 is arranged between the blocking members 32 and the housing wall(s), thereby presenting a gas tight seal that prevents the gas 8 from leaving through the apertures 24.

[0062] Once the gas connector 26 has been connected to the exit port 14, the discharge valve 4 of the gas cylinder 2 may be deliberately opened, allowing gas 8 to enter the entrance port 12 of the cap. The gas flows through the housing 10, out of the exit port 14 and into the gas connector 26. The gas 8 may then be delivered to whatever equipment is connected to the gas connector 26, in the same manner as described above.

[0063] It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described enable the gas cylinder to be connected to a gas connector without removal of the safety cap. Connection of the gas connector desirably automatically moves the cap to the second configuration and the valve to the second position.

[0064] Although the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

[0065] For example, although the valve has been described as comprising pivotable or radially movable blocking members, it may alternatively comprise an iris closure that is biased to a closed position so as to block the conduit between the entrance and exit ports. The iris closure may be configured to be automatically opened by connection of the gas connector. For example, the action of screwing the gas connector onto the cap may rotate the iris closure into an open position so as to provide a gas connection between the entrance and exit ports. The iris member may be connected to one or more blocking plates. When the iris is in the closed position, the blocking plates may be positioned so as not to cover the anti-recoil apertures. When the iris is rotated to the open position the blocking plates may rotate therewith (about an axis thorough the exit port) so as to cover the anti-recoil apertures.