Water-abrasive-suspension cutting system and method for water-abrasive-suspension cutting

Abstract

A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility (1) includes a high-pressure source (3) for providing (301) water at a high pressure, a high-pressure conduit (5) which is connected to the high pressure source (3), a pressure tank (11) for providing (303) an abrasive agent suspension (13) which is at a high pressure, a lock chamber (21) which is designed to temporarily be at a high pressure and temporarily at a low pressure and a refilling valve (19) for refilling (311) the pressure tank (11) from the lock chamber (21). A delivery aid (45) is fluid-connected to the pressure tank (11) at the suction side in a manner such that given high pressure in the lock chamber (21), the delivery aid is cable of sucking an abrasive agent suspension out of the lock chamber (21) through the refilling valve (19) into the pressure tank (11).

1 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility, comprising:
 a high-pressure source for providing water at a high pressure;   a high-pressure conduit connected to the high pressure source;   a pressure tank for providing an abrasive agent suspension at the high pressure;   a lock chamber configured to temporarily be at the high pressure and temporarily at a low pressure;   a refilling valve for refilling the pressure tank from the lock chamber; and   a delivery aid is fluid-connected to the pressure tank at a suction side such that given the high pressure in the lock chamber, the delivery aid is a position of sucking the abrasive agent suspension out of the lock chamber through the refilling valve into the pressure tank.   
     
     
         2 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility according to  claim 1 , wherein a delivery aid shut-off valve is arranged between the delivery aid and the lock chamber. 
     
     
         3 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility according to  claim 2 , wherein the delivery aid shut-off valve is a needle valve. 
     
     
         4 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility according to  claim 1 , wherein the delivery aid is fluid-connected at the delivery side to an upper region of the lock chamber. 
     
     
         5 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility according to  claim 1 , wherein the delivery aid is fluid-connected at the suction side to an upper region of the pressure tank. 
     
     
         6 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility according to  claim 1 , wherein the delivery aid comprises a low-pressure part and a high-pressure part. 
     
     
         7 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility according to  claim 6 , wherein the high-pressure part comprises an impeller. 
     
     
         8 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility according to  claim 7 , wherein the impeller is inductively drivable by the low-pressure part. 
     
     
         9 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility according to  claim 7 , wherein the impeller is drivable via a shaft which extends from the low-pressure part to the high-pressure part. 
     
     
         10 . A water-abrasive suspension cutting facility according to  claim 6 , wherein the high-pressure part comprises a piston, the piston being drivable by the low-pressure part. 
     
     
         11 . A method for water-abrasive suspension cutting, the method comprising the following steps:
 providing water at a high pressure in a high-pressure conduit by a high-pressure source;   providing an abrasive agent suspension at a high pressure, in a pressure tank;   cutting a material by a high-pressure jet which at least partly comprises the abrasive agent suspension, while removing the abrasive agent suspension out of the pressure tank;   filling a lock chamber with abrasive agent, the lock chamber being at a low pressure;   pressurizing the lock chamber to the high pressure; and   refilling the pressure tank with the abrasive agent from the lock chamber which is at the high pressure, into the pressure tank amid at least temporal sucking of the abrasive agent suspension into the pressure tank by a delivery aid.   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising shutting-off the delivery aid from the lock chamber by a delivery aid shut-off valve, the delivery aid shut-off valve being a needle valve. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein filling the lock chamber, pressurizing the lock chamber and refilling the pressure tank are carried out successively and cyclically during the cutting of the material.