Power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve capable of counteracting negative pressure

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of vacuum breaking valves, in particular to a power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaking valve capable of offsetting negative pressure, which comprises a valve body, a valve, a valve seat, a piston mechanism, a tension spring, a driving mechanism and an intelligent control unit. And the force of the negative pressure of the flow channel acting on the valve is effectively counteracted by the reverse air pressure on the piston group, so that the driving load is greatly reduced. And secondly, the driving mechanism and the intelligent control unit are adopted for cooperative work, the opening degree of the valve can be accurately adjusted according to real-time airflow data, controllable switching between rapid exhaust and slow air inlet is achieved, response is rapid, and control is accurate. And the driving mechanism adopts a power-loss safety design, so that the valve is immediately reset to a full-open state under the action of a tension spring during power failure, vacuum can be automatically destroyed under abnormal conditions, siphon backflow is prevented, the safety of a water pump system is ensured, and optimal control of linkage with the water pump is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vacuum breaker valve technology, and more particularly to a power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve that counteracts negative pressure. Background Technology

[0002] Siphon flow channels are an important structural form in large pumping station systems, and their safe operation depends on the effective control of vacuum breaker valves. Vacuum breaker valves are installed near the hump of the siphon outlet flow channel to quickly disrupt the siphon effect when the pumping station stops or malfunctions, preventing backflow and avoiding major safety accidents such as water hammer and impeller runoff.

[0003] To prevent siphoning, a vacuum breaker valve is typically installed at the high point of the flow path. Traditional vacuum breaker valves are mainly divided into two categories: Mechanical vacuum breaker valves: These valves open automatically based on the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the flow channel. They have a simple structure and require no external power source. However, their disadvantages include low response sensitivity, lag in opening and closing, inability to perform remote monitoring and status diagnosis, and reliability relying on the precision of mechanical components.

[0004] Electric / pneumatic vacuum breaker valves: These valves control the opening and closing of the air inlet via solenoid or pneumatic valves. While they allow for remote control and status feedback, they generally suffer from a serious safety hazard: power failure. When the control system loses power or the control circuit malfunctions, the valve may fail to open as needed, thus losing its siphon breaker function and potentially leading to a safety accident.

[0005] Meanwhile, traditional vacuum breaker valves all have the following problems in use: 1. Under negative pressure, the valve exerts excessive pressure on the sealing surface, causing premature aging and damage of the seals, resulting in air leakage. 2. Because it is necessary to overcome the negative pressure (-50~-60Kpa), a large force (2 tons~3 tons) is required to open the valve; 3. The existing valves only have two states, on and off, which cannot meet the requirements of rapid exhaust and slow intake of a single inlet / outlet.

[0006] Therefore, how to design a vacuum breaker valve that can achieve intelligent control, rapid response, and reliable opening even under extreme conditions such as power failure is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a safe intelligent vacuum breaker valve that integrates low driving force, intelligent control, and power failure safety features. During normal operation, this valve can perform precise and rapid active control based on real-time airflow data. In the event of power failure or control system malfunction, it can automatically enter a safe opening state, fundamentally eliminating safety hazards caused by power failure.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a power failure safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure. The power failure safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure includes a valve body, a valve, a valve seat, a piston mechanism, a tension spring, a drive mechanism, and an intelligent control unit. The valve seat has a flow channel interface on its side and a flow channel opening at the center of its top. The valve body is installed on the outside of the top of the valve seat. Openings are provided on both sides of the valve body. The drive mechanism is installed on the top of the valve body. The piston mechanism includes a piston rod and a piston assembly. A piston cylinder is provided inside the valve body. The piston rod is slidably arranged inside the piston cylinder. The top end of the piston rod is connected to the output end of the drive mechanism. The bottom end of the piston rod is connected to the valve and extends to the outside of the valve. The lower part of the piston rod is hollow. An air hole is provided at the top end of the hollow section of the piston rod. The air hole communicates with the inner cavity of the piston cylinder. The piston assembly is arranged between the outside of the piston rod and the inner wall of the piston cylinder. The tension spring is located on the outer side of the lower half of the piston cylinder, the top end of the tension spring is connected to the valve body, and the bottom end of the tension spring is connected to the valve. The intelligent control unit is electrically connected to the drive mechanism, and the intelligent control unit is used to control the operation of the drive mechanism; the drive mechanism is a power-loss-safe drive unit.

[0009] The piston assembly includes a first piston and a second piston spaced apart along the axial direction of the piston rod. The first piston is located at the upper part of the piston rod, and the second piston is located at the middle part of the piston rod. The piston cylinder is a stepped cylinder body adapted to the first piston and the second piston.

[0010] The diameter of the first piston is smaller than that of the second piston, and the first piston slides in conjunction with the upper small-diameter section of the piston cylinder, while the second piston slides in conjunction with the lower large-diameter section of the piston cylinder.

[0011] The drive mechanism comprises a ball screw servo motor, a ball screw, a ball screw nut, and a rotary encoder. The output shaft of the ball screw servo motor is coaxially connected to one end of the ball screw. The ball screw nut is sleeved on the ball screw and fixedly connected to the top end of the piston rod. The rotary encoder is mounted on the ball screw servo motor and is used to detect the rotation angle or number of rotations of the ball screw servo motor and transmit the detection signal to the intelligent control unit.

[0012] The intelligent control unit includes a control panel and an air direction and volume sensor, and the control panel is electrically connected to the drive mechanism and the rotary encoder. The control panel is used to receive operation commands input by the user, display the position information of the valve fed back by the rotary encoder, and display the working status of the drive mechanism and the valve. The air direction and volume sensor is installed on the side wall of the valve body, between the two openings of the valve body, and above the flow channel opening of the valve seat; The air direction and flow rate sensor is electrically connected to the control panel and is used to monitor the airflow direction and flow rate through the opening in real time, and transmit the collected airflow data to the control panel in real time. The control panel sends control commands to the drive mechanism based on the airflow data and preset control logic to precisely adjust the opening degree and timing of the valve.

[0013] The valve seat is provided with a sealing element at its top end, and the sealing element is located outside the flow channel opening.

[0014] Specifically, the drive mechanism is a power-loss-safe drive unit, meaning that when the ball screw servo motor is in a power-loss state, the helical pair between the ball screw and the ball screw nut can rotate freely under the action of external force, so that the ball screw nut can move freely along the axis of the ball screw, thereby releasing the locking of the piston rod. The piston rod and the valve move upward under the tension of the tension spring until the valve moves to the fully open position.

[0015] This invention discloses a power-loss-safe intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure, comprising a valve body, a valve, a valve seat, a piston mechanism, a tension spring, a drive mechanism, and an intelligent control unit. Through the pressure balance design of the piston mechanism, the force of negative pressure acting on the valve in the flow channel is effectively offset by the reverse air pressure on the piston assembly, thereby significantly reducing the drive load. Secondly, by employing the drive mechanism and the intelligent control unit in tandem, the valve opening can be precisely adjusted according to real-time airflow data, achieving controllable switching between rapid exhaust and slow intake, with rapid response and precise control. Furthermore, the drive mechanism adopts a power-loss-safe design; in the event of a power failure, the valve immediately returns to the fully open state under the action of the tension spring, ensuring automatic vacuum breaking even in abnormal situations, preventing siphon backflow, protecting the water pump system, and achieving optimal control in conjunction with the water pump. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the power failure safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve that counteracts negative pressure provided by the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the power failure safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve that counteracts negative pressure provided by the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This invention provides Figure 2 A magnified view of the local structure at point A.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the control logic of the power failure safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve that counteracts negative pressure provided by the present invention.

[0021] 101-Valve body, 102-Valve, 103-Valve seat, 104-Tension spring, 105-Flow channel interface, 106-Flow channel port, 107-Piston rod, 108-Piston cylinder, 109-Air port, 110-First piston, 111-Second piston, 112-Ball screw servo motor, 113-Ball screw, 114-Ball screw nut, 115-Rotary encoder, 116-Control panel, 117-Air direction and volume sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0023] Please see Figures 1 to 3 This invention provides a power failure safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure. The power failure safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure includes a valve body 101, a valve 102, a valve seat 103, a piston mechanism, a tension spring 104, a drive mechanism, and an intelligent control unit. The valve seat 103 has a flow channel interface 105 on its side and a flow channel opening 106 at the center of its top. The valve body 101 is mounted on the outside of the top of the valve seat 103. The valve body 101 has openings on both sides. The drive mechanism is mounted on the top of the valve body 101. The piston mechanism includes a piston rod 107 and a piston assembly. A piston cylinder 108 is disposed inside the valve body 101. The piston rod 107 is slidably disposed inside the piston cylinder 108. The top end of the piston rod 107 is connected to the output end of the drive mechanism. The bottom end of the piston rod 107 is connected to the valve 102 and extends to the outside of the valve 102. The lower part of the piston rod 107 is hollow. An air hole 109 is disposed at the top end of the hollow section of the piston rod 107. The air hole 109 communicates with the inner cavity of the piston cylinder 108. The piston assembly is disposed between the outside of the piston rod 107 and the inner wall of the piston cylinder 108. The tension spring 104 is located on the outer side of the lower half of the piston cylinder 108. The top end of the tension spring 104 is connected to the valve body 101, and the bottom end of the tension spring 104 is connected to the valve 102. The intelligent control unit is electrically connected to the drive mechanism, and the intelligent control unit is used to control the operation of the drive mechanism; the drive mechanism is a power-loss-safe drive unit.

[0024] In this embodiment, the air pressure balance design of the piston mechanism effectively counteracts the negative pressure acting on the valve 102 by the reverse air pressure on the piston assembly, thereby significantly reducing the drive load. Secondly, by employing the drive mechanism in conjunction with the intelligent control unit, the opening of the valve 102 can be precisely adjusted based on real-time airflow data, enabling controllable switching between rapid exhaust and slow intake, with rapid response and precise control. Furthermore, the drive mechanism adopts a power-loss-safe design; in the event of a power outage, the valve 102 immediately returns to its fully open state under the action of the tension spring 104, ensuring automatic vacuum breaking in abnormal situations, preventing siphon backflow, protecting the water pump system, and achieving optimal control in conjunction with the water pump.

[0025] Furthermore, the piston assembly includes a first piston 110 and a second piston 111 spaced apart along the axial direction of the piston rod 107. The first piston 110 is located at the upper part of the piston rod 107, and the second piston 111 is located at the middle part of the piston rod 107. The piston cylinder 108 is a stepped cylinder body adapted to the first piston 110 and the second piston 111.

[0026] Wherein, the diameter of the first piston 110 is smaller than the diameter of the second piston 111, and the first piston 110 is in sliding engagement with the upper small-diameter section of the piston cylinder 108, and the second piston 111 is in sliding engagement with the lower large-diameter section of the piston cylinder 108.

[0027] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned double-piston stepped cylinder structure utilizes the difference in pressure-bearing area of ​​the large and small pistons on cylinder sections of different diameters to form a compensating force opposite to the direction of negative pressure in the flow channel. This effectively counteracts most of the negative pressure load acting on the valve 102, thereby significantly reducing the output force required by the drive mechanism and fundamentally improving the response speed, control accuracy, and overall reliability of the valve 102.

[0028] Furthermore, the drive mechanism comprises a ball screw servo motor 112, a ball screw 113, a ball screw nut 114, and a rotary encoder 115. The output shaft of the ball screw servo motor 112 is coaxially connected to one end of the ball screw 113. The ball screw nut 114 is sleeved on the ball screw 113 and is fixedly connected to the top end of the piston rod 107. The rotary encoder 115 is mounted on the ball screw servo motor 112 and is used to detect the rotation angle or number of rotations of the ball screw servo motor 112 and transmit the detection signal to the intelligent control unit.

[0029] Furthermore, the intelligent control unit includes a control panel 116 and an air direction and volume sensor 117, wherein the control panel 116 is electrically connected to the drive mechanism and the rotary encoder 115; The control panel 116 is used to receive operation commands input by the user and display the position information of the valve 102 fed back by the rotary encoder 115, and at the same time display the working status of the drive mechanism and the valve 102; The air direction and volume sensor 117 is installed on the side wall of the valve body 101 and is located between the two openings of the valve body 101 and above the flow channel opening 106 of the valve seat 103. The air direction and volume sensor 117 is electrically connected to the control panel 116 and is used to monitor the airflow direction and flow rate through the opening in real time, and transmit the collected airflow data to the control panel 116 in real time. The control panel 116 sends control commands to the drive mechanism based on the airflow data and preset control logic to precisely adjust the opening degree and opening and closing timing of the valve 102.

[0030] In this embodiment, the air direction and volume sensor 117 continuously monitors the airflow status, and the control panel 116 dynamically adjusts the opening of the valve 102 based on real-time data and preset logic, thereby intelligently matching the needs of rapid exhaust and slow air intake during pump start-up and shutdown. At the same time, the human-machine interface of the control panel 116 provides status monitoring and parameter setting functions, enabling the valve 102 to have automated operation, process visualization and remote manageability, comprehensively improving the intelligence level and ease of operation of the system.

[0031] Furthermore, a sealing element (not shown in the figure) is provided at the top of the valve seat 103, and the sealing element is located outside the flow channel 106.

[0032] In this embodiment, the sealing element is provided outside the flow port 106 at the top of the valve seat 103, which can achieve a reliable seal directly at the shut-off interface of the airflow channel.

[0033] Furthermore, the drive mechanism being a power-off safe drive unit specifically means that when the ball screw servo motor 112 is in a power-off state, the helical pair between the ball screw 113 and the ball screw nut 114 can rotate freely under the action of external force, so that the ball screw nut 114 can move freely along the axial direction of the ball screw 113, thereby releasing the lock on the piston rod 107; The piston rod 107 and the valve 102 move upward under the tension of the tension spring 104 until the valve 102 moves to the fully open position.

[0034] In this embodiment, the ball screw 113 automatically loses its self-locking capability upon power failure, allowing the valve 102 to be quickly and reliably reset to the fully open safe position solely by the energy stored in the tension spring 104 under zero external power conditions. This passive safety mechanism completely eliminates the risk of the valve 102 failing to open due to control system failure or power interruption, ensuring absolute reliability of the vacuum break function under any extreme operating conditions.

[0035] Please see Figure 4 The power failure safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure of the present invention executes corresponding control strategies according to different operating conditions of the pump station system, specifically including the following working modes: 1. Pumping operation: Pump start-up procedure: The intelligent control unit first controls the drive mechanism to raise valve 102 to its highest position, making the vacuum valve fully open, and air is quickly discharged through the openings on both sides of valve body 101. The control unit simultaneously starts timing and reads the exhaust flow data collected by the air direction and volume sensor 117; after the timing reaches the preset time m seconds, if the exhaust volume is detected to have decreased significantly, the control unit controls valve 102 to descend to the middle opening position to adjust the exhaust process; finally, when the cumulative timing reaches m seconds or the total exhaust volume meets the set requirements, the control unit controls valve 102 to completely close, completing the exhaust control during the start-up process.

[0036] Pump shutdown procedure: Upon receiving a shutdown command, the intelligent control unit controls valve 102 to move to the intermediate opening position, allowing external air to slowly enter the flow channel at a controlled rate, preventing the pump from reversing too quickly due to excessive air intake. The control unit continuously monitors the air intake flow rate; after a timer reaches m seconds and the air intake volume stabilizes or drops to a set threshold, it controls valve 102 to move to the fully open position, ensuring complete pressure balance inside and outside the flow channel.

[0037] 2. Power generation conditions: Power generation start-up: Before the generator set is started, the intelligent control unit directly controls the valve 102 to close in order to maintain the flow channel seal and meet the siphon conditions required for power generation operation.

[0038] Power generation shutdown: When the generator set stops, the intelligent control unit immediately controls the valve 102 to fully open, quickly breaking the vacuum and preventing water backflow or water hammer.

[0039] 3. Emergency shutdown and power failure safety: In the event of a complete power outage or emergency failure: When a complete power outage occurs, the control circuit is interrupted, or an emergency stop signal is received, the ball screw servo motor 112 in the drive mechanism loses power, and the ball screw 113 pair immediately releases its self-locking. At this time, under the continuous tension of the tension spring 104, the valve 102 is forcibly pulled upwards, causing the ball screw nut 114 to rotate freely along the ball screw 113 until the valve 102 quickly reaches the fully open position. This process is entirely driven by the mechanical structure and spring energy storage, requiring no external power or control signal, ensuring that the valve 102 can be reliably opened under any abnormal circumstances, achieving passive safety protection.

[0040] In summary, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Low driving force of the switching valve: When the valve 102 is closed, the intelligent drive unit only needs to overcome the elastic force of the tension spring 104; when the valve is open, since the negative pressure force on the valve 102 is completely canceled out by the piston mechanism and the tension spring 104, only the servo needs to be released, which reduces the driving force required to open the valve.

[0041] Controllable sealing preload: The sealing force of the valve 102 no longer relies on a large and uncontrollable negative pressure, but is achieved through the precise displacement and driving force of the drive mechanism, which ensures sealing reliability and improves the life of the sealing element.

[0042] Dual safety features: It integrates two mechanisms: "intelligent active control" and "passive safety in case of power failure". Regardless of whether the control system is normal or not, as long as there is a situation that requires the siphon to be disrupted, valve 102 can be reliably opened, ensuring extremely high safety.

[0043] Rapid and precise response: Through real-time monitoring by the air direction and volume sensor 117 and high-speed processing by the intelligent control unit, the response speed is much faster than that of the traditional mechanical valve 102.

[0044] Small and reliable structure with low power consumption: The tower-shaped structure is small in size and easy to maintain. Under normal pressure holding conditions, the valve 102 only needs to keep the ball screw servo motor 112 powered, resulting in low power consumption.

[0045] Intelligent and information-based: The air direction and volume sensor 117 is installed and an integrated communication module is used to realize remote monitoring, fault early warning and data recording, which facilitates system management and maintenance.

[0046] The above description discloses only one preferred embodiment of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes of the above embodiments can be implemented, and equivalent changes made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure, characterized in that, The device includes a valve body, a valve, a valve seat, a piston mechanism, a tension spring, a drive mechanism, and an intelligent control unit. The valve seat has a flow channel interface on its side and a flow channel opening at the center of its top. The valve body is mounted on the outside of the top of the valve seat. The valve body has openings on both sides. The drive mechanism is mounted on the top of the valve body. The piston mechanism includes a piston rod and a piston assembly. A piston cylinder is provided inside the valve body. The piston rod is slidably arranged inside the piston cylinder. The top end of the piston rod is connected to the output end of the drive mechanism. The bottom end of the piston rod is connected to the valve and extends to the outside of the valve. The lower part of the piston rod is hollow. An air hole is provided at the top end of the hollow section of the piston rod. The air hole communicates with the inner cavity of the piston cylinder. The piston assembly is arranged between the outside of the piston rod and the inner wall of the piston cylinder. The tension spring is located on the outer side of the lower half of the piston cylinder, the top end of the tension spring is connected to the valve body, and the bottom end of the tension spring is connected to the valve. The intelligent control unit is electrically connected to the drive mechanism, and the intelligent control unit is used to control the operation of the drive mechanism; the drive mechanism is a power-loss-safe drive unit.

2. The power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The piston assembly includes a first piston and a second piston spaced apart along the axial direction of the piston rod. The first piston is located at the upper part of the piston rod, and the second piston is located at the middle part of the piston rod. The piston cylinder is a stepped cylinder body adapted to the first piston and the second piston.

3. The power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The diameter of the first piston is smaller than that of the second piston, and the first piston slides in fit with the upper small-diameter section of the piston cylinder, while the second piston slides in fit with the lower large-diameter section of the piston cylinder.

4. The power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The drive mechanism consists of a ball screw servo motor, a ball screw, a ball screw nut, and a rotary encoder. The output shaft of the ball screw servo motor is coaxially connected to one end of the ball screw. The ball screw nut is sleeved on the ball screw and fixedly connected to the top end of the piston rod. The rotary encoder is mounted on the ball screw servo motor and is used to detect the rotation angle or number of rotations of the ball screw servo motor and transmit the detection signal to the intelligent control unit.

5. The power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The intelligent control unit includes a control panel and an air direction and volume sensor, and the control panel is electrically connected to the drive mechanism and the rotary encoder; The control panel is used to receive operation commands input by the user, display the position information of the valve fed back by the rotary encoder, and display the working status of the drive mechanism and the valve. The air direction and volume sensor is installed on the side wall of the valve body, between the two openings of the valve body, and above the flow channel opening of the valve seat; The air direction and flow rate sensor is electrically connected to the control panel and is used to monitor the airflow direction and flow rate through the opening in real time, and transmit the collected airflow data to the control panel in real time. The control panel sends control commands to the drive mechanism based on the airflow data and preset control logic to precisely adjust the opening degree and timing of the valve.

6. The power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The valve seat is provided with a sealing element at its top end, and the sealing element is located outside the flow channel opening.

7. The power-loss safety intelligent vacuum breaker valve for offsetting negative pressure as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The drive mechanism is a power-loss safe drive unit, specifically meaning that when the ball screw servo motor is in a power-loss state, the helical pair between the ball screw and the ball screw nut can rotate freely under the action of external force, so that the ball screw nut can move freely along the axis of the ball screw, thereby releasing the lock on the piston rod. The piston rod and the valve move upward under the tension of the tension spring until the valve moves to the fully open position.

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