PUMP STATION

Abstract: In pump stations for waste water comprising an upper part (5) functioning as control room and a lower part (1) for further conveyance of the waste water, there is a need to simplify both the function of the pump and its service. These objectives are achieved by utilizing one or more units consisting of pump (12) and non-return valve (16) which are vertically movable along guides (33) and which are also capable of opening and closing a valve (25) in a waste-water pipe (21) to which the unit can be connected, each non-return valve (16) being closable against the action of a force.

Description: Pump station The present invention relates to a pump station. A known pump station of this type is described, for instance, in Swedish patent application No.7603577-3. A pump station generally consists of an upper part and a lower part. The upper part functions as control room and the lower part as collecting room for waste water. One or more pumps are pro¬ vided in the lower part, to pump the waste water to a discharge pipe. Both non-return valves and stop valves are arranged between the pumps and the discharge pipe and these valves are normally arranged in the control room itself. The non-return valves have a tendency to clog and require a certain amount of service. The pumps too require a certain amount of service. The stop valves, on the other hand, require sub¬ stantially no service. From the environmental aspect, there are several drawbacks to going down into the lower part of the pump station to service the pumps. It is hardly possible to avoid being affected by the gases emitted by the waste water. The non-return valves are easier to service inasmuch as they are located in the control room which has been ventilation possibilities. However, it would be considerably more convenient were it possible to service both non-return valves and pumps in spacious premises separate from the pump station. Another drawback with known pump stations is that if both non-return valves and stop valves are to be in the control room, the piping will be extensive and expensive. As expounded above, therefore, it is the non-return valves and pumps which require servicing and the non-return valves are located in the upper part and the pumps in the lower part. This is impractical. The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above- mentioned drawbacks and this is achieved by constructing the pump and its non-return valve as a single unit which can easily be lifted from its operating site for inspection in a different place. Said unit can be considered as a "plug-in unit" in that one unit in a pump station can be replaced by a similar unit. According to the invention control means are required to remove the unit consisting of pump and non-return valve. Said control means are also required to place said unit in its work place. The unit consisting of pump and non-return valve has an outlet opening with a flat end surface for cooperation with an inlet opening with a flat end surface pertaining to a connection arranged in the lower part of the pump house and in communication with the waste-water pipe or discharge pipe of the pump house. The connection according to the present invention is arranged with a number of inlet openings corresponding to the number of units com¬ prising pump and non-return valve. For each attachment to a unit comprising pump and non-return valve, the connection is provided with a stop valve which is operated from the upper part. Suitable operating means may be an extended shaft with wheel. According to one embodiment of the invention, the connection has only one valve which can produce a connection between the waste-water pipe and one or more of the pumps. A first essential feature according to the invention is that the con- trol means comprise one guide for each ' ■ plu -in unit", said guides cooperating with individual stop valves either by beinjg pivotable about their longitudinal axis, in which case the pivoting movement is utilized to open or close the cooperating stop valve, or by being hollow, in which case a rod is arranged through each hollow guide to open and close the cooperating stop valve. A second essential feature according to the present invention is that the closing movement of each non-return valve occurs against a counteractive force in order to prevent sudden impact upon closing. Said counteractive force may consist of a spring force or it may be OMPΓ τ° maintained hydraulically. Another possibility is to use a means acting in the same manner as the bumper on a car. Further characteristics of the present invention are revealed in the following claims. The present invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying three figures, in which Fig.1 shows a pump station including units comprising pump and non¬ return valve, said units being in their operative position, Fig. shows the same pump station as Fig.1, but with one unit com- prising pump and non-return valve is being removed from its operating position, and Fig.3 shows a pump station with pump and non-return valve as a unit located outside the pump station. In the drawings 1 is the lower part of a pump station consisting of two parts located one on top of the other. The lower part 1 is provided at the top with a peripheral flange 2 and supports 3 for said peripheral flange. A floor M is located on the peripheral flange, and above the floor an upper part 5 having a door 6, a skylight 7 and a ventilation pipe 8. The lower part 1 is provided with a pipe socket 9 for con- nection of a pipe supplying the lower part 1 with waste water. The lower part is connected to a discharge pipe 10. Two units 11 and 12 are arranged in the bottom of the lower part, each consisting of a pump and a non-return valve. In the unit 11 the pump is designated 13 and the non-return valve 1*4. In the unit 12 the pump is designated 15 and the non-return valve 16. Non-return valves 1*4 and 16 may be KG non¬ return valves PN 10, marketed by Ahlsell & Agren and described in their prospectus sheet for September, 1976. The orifice of connection 19 outside the lower part 1 is in a pipe socket 9 for connection to the discharge pipe 10. The connection 19 is provided with a foot 30 for application on the bottom of the lower part 1. As can be seen from the drawings, each non-return valve is provided with a flap 38 which blocks the flow in opposite direction. The unit comprising pump and non¬ return valve will be termed ' ■ pump unit" in the following. The pump unit 11 is provided with an outlet opening surrounded by a flange 17- The flange 17 and edge of the outlet opening together form a flat contact surface abutting and cooperating with the branch pipe 18 of a connection 19. The branch pipe 18 forms an inlet opening to the connection 19 and has a flat end surface cooperating with the flat surface of the pump unit at its outlet opening. At its inlet end the branch pipe 18 is also provided with a flange 20 like the outlet opening to the pump unit 11. Similarly, the pump unit 12 is connected to a branch pipe 21 also having a contact flange 22 and the pump unit 12 having a contact flange 23. Each branch pipe 18 and 21 has a stop valve 2-4 and 25, respectively. The stop valve may be a Beta sluice valve NT -1 of make Ahlsell 4 Agren. Such a sluice valve is described in prospectus AA-no.580008. An operating shaft 26 is attached to the stop valve 24 and extends to the upper part 5, and is provided at the top end with a control wheel 27. The stop valve 25 is similarly provided with control shaft 28 with wheel 29. Guides 32 and 33 are provided for the pump units. A lever 3*4, joined to the pump unit 11, cooperates with the guide 32. The guide 32 and lever 3*4 control the horizontal position of the pump unit 11. The latter unit is also provided with guide fingers 36 to control the pump unit 11 laterally. The pump unit 12 is also provided with similar guide fingers 37. Each pump unit 11 and 12 is provided with a hoisting wire 38 and 39., respectively. It is no doubt evident that the guides may be of a different length provided the function described below is fulfilled. Their upper ends might terminate at the lower side of the floor -4. The means described functions in the following manner. It is assumed that the two pump units 11 and 12 are in the positions shown in Fig.1. If one pump unit, 12, is to be inspected it need only be lifted straight up by means of the hoisting wire 39. During the first stage of lifting the lateral movement of the pump unit is controlled by the flat contact surfaces between the outlet opening of the unit 12 and the inlet opening of the branch pipe 21. The pump unit can then be moved sideways and vertical movement is controlled by the guide 33. When the pump unit 12 has reached the control room it is transported to workshop premises for service and is replaced by an identical unit fitted to the guide 33 and lowered to the lower part 1. When the pump unit approaches the branch pipe 21 the control fingers 37 will come into operation to bring the flat end surface of the unit's output opening parallel to the end surface of the inlet end of the branch pipe 21. Contact between the two flat surfaces provides adequate sealing be¬ tween the branch pipe 21 and the outlet opening of the pump unit. The two branch pipes can be opened and closed by the valves 2-4 and 25 via operating shaft 26 with its wheel 27 and via operating shaft 28 with its wheel 29. Lateral control of the pump unit when moving up and down can also be achieved by other control means, such as by arranging grooves in the guides and by inwardly directed pins or ridges arranged on the support arms of the pump units and cooperating with said grooves. The arrangement of both stop valve and non-return valve in conjunction with each pump entails considerably less piping than with known pump stations where the valves are arranged in the upper part. It is also a great advantage for the outlet pipe socket to be arranged at the bottom of the pump station as this greatly facilitates co- operating with the discharge pipe. The present invention offers a pump unit which can easily be removed for inspection and replaced by a spare pump unit. All inspection of such a pump unit can therefore be carried out in premises specially for the purpose. This avoids the pump station being used for servicing purposes for which it is unsuitable. " B URE O Pl It should be evident that the upper part 5 and floor -4 can be replaced by a lid, in which case the components arranged in the control room according to Fig.1 must of course be limited in axial extension. The two guides 32 and 33 may be pivotable about their longitudinal axes. Due to their pivoting ability they might replace the operating shafts 26 and 28, the guides then being connected to the stop valves 2*4 and 25. There are then only two rodlike units in the lower part 1. The guides 32 and 33 are used to open and close the stop valves 2-4 and 25. Another possibility is for the guides to be hollow and the operating shafts 26 and 28 for opening and closing stop valves 2-4 and 25 to be located inside the guides. To prevent the non-return valves 14 and 16 from closing with a sudden impact a force is arranged to counteract a closing movement, thus closing the non-return valve gently. The force may be provided by a spring, a hydraulic means or a member acting in the same way as the bumper on a car.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Pump station comprising an upper part (5) suitable as control room and a lower part (1) for collection of liquid, preferably waste water, by one or more pumps (13 and 15) located in said lower part, which are connected to a waste-water pipe (10) via individual valve means, in which each valve means may consist of a non-return valve (14,16) and/or a stop valve (24,25), charac¬ terised in that the waste-water pipe (10) is connected to said lower part (1) and to a connection (19) within said lower part (1), said connection (19) being provided with detachable con- nection means (17,20 and 22,23) to one or more pump units (11 and 12), each including a non-return valve (14,16), that control means (32,33, 34 and 35) are provided for controlled transfer of each pump unit (11 and 12) from attachment to the connection (19) to the upper part (5) and to attachment to the connection (19) from the upper part (5). 2. Pump station according to claim 1, characterised in that each control means (32,34 and 33,35) consists of a guide (32,33), fixed with respect to the lower part (1) and upper part (5) and cooperating with a part (34,35) displaceable along the guide (32,33), said latter part being joined to the appropriate pump unit (11,12). 3. Pump station according to claim 2, characterised in that means (36,37) are arranged to guide one of the pump units (11,12) to attachment with the connection (19). 4. Pump station according to claim 3, characterised in that said means comprise one or more tracks and elevations cooperating therewith. 5. Pump station according to claim 3, characterised in that said means comprise guide fingers (36,37) linking the appropriate pump unit (11,12) and arranged either on the pump unit (11,12) or on the connection (19). 6. Pump station according to claim 1, characterised in that the connection (19) and its pump unit (11,12) are provided with preferably flanged flat surfaces (17,20 and 22,23, respectively) for said attachment between the connection (19) and the pump unit (11,12). 7. Pump station according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connection (19) is provided with a stop valve (24,25) for each pump unit (11,12), said stop valve (24,25) being operable for said upper part (5) by means of an extended shaft (26,28), for example. 8. Pump station according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connection (19) is provided with a stop valve for all the pump units (11,12). 9. Pump station according to claim 8, characterised in that the stop valve also functions as distributor to open the communi¬ cation between one or more of the pump units (11,12) attached to the connection. 10. Pump station according to claim 2, characterised in that each guide (32,33) is pivotable about a longitudinal axis and is connected to a stop valve (24,25) so that when a guide (32,33) is turned, the stop valve (24,25) cooperating therewith will be opened or closed. 1.1. Pump station according to claims 2 and 7, characterised in that each guide (32,33) is hollow, i.e. in the form of a pipe, and contains an extended shaft (26,28) with which to adjust the cooperating stop valve (24,25). 12. Pump station according to claim 1, characterised in that each non-return valve (14,16) is provided with a member generating a force counteracting a closing movement. "BU E OMPl ιΛ^ WIPO & ATl

Inventors: MATSSON ROLF, WESTBERG CLAES, MATSSON, ROLF, WESTBERG, CLAES
Applicants: JULA BOATS SWEDEN AB
Application year: 1983
Main classification: F04D13
IPC codes: E03F5, F04D13, F04D29