FLUID DISTRIBUTION NETWORK ADJUSTING AND MEASURING DEVICE Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of fluid distribution network on-off and adjustment valves. State of the art

On-off and adjustment valves are frequently used Jn either liquid or gas -fluid distribution networks for either partially or totally sectioning the pipes. The adjustment and on-off valves operate by reducing the pipe section available ^' for the downflow by interposing a valve body, generally formed by metallic or plastic material. For the adjustment function, only part of the pipe section is available for the downflow, so as to locally increase the kinetic energy of the current and to create an abrupt downstream deceleration of the current itself. The dissipation is determined by the intense vortexes induced by such an acceleration. For the cutoff function; the. valve body closes the pipe completely, ensuring complete fluid- tightness by means of seals. The valves may be controlled either manually or be servo-controlled. In the first case, the operator determines the degree of opening by operating a handwheel which acts directly on an axis integral with the valve body. In the second case, the axis may be operated by an electric motor or by a hydrodynamic pump. This second type of valve presents the advantage of being able to be remotely controlled by connection to a remote control system. Conversely, the motorized valves are costly and are, therefore, arranged only in a low number of points of a network. A need which is being expressed is that of having an increasingly better control over fluid distribution networks in order to prevent disastrous events caused by accidental or intentional causes. It would be advantageous to be able to avail oneself of numerous total sectioning points of the sections which constitute the network, so as to completely and rapidly isolate the sections in which faults occur. In case of bursting of fluid conveying pipes - due to malfunctions, natural disasters, vandalism or sabotage - an immediate sectioning upstream and downstream of the pipe would prevent, for example: explosions due to the contact of gas with the atmosphere; fire of flammable dispersed fluids;

sagging of roads or structures due to the erosive action of the spilled fluids; disasters due to synergisms between bursts of different types of utility networks: water-gas, sewage-water, gas-electric, etc.

In the case of water resource pollution - due to malfunctions, natural disasters, 5. vandalism or sabotage - an immediate sectioning of the districts in which water quality alterations or public health problems are reported, wouid allow to limit damage avoiding, at the same time; panic breakouts among the population. Also in industrial plants, in presence of-reactant or product quality alterations, an immediate intervention would allow to more rapidly re-establish production0 standards.

Another need felt in fluid distributing networks is that of identifying water leakages from pipes and to limit the extent thereof. The techniques for identifying water leakages are essentially of two types: by direct identification of the leakage or by means of water balances-which allow to determine the lost volumes. 5 In the first case, the known art offers mobile measurement apparatuses for leakage searches which operate directly inside the pipes. Regarding said apparatuses, some can move freely along the pipe in the direction of flow of the current by effect of the current itself, others can be remotely guided by wire. The greatest difficulties in the use of remote controlled apparatuses derive from the0 need to prepare appropriate introduction points, by disassembling line sluices or discharge pipes. In the free-moving models, there is added the difficulty of retrieving the apparatus from a different point of the pipe away from that of introduction. Apparatuses which allow the introduction into the pipe and the retrieval of mobile instruments without needing to disassemble the pipe are not5 known.

Currently, with regard to the second available leakage search method, due to the modest numbers of leakage and network pressure measurement points, the water balances needed to determine the lost water volumes are carried out on large- sized grids, without the possibility of directly determining the pipe segments in0 which the leakages of greater extend are present.

From this point of view, it would be advantageous to avail of a higher number of flow rate and pressure measuring points inside the network or pipe so as to obtain the exact location of the network segments in which water leakages are present.

In general, the measuring apparatuses normally used in measuring campaigns are flow rate gauges, microphones, temperature sensors and sensors capable of measuring the presence of particular substances in the fluid. For all flow rate and pressure measurement purposes, and for the insertion and retrieval of mobile measuring apparatuses, sectioning apparatuses, etc., it is necessary to section the pipe, in one or more points, to empty the pipe itself, and to insert -said apparatuses at a point in which the pipe must be disassembled and then reassembled. Furthermore, if several, simultaneous insertion points are required, it would be necessary to interrupt the service in the same number of points and proceed as shown above in an equal number of points downstream of the preceding ones.

There are some devices which allow to insert a probe without interrupting the service by creating a loading inlet. However, such devices present limits deriving from the small size of the access tube and therefore it is not possible to insert measuring and inspecting apparatuses of size larger than approximately one third of the diameter of the pipe. Furthermore, such devices cannot be used to insert sectioning members in the pipe. Therefore, it is not possible, at present, to have a device-vvhich allows to insert. measuring, inspecting and sectioning apparatuses of different type into the pipe without needing to interrupt the supply service. All these purposes cannot be, at present, conveniently obtained with the existing technologies. Indeed, with regards to cut-off function, the high cost of the single on-off unit does not allow the replacement of all the manual on-off valves with motorized on-off valves. The flow rate and pressure devices are costly and difficult to be inserted in the various points of the network as well. Furthermore, with regard to the insertion of mobile gauges in the network, the systematic, convenient access inside the pipe, and thus the use of the above-described measuring apparatuses, is very difficult. Summary of the invention It is the object of the present invention to provide a fluid pipe adjusting and measuring device adapted to facilitate the insertion of measuring and inspecting apparatuses in the pipe.

It is thus the specific object of the present invention a fluid pipe adjusting and measuring device.

The present invention, thus, suggests to reach the above-described objects by making a fluid pipe adjusting and measuring device, which in accordance with claim 1 , includes a valve body, a turret connected to said valve body, a mobile element including a lens, which slides within said turret from a retracted opening position to an advanced closing/adjusting position of said pipe characterized in that said pipe includes a fan adapted to be opened when said mobile element moves towards the advanced position and to fluid-tightly close when said mobile element returns to the retiacted position defining a fluid-tight volume within the turret Advantageously, said device is applied when the introduction/retrieval of measuring apparatuses into/from the pipe is needed without interrupting the service continuity of the same

The device is applied to any on-off sluice va\ve, new or already installed on a tube section, and may be inserted in any inspection manhole The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention Brief description of the Figures

Further features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent in the light of the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of-a fluid distribution network adjusting and measuring device -illustrated by way of non- limitative example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows a section of an adjusting and measuring device in the configuration which allows to cut-off a fluid,

Figures 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d show a sequence from the opening of the sluice to the closing of the fan, Figure 3 shows a section of an adjusting and measuring device which allows to cut-off a fluid according to a further configuration alternative with respect to that in figures 1 and 2,

Figures 4a and 4b show reciprocally perpendicular sections of an adjusting and measuring device in a configuration which allows to introduce and retrieve a remotely controlled apparatus,

Fig 5a, 5b and 5c show reciprocally perpendicular sections of an adjusting and measuring device in a configuration which allows to introduce and retrieve a freely moving apparatus into/from the pipe,

Fig 6 shows a section of an adjusting and measuring device in a configuration adapted to allow the measurement of the flow rate of a fluid inside the pipe Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

A preferred embodiment of the device in accordance with the present invention, includes (figure 1)

- a valve body 1 of the sluice type

- a turret 2, connected to said valve body 1 by means, e g , of a bolted flange 21 ,

- a mobile element 4 including a lens 41 adapted to slide inside the turret to adjust/intenupt a flow of fluid through the valve body by either partially or completely engaging the section thereof,

- a fan 8, one side of which is hinged to the internal wall of the turret,

- a linkage adapted to induce the fan to fluid-tightly close defining a fluid-tight volume 22 within the turret, when the mobile element 4 is taken to a retracted opening position of the valve body and, vice versa, to open when the mobile element 4 is taken to the advanced adjusting/interrupting position of the flow through the valve body 1

The turret and the valve body may be formed by metal or plastic material In a preferred embodiment, said linkage includes

! a helical spring 5, coaxial to said threaded axis 44 and superiorly adhering to the lower part of said hatch 3 ana infeπorly adhering to a cylinder 6,

II said cylinder 6, connected by means of a joint 61 to an end of a rod 7,

III said rod 7

In another preferred embodiment, the linkage including parts 5, 6, 7 and 61 , which allows the fan to open and close 8, may be arranged externally with respect to the turret 2

In the preferred embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, the sluice is actuated manually by means of a handwheel 45, and then the turret 2 is sealed outwardly from a fluid-tight hatch 3 provided with a threaded hole 31 , connected in the upper part of the turret, e g , by means of a further bolted or threaded flange 32

In said preferred embodiment, the mobile element 4 further includes a jack 42, externally provided with a ring 43, connected at an end to said lens 41 and at the other end to a threaded axis 44, adapted to be fastened in the threaded hole 31 ,

so as to displace said mobile element 4 integral with the lens 41 to the advanced and retracted positions

Said turret may be further provided with a breather valve for determining the release of the fluid from the inside of the turret and with a bleeder valve for making balancing of the pressures between the turret and the pipe possible

Thus, when said threaded axis 44 is made to turn, for example by manually acting on the handwheel 45 coupled thereto, it tends to exit fiom the turret, inducing the jack 42 to compress, by means of the ring nut 43, said helical spring 5 integral with said cylinder 6, thus inducing the fan 8 to close by means of the joint 61 and the rod 7

Instead, when the threaded axis 44 starts turning in the opposite direction, said jack 42 starts moving towards the advanced closing position, and then the ring nut 43 decompresses the helical spring 5, integral with the cylinder 6 and with the rod 7, and the fan opens, so as to be fully open when the lens 41 passes through the corresponding opening

Finally, the actuation of the jack 42 allows to adjust or to obstruct the fluid flow in the valve body 1 , by means of the lens 41

The fact that the fan is closed in the fully open position of the device, i e when the mobile element 42 is in ihe retracted position, determines a fluid-tight zone inside the turret, which make it possible to

- maintain/replace the lens 41 ,

- maintain all the elements forming the mobile body 42,

- insert inspecting and measuring instruments in the turret and subsequently introduce them into the pipe, all without needing to interrupt the supply service concerned by the operation

Said instruments may be introduced by disassembling and assembling the hatch 3, or through a fluid-tight hatch (not shown) arranged at the fluid-tight volume 22 Advantageously, it is possible to introduce measuring and inspection instruments into the pipe without needing to isolate the segment upstream of the introduction point

Specifically, the insertion procedure of any instrument in the pipe contemplates the following steps (figure 2)

- opening said fluid-tight hatch,

introducing said probe 100, re-closing said second fluid-tight hatch,

- filling the turret with water and balancing the pressures between the turret and the pipe, - lowering the mobile element 4 until the fan 8 is opened allowing the passage of the probe into the pipe The filling procedure of the instrument, instead, includes the ^~ fol!owιng steps

- actuating the mobile element 4, until the retracteα position is reached with consequent closing of the fan 8, - emptying the fluid-tight volume 22 of the turret 2 by means of said breather/bleeder valve,

- opening the fluid-tight hatch and retrieving the instrument

Said adjusting and measuring device may be further automated by connecting an electi ic or hydraulic servo-mechanism to the threaded axis 44 When a closing order is received by the device, a connection servo valve is opened between the tank containing the pressurized fluid and the jack of the closing and adjusting device Due to the increase of pressure, part of the oil actuaies the jack determining the downward sliding of the sectioning lens and the closing of the pipe A second servo vaive cancels the oil pressure in the hydraulic jack and goes back to rest conditions The operation of the device as sectioning member may thus be entirely automatic, in both the step of closing and that of opening The closing and opening times may be conveniently predetermined by appropriately adjusting the downflow speed of the oil in the circuit Said servo mechanism may be actuated by a wired or wireless electric communication interface Then, the adjusting and measuring device may be remotely controlled from a control station

As shown in figure 3, the mobile element 4 may not include the jack 42 and the mobile element 4 includes the threaded axis 44 connected to the lens 41 through the ring nut 43, the operation of the linkage described above remaining unchanged

In the preferred embodiment in figures 4a and 4b, an electrically operated reel allows the winding and the rewinding of a cable 104 on a reel 103 to which a measuring probe 100 or a video camera, freely moving in the pipe, is secured

In this manner, the introduction of the external probe is made easier with respect to the state of the art, because after having inserted the measuring assembly in the pipe, the wire 104 may be unwound to allow the movement of the measuring apparatus, for example a hydrophone or a video camera for water leakage searches; along the pipe. At the end of the measurement, the cable is rewound and the measuring apparatus is retrieved.

In the preferred -embodiment of the invention shown in figure 5a and 5b, -the lens includes release- means 101 adapted to release a probe 100 into the pipe. In figure 5c, said lens includes retrieval means 102 of a probe 100 introduced by the above-mentioned device positioned upstream of the pipe.

For example, said release means may include a piston, for example electrically controlled, adapted to push a probe out from its housing.

Said retrieval means may include a net and a reel for releasing and retrieving the net. Thus, the net is released into the pipe by means of the reel when the measuring apparatus needs to be retrieved. After having captured the measuring apparatuses, by pulling back the net, the measuring apparatus is returned into the adjusting and measuring device, from which it can be retrieved in the aforementioned manners. Figure 6 shows an example in which the lens 41 integrally includes the same aforementioned measuring instruments, such as a helical counter 1 10 or an electromagnetic gauge, a gauge based on the Venturi effect or a diaphragm. The particular embodiments here described do not limit the content of this application which covers all the variants of the invention defined in the claims.