Dual-redundant electric valve actuator and device thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses a dual-redundant electric valve actuator and a device having the same. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator includes an output shaft, an electric actuator, a self-locking actuator, a harmonic gear, and a manual actuator. The electric actuator includes a drive motor and planetary gears. The planetary gears include an internal gear ring, a sun gear, and multiple pinions. The sun gear and the pinions are all located inside the internal gear ring, and the pinions are arranged along the outer periphery of the sun gear. The pinions mesh with both the internal gear ring and the sun gear. The drive motor is driven by the sun gear. The self-locking actuator includes a meshing worm gear and a worm shaft. The worm gear is coaxially arranged with and fixedly connected to the internal gear ring. The harmonic gear is driven by the planetary gears and is coaxially fixed to the output shaft. The manual actuator includes a handwheel, which is driven by the worm shaft. This invention solves the problems of low operating efficiency and short service life of existing electric actuators.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of electric valve technology, specifically relating to a dual-redundant electric valve actuator and a device having the same. Background Technology

[0002] Marine butterfly valves are a crucial component in ballast water systems. Their primary function is to control the flow of fluid in ballast water pipelines.

[0003] While some electric actuators for butterfly valves exist in the current technology, their structures are generally bulky. Furthermore, existing electric actuators suffer from low operating efficiency and short service life. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dual-redundant electric valve actuator and a device having the same, so as to solve the problems of low execution efficiency and short service life of electric actuators in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of this application, a dual-redundant electric valve actuator is provided, comprising:

[0006] Output shaft;

[0007] An electric component, comprising a drive motor and planetary gears, wherein the planetary gears include an internal gear ring, a sun gear and a plurality of pinions, wherein the sun gear and the plurality of pinions are all disposed inside the internal gear ring, the plurality of pinions are arranged along the outer periphery of the sun gear, the pinions mesh with both the internal gear ring and the sun gear, and the drive motor is drivenly connected to the sun gear;

[0008] The self-locking assembly includes a turbine and a worm gear that mesh with each other, wherein the turbine is coaxially arranged with the internal gear ring and is fixedly connected to the internal gear ring;

[0009] Harmonic gears, which are connected to planetary gears and are coaxially fixed to the output shaft; and

[0010] A manual component, the manual component including a handwheel, the handwheel being connected to the worm gear drive.

[0011] Furthermore, the electric component includes a transmission gear assembly, through which the drive motor and the sun gear are connected.

[0012] Furthermore, the transmission gear assembly includes a motor gear, a first gear, and a second gear. The motor gear is fixedly mounted on the motor shaft of the drive motor, the second gear is coaxially fixed with the sun gear, and the first gear meshes with both the motor gear and the second gear.

[0013] Furthermore, the manual assembly also includes a transmission component, with a third gear on the handwheel and a fourth gear on the worm gear, the third gear and the fourth gear being connected by the transmission component.

[0014] Furthermore, the transmission component includes a fifth gear and a sixth gear, the fifth gear meshing with the third gear, and the sixth gear meshing with both the fifth gear and the fourth gear.

[0015] Furthermore, a seventh gear is provided on the output shaft, and the dual-redundant electric valve actuator also includes a reduction gearbox. The reduction gearbox is provided with a first spur gear, a second spur gear, and a third spur gear. The first spur gear meshes with the seventh gear, and the second spur gear is disposed between the first spur gear and the third spur gear and meshes with the first spur gear and the third spur gear, respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, the dual-redundant electric valve actuator also includes a potentiometer, which is mounted on the third spur gear.

[0017] Furthermore, both the third spur gear and the seventh gear are backlash-free gears.

[0018] Furthermore, the dual-redundant electric valve actuator also includes a housing, which encloses a mounting cavity;

[0019] The input end of the output shaft is located inside the mounting cavity, and the output end extends outside the housing;

[0020] The electric component, the self-locking component, the harmonic gear, the reduction gearbox, and the self-locking component are all disposed within the mounting cavity;

[0021] The manual assembly, excluding the handwheel, is installed inside the mounting cavity.

[0022] On the other hand, this application also discloses an apparatus, which is a ship or aircraft, and the apparatus includes the aforementioned dual-redundant electric valve actuator.

[0023] By applying the technical solution of this invention, the dual-redundant electric valve actuator of this invention can achieve dual-redundant control by setting planetary gears. When the drive motor fails, it can operate manually, which can improve the reliability and service life of the dual-redundant electric valve actuator. At the same time, the dual-redundant electric valve actuator is equipped with a self-locking component, which can improve the stability of the entire structure. Through the action of harmonic gears, the transmission ratio of the dual-redundant electric valve actuator can also be improved, thereby improving the execution efficiency of the dual-redundant electric valve actuator of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the dual-redundant electric valve actuator disclosed in the embodiments of this application after removing the outer casing;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the output shaft and the gearbox disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gearbox structure disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the dual-redundant electric valve actuator disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0030] 10. Output shaft; 11. Seventh gear; 20. Electric assembly; 21. Drive motor; 22. Planetary gear; 221. Internal gear ring; 222. Sun gear; 223. Pinion; 23. Transmission gear assembly; 231. Motor gear; 232. First gear; 233. Second gear; 30. Self-locking assembly; 31. Turbine; 32. Worm gear; 321. Fourth gear; 40. Harmonic gear; 50. Manual assembly; 51. Handwheel; 511. Third gear; 52. Transmission component; 521. Fifth gear; 522. Sixth gear; 60. Gearbox; 61. First spur gear; 62. Second spur gear; 63. Third spur gear; 70. Potentiometer; 80. Housing. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and are not to a precise scale, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] It should be noted that, in order to clearly illustrate the content of this invention, several embodiments are provided to further explain different implementations of the invention. These embodiments are enumerated rather than exhaustive. Furthermore, for the sake of brevity, content mentioned in the preceding embodiments is often omitted in the following embodiments. Therefore, content not mentioned in the later embodiments can be referred to in the preceding embodiments.

[0033] See Figures 1 to 4 As shown, according to an embodiment of this application, a dual-redundant electric valve actuator is provided. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator includes an output shaft 10; an electric component 20 includes a drive motor 21 and a planetary gear 22. The planetary gear 22 includes an internal gear ring 221, a sun gear 222, and a plurality of pinions 223. The sun gear 222 and the plurality of pinions 223 are all disposed inside the internal gear ring 221. The plurality of pinions 223 are arranged along the outer periphery of the sun gear 222. The pinions 223 mesh with both the internal gear ring 221 and the sun gear 222. The drive motor 21 is drivenly connected to the sun gear 222; a self-locking component 30 includes a meshing worm gear 31 and a worm shaft 32. The worm gear 31 is coaxially arranged with the internal gear ring 221 and fixedly connected to the internal gear ring 221; a harmonic gear 40 is drivenly connected to the planetary gear 22 and is coaxially fixed to the output shaft 10; a manual component 50 includes a handwheel 51, which is drivenly connected to the worm shaft 32.

[0034] In practical use, the dual-redundant electric valve actuator in this embodiment can realize both manual and electric control functions, as detailed below:

[0035] When electrically controlled: the drive motor 21 works and can drive the sun gear 222 to rotate. At this time, the internal gear ring 221 of the planetary gear 22 is locked by the self-locking function of the worm gear 31 and the worm shaft 32. The harmonic gear 40 drives the output shaft 10 to rotate under the drive of the planetary gear 22.

[0036] In manual control: The handwheel 51 is driven to rotate by external force. The rotation of the handwheel 51 drives the worm gear 32, the worm 31, the internal gear ring 221, and the harmonic gear 40 to rotate, which in turn drives the output shaft 10 to rotate. During this process, the sun gear 222 of the planetary gear 22 is fixed by the self-locking function of the drive motor 21.

[0037] As can be seen from the above structure, the dual-redundant electric valve actuator of the present invention can achieve dual-redundant control by setting planetary gears 22. When the drive motor 21 fails, it can operate by manual control, which can improve the reliability and service life of the dual-redundant electric valve actuator. At the same time, the dual-redundant electric valve actuator is equipped with a self-locking component 30, which can improve the stability of the entire structure. Through the action of the harmonic gear 40, the transmission ratio of the dual-redundant electric valve actuator can also be increased, which can improve the execution efficiency of the dual-redundant electric valve actuator in this embodiment.

[0038] Furthermore, the electric component 20 in this embodiment also includes a transmission gear assembly 23, which enables the drive connection between the drive motor 21 and the sun gear 222. Specifically, the transmission gear assembly 23 includes a motor gear 231, a first gear 232, and a second gear 233. The motor gear 231 is fixedly mounted on the motor shaft of the drive motor 21, and the second gear 233 is coaxially fixed with the sun gear 222. The first gear 232 meshes with both the motor gear 231 and the second gear 233. When the drive motor 21 is working, the motor gear 231 rotates, which drives the first gear 232, the second gear 233, and the sun gear 222 to rotate, thereby driving the harmonic gear 40 to drive the output shaft 10 to rotate.

[0039] Furthermore, the manual component 50 in this embodiment also includes a transmission component 52. A third gear 511 is provided on the handwheel 51, and a fourth gear 321 is provided on the worm gear 32. The third gear 511 and the fourth gear 321 are connected by the transmission component 52. Specifically, the transmission component 52 includes a fifth gear 521 and a sixth gear 522. The fifth gear 521 meshes with the third gear 511, and the sixth gear 522 is disposed between the fifth gear 521 and the fourth gear 321 and meshes with both the fifth gear 521 and the fourth gear 321. Applying force to the handwheel 51 causes it to rotate, which drives the third gear 511, the fifth gear 521, the sixth gear 522, the fourth gear 321, the worm gear 32, the worm 31, and the internal gear ring 221 to rotate, thereby driving the harmonic gear 40 to drive the output shaft 10 to rotate.

[0040] Furthermore, the dual-redundant electric valve actuator in this embodiment also includes a reduction gearbox 60 and a potentiometer 70. A seventh gear 11 is mounted on the output shaft 10. The reduction gearbox 60 contains a first spur gear 61, a second spur gear 62, and a third spur gear 63. The first spur gear 61 meshes with the seventh gear 11. The second spur gear 62 is positioned between the first spur gear 61 and the third spur gear 63 and meshes with both. The potentiometer 70 is mounted on the third spur gear 63. Optionally, both the third spur gear 63 and the seventh gear 11 are backlash-free gears. In actual operation, the rotation angle of the output shaft 10 can be detected by the potentiometer 70. Since the third spur gear 63 and the seventh gear 11 are backlash-free gears in this embodiment, the detection accuracy of the potentiometer 70 can be improved.

[0041] This invention fully utilizes the dual-input principle of the planetary gear 22, using either the sun gear 222 or the internal gear ring 221 for fixing, to achieve two inputs and one total output, thereby solving the dual redundancy problem.

[0042] The dual-redundant electric valve actuator of this invention can achieve a large transmission ratio design and high torque output. In actual setup, the transmission ratio of the transmission gear assembly 23 is 4-8, the planetary gear 22 is 4, and the harmonic gear 40 is 120, resulting in an electric transmission ratio of over 1920 for the entire actuator. The manual drive transmission ratio is still very large, with the worm gear 31 and worm shaft 32 having a transmission ratio of 60, and the harmonic gear 40 having a transmission ratio of 120. A reverse reduction ratio can also be designed to limit the overall reduction ratio of the manual transmission.

[0043] To improve the integration of the dual-redundant electric valve actuator in this embodiment, the actuator also includes a housing 80, which forms a mounting cavity. During actual installation, the input end of the output shaft 10 is located inside the mounting cavity, while the output end extends outside the housing 80. Correspondingly, the electric component 20, the self-locking component 30, the harmonic gear 40, the reduction gearbox 60, and the self-locking component 30 are all housed within the mounting cavity. The manual component 50, except for the handwheel 51, is also installed within the mounting cavity. This arrangement allows the entire dual-redundant electric valve to be contained within the housing 80, protecting the main structure of the actuator, improving the overall integration, resulting in a small size, light weight, and long service life (the entire design weighs less than 20 kg). Different parts can be easily inspected and replaced, allowing for long-term application on ships or aircraft. Furthermore, the design concept can be applied to different product series.

[0044] On the other hand, this application also provides a device, which can be a ship, an aircraft or other structure. The device includes the dual-redundant electric valve actuator in the above embodiments. Therefore, the device includes all the technical effects of the dual-redundant electric valve. Since the technical effects of the dual-redundant electric valve have been described in detail above, they will not be repeated here.

[0045] As can be seen from the above description, the embodiments of this application achieve the following technical effects:

[0046] 1. The dual-redundancy electric valve actuator of the present invention makes full use of the dual-input end principle of planetary gears, and uses the sun gear to fix or the gear ring to fix, so as to realize two inputs and one total output, thereby solving the dual-redundancy problem.

[0047] 2. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator of the present invention can achieve a large transmission ratio design and high torque output.

[0048] 3. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator of the present invention has high integration, small size, light weight, long service life and high detection accuracy.

[0049] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0050] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A dual-redundant electric valve actuator, characterized in that, include: Output shaft (10); An electric component (20) includes a drive motor (21) and a planetary gear (22). The planetary gear (22) includes an internal gear ring (221), a sun gear (222), and a plurality of pinions (223). The sun gear (222) and the plurality of pinions (223) are all disposed inside the internal gear ring (221). The plurality of pinions (223) are arranged along the outer periphery of the sun gear (222). The pinions (223) mesh with both the internal gear ring (221) and the sun gear (222). The drive motor (21) is drivenly connected to the sun gear (222). The self-locking assembly (30) includes a turbine (31) and a worm gear (32) that mesh with each other. The turbine (31) is coaxially arranged with the internal gear ring (221) and fixedly connected to the internal gear ring (221). Harmonic gear (40), which is connected to the planetary gear (22) for transmission, and which is coaxially fixed to the output shaft (10); and Manual assembly (50), the manual assembly (50) including a handwheel (51), the handwheel (51) being drivenly connected to the worm gear (32); The manual assembly (50) also includes a transmission component (52), a third gear (511) is provided on the handwheel (51), a fourth gear (321) is provided on the worm gear (32), and the third gear (511) and the fourth gear (321) are connected by the transmission component (52). The transmission component (52) includes a fifth gear (521) and a sixth gear (522). The fifth gear (521) meshes with the third gear (511), and the sixth gear (522) meshes with both the fifth gear (521) and the fourth gear (321).

2. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electric component (20) includes a transmission gear assembly (23), through which the drive motor (21) and the sun gear (222) are connected.

3. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The transmission gear assembly (23) includes a motor gear (231), a first gear (232), and a second gear (233). The motor gear (231) is fixedly mounted on the motor shaft of the drive motor (21). The second gear (233) is coaxially fixed with the sun gear (222). The first gear (232) meshes with both the motor gear (231) and the second gear (233).

4. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output shaft (10) is provided with a seventh gear (11), and the dual-redundant electric valve actuator also includes a reduction gearbox (60). The reduction gearbox (60) is provided with a first spur gear (61), a second spur gear (62) and a third spur gear (63). The first spur gear (61) meshes with the seventh gear (11), and the second spur gear (62) is disposed between the first spur gear (61) and the third spur gear (63) and meshes with the first spur gear (61) and the third spur gear (63) respectively.

5. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The dual-redundant electric valve actuator also includes a potentiometer (70), which is mounted on the third spur gear (63).

6. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the third spur gear (63) and the seventh gear (11) are backlash-free gears.

7. The dual-redundant electric valve actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The dual-redundant electric valve actuator also includes a housing (80), which encloses a mounting cavity; The input end of the output shaft (10) is located inside the mounting cavity, and the output end extends outside the housing (80); The electric component (20), the self-locking component (30), the harmonic gear (40), the gearbox (60), and the self-locking component (30) are all disposed within the mounting cavity; The manual assembly (50), excluding the handwheel (51), is installed in the mounting cavity.

8. An apparatus, said apparatus being a ship or an aircraft, characterized in that, The device includes the dual-redundant electric valve actuator as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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