Nozzle

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a nozzle for a hose or pipe installed in an off-shore environment, and more particularly to a nozzle for use in providing a water curtain in an offshore environment.

Background to the Invention

In oil and gas production, refining and storage, there is a periodic need to vent and burn off unwanted hydrocarbons as a flare. Flares generate a great deal of heat and it is not always practicable for flares to be positioned a sufficient distance from other operations for those operations not to be prone to damage from the heat of the flare.

Therefore, water curtains are routinely employed to protect operations from damage cause by the heat from a flare. The provision of a water curtain permits operations behind a water curtain to continue and personnel may continue to utilise work areas which are separated from a flare by a water curtain.

Water curtains are also used to protect buildings and equipment from other sources of heat, in particular where it is not required or where it is not practicable to extinguish the source of heat. For example, water may be most effectively used to protect buildings and equipment from bush fires, until said fires have passed. Alternatively, it may be required to disperse water over a wide area in order to soak that area and prevent combustion within that area.

Water curtains are typically formed by passing pressurised water through a deflecting nozzle. Nozzles commonly in use comprise a body with a through channel, opening onto a deflector positioned at or close to the outlet of the channel.

Typically, the large quantities of water required are drawn from locally available natural water sources, such as sea water, or water from rivers, lakes or aquifers. Such water sources typically contain debris such as silt, mud, rocks and the like and it is a known problem in the use of deflecting nozzles for the nozzles to become blocked by such debris.

Nozzles of the prior art, for example nozzle type D42 produced by Spraying Systems Co. (Carol Stream, Illinois, USA), are required to be disassembled in order to clear blockages. This requires that the water supply must be discontinued, which can result in costly or potentially dangerous suspension of operations.

International Patent Application No. PCT/GB2005/000758 (Optima Solutions UK Limited) describes an electromechanical "self-cleaning" mechanism operable to automatically adjust the area of the nozzle outlet and clear blockages. However, no embodiments of the mechanism are described and it is difficult to envisage how a suitable mechanism compatible with the nozzle designs therein disclosed might be implemented with sufficient reliability to be used in either off-shore or fire fighting applications.

Therefore, there remains a need for a nozzle which is less prone to blockage than nozzles of the prior art and which can be cleared of blockages which do occur without the requirement for the supply of water to be shut off.

Accordingly, some aspects of the present invention are directed to means for preventing blockages from occurring in nozzles, and some aspects of the present invention are directed towards the removal of blockages.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle for a hose or pipe, the nozzle comprising a body, a fluid channel extending through the body, deflecting means arranged at or near the downstream end of the channel for

deflecting a flow of fluid leaving the nozzle and means for adjusting the position of the deflecting means relative to the end of the channel, said adjusting means being responsive to fluid pressure.

Typically, the adjusting means is responsive to fluid pressure in excess of a pre- determined threshold fluid pressure. Preferably the adjusting means is a resilient member. Advantageously, the resilient member is a spring. Preferably a resilient member is selected having a pre-load which exceeds the force on the deflecting means applied by normal operating fluid pressure in the unblocked, partially blocked or fully blocked nozzle. Operation of the adjusting means requires a user to increase fluid pressure above a threshold pressure determined by the force on the deflecting means required to overcome the pre-load of the resilient member. An adjusting means comprising a resilient member having such a pre-load will therefore not trigger in response to small variations in fluid pressure, thus ensuring consistent operation of the nozzle.

Preferably the adjusting means is demountable and thereby replaceable. A demountable adjusting means may be replaced by alternative adjusting means chosen to be responsive to a pre-determined threshold pressure of fluid in the nozzle, selected according to the required operating conditions of the nozzle. Adjusting means may thus be installed on a given nozzle to suit changing operating conditions, without the requirement to install an alternative complete nozzle.

Preferably the deflecting means is a deflector. Preferably the deflector is conical.

Conveniently, the adjusting means is fixed between the deflector and an end cap mounted in the end of the fluid channel. Access to adjust or replace the adjusting means is thus effected by removal of the end cap.

Advantageously, the length of the resilient member is changed in response to fluid pressure applied by fluid flowing through the channel and impinging on the deflecting means.

If, in use of the nozzle, the outlet between the end of the body and the deflecting means becomes blocked by debris in the fluid, an operator can increase the fluid pressure through the hose or pipe (and thus in the nozzle) so that the fluid pressure

overcomes the pre-loading of the resilient member. The position of the deflecting means then changes, thereby allowing the debris to pass through the outlet. Once the blockage has been flushed out of the end of the nozzle, the operator can decrease the fluid pressure through the hose or pipe to normal, causing the adjusting means and the deflector to return to their normal positions.

Preferably the nozzle is formed of a light weight material. Preferably the light weight material is a marine grade aluminium.

The body is preferably tubular and most preferably, the body has a generally circular cross section. In a preferred embodiment the deflector is secured to a mounting member, and the mounting member is positioned centrally within the channel and connected to the body by one or more buttresses. Preferably, the mounting member is generally circular, such that at least a portion of the channel is annular. Most preferably, the mounting member is hollow (for example, tubular) to minimise the mass of the nozzle.

In a preferred embodiment the upstream end of the mounting member is provided with a conical tip, which may be a sharp conical tip. Advantageously, the upstream edge of the or each buttress is also provided with a sharp profile. In use, the provision of one or more buttresses with sharp upstream edges and/or a mounting member with a conical tip, both smoothes fluid flow in the nozzle past the mounting member, and acts to break up clumps of debris within the fluid, thereby functioning as debris fragmenting means.

According to an embodiment, the deflector is secured to a spindle, and the spindle is secured to the body. Preferably, the spindle is adapted to be secured, for example threadably secured, to a mounting member.

Preferably, the spindle is hollow. Most preferably, the spindle is generally tubular.

Conveniently, the adjusting means is a spring fixed between the deflector and an end cap mounted on the end of the spindle.

In one embodiment, the size of the outlet between the end of the body and the deflecting means may be adjusted.

Preferably, the deflector is mounted on a spindle, and may be slideably mounted on the spindle, and the spindle is attached to the body. Preferably, the spindle and/or the deflector is demountable and thereby replaceable.

In an embodiment, the size of the outlet between the end of the body and the deflecting means is adjustable by adjusting the position of the deflector on the spindle, for example by placing one or more spacers on the spindle between the deflector and the body.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nozzle for a hose or pipe, the nozzle comprising a body, a fluid channel extending through the body, deflecting means arranged at or near the downstream end of the channel for deflecting a flow of fluid leaving the nozzle, and debris fragmenting means positioned within the channel upstream of the deflecting means for breaking up debris within fluid passing through the nozzle, in use.

The body is preferably tubular and most preferably, the body has a generally circular cross section.

In one embodiment, the deflecting means is a deflector. Preferably, the deflector is secured to a mounting member, and the mounting member is positioned within the channel (and preferably centrally within the channel) and connected to the body by one or more buttresses.

In a preferred embodiment the upstream end of the mounting member is convex. Preferably the upstream end of the mounting member is a conical tip and may be a sharp conical tip. Advantageously, the upstream edge of the or each buttress is also provided with a sharp profile. In use, the provision of one or more buttresses with sharp upstream edges and/or a mounting member with a convex upstream end such as a conical tip, both smoothes fluid flow in the nozzle past the mounting member, and acts to break up clumps of debris within the fluid, thereby functioning as debris fragmenting means.

In one embodiment, the size of the outlet between the end of the body and the deflector is adjustable. Preferably the size of the outlet between the end of the body and the deflector is adjustable by adjusting the position of the deflector.

Preferably, the conical deflector is threadably secured to the mounting member. In one embodiment, the deflector is provided with a threaded member adapted to be threadably secured to the mounting member. In one embodiment the position of the deflector is adjustable by rotating the deflector.

Preferably, the mounting member is generally circular, such that at least a portion of the channel is annular. Most preferably, the mounting member is hollow (for example, tubular) to minimise the mass of the nozzle.

In an embodiment, the deflector is secured to a spindle, and the spindle is secured to the body. Preferably, the spindle is adapted to be secured, for example threadably secured, to a mounting member.

Preferably, the spindle is hollow. Most preferably, the spindle is tubular.

Preferably, the spindle and/or the conical deflector are demountable and thereby replaceable.

Preferably, the deflector is slideably mounted on the spindle.

In a preferred embodiment, the nozzle further comprises adjusting means for adjusting the position of the deflecting means and responsive to pressure.

Preferably the adjusting means is a resilient member. Advantageously, the resilient member is a spring. Preferably a resilient member is selected having a pre-load which exceeds the force on the deflecting means applied by normal operating fluid pressure in the unblocked, partially blocked or fully blocked nozzle. Operation of the adjusting means requires a user to increase fluid pressure above a threshold pressure determined by the force on the deflecting means required to overcome the pre-load of the resilient member. An adjusting means comprising a resilient member having such a pre-load will therefore not trigger in response to small variations in fluid pressure, thus ensuring consistent operation of the nozzle.

Preferably the adjusting means is demountable and thereby replaceable. A demountable adjusting means may be replaced by alternative adjusting means chosen to be responsive to a pre-determined threshold pressure of fluid in the nozzle, selected according to the required operating conditions of the nozzle. Adjusting means may thus be installed on a given nozzle to suit changing operating conditions, without the requirement to install an alternative complete nozzle.

Conveniently, the adjusting means is a spring fixed between the deflector and an end cap mounted on the end of the spindle. Access to adjust or replace the adjusting means is thus effected by removal of the end cap.

In an embodiment, the size of the outlet between the end of the body and the deflecting means is adjustable by adjusting the position of the deflector on the spindle. For example, the position of the conical deflector on the spindle may be adjusted by placing one or more spacers on the spindle between the deflector and the body. In an alternative embodiment, the deflector is threadably mounted on the spindle and the position of the deflector is adjustable by rotating the deflector.

Preferably the nozzle is formed of a light weight material. Preferably the light weight material is a marine grade aluminium.

Preferably the deflector is conical.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit of parts for a nozzle for a hose or pipe, comprising a body with a fluid channel extending therethrough, adapted to be connected to a hose or pipe at the upstream end, deflecting means for deflecting a flow of fluid leaving the nozzle adapted to be attached to the body at or near the downstream end of the channel, and adjusting means for adjusting the position of the deflecting means relative to the end of the channel, adapted to be attached to the body, said adjusting means being responsive to fluid pressure.

Preferably the adjusting means is a resilient member. Advantageously, the resilient member is a spring.

Preferably the kit comprises a plurality of resilient members, such that the kit can be used to assemble nozzles having adjusting means chosen to be responsive to a pre- determined threshold pressure of fluid in the nozzle, selected according to the required operating conditions of the nozzle.

A kit comprising a plurality of resilient members can be advantageously assembled at a location and a resilient member having a pre-load appropriate to the pressure of the fluid to be used at that location may be selected. Thus there is no requirement to ship a plurality of complete nozzles, each comprising resilient members having a different pre-load.

Preferably the deflecting means is a deflector. Preferably the deflector is conical.

Conveniently, the adjusting means is fixed between the deflector and an end cap mounted in the end of the fluid channel.

In an embodiment, the body is tubular and most preferably, the body has a generally circular cross section.

Preferably the deflector is secured to a mounting member, and the mounting member is positioned centrally within the channel and connected to the body by one or more buttresses. Preferably, the mounting member is generally circular, such that at least a portion of the channel is annular. Most preferably, the mounting member is hollow (for example, tubular) to minimise the mass of the body.

In a preferred embodiment the upstream end of the mounting member is convex. Preferably the upstream end of the mounting member is a conical tip and may be a sharp conical tip.. Advantageously, the upstream edge of the or each buttress is also provided with a sharp profile. In use, the provision of one or more buttresses with sharp upstream edges and/or a mounting member with a convex upstream end such as a conical tip, both smoothes fluid flow in the nozzle past the mounting member, and acts to break up clumps of debris within the fluid, thereby functioning as debris fragmenting means.

In one embodiment, the kit comprises a spindle adapted to be secured to the body, and the deflector is adapted to be secured to the spindle. Preferably, the spindle is adapted to be secured, for example threadably secured, to a mounting member.

Preferably, the spindle is hollow. Most preferably, the spindle is generally tubular.

Advantageously, the kit further comprises one or more spacers suitable to be installed on the spindle between the body and the deflector.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit of parts for a nozzle for a hose or pipe, comprising a body having a fluid channel extending therethrough, deflecting means for deflecting a flow of fluid leaving the nozzle, adapted to be secured to the body at or near the downstream end of the channel, wherein the body comprises disrupting means within the channel for breaking up debris within fluid passing through the nozzle, in use.

The body is preferably tubular and most preferably, the body has a generally circular cross section.

Preferably the deflecting means is a deflector. Preferably, the deflector is adapted to be secured to a mounting member positioned within the channel (and preferably centrally within the channel) and connected to the body by one or more buttresses.

Preferably the deflector is conical.

In a preferred embodiment the upstream end of the mounting member is convex. Preferably the upstream end of the mounting member is a conical tip and may be a sharp conical tip. Advantageously, the upstream edge of the or each buttress is provided with a sharp profile. In use, the provision of one or more buttresses with sharp upstream edges and/or a mounting member with a convex upstream end such as a conical tip, both smoothes fluid flow in the nozzle past the mounting member, and acts to break up clumps of debris within the fluid, thereby functioning as debris fragmenting means.

Preferably, the mounting member is generally circular, such that at least a portion of the channel is annular. Most preferably, the mounting member is hollow (for example, tubular) to minimise the mass of the nozzle.

In an embodiment, the kit further comprises a spindle adapted to be secured to the body, and the deflector is adapted to be secured to the spindle. Preferably, the spindle is adapted to be secured, for example threadably secured, to a mounting member.

Preferably, the spindle is hollow. Most preferably, the spindle is generally tubular.

Preferably, the deflector is adapted to be slideably mounted on the spindle.

Advantageously, the kit further comprises one or more spacers suitable to be installed on the spindle between the body and the deflector.

Preferably the nozzle is formed of a light weight material. Preferably the light weight material is a marine grade aluminium.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of flushing debris from a nozzle connected to a water supply, wherein the nozzle comprises a body, a fluid channel extending through the body, deflecting means arranged at or near the downstream end of the channel for deflecting a flow of fluid leaving the nozzle, wherein a fluid outlet is defined by the downstream end of the channel and the deflector, and means for adjusting the position of the deflecting means relative to the end of the channel, said adjusting means being responsive to fluid pressure, the method comprising the steps of identifying that the nozzle has become blocked, increasing the pressure of water in the nozzle above a pre- determined level so as to cause said adjusting means to adjust the position of the deflecting means relative to the end of the channel from a first position to a second position, wherein the size of the fluid outlet defined by the deflector in a second position is larger than the size of the fluid outlet defined by the deflector in the first position, thereby permitting trapped debris to exit the nozzle, and decreasing the pressure of water in the nozzle below a pre-determined level, so as to cause said adjusting means to return the deflecting means to the first position.

It will be understood that optional features of the nozzle of the method according to the fifth aspect correspond to optional features of the nozzle according to the first aspect.

Optional features mentioned above in relation to any one of the five aspects of the invention are also optional features of each of the five aspects of the invention.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying figures in which:-

Fig 1 is a perspective view of a nozzle according to one aspect of the present invention;

Fig 2 is an end elevation of the nozzle of Fig 1 ;

Fig 3 is a cross-section on the line A-A of Fig 2;

Fig 4 is a perspective view of the body of the nozzle of Fig 1 ;

Fig 5 is an end elevation of the body of Fig 4;

Fig 6 is a section on the line A-A of Fig 5;

Fig 7 is a perspective view of the deflector of the nozzle of Fig 1 ;

Fig 8 is an end elevation of the deflector of Fig 7;

Fig 9 is a section on the line A-A of Fig 8;

Fig 10 is a perspective view of a cap of the nozzle of Fig 1 ;

Fig 1 1 is an end elevation of the cap of Fig 10;

Fig 12 is a cross section on the line A-A of Fig 1 1 ;

Fig 13 is a perspective view of a spacer of the nozzle of Fig 1 ; and

Fig 14 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a nozzle according to the present invention, showing a cross sectional view through the body.

Turning now to Figure 3, there is shown a nozzle 1 for a hose or pipe comprising a body 3 which is provided with a threaded portion 4 at the upstream end, adapted to be mounted on a hose or pipe. A fluid channel 5 is provided through the body. A mounting member 9 is positioned in the channel and is attached to the body by buttresses 1 1. A spindle 7 is attached to the mounting member and extends from the end of the body. This can be more clearly seen in Figure 6. The spindle may be integral with the mounting member (which itself may be integral with the body), or the spindle may be threadably secured to the mounting member.

The upstream end of the mounting member has a sharp conical tip 13. The sharp upstream edges 43 of buttresses 11 are also provided with a sharp profile, along line A marked on Figure 5.

The downstream end of the spindle has a reduced diameter threaded region 15 adapted to receive a cap 17.

Referring now to Figure 12, the cap is provided with an internally threaded inner bore 19 which is adapted to receive the threaded portion 15 of the spindle 7. The cap is also provided with an outer bore 21 with a larger diameter than the inner bore. An annular shoulder 23 is formed between the inner and outer bores.

A deflector 27, for deflecting flow of a fluid passing through the body and out of the end of the fluid channel, is slideably mounted on the spindle. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the deflector comprises a conical upstream surface 33 to deflect fluid passing through the nozzle. The deflector comprises an inner bore 35, having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the spindle, and a larger outer bore 37. An annular shoulder 39 is formed between the inner and outer bores.

A fluid outlet 29 is defined between the end of the body and the deflector. A spacer 41 may be provided between the end of the body and the deflector to vary the size of the fluid outlet.

A resilient member, which in the embodiment shown is a spring 31 , is mounted on the spindle between the defector and the cap. The spring extends into outer bores 21 and 37, and abuts annular shoulders 23 and 39.

In use, fluid flows through the channel 5, and is deflected by the deflector 27 through the outlet 29. Conical tip 13 and sharp upstream edges 43 smooth the flow of fluid past mounting member 9 and buttresses 11.

In the event that debris is carried in the fluid stream to the outlet of the nozzle, the nozzle may become blocked. Large clumps of debris (for example soil) may impinge the conical tip and/or sharp upstream edges 43 and the sharpened profiles of these features act to break the debris into smaller pieces. These sharpened features thus function as debris fragmenting means and increase the probability that debris within the fluid is broken into fragments sufficiently small to pass through the fluid outlet.

However, the fluid outlet may still become partially or completely blocked by debris within the fluid.

If fluid pressure in the nozzle is increased so as to overcome the pre-load of the spring, the deflector will move downstream against the bias of the spring, thereby increasing the size of the outlet and allowing trapped debris to exit the nozzle. The fluid pressure may then be return to the standard operating pressure, and the spring will return the deflector to the normal operating position.

The pre-load of the spring may be selected to suit the fluid pressure to be used with the nozzle. Use of a spring having insufficient pre-load may result in inconsistent operation of the nozzle. Advantageously therefore, the nozzle can be disassembled in order to install a spring having a pre-load which is suitable for a given application.

It is envisaged that the nozzle may be formed of light weight materials such as marine grade aluminium. This is particularly useful in providing a nozzle for a hose or pipe in which a fluid curtain is required around an object at a very high temperature such as is experienced in an offshore application on oil rigs or other floating platforms. Lightweight materials are particularly advantageous in applications of the nozzle requiring that the nozzle be manually handled, for example in bush fire fighting operations.

Figure 14 shows an alternative embodiment of a nozzle 100 according to the present invention, comprising opposing conical deflectors 45 and 47, and wherein the mounting member 49 is attached to the body 51 by four buttresses 53. The width of upstream conical deflector 45 is equal to or greater than the width of the body and is greater than the width of downstream conical deflector 47, which is equal to or less than the width of the body. Opposing conical deflectors 45,47 define a conical fluid outlet. Each buttress is provided with a sharp upstream edge 55 and the mounting member is provided with a conical tip 57.