A detection system and method for detecting bidirectional leakage of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of sealing performance detection, and discloses a detection system and a detection method for detecting bidirectional leakage of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system; the system comprises an air inlet device, a sealing device and a detection device; the air inlet device provides pressure-controllable and clean test gas; the sealing device is used for fixing the spherical sealing valve and simulating two sealing states of the spherical sealing valve in a high-pressure stage regulator, thereby forming two independent test gas paths; the detection device is connected to the outlet of the sealing device and is used for quantitatively or qualitatively detecting leakage gas and comprises a flow monitoring unit and a differential pressure monitoring unit; the sealing device can test the sealing performance of a ceramic ball and a poppet valve seat and the sealing performance of the ceramic ball and a valve mounting seat by replacing or adjusting a limiting structure; the application realizes component-level bidirectional sealing performance detection, improves test precision and maintenance efficiency, can identify defects before assembly, and reduces the rework rate.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of sealing performance detection, and in particular to a detection system and method for detecting bidirectional leakage of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system. BACKGROUND

[0002] The aircraft bleed air system is one of the key subsystems of a modern aero-engine, and is mainly used to extract high-temperature and high-pressure air from the compressor to provide a stable air source for air conditioning, anti-icing, and other systems. Under low-power working conditions, the high-pressure regulator maintains the stable operation of the system by controlling the pressure and flow of the 9th stage bleed air. The spherical sealing valve, as a key cutoff component, realizes airflow isolation under super-temperature and super-pressure conditions to ensure system safety. The valve usually includes a ceramic ball, a poppet valve seat, and a valve mounting seat. The ceramic ball can form a linear contact sealing pair with the poppet valve seat or the valve mounting seat under different pressure conditions, realizing bidirectional sealing function.

[0003] However, there is a lack of independent component-level sealing performance detection means for the spherical sealing valve in the prior art. For example, Chinese Invention Patent CN209606081U provides an A320 aircraft engine high-pressure bleed air valve testing device, which can only test the overall function of the bleed air valve after it is assembled to the high-pressure regulator assembly. If the test fails, it needs to be repeatedly disassembled, reassembled, and retested, which is a tedious and inefficient process. Moreover, it cannot identify defects in the valve body before assembly, resulting in high rework rate and seriously affecting maintenance efficiency and operating costs. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a special detection system and method that can evaluate the sealing performance of the spherical sealing valve under low and high pressure conditions before assembly to solve the above problems. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a detection system and method for detecting bidirectional leakage of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system, which can solve the technical problem that the prior art cannot detect the bidirectional sealing performance of the spherical sealing valve at the component level before assembly, resulting in low maintenance efficiency and high cost.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] The application provides a detection system for detecting bidirectional leakage of a spherical sealing valve in an aircraft bleed air system, the spherical sealing valve comprising a ceramic ball, a poppet valve seat and a valve mounting seat, the ceramic ball being selectively pressed against the poppet valve seat or the valve mounting seat during operation of the valve to form two different sealing pairs, the detection system comprising: an air inlet device for providing controllable and clean test air; a sealing device connected to the air inlet device, for accommodating and fixing the spherical sealing valve to be detected, and simulating two sealing states of the spherical sealing valve in a high-pressure stage regulator assembly of the aircraft bleed air system to form two independent test air paths; a detection device arranged on opposite sides of the air paths of the sealing device, for quantitatively detecting and / or qualitatively tracing the air leakage from the sealing device; wherein the detection device comprises a flow monitoring unit and a differential pressure monitoring unit, and the sealing device is configured to realize low-pressure sealing pair test between the ceramic ball and the poppet valve seat of the spherical sealing valve and high-pressure sealing pair test between the ceramic ball and the valve mounting seat by replacing or adjusting internal limiting structures.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the differential pressure monitoring unit comprises a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor; the first pressure sensor is arranged at an air inlet interface of the sealing device, and the second pressure sensor is arranged at an air outlet interface of the sealing device; the differential pressure monitoring unit is configured to calculate and display the real-time differential pressure inside and outside the sealing device according to readings of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the sealing device comprises: a sealing housing assembly comprising a first housing and a second housing which are detachably connected, and the inner cavity shape of the sealing housing assembly matches the shape of the spherical sealing valve; at least one radial limiting block arranged in the inner cavity for radially limiting the ceramic ball; and at least one axial limiting block arranged in the inner cavity for axially limiting the poppet valve seat or the valve mounting seat; wherein the first housing and / or the second housing are provided with the air inlet interface and the air outlet interface.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the flow monitoring unit is a float flow meter, and the inlet of the float flow meter is connected to the air outlet interface of the sealing device through a pipeline.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the detection device further comprises a leakage tracer unit, the leakage tracer unit being a transparent container filled with liquid, and the outlet pipeline of the float flow meter extends below the liquid level of the transparent container.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the sealing housing assembly further comprises a rubber sealing ring arranged in the sealing groove of the poppet valve seat and the valve seat, for realizing static sealing between the sealing housing assembly and the valve to be tested.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the air inlet device comprises an air source, a pressure reducing valve and an on-off valve, the air source being a high-pressure gas cylinder or a gas pump, and the air source providing compressed air or nitrogen.

[0013] The second aspect of the present application provides a detection method for detecting the bidirectional leakage amount of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system using the detection system as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0014] S1, low-pressure sealing performance test:

[0015] S10, mounting the poppet valve seat and the ceramic ball of the spherical sealing valve into the sealing device and limiting them by using the radial limiting block and the axial limiting block;

[0016] S11, connecting the air inlet device and the detection device;

[0017] S12, starting the air source and adjusting the inlet pressure to a specified low-pressure test pressure;

[0018] S13, observing and recording the stable leakage amount value and real-time pressure difference data by using the detection device;

[0019] S2, high-pressure sealing performance test:

[0020] S20, disassembling the sealing device and removing the poppet valve seat and the ceramic ball;

[0021] S21, mounting the valve seat and the ceramic ball into the sealing device and limiting them by using the axial limiting block, and then reconnecting the pipeline;

[0022] S22, starting the air source and adjusting the inlet pressure to a specified high-pressure test pressure;

[0023] S23, observing and recording the stable leakage amount value and real-time pressure difference data by using the detection device;

[0024] S3, comparing the leakage amount and pressure difference data measured in steps S1 and S2 with the standard required value to verify the bidirectional sealing performance of the spherical sealing valve.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the step S13 and the step S23 specifically comprise: reading the stable reading of the float flowmeter as a quantitative leakage flow value; and visually observing whether continuous bubbles are generated in the leakage medium unit as a qualitative leakage judgment basis.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, step S1 is preceded by a sealing device self-checking step S0: without installing the spherical sealing valve, the inner cavity of the sealing device is closed, a test pressure is introduced, and it is observed whether the leakage amount indicator of the detection device is within the specified range.

[0027] The technical solutions adopted by the present application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0028] The present application provides a detection system and method for detecting the bidirectional leakage amount of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system. The controlled clean gas is provided by the air inlet device, the sealing device can fix the spherical sealing valve and simulate its two sealing states in the high pressure stage regulator, forming two independent test gas paths, and the test mode is switched by replacing or adjusting the internal limiting structure. The detection device includes a flow monitoring unit and a differential pressure monitoring unit for quantitative or qualitative detection of the leakage gas, thereby solving the problem of being unable to detect the part-level bidirectional sealing performance of the spherical sealing valve before assembly, realizing the separate testing of the two key sealing pairs of the ceramic ball and the valve seat and the ceramic ball and the valve mounting seat, avoiding rework after the whole machine is assembled, improving the scientificity and reliability of the detection, and completing early defect identification in a laboratory environment, significantly improving the assembly success rate and maintenance efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiment or prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor.

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a detection system for detecting the bidirectional leakage amount of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0031] Figure 2 is a sectional view of the sealing device of the detection system disclosed by some embodiments of the present application in the low pressure sealing performance test stage;

[0032] Figure 3 is a sectional view of the sealing device of the detection system disclosed by some embodiments of the present application in the high pressure sealing performance test stage;

[0033] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a detection method for detecting the bidirectional leakage amount of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0034] Figure 5is a specific flow chart of low-pressure sealing performance test in the detection method disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0035] Figure 6 is a specific flow chart of high-pressure sealing performance test in the detection method disclosed by some embodiments of the present application.

[0036] in the figure:

[0037] 1. A detection system for detecting bidirectional leakage of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system.

[0038] 10. An air inlet device; 11. A sealing device; 12. A detection device; 20. A ceramic ball; 21. A poppet valve seat; 22. A valve mounting seat;

[0039] 100. An air source; 101. A pressure reducing valve; 102. An on-off valve; 110. An air inlet interface; 111. An air outlet interface; 112. A sealing shell assembly; 113. A radial limiting block; 114. An axial limiting block; 115. An inner cavity; 120. A flow monitoring unit; 121. A differential pressure monitoring unit; 122. A leakage indicating medium unit;

[0040] 1120. A first shell; 1121. A second shell; 1122. A rubber sealing ring; 1210. A first pressure sensor; 1211. A second pressure sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0042] The terms "first", "second" and the like in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second" and the like are generally of a kind, and are not limited to the number of objects, for example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / ", generally means that the front and rear associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0043] The aircraft bleed air system is one of the key subsystems of modern aero-engines, which is used to extract high-temperature and high-pressure air from the engine compressor to provide a stable air source for air conditioning, anti-icing and other airborne systems. In the low-power running state, the high-pressure regulator controls the bleed air pressure and flow rate of the 9th stage compressor to maintain the normal operation of the downstream system. The spherical sealing valve, as the core cutoff component in the system, functions to cut off the airflow path under certain working conditions, prevent the impact of over-temperature and over-pressure gas on the downstream components, and ensure the safe operation of the system.

[0044] The valve relies on the linear contact between the ceramic ball and two different mating surfaces to form a sealing pair during operation: in the low-pressure working condition, the ceramic ball is pressed against the poppet valve seat to form a first sealing pair; in the high-pressure working condition, the ceramic ball is pressed against the valve mounting seat to form a second sealing pair. The integrity of these two sealing pairs directly determines the stability and safety of the bleed air system. However, the existing technology lacks effective means for independent component-level detection of the spherical sealing valve, and usually only the overall performance test can be carried out after it is assembled into the high-pressure regulator assembly. Once the test fails, repeated disassembly and troubleshooting are required, and it is difficult to determine whether the fault is caused by the valve body defect, resulting in long maintenance cycle, high cost and low efficiency. Especially in the case of slight wear or deformation of the ceramic ball or mating sealing surface, the traditional method cannot achieve early identification, which seriously affects the assembly first-time-right rate and operational economy.

[0045] The following will combine the drawings Figure 1 to the Figure 6 , a detection system and method for detecting the bidirectional leakage of the spherical sealing valve of the aircraft bleed air system are described in detail through specific examples and their application scenarios.

[0046] Specifically, the spherical sealing valve includes a ceramic ball 20, a poppet valve seat 21, and a valve mounting seat 22. The ceramic ball 20 is selectively pressed against the poppet valve seat 21 or the valve mounting seat 22 during the operation of the valve to form two different sealing pairs.

[0047] The detection system 1 for detecting the bidirectional leakage of the spherical sealing valve of the aircraft bleed air system provided by the application comprises an air inlet device 10, a sealing device 11 and a detection device 12. The detection device 12 is arranged on the opposite sides of the air path of the sealing device 11 and comprises a flow monitoring unit 120 and a differential pressure monitoring unit 121. The sealing device 11 is configured to be capable of realizing the low-pressure sealing pair test between the ceramic ball 20 and the poppet valve seat 21 and the high-pressure sealing pair test between the ceramic ball 20 and the valve mounting seat 22 by replacing or adjusting the internal limiting structure. The sealing device 11 is connected with the air inlet device 10 through the differential pressure monitoring unit 121. The air inlet device 10 is used for providing pressure-controllable and clean test gas. The sealing device 11 is used for accommodating and fixing the spherical sealing valve to be detected and simulating two sealing states of the spherical sealing valve in the high-pressure stage regulator assembly of the aircraft bleed air system to form two independent test air paths. The detection device 12 is used for quantitatively detecting and / or qualitatively tracing the gas leakage from the sealing device 11.

[0048] Specifically, the overall structure of the detection system provided by the embodiment comprises three parts of the air inlet device 10, the sealing device 11 and the detection device 12. The two key sealing states of the spherical sealing valve in actual use can be simulated, and independent test air paths can be respectively established, so that the separate sealing performance verification of the two sealing pairs between the ceramic ball 20 and the poppet valve seat 21 and between the ceramic ball 20 and the valve mounting seat 22 can be realized. It can be understood that the stress direction and positioning mode of the ceramic ball 20 are changed by the adjustable or replaceable limiting structure, so that the ceramic ball 20 forms effective sealing contact with different mating surfaces in different test stages, and then the independent leakage evaluation under the low-pressure and high-pressure working conditions is completed. The whole detection process can be completed in a laboratory environment without relying on the whole machine assembly, which significantly improves the detection efficiency and result reliability.

[0049] Specifically, the air inlet device 10 is used to provide pressure-controllable and clean test gas. The air inlet device 10 can be suitable for compressed air or inert gas (such as nitrogen) as a test medium, and a high-pressure gas cylinder or a portable air pump can be selected as a gas source 100 to ensure stable gas output without oil and water. After the gas is adjusted to the target test pressure by the pressure reducing valve 101, the on-off valve 102 is controlled to open and close, and the gas is input into the sealing device 11. The design of the air inlet device 10 ensures the consistency and repeatability of the test conditions, and avoids impurities from entering the inside of the valve to cause secondary pollution or misjudgment. The sealing device 11 is connected with the air inlet device 10, used to accommodate and fix the ball-shaped sealing valve to be tested, and simulate two sealing states of the ball-shaped sealing valve in the high-pressure stage regulator assembly of the aircraft bleed air system. The inner cavity 115 of the sealing device 11 is designed according to the actual shape of the ball-shaped sealing valve, to ensure that the components of the valve can be accurately positioned, and the directional constraint of the ceramic ball 20 can be realized by replacing or adjusting the internal limiting structure: in one configuration, the ceramic ball 20 is pre-tightened towards the direction of the poppet valve seat 21, forming a low-pressure sealing pair test mode; in another configuration, the ceramic ball 20 is pressed towards the direction of the valve mounting seat 22, entering a high-pressure sealing pair test mode. The two test modes correspond to different gas flow paths and sealing boundaries, forming independent test gas paths to avoid cross interference.

[0050] Specifically, the flow monitoring unit 120 can be used to obtain the volume flow value of the leaked gas in real time, to realize quantitative analysis; the differential pressure monitoring unit 121 is used to monitor the pressure change of the inlet and outlet of the sealing device 11 during the test, to assist in judging the sealing stability and system response characteristics; through the joint monitoring of the two units, not only accurate leakage data can be obtained, but also transient fluctuations or nonlinear leakage behaviors can be identified, to improve the detection sensitivity.

[0051] Further, the sealing device 11 is configured to be able to realize the low-pressure sealing pair test between the ceramic ball 20 and the poppet valve seat 21 and the high-pressure sealing pair test between the ceramic ball 20 and the valve mounting seat 22 by replacing or adjusting the internal limiting structure, respectively. This design enables the same device to adapt to two completely different sealing configurations without the need for additional development of special fixtures or repeated investment in equipment. The limiting structure can adopt the form of a mechanical latch, a detachable stop block, a threaded adjusting piece, etc. according to actual needs, as long as it can effectively control the axial and radial positions of the ceramic ball 20. For example, in one embodiment, the compression direction of the ceramic ball 20 can be switched by replacing axial limiting blocks 114 of different heights; in another embodiment, the conversion between the two test modes can be automatically completed by a rotary switching mechanism, improving the convenience of lifting operation. Because the sealing defects between the ceramic ball 20 and the poppet valve seat 21 and between the ceramic ball 20 and the valve mounting seat 22 can be identified before assembly, the problems of frequent rework, difficult troubleshooting, and high maintenance costs in the prior art due to the lack of early detection means are solved, thereby achieving the technical effects of improving the first-time assembly qualification rate, shortening the maintenance cycle, and reducing operating costs. At the same time, by integrating quantitative and qualitative detection capabilities, the reliability and criterion diversity of the test results are enhanced, providing a reliable tool for quality control of aviation key components.

[0052] It can be understood that the above-mentioned parts are physically connected and signal transmitted through pipelines and interfaces. The inlet device 10 sends clean gas at a set pressure into the sealing device 11, and the gas acts on the surface of the ceramic ball 20 and tries to leak through the possible gap. If the sealing pair has defects, the gas will escape along the leakage path and enter the detection device 12 through the outlet of the sealing device 11. The flow monitoring unit 120 records the leakage amount per unit time, and the differential pressure monitoring unit 121 synchronously collects the inlet and outlet pressure difference values, which together constitute a complete performance evaluation basis. By comparing the measured data with the standard threshold value, it can be determined whether the valve meets the bidirectional sealing requirement.

[0053] Further, the differential pressure monitoring unit 121 includes a first pressure sensor 1210 and a second pressure sensor 1211; the first pressure sensor 1210 is arranged at the gas inlet interface 110 of the sealing device 11, and the second pressure sensor 1211 is arranged at the gas outlet interface 111 of the sealing device 11; the differential pressure monitoring unit 121 is configured to calculate and display the real-time differential pressure inside and outside the sealing device 11 according to the readings of the first pressure sensor 1210 and the second pressure sensor 1211.

[0054] It can be understood that the above technical scheme realizes dynamic monitoring of the pressure state of the two ends of the sealing pair in the test process by introducing a double-point pressure sensor and a real-time pressure difference calculation mechanism. The first pressure sensor 1210 is used to collect the gas pressure value before entering the sealing device 11, i.e., the upstream gas supply pressure, reflecting the actual pressure level applied to the inlet side of the sealing pair. The second pressure sensor 1211 is arranged at the gas outlet interface 111 of the sealing device 11 and is used to detect the pressure change at the outlet end of the leakage channel. The two sensors work synchronously, and the pressure signals measured by each sensor are transmitted to the data processing module. The system automatically calculates and outputs the effective pressure difference currently acting on the sealing structure based on the difference between the two, and can be presented in real time through the display screen or the upper computer interface. Specifically, the above arrangement enables the pressure environment during the test process to be accurately restored and recorded. The first pressure sensor 1210 is arranged close to the gas inlet interface 110, ensuring that it can accurately sense whether the adjusted test pressure is stable and meets the preset working condition requirements, avoiding false judgments caused by fluctuations in the pressure reducing valve 101 or pressure loss in the pipeline. The second pressure sensor 1211 is located at the gas outlet and can sensitively respond to the pressure accumulation phenomenon caused by slight leakage, especially in high-pressure sealing tests, which helps to identify the initial leakage point and the leakage development trend. The two sensors form a closed-loop pressure difference feedback system, which not only improves the controllability of the test conditions but also provides a key reference for the analysis of leakage data.

[0055] As an optional implementation, the pressure sensor used by the pressure difference monitoring unit 121 can be a high-precision diffused silicon pressure sensor with good linearity, repeatability, and temperature stability. Alternatively, pressure sensor units of the same model but different ranges can be used, such as a 0-1 MPa range sensor for low-pressure testing to improve resolution and a 0-5 MPa wide range version for high-pressure testing, thereby balancing measurement accuracy and adaptability. In addition, a smart pressure transmitter with built-in temperature compensation function can be used to eliminate the influence of environmental temperature changes on measurement results and improve the reliability of long-term operation.

[0056] Further, the sealing device 11 includes a sealing shell assembly 112, which includes a first shell 1120 and a second shell 1121 that are detachably connected, and an inner cavity 115 that matches the shape of the spherical sealing valve. At least one radial limiting block 113 is arranged in the wall of the inner cavity 115 for radial limiting of the ceramic ball 20. At least one axial limiting block 114 is arranged in the inner cavity 115 for axial limiting of the poppet valve seat 21 or the valve mounting seat 22. The first shell 1120 and / or the second shell 1121 are provided with a gas inlet interface 110 and a gas outlet interface 111.

[0057] It can be understood that the sealing device 11 realizes accurate positioning and stable clamping of the spherical sealing valve under different sealing working conditions through structural design, and ensures that the stress state of the sealing pair in the test process is true and restores the actual working condition. The device adopts a modular and detachable shell structure matched with special limiting elements, which can independently complete the bidirectional sealing performance test of the valve without relying on the high-pressure level regulator assembly.

[0058] Specifically, the sealing shell assembly 112 is composed of a first shell 1120 and a second shell 1121 by a detachable connection method, which can be threadedly connected, flange connected or quickly buckled, facilitating quick assembly and disassembly and improving detection efficiency; the inner cavity 115 formed by the two shells has a profile highly matched with the shape of the spherical sealing valve to be tested, which can effectively limit the spatial freedom of the valve as a whole and prevent it from shifting or shaking during the test. The shell material can be selected from stainless steel or other high-strength metal materials, which have good pressure resistance and anti-deformation ability and are suitable for multiple cycle tests in the low to high pressure range. The design of the inner cavity 115 not only considers the external geometric adaptation, but also reserves necessary flow channel space to ensure uniform distribution of gas and avoid local vortex affecting the leakage measurement accuracy.

[0059] Specifically, at least one radial limiting block 113 is arranged on the wall surface of the inner cavity 115 for applying circumferential constraint to the ceramic ball 20 and limiting its movement in the horizontal direction; the inner diameter of the limiting block is slightly larger than the diameter of the ceramic ball 20, which can realize light contact positioning and avoid damage or stress concentration on the surface of the ceramic ball 20 due to over-tight clamping; optionally, the surface of the limiting block can be coated with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or rubber buffer layer to reduce friction and protect the mirror surface sealing area of the ceramic ball 20. This structure ensures that the ceramic ball 20 is always in the center position during the test, ensuring the consistency of the line contact sealing between the ceramic ball 20 and the valve seat or the mounting seat;

[0060] At least one axial limiting block 114 is arranged in the inner cavity 115 for limiting the axial position of the poppet valve seat 21 or the valve mounting seat 22. According to different test requirements, the axial limiting block 114 can be replaced or adjusted to adapt to the installation depth of different components; specifically, when performing low-pressure sealing test, the axial limiting block 114 supports the poppet valve seat 21, so that the end surface of the poppet valve seat 21 accurately contacts the ceramic ball 20; while in high-pressure sealing test, the limiting structure adapted to the valve mounting seat 22 is replaced to ensure that the ceramic ball 20 is correctly pressed against the mounting seat sealing surface.

[0061] It can be understood that, due to the adoption of the detachable shell and the special limiting structure, the ceramic ball 20 always maintains the correct spatial posture during the test, improving the repeatability and reliability of the sealing contact; at the same time, by applying corresponding axial constraints to different components, the stress environment under low pressure and high pressure is truly restored, so that the measured leakage data is more representative and has engineering guiding significance. The structural design not only solves the problem that the existing technology cannot carry out bidirectional sealing detection at the component level, but also provides a feasible technical path for the development of subsequent automatic detection equipment.

[0062] Further, the flow monitoring unit 120 is a float flowmeter, and the inlet thereof is connected to the gas outlet 111 of the sealing device 11 through a pipeline.

[0063] It can be understood that, by adopting the float flowmeter as the flow monitoring unit 120 and connecting the inlet end thereof to the gas outlet 111 of the sealing device 11 through a pipeline, continuous, intuitive and quantifiable measurement of the test gas leaked from the spherical sealing valve is realized. As a classic instrument based on the balance position of the float in the conical tube reflecting the flow rate of the fluid, the float flowmeter has the advantages of simple structure, rapid response, no external power supply, low maintenance cost, etc., and is particularly suitable for small gas flow monitoring in the field operation environment.

[0064] Specifically, the flow monitoring unit 120 adopts a float flowmeter, which is a variable area flowmeter based on the constant pressure drop principle. The basic structure includes a vertical transparent conical glass tube and a float that can move freely up and down in the tube. When the gas flows upward through the conical tube, a pressure difference is generated in the annular channel between the float and the tube wall, which pushes the float upward. When the upward force on the float and its gravity reach balance, the float stabilizes at a certain height, which corresponds to the current gas flow value, which can be directly read through an external scale. The measurement range of the float flowmeter can be selected according to actual needs. In this embodiment, a small flow interval of 0-50 mL / min is selected to meet the precision requirements of micro-leakage detection of aviation-level sealing components.

[0065] As an optional implementation, the float flowmeter can also be replaced by other types of gas flow sensors, such as thermal mass flowmeters or differential pressure flowmeters, which are more advantageous in application scenarios requiring higher precision digital output or remote data acquisition. The thermal mass flowmeter is based on the heat conduction principle and can directly output the mass flow signal under standard conditions, unaffected by temperature and pressure fluctuations. The differential pressure flowmeter can realize linear output by matching with a laminar flow element, which is suitable for integration into an automatic test system.

[0066] Specifically, the sealing device 11, after completing the assembly of the spherical sealing valve to be tested and applying the test pressure, if leakage occurs, the leaked gas will flow out along the gas outlet interface 111, be introduced into the float flowmeter inlet through the connecting pipeline, and push the float to rise to the corresponding position. The operator can observe the scale value of the stable float in real time to obtain quantitative leakage data. The entire gas path is clear and smooth, ensuring the consistency and repeatability of the measurement process.

[0067] Further, the detection device 12 further comprises a leak indication medium unit 122, which is a transparent container filled with liquid, and the outlet pipeline of the float flowmeter extends below the liquid level of the transparent container.

[0068] As can be understood, through the above technical solution, the present application realizes qualitative auxiliary judgment and visual tracking of a small leakage amount. The embodiment introduces an intuitive and low-cost bubble observation mechanism on the basis of the original quantitative detection, thereby enhancing the credibility and on-site operability of the detection results.

[0069] Specifically, the leak indication medium unit 122 serves as a terminal discharge and visualization module for the leaked gas, and its core component is a transparent container filled with liquid. The container is used to receive the test gas discharged from the float flowmeter, and the visual judgment of the leakage state is realized through the phenomenon of gas bubbles formed in the liquid. The transparent material allows the operator to observe the internal situation from multiple angles, ensuring no blind area monitoring; the container capacity is moderate, which can accommodate a certain volume of liquid and maintain sufficient depth to form a stable gas-liquid interface. Specifically, the leak indication medium is pure water, which has the advantages of low cost, high safety and easy availability, and will not react with the test gas, and is suitable for common gas source environments such as compressed air or nitrogen. In other alternative embodiments, the leak indication medium can also be replaced by a low-viscosity transparent liquid (such as silicone oil or ethanol solution) to adapt to low-temperature or special gas composition application scenarios, and to improve the stability of bubble formation or prevent freezing.

[0070] As can be understood, the leak indication medium unit 122 and the float flowmeter together constitute a “quantitative + qualitative” dual detection mode; the float flowmeter provides accurate flow value output, meeting the requirements of standardized measurement; and the bubble phenomenon generated by underwater exhaust provides immediate and intuitive visual feedback, making up for the possible lag or insufficient resolution of instrument readings. The combination of the two can reliably capture even a very small amount of leakage, significantly improving the comprehensive judgment ability of the detection system.

[0071] Further, the sealing shell assembly 112 further comprises a rubber sealing ring 1122 arranged in the sealing groove of the lift valve seat 21 and the valve mounting seat 22, for realizing the static sealing between the sealing shell assembly 112 and the valve to be tested.

[0072] It can be understood that by introducing the elastic sealing structure at the mating interface of the sealed housing assembly 112 and the spherical sealing valve to be tested, the gas leakage channel of the non-test path is effectively blocked, and the leakage amount measured during the detection process truly reflects the actual sealing performance of the target sealing pair; wherein the rubber sealing ring 1122 as a key component is pre-installed in the sealing groove corresponding to the outer periphery of the valve seat 21 and the valve mounting seat 22 in the inner cavity 115 of the sealed housing assembly 112, and when the valve component to be tested is installed, the sealing ring is subjected to axial compression force and deformed radially to fill the micro gaps between the metal components and form a reliable static sealing interface.

[0073] Specifically, the rubber sealing ring 1122 is an O-ring structure, the cross section is circular, the material can be selected from fluororubber or nitrile rubber, and the rubber sealing ring 1122 has good high temperature resistance, compression permanent deformation resistance and chemical stability to compressed air or nitrogen medium.

[0074] Further, the gas inlet device 10 includes a gas source 100, a pressure reducing valve 101 and an on-off valve 102, the gas source 100 is a high-pressure gas cylinder or a gas pump, and the gas provided by the gas source 100 is compressed air or nitrogen.

[0075] Specifically, the gas inlet device 10 is used to provide stable, clean and pressure-controllable test gas to the detection system to simulate the gas input conditions under different working conditions of the aircraft bleed air system. By reasonably configuring the type of the gas source 100 and the key control elements, the safety, adjustability and applicability of the test process are comprehensively guaranteed.

[0076] The pressure reducing valve 101 is arranged at the outlet end of the gas source 100 and is used to adjust the high-pressure gas from the gas source 100 to the required test pressure range; the pressure reducing valve 101 has the functions of pressure setting, pressure stabilizing output and overpressure protection, so that the gas pressure entering the sealing device 11 is constant and meets the preset standard, and the influence of pressure fluctuation on the leakage measurement accuracy is avoided.

[0077] The on-off valve 102 is arranged upstream of the pressure reducing valve 101 and is used to control the on-off of the test gas; the operator can open and close the on-off valve 102 by manual or electromagnetic driving mode, close it before the test starts to isolate the gas path, and open it after confirming that the connection is correct. After the test is completed, the gas flow is cut off in time to prevent continuous leakage or accidental release of the gas.

[0078] The application also provides a detection method for detecting the bidirectional leakage of the spherical sealing valve of the aircraft bleed air system by using the detection system described in the above embodiments, which comprises the following steps:

[0079] S1, low-pressure sealing performance test:

[0080] S10, install the poppet valve seat and the ceramic ball into the sealing device and limit them by radial limit blocks and axial limit blocks;

[0081] Specifically, the poppet valve seat is one of the key static components in the ball seal valve, usually made of stainless steel or high-temperature alloy, with a precisely machined conical sealing structure, used to form a linear contact sealing pair with the ceramic ball under low pressure conditions. The ceramic ball, as a dynamic sealing element, has a high-precision ground surface with extremely high roundness and surface finish, which can tightly fit on the sealing surface of the poppet valve seat under pressure to achieve effective cutting. The inner cavity of the sealing device is designed as a stepped through-hole structure matching the shape of the combined component, ensuring that there is no eccentricity or inclination during assembly.

[0082] The radial limit block is arranged in the inner cavity of the sealing shell assembly, which is annular or segmented ring structure, and the material can be selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, nylon or metal elastic element, used to constrain the lateral displacement of the ceramic ball under the action of gas pressure, preventing it from deviating from the central axis and causing sealing failure. The axial limit block is arranged at the end support position of the poppet valve seat, usually in the form of a threaded pressure ring, an elastic gasket or a stepped retainer, which limits the excessive movement along the axial direction, thereby ensuring the stable transmission of the sealing pre-tightening force.

[0083] This installation method accurately simulates the sealing pair between the ceramic ball and the poppet valve seat, making the test state as close as possible to the actual working conditions in the high-pressure stage regulator assembly of the aircraft bleed air system.

[0084] S11, connect the air inlet device and the detection device;

[0085] Specifically, the air inlet device includes a gas source, a pressure reducing valve and an on-off valve. The gas source can be a high-pressure gas cylinder or a portable compressed air pump, and the output gas is clean and dry compressed air or nitrogen to avoid water or oil pollution affecting the test results. The pressure reducing valve is used to reduce the original high-pressure gas to the required test pressure range; the on-off valve controls the gas on-off, which is preferably a two-position two-way electromagnetic valve or a manual ball valve, with fast response and reliable sealing.

[0086] The detection device is connected to the gas outlet interface of the sealing device through a pressure-resistant hose, including a flow monitoring unit (such as a float flow meter) and a differential pressure monitoring unit (composed of a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor). All connection interfaces use standard quick connectors or O-ring sealed flanges to ensure good overall air tightness of the system and avoid external leakage interference with measurement accuracy.

[0087] S12, turn on the gas source and adjust the inlet pressure to the specified low pressure test pressure;

[0088] Specifically, the low-pressure test pressure is set according to the aviation industry standard, and the test is carried out under the pressure conditions of 35-36 psig and 100-101 psig respectively to ensure the sealing performance under each pressure condition; when operating, the switch valve is slowly opened first, and the pressure is gradually increased to the target value to avoid instantaneous impact causing the ceramic ball to jump or the sealing surface to be damaged. After the pressure is stable, it is maintained for not less than 60 seconds so that the system reaches a thermodynamic equilibrium state, and the subsequent reading is stable and reliable.

[0089] S13, observing and recording the stable leakage value and real-time pressure difference data by the detection device;

[0090] Specifically, the flow monitoring unit displays the volume flow rate of the gas leaked from the sealing pair in real time, and a typical device is a glass tube float flowmeter. The range can be selected according to the expected leakage rate (for example, 0-10 mL / min or 0-100 mL / min), and the minimum resolution is 1 mL / min. When the float position fluctuates less than ±2% of the full scale within 30 seconds, it is considered to reach a stable state, and the value at this time is read as the quantitative leakage.

[0091] At the same time, the differential pressure monitoring unit collects the first pressure value P1 at the gas inlet interface and the second pressure value P2 at the gas outlet interface, calculates the difference ΔP=P1-P2, and reflects the pressure drop of the front and rear ends of the sealing pair. Under normal circumstances, if the sealing is good, ΔP is close to the inlet pressure; if there is obvious leakage, ΔP is significantly reduced. This data can be used to assist in judging the leakage trend and sealing integrity.

[0092] In addition, the leak medium unit can provide qualitative criteria: immerse the outlet pipe of the float flowmeter into the liquid surface below about 10-20 mm in depth, if continuous bubbles visible to the naked eye are continuously generated, it indicates that there is a leakage phenomenon exceeding the allowable threshold, even if the flowmeter reading is low, it should also be alerted.

[0093] S2, high-pressure sealing performance test:

[0094] S20, disassemble the sealing device, remove the poppet valve seat and ceramic ball;

[0095] Specifically, after completing the low-pressure test, the gas source is closed and the residual pressure is released, the connection structure between the sealing shell assemblies is disassembled, and the tested poppet valve seat and ceramic ball are carefully taken out to avoid scratching the inner cavity or limiting structure; the old rubber sealing ring in the sealing groove is cleaned, and whether the sealing ring installation area is clean and free of foreign matter is checked, and if necessary, a new sealing ring is replaced to ensure the reliability of subsequent tests.

[0096] S21, install the valve mounting seat and ceramic ball into the sealing device, and then reconnect the pipeline after limiting them with the axial limiting block;

[0097] Specifically, during installation, the valve seat is first placed in the corresponding cavity of the sealing shell, then the ceramic ball is placed, and finally the axial limiting block is used to fix the axial position; the axial limiting block mainly bears the functions of support and limiting under this working condition, preventing the ceramic ball from moving downstream under the push of high-pressure gas and leaving the sealing position. The limiting block can be designed as a replaceable module to adapt to the structural size of different types of valves, improving the versatility of the detection device; after reconnecting the pipeline, a simple air tightness check should also be performed, and whether there is a connection leak can be preliminarily judged by observing whether the flowmeter has a non-zero reading under short-term pressure.

[0098] S22, open the gas source, and set the high-pressure test pressure according to the inlet pressure regulation value;

[0099] Specifically, high-pressure sealing performance testing also needs to be conducted under conditions of inlet pressures of 35-36 psig and 100-101 psig, respectively, to ensure its sealing performance under various pressure conditions; in actual operation, due to the high pressure level, special safety protection measures need to be taken, such as installing a pressure relief valve, setting a protective cover, and wearing safety glasses; the pressure increasing process is carried out slowly, the system response is observed, and the target pressure is reached and maintained stable for at least 90 seconds.

[0100] S23, observe and record the stable leakage value and real-time pressure difference data through the detection device;

[0101] It should be noted that under high pressure, the ceramic ball may undergo slight elastic deformation or local stress concentration, causing the original effective line contact to become surface contact or even local disconnection, so this stage is more likely to expose material defects or processing errors. Through this step, potential high-pressure sealing hazards can be effectively identified.

[0102] S3, compare the leakage and pressure difference data measured in steps S1 and S2 with the standard required values to verify the bidirectional sealing performance of the spherical sealing valve.

[0103] Specifically, the data obtained include the leakage Q1 and pressure difference ΔP1 under low-pressure testing, and the leakage Q2 and pressure difference ΔP2 under high-pressure testing; these parameters need to be compared with the pre-prepared technical specification limits.

[0104] Specifically, according to the aviation industry standards and technical specifications, the test standard is limited to:

[0105] If Q1≤5 mL / min and ΔP1≥90%, or no more than 43 bubbles per minute, then the low-pressure sealing is qualified;

[0106] If Q2≤50 mL / min and ΔP2≥85% with no continuous bubbles, then the high-pressure sealing is qualified;

[0107] Only when both tests are up to standard, the spherical sealing valve is determined to have complete bidirectional sealing capability, allowing it to enter the next assembly link.

[0108] Optionally, the comparison process can be completed manually or integrated into an automated test platform, with the upper computer software automatically collecting, storing, analyzing and generating a test report, supporting quality traceability and batch management.

[0109] Further, step S13 and step S23 specifically include: reading the stable reading of the float flowmeter as a quantitative leakage flow value; and visually observing whether the leak detection medium unit produces continuous bubbles as a qualitative leakage judgment basis.

[0110] Specifically, when the inlet pressure reaches a specified value and remains stable, the scale value corresponding to the float position in the float flowmeter is recorded at this time, which represents the gas volume flow rate leaked to the detection device through the outlet interface per unit time; the leak detection medium unit is composed of a transparent container filled with water, and the outlet pipeline of the float flowmeter is submerged below the liquid surface by a certain depth; if there is leakage in the sealing pair, gas will enter the water along the pipeline and form bubbles. If only sporadic and intermittent bubbles appear, it may be caused by the release of residual air in the system; while continuous bubble strings clearly indicate the presence of a stable leakage path; this observation method has high sensitivity, especially for small leaks, and significantly improves the reliability and anti-interference ability of the test results.

[0111] Further, step S1 further includes a detection device sealing self-checking step S0, in which the inner cavity of the sealing device is closed without installing the spherical sealing valve, a test pressure is introduced, and it is observed whether the leakage amount reading of the detection device is within a specified range.

[0112] Optionally, the specific value of the specified range can be set according to the detection accuracy requirement, or determined according to industry standards or enterprise specifications.

[0113] It can be understood that by disassembling the measured piece and constructing a closed test loop without load, combining with a controllable gas source to apply a representative pressure, and using a high-sensitivity flowmeter to monitor the background leakage level, the sealing integrity of the detection system itself is independently verified. This process essentially constitutes a pre-quality control mechanism, ensuring that the bidirectional leakage test data of the spherical sealing valve truly reflects the performance of the measured piece, rather than being affected by the leakage of the device itself, solving the technical problem of distorted test results and misjudgment of valve performance due to poor sealing of the device, and improving the detection accuracy and reliability.

[0114] It should be noted that, as used in this document, the terms "comprises" or "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0115] Further, it is to be understood that the scope of the application is not limited to the details of the above-described implementations but can be practiced with modifications within the scope of the application, which are to be understood based on the description of the application.

[0116] The above description is only specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto, any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present application, which should be covered in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A detection system for detecting the bi-directional leakage of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system, the spherical sealing valve comprising a ceramic ball, a poppet valve seat and a valve mounting seat, characterized in that, The detection system comprises: an air inlet device for providing pressure-controllable and clean test gas; a sealing device connected with the air inlet device for accommodating and fixing the spherical sealing valve to be detected; a detection device arranged on opposite sides of the air path of the sealing device for quantitatively detecting and / or qualitatively tracing the gas flow leaked from the sealing device; wherein the detection device comprises a flow monitoring unit and a differential pressure monitoring unit, and the sealing device comprises: a sealing shell assembly comprising a first shell and a second shell detachably connected, the inner cavity shape of which matches the outer shape of the spherical sealing valve; at least one radial limiting block arranged in the inner cavity for radially limiting the ceramic ball; at least one axial limiting block arranged in the inner cavity for axially limiting the poppet valve seat or the valve mounting seat; wherein the first shell and / or the second shell is provided with an air inlet interface and an air outlet interface; by changing or adjusting the position of the axial limiting block, low-pressure sealing pair test between the ceramic ball of the spherical sealing valve and the poppet valve seat and high-pressure sealing pair test between the ceramic ball and the valve mounting seat are respectively realized.

2. The detection system of claim 1, wherein, The differential pressure monitoring unit comprises a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor; the first pressure sensor is arranged at the air inlet interface of the sealing device, and the second pressure sensor is arranged at the air outlet interface of the sealing device; the differential pressure monitoring unit is configured to calculate and display the real-time differential pressure inside and outside the sealing device according to the readings of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.

3. The detection system of claim 2, wherein, The flow monitoring unit is a float flowmeter, the inlet of which is connected with the air outlet interface of the sealing device through a pipeline.

4. The detection system of claim 3, wherein, The detection device further comprises a tracer medium unit, which is a transparent container filled with liquid, and the outlet pipeline of the float flowmeter extends below the liquid surface of the transparent container.

5. The detection system of claim 2, wherein, The sealing shell assembly further comprises a rubber sealing ring arranged in the sealing groove of the poppet valve seat and the valve mounting seat for realizing the static sealing between the sealing shell assembly and the valve to be detected.

6. The detection system of claim 1, wherein, The air inlet device comprises a gas source, a pressure reducing valve and an on-off valve, the gas source is a high-pressure gas cylinder or a gas pump, and the gas provided by the gas source is compressed air or nitrogen.

7. A detection method for detecting the bidirectional leakage of a spherical sealing valve of an aircraft bleed air system using the detection system according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: S1, low-pressure sealing performance test: S10, install the poppet valve seat and the ceramic ball of the spherical sealing valve into the sealing device, and limit them by using the radial limiting block and the axial limiting block; S11, connect the air inlet device and the detection device; S12, open the gas source, and adjust the inlet pressure to a specified low-pressure test pressure; S13, observe and record the stable leakage value and real-time differential pressure data by using the detection device; S2, high-pressure sealing performance test: S20, disassemble the sealing device, and remove the poppet valve seat and the ceramic ball; S21, install the valve mounting seat and the ceramic ball into the sealing device, limit them by using the axial limiting block, and then reconnect the pipeline; S22, open the gas source, and adjust the inlet pressure to a specified high-pressure test pressure; S23, observing and recording the stable leakage value and real-time pressure difference data by the detection device; S3, comparing the leakage value and pressure difference data measured in steps S1 and S2 with the standard required value to verify the bidirectional sealing performance of the spherical sealing valve.

8. The detection method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step S13 and the step S23 specifically include: reading the stable reading of the float flowmeter as a quantitative leakage flow value; and visually observing whether continuous bubbles are generated in the leak detection medium unit as a qualitative leakage judgment basis.

9. The detection method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Before the step S1, the detection device sealing self-checking step S0 is further included: in the case that the spherical sealing valve is not installed, the inner cavity of the sealing device is closed, test pressure is introduced, and whether the leakage value of the detection device is within the specified range is observed.

Images