CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of European Application 19 196 967.4, filed Sep. 12, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is directed to a valve system, and both a piping manifold and a pump system equipped with such a valve system. The valve system is particularly useful for high flow circulation pump systems comprising a plurality of multi-stage circulation pumps arranged in parallel to each other, e.g. in form of booster systems.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

The demand for a certain minimum water pressure at multi-story buildings like hotels, offices or other large buildings at all times of the day may require one or more pressure-boosting systems to raise incoming municipal water pressure to sufficiently serve upper floors. Booster systems typically contain one or more powerful multi-stage circulation pumps and related accessories and controls.

Until the early 1990s, pressure regulator valves were typically used to control booster system pressure. Many times, these pump systems operated all pumps at maximum speed and “bled off” excess pressure to reach the desired output. This was quite inefficient in terms of energy consumption. The more energy-efficient option is to design a booster system that ramps up the optimal number of pumps to the optimal speed for meeting the specific demand.

Modern booster systems therefore integrate multiple multi-stage pumps with variable frequency drive-controlled motors, along with software that adjusts pump speed and the number of pumps in operation to meet frequently changing system demand. These systems are designed to deliver the minimal pump output necessary to achieve optimal performance. This means that not all pumps of a booster system run at the same time or at the same speed. Some of the pumps may be idle while others are running.

The parallel connection of the pumps of such a booster system to a piping thus requires that currently running pumps do not pump “backwards” through currently idle pumps. This may be achieved by installing a non-return valve, e.g. a check valve, at each pump. Furthermore, for each pump a shut-off valve is required at the inlet side as well as at the outlet side to allow maintenance and/or disassembling of a pump while the other pumps remain operational. The at least three required valves per pump typically use up significant space for installing the booster system. Furthermore, each of the valves adds a certain pipe resistance which reduces the efficiency of the booster system.

SUMMARY

It is thus an object of the present disclosure to provide a valve system for equipping a piping manifold for connecting a pump system that allows installing the booster system with less space consumption. Moreover, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide for a more efficient flow from the pumps into the piping, i.e. providing a valve system inducing less pipe resistance.

A valve system, piping manifold and pump system according to the present disclosure allows for a smaller and more efficient booster system.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a valve system is provided that is fluidly connectable to a pump system comprising at least one pump assembly being fluidly connectable to a pipe. The valve system comprises at least one valve comprising a pipe section of the pipe, wherein the pipe section defines a primary flow direction. The at least one valve further comprises a valve opening in the pipe section, a valve seat and a valve body, wherein the valve opening, the valve seat and the valve body define a common valve axis extending transversely to the primary flow direction. The at least one valve further comprises an operating element arranged at the pipe section diametrically opposite from the valve opening, wherein the operating element is configured to control the valve body for selectively operating in a check-valve mode, in which the valve body is movable along the valve axis to open the valve opening upon a fluid flow from the valve opening towards the valve body, and wherein the operating element is configured to control the valve body for selectively operating in a shut off-valve mode, in which the valve body is fixed against the valve seat to close the valve opening for any fluid flow direction.

The at least one valve thereby combines both the functionality of a check-valve and the functionality of a shut-off valve in order to save space. The pipe section being part of the valve further saves space.

Optionally, the at least one valve may further comprise a pump connection being connectable to the at least one pump assembly, wherein the valve seat is an integral part of the pump connection. This is also beneficial in terms of space consumption and to reduce the diversity of parts.

Optionally, the at least one valve may further comprise a valve control shaft extending along the valve axis and operatively connecting the operating element and the valve body. The valve control shaft may thus transversely cross the pipe section, so that it should preferably be as thin as possible for least flow resistance, but stable enough for operating the valve body.

Optionally, the operating element may be configured to determine the position of the valve control shaft along the valve axis. Strictly speaking, only in the shut off-valve mode the operating element unambiguously determines the position of the valve control shaft along the valve axis, i.e. the valve body is fixed against the valve seat to close the valve opening for any fluid flow direction. In the check-valve mode, the operating element allows for a defined range of axial movability of the valve body along the valve axis, so that the exact position of the valve control shaft along the valve axis also depends on the flow direction. The range of axial movability is, however, at least the maximum opening position, determined by the operating element. A fluid flow from the valve opening towards the valve body pushes the valve body into the maximum opening position, which is determined by the operating element. A fluid flow from the valve body towards the valve opening pushes the valve body against the valve seat.

Optionally, the valve body may be movably coupled to the valve control shaft to move along the valve axis in a range between an opening position and a closing position in the check-valve mode, wherein the position of the valve control shaft along the valve axis determines the range.

Optionally, the range is zero in an end position of the valve control shaft so that the valve body is fixed in the closing position in the shut off-valve mode.

Optionally, the operating element may comprise an adjustment wheel manually rotatable about the valve axis to determine a range between an opening position and a closing position of the valve body. The adjustment wheel may comprise thread for positioning the valve control shaft along the valve axis.

Optionally, the valve body may have a drop-like shape with a first surface portion having a normal vector with a component facing the valve opening and a second surface portion having a normal vector with a component facing away from the valve opening. Optionally, the first surface portion may be convex and the second surface portion is concave. Optionally, the second surface portion may be longer in direction of the valve axis than the first surface portion. Such a drop-like shape significantly reduces the flow resistance induced by the valve.

Optionally, the pipe section may comprise an insertion opening diametrically opposite from the valve opening, wherein the insertion opening has a larger diameter than the valve body. This is particularly advantageous to allow for a quick and easy assembly of the valve system. Furthermore, if need be, inner parts of the valve can be easily replaced without disassembling the piping manifold as a whole.

Optionally, the operating element may be configured to control the valve body for selectively operating in an always open-valve mode, in which the valve body is fixed in an opening position to open the valve opening for any fluid flow direction. This is particularly advantageous for using the valve system at the inlet side of the booster pump system. At the inlet side, only the shut-off mode is required, so that no movability of the valve body relative to the valve control shaft is needed. For those valves of the valve system at the inlet side, the valve body may therefore be fixed to the valve control shaft along the valve axis. The position of the valve control shaft deter-mined by the operating element therefore unambiguously determines whether the valve is open or closed, independent of the flow direction.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a piping manifold is provided comprisinga pipe, anda valve system as described above with at least two valves,

wherein the pipe section of each valve forms an integral part of the pipe. Preferably, the number of valves corresponds to the number of pumps of the booster pump system which the piping manifold is sup-posed to be used for.

Optionally, the pipe may extend essentially straight along the primary flow direction and the valve axes of the at least two valves are arranged in parallel to each other. This allows for a very compact setup.

Optionally, the at least two valves may be evenly distributed along the pipe with the same distance to each other in the primary flow direction.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a pump system is provided comprisingat least two pump assemblies,a common outlet pipe, wherein the pump assemblies are fluidly connected in parallel to each other to the common outlet pipe, anda first valve system as described above with at least one first valve for each pump assembly,

wherein the pipe section of each first valve forms a part of the com-mon outlet pipe.

Optionally, the pump system may further comprise a common inlet pipe and a second valve system, wherein the pump assemblies are fluidly connected in parallel to each other to the common inlet pipe, wherein the second valve system comprises at least one second valve for each pump assembly, wherein the at least one second valve comprises a pipe section, wherein the pipe section of each second valve defines a primary flow direction and forms a part of the common inlet pipe.

Optionally, the at least one second valve may further comprise a valve opening in the pipe section, a valve seat and a valve body, wherein the valve opening, the valve seat and the valve body define a common valve axis extending transversely to the primary flow direction, wherein the at least one second valve further comprises an operating element arranged at the pipe section diametrically opposite from the valve opening, wherein the operating element is configured to control the valve body for selectively operating in an always open-valve mode, in which the valve body is fixed in an opening position to open the valve opening for any fluid flow direction, and wherein the operating element is configured to control the valve body for selectively operating in a shut off-valve mode, in which the valve body is fixed against the valve seat to close the valve opening for any fluid flow direction. Thus, the second valve system at the inlet side therefore differs from the first valve system at the outlet side by not comprising a check-valve mode, but an always open-mode in-stead.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

