A continuous flow valve and engine system

Abstract

This application discloses a continuous flow valve and an engine system. The continuous flow valve includes an outlet channel for airflow, the outlet channel having an inlet and an outlet. The continuous flow valve also includes a flow regulating device and a pressure regulating device. The flow regulating device includes a flow regulating valve core and a flow control unit. The flow control unit controls the flow regulating valve core to move axially to adjust the opening of the inlet. The continuous flow valve includes a housing portion forming a cavity. The flow control unit is disposed within the cavity, and the cavity has an airflow inlet. The pressure control unit controls the pressure regulating valve core to adjust the opening of the airflow inlet. In this embodiment, the flow control device and pressure control device of the continuous flow valve share a cavity, which has advantages such as simple processing and small size.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of power system technology, specifically to a continuous flow valve and an engine system. Background Technology

[0002] The engine system includes a continuous flow valve to supply fuel gas to the engine. The continuous flow valve comprises a primary regulating mechanism and a secondary regulating mechanism. The valve includes a main valve body, with a secondary regulating structure housed within its cavity. The secondary regulating mechanism includes a secondary drive unit and a secondary valve core. The drive unit moves the secondary valve core to adjust the opening of the continuous flow valve, thereby regulating the flow rate. The continuous flow valve also includes a pressure control valve body, which is connected to the main valve body and positioned corresponding to the secondary valve core. Fuel gas enters the pressure control valve body, where the secondary drive unit controls the secondary valve core to regulate the pressure entering the pressure control valve body. The gas flow then returns from the pressure control valve body to the main valve body. This design requires both a main valve body and a pressure control valve body, resulting in higher development costs, a larger size, and greater weight. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a continuous flow valve, including an outlet channel for airflow ejection, the outlet channel including an inlet and an outlet. The continuous flow valve further includes a flow regulating device and a pressure regulating device. The flow regulating device includes a flow regulating valve core and a flow control unit. The flow control unit controls the flow regulating valve core to move axially to adjust the opening degree of the inlet. The continuous flow valve includes a housing portion forming a cavity. The flow control unit is disposed in the cavity, and the cavity is provided with an airflow inlet. The pressure control unit controls the pressure regulating valve core to adjust the opening degree of the airflow inlet.

[0004] In one specific embodiment, the flow regulating valve core moves forward to approach the jet channel or moves backward to move away from the jet channel; the flow control device is located in front of the airflow inlet.

[0005] In one specific embodiment, the pressure control unit is located inside or outside the cavity, and the pressure control unit is located behind the flow control unit.

[0006] In one specific embodiment, the flow control unit has a gap with the inner wall of the cavity, and the airflow entering the cavity from the airflow inlet can flow through the gap to the ejection channel.

[0007] In one specific embodiment, the gap formed between the flow control unit and the inner wall of the cavity is an annular gap.

[0008] In one specific embodiment, the airflow inlet is located on the side wall or rear end wall of the housing portion.

[0009] In one embodiment, the flow regulating valve moves forward to approach the ejection channel or moves backward to move away from the ejection channel; the housing includes an integral front housing and an integral rear housing distributed in a front-rear direction, the front housing and the rear housing are joined together to form the housing, and a portion of the flow control unit is located in the front housing and a portion is located in the rear housing.

[0010] In one specific embodiment, the ejection channel is located at the front end of the inner cavity of the front housing; the continuous flow valve further includes a valve stem, one end of which is connected to the flow control unit and the other end of which is connected to the valve core. Both the valve stem and the valve core are located inside the front housing and are situated between the flow control unit and the ejection channel.

[0011] In one specific embodiment, the continuous flow valve includes a Laval tube that forms the ejection channel; the front end of the inner cavity of the front housing forms a mounting cavity, and the Laval tube is inserted and fixed in the mounting cavity.

[0012] In one specific embodiment, the side wall of the front housing is provided with an opening, and the continuous flow valve further includes a cover plate covering the opening.

[0013] This application also provides an engine system, including an engine and a continuous flow valve for supplying gaseous fuel to the engine, wherein the continuous flow valve is any of the continuous flow valves described above.

[0014] The continuous flow valve in this embodiment has the following effects:

[0015] 1. Both the flow regulating device and the pressure regulating device are located in the housing. The movable space for the flow regulating valve core 32 to move and the movable space for the pressure regulating valve core to move are both part of the housing cavity. That is, the flow regulating device and the pressure regulating device share the housing cavity. Compared with the prior art, the continuous flow valve in this application occupies a smaller space volume and its shape is also conducive to its arrangement in the engine and system.

[0016] 2. Since the cavity of the shared shell is used, only one cavity mold is needed, resulting in lower development costs;

[0017] 3. The housing of the continuous flow valve is made of metal, which has high strength, and the shared cavity makes the continuous flow valve lighter.

[0018] 4. Due to the shared cavity, the continuous flow valve can have a more regular shape and lighter weight, and a more compact structure. The components of the continuous flow valve are more resistant to vibration and shock environments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the continuous flow valve in the embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A half-sectional schematic diagram of a continuous flow valve;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Axial sectional view;

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Exploded view;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the medium pressure control unit and the pressure regulating valve core.

[0024] Figure 1-5 The labels in the attached figures are as follows:

[0025] 11-Front shell; 11a-Opening; 11b-Mounting cavity; 11c-Flow channel; 111-Annular boss; 112-Step;

[0026] 12-Rear shell; 12a-Airflow inlet; 12b-Cavity; 121-Rear end wall;

[0027] 13-Cover plate;

[0028] 21-Pressure control unit; 22-Pressure regulating valve core;

[0029] 31-Flow control unit; 32-Flow regulating valve core; 33-Valve stem;

[0030] 4-Laval tube; 4a-Ejector channel; 4aa-Outlet; 4ab-Inlet;

[0031] 5-Fasteners. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 1-3 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the continuous flow valve in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A half-sectional schematic diagram of a continuous flow valve; Figure 3 for Figure 1 Axial sectional view.

[0034] like Figure 2As shown, the continuous flow valve in this embodiment can be used to supply fuel to the engine. The continuous flow valve is provided with an outlet flow channel 4a for airflow to be ejected. The outlet flow channel 4a includes an inlet 4ab and an outlet 4aa. The airflow enters from the inlet 4ab and is ejected from the outlet 4aa. Figure 2 In this embodiment, the continuous flow valve includes a housing and a Laval tube 4. The Laval tube 4 is installed inside the housing, and its cavity forms the aforementioned ejection channel 4a. The Laval tube 4 is a tube structure that first contracts and then expands. The airflow flows from the contraction section to the expansion section, and when predetermined conditions are met, supersonic airflow can be generated. Figure 2 In this process, when the airflow enters the Laval tube 4, it can be ejected at supersonic speed from the outlet 4aa, thereby providing the engine with a high-speed airflow as fuel to promote combustion. The airflow is, for example, natural gas. It can be seen that the ejection channel 4a of the continuous flow valve is not limited to being formed by a Laval tube, but can also be a channel with other structural forms.

[0035] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 3 The continuous flow valve also includes a flow regulating device, which comprises a flow regulating valve core 32 and a flow control unit 31. In this embodiment, the flow control unit 31 is specifically a motor actuator. The flow regulating device also includes a valve stem 33. The output end of the motor actuator is connected to one end of the valve stem 33, and the other end of the valve stem 33 is connected to the flow regulating valve core 32. The flow regulating valve core 32 and the valve stem 33 can be an integral structure or a separate structure. The motor actuator can control the flow regulating valve core 32 to move axially and insert into the ejection channel 4a, thereby adjusting the opening degree of the inlet 4ab of the ejection channel 4a. The opening degree can vary between fully closed and fully shut, thereby continuously regulating the flow rate of the airflow to the ejection channel 4a.

[0036] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 3 and combined Figure 4 , 5 understand, Figure 4 for Figure 1 Exploded view; Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the intermediate pressure control unit 21 and the pressure regulating valve core 22.

[0037] The continuous flow valve in this embodiment also includes a pressure regulating device, which includes a pressure control unit 21 and a pressure regulating valve core 22. As mentioned above, the continuous flow valve includes a housing portion forming a cavity. The aforementioned flow control unit 31 and flow regulating valve core 32 are both disposed within the cavity. The housing portion also has an airflow inlet 12a, through which airflow can enter the cavity of the housing portion. The pressure regulating valve core 22 is disposed at the position of the airflow inlet 12a. The pressure control unit 21 can control the operation of the pressure regulating valve core 22, thereby adjusting the opening of the airflow inlet 12a and controlling the gas flow rate into the cavity to regulate the pressure of the fluid within the cavity.

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown, the pressure regulating valve core 22 is specifically a valve plate, and the pressure control unit 21 is a motor actuator. The output end of the motor actuator is connected to the valve plate, and the motor actuator can drive the valve plate to rotate, thereby adjusting the opening degree of the airflow inlet 12a.

[0039] In this embodiment, the flow regulating valve core 32 moves axially. Moving towards the ejection channel 4a is defined as forward movement, and moving away from the ejection channel 4a is defined as backward movement. The terms "forward" and "backward" in this document are defined accordingly. Figure 2 , 3 As shown, the flow control unit 31 is located on the front side of the airflow inlet 12a, that is, the flow control unit 31 and the airflow inlet 12a are distributed along the front and rear. Figure 3 In the flow control unit 31, there is a gap between it and the rear end wall 121 of the housing, forming a cavity 12b. Airflow enters the cavity 12b through the airflow inlet 12a, then flows to the position of the valve stem 33, and then reaches the position of the flow regulating valve core 32 and the inlet 4ab of the ejection channel 4a. After the stroke from back to front, the airflow direction at the inlet 4ab of the ejection channel 4a is approximately parallel to the outlet 4aa. This prevents turbulence and disturbance near the inlet 4ab of the ejection channel 4a, thereby reducing airflow fluctuations in the continuous flow valve and improving the control accuracy of the product.

[0040] like Figure 4As shown, the airflow inlet 12a is located on the side wall of the housing. The valve plate, which serves as the pressure regulating valve core 22, is located at the airflow inlet 12a on the side wall. As the valve plate rotates, the direction of airflow entry changes accordingly. Since the flow control unit 31 is located in front of the airflow inlet 12a within the cavity of the housing, the cavity 12b serves as the main cavity for regulating the pressure after the airflow enters. The airflow can be buffered and pressurized within the cavity 12b, gradually flowing forward towards the ejection channel 4a in a relatively stable manner. It should be noted that the airflow inlet 12a can also be located in other positions within the housing. For example, the airflow inlet 12a can also be located on the rear end wall 121 of the housing. The pressure regulating valve core 22 can also adopt other adjustment methods. For example, the pressure regulating valve core 22 can still be a valve plate. The pressure control unit 21 can control the valve plate to move horizontally to adjust the opening of the airflow inlet 12a, thereby controlling the airflow to enter axially. This ensures that the airflow remains horizontal with the ejection channel 4a when entering the cavity of the housing, which is more conducive to the stability of the airflow.

[0041] In this embodiment, the pressure control unit 21 can be located inside the cavity or outside the cavity, or as follows: Figure 4 As shown, part of the pressure control unit 21 is located inside the cavity and part is located outside the cavity, corresponding to the position of the pressure regulating valve core 22. The pressure control unit 21 is also located behind the flow control unit 31. The pressure control unit 21 is located outside the cavity, which facilitates installation, debugging, maintenance and other operations. It can also be selected whether to be assembled into the cavity of the housing according to the actual space design requirements of the housing.

[0042] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 3 In this embodiment, the flow control unit 31 has a gap with the inner peripheral wall of the cavity, specifically an annular gap. This allows the airflow entering the cavity of the housing from the airflow inlet 12a (specifically, the cavity 12b portion of the housing) to flow through the gap to the ejection channel 4a. This fully utilizes the cavity of the housing, eliminating the need for a dedicated flow channel for airflow, and the airflow also helps to remove the heat generated by the flow control unit 31. To form the annular gap, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the inner wall of the housing is provided with an annular boss 111 extending along the axial direction. A part of the flow control part 31 is inserted into the annular boss 111 for positioning and is fastened to the inner wall of the housing along the axial direction by fasteners 5. In this way, the flow control part 31 is fixed in the cavity along the axial direction, thereby forming an annular gap with the inner peripheral wall of the cavity.

[0043] like Figure 3As shown, the housing portion in this embodiment includes an integral front housing 11 and an integral rear housing 12 distributed along the front-to-back direction. The front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 are joined together to form the housing portion. A portion of the flow control unit 31 is located in the front housing 11, and a portion is located in the rear housing 12. The housing portion is formed by the separate joining of the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12, which facilitates the installation of internal components such as the flow control unit 31 and the valve stem 33, and also simplifies manufacturing. Figure 3 As shown, the front shell 11 has a stepped structure, including a large-diameter section and a small-diameter section. The large-diameter section is used to install the flow control unit 31 to meet the installation space requirements of the flow control unit 31. The small-diameter section can be designed to be small in size, which can reduce weight and make it easier to arrange in space. A step 112 is formed between the large-diameter section and the small-diameter section. The aforementioned annular boss 111 is formed at the junction of the large-diameter section and the small-diameter section. The flow control unit 31 is fixed to the inner wall of the step 112 by fasteners 5.

[0044] Combination Figure 2 It is understood that the annular boss 111 and the flow control unit 31 cooperate to form a flow channel 11c on the wall of the front shell 11 so that the airflow can enter the cavity of the small diameter section of the front shell 11 through the flow channel 11c. Figure 3 The blank arrows indicate the airflow path. It can be seen that the airflow path is not limited to this. For example, the housing part can also be set with a constant diameter, and the airflow flows out from the gap between the flow control part 31 and the housing part and then flows directly into the position of the ejection channel 4a along the axial direction.

[0045] Continue to refer to Figure 3 In this embodiment, the front end of the inner cavity of the front shell 11 has a mounting cavity 11b, which is integrally formed during processing. The aforementioned Laval tube 4 can be installed into the mounting cavity 11b, either by press-fitting, fastening with fasteners 5, or by welding. A sealing element can be provided between the Laval tube 4 and the inner peripheral wall of the mounting cavity 11b to maintain a seal. The valve stem 33 and the flow regulating valve core 32 are both located in the inner cavity of the front shell 11, and are situated between the flow control unit 31 and the ejection channel 4a.

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, the side wall of the front housing 11 has an opening 11a, and the continuous flow valve also includes a cover plate 13 covering the opening 11a. The cover plate 13 is provided here to facilitate the assembly and adjustment of the positions of the flow regulating valve core 32, valve stem 33, and Laval pipe 4, and also to facilitate disassembly, observation, and maintenance.

[0047] The continuous flow valve in this embodiment operates on the following principle:

[0048] The airflow enters the cavity 12b through the airflow inlet 12a, then flows forward through the annular gap between the flow control unit 31 and the housing, and flows through the flow channel 11c into the cavity where the valve stem 33 is located, and then flows into the inlet 4ab of the Laval pipe 4.

[0049] The pressure in the cavity of the continuous flow valve is controlled by the pressure control unit. After the air pressure at the inlet 4ab of the Laval tube 4 and the back pressure at the outlet 4aa reach the critical pressure ratio, a sonic flow can be formed in the Laval tube 4. At this time, the back pressure fluctuation at the outlet 4aa of the continuous flow valve no longer affects the flow rate at the outlet 4aa. Under these circumstances, the flow rate of the continuous flow valve changes with the airflow parameters (such as pressure, density and temperature) at the inlet 4ab of the Laval tube 4.

[0050] The continuous flow valve can also be equipped with a logic controller (not shown in the figure). Both the pressure control unit 21 and the flow control unit 31 can be connected to the logic controller. The logic controller can also acquire the gas pressure signal to output execution commands to the pressure control unit 21 and the flow control unit 21. The pressure control unit 21 controls the pressure regulating valve core 22 to adjust the opening of the airflow inlet 12a to control the pressure to the target pressure. At the same time, the logic controller can stabilize the flow rate at the outlet 4aa of the continuous flow valve by correcting the density and temperature of the airflow.

[0051] The continuous flow valve in this embodiment has the following effects:

[0052] 1. Both the flow regulating device and the pressure regulating device are located in the housing section. The movable space for the flow regulating valve core 32 to move and the movable space for the pressure regulating valve core to move are both part of the housing section cavity. That is, the flow regulating device and the pressure regulating device share the housing section cavity. Figure 3 As shown, the continuous flow valve has a regular shape, with the housing portion extending mainly along the axial direction. Compared with the prior art solutions, the continuous flow valve in this embodiment occupies a smaller volume and its shape is also conducive to its arrangement in the engine and system.

[0053] 2. Since the cavity of the shared shell is used, only one cavity mold is needed, resulting in lower development costs;

[0054] 3. The housing of the continuous flow valve is made of metal, which has high strength, and the shared cavity makes the continuous flow valve lighter.

[0055] 4. Due to the shared cavity, the continuous flow valve can have a more regular shape and lighter weight, with a compact structure. The components of the continuous flow valve have better resistance to vibration and shock environments.

[0056] Furthermore, since the pressure control device of the continuous flow valve is located behind the flow control device, the flow control device is not limited by the size of the flow control device. The axial dimension of the flow control device can be as short as possible. For example, the valve stem 33 can be set to be shorter, which is conducive to achieving the goal of shorter response time and higher response accuracy. It is also conducive to achieving a more compact structural design of the continuous flow valve.

[0057] It is understood that in the above embodiments, the airflow inlet 12a is located on the rear side of the flow control device, and a cavity 12b for airflow entry is formed between the flow control part 31 of the flow control device and the rear end wall 121 of the housing part. It is also understood that the cavity 12b may not be provided, for example, it may be located on the side wall corresponding to the flow control part 31, and the airflow directly enters the annular gap. Alternatively, the airflow inlet 12a may be located at any position in the cavity of the housing part, as long as it shares the cavity with the flow control part, the technical effects described in 1-4 above can be achieved. Of course, as mentioned above, setting it on the rear side of the flow control device is beneficial to the shortening design of the valve stem 33 compared to setting it on the front side.

[0058] This application also provides an engine system, which includes an engine and a continuous flow valve as described in any of the above embodiments. The airflow output by the continuous flow valve is used to supply fuel gas to the engine. The beneficial effects are the same as those in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated.

[0059] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A continuous flow valve, characterized in that, The system includes an ejection channel for airflow, the ejection channel having an inlet and an outlet. The continuous flow valve further includes a flow regulating device and a pressure regulating device. The flow regulating device includes a flow regulating valve core and a flow control unit, the flow control unit controlling the flow regulating valve core to move axially to adjust the opening of the inlet. The continuous flow valve includes a housing portion forming a cavity, the flow control unit being disposed within the cavity, and the cavity having an airflow inlet. The pressure regulating device includes a pressure control unit and a pressure regulating valve core, the pressure control unit controlling the pressure regulating valve core to adjust the opening of the airflow inlet. The flow regulating valve core moves forward to approach the jet channel or moves backward to move away from the jet channel; the flow control unit is located in front of the airflow inlet; The flow control unit has a gap with the inner wall of the cavity, and the airflow entering the cavity from the airflow inlet can flow through the gap to the ejection channel; The housing portion includes an integral front shell and an integral rear shell distributed in a front-rear direction. The front shell and the rear shell are joined together to form the housing portion. A portion of the flow control unit is located in the front shell and a portion is located in the rear shell.

2. The continuous flow valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure control unit is located inside or outside the cavity, and the pressure control unit is located behind the flow control unit.

3. The continuous flow valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gap formed between the flow control unit and the inner wall of the cavity is an annular gap.

4. The continuous flow valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airflow inlet is located on the side wall or rear end wall of the housing.

5. The continuous flow valve according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The ejection channel is located at the front end of the inner cavity of the front housing; the continuous flow valve also includes a valve stem, one end of which is connected to the flow control unit and the other end of which is connected to the valve core. Both the valve stem and the valve core are located inside the front housing and are positioned between the flow control unit and the ejection channel.

6. The continuous flow valve according to claim 5, characterized in that, The continuous flow valve includes a Laval tube that forms the ejection channel; the front end of the inner cavity of the front housing forms a mounting cavity, and the Laval tube is inserted and fixed in the mounting cavity.

7. The continuous flow valve according to claim 5, characterized in that, The front housing has an opening on its side wall, and the continuous flow valve also includes a cover plate that covers the opening.

8. An engine system comprising an engine and a continuous flow valve for supplying gaseous fuel to said engine, characterized in that, The continuous flow valve is the continuous flow valve according to any one of claims 1-7.

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