Intelligent central butterfly valve

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of fluid control, in particular to an intelligent center type butterfly valve which comprises a valve shell and an adjusting handle installed on the valve shell, a replaceable valve seat and a valve controlled by the adjusting handle are installed in the valve shell, and a lateral connecting seat protruding outwards is arranged on the arc-shaped face of the outer side of the valve shell. And an external sealing housing is fixed at the opening position of the outer side of the lateral connecting seat through a bolt. According to the intelligent center type butterfly valve, the replaceable valve seat is adopted, the valve seat can be independently replaced after being abraded, and the later maintenance cost is reduced; the fluid state is monitored in real time through the embedded intelligent regulation and control module, and intelligent control is achieved; and through a multi-stage transmission structure of the internal transmission control module, the transmission precision and the operation stability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fluid control technology, and in particular to an intelligent central butterfly valve. Background Technology

[0002] The center-type butterfly valve, also known as the center-line butterfly valve, is the most basic and widely used soft-seal butterfly valve. Its valve stem axis, the center of the butterfly plate, and the center line of the valve body are completely coincident. The butterfly plate rotates around the central axis within the range of 0° to 90°. The seal is achieved by the compression and fit between the butterfly plate and the elastic valve seat. It has the characteristics of simple structure, easy opening and closing, low flow resistance, and low manufacturing cost.

[0003] Center-type butterfly valves are mainly used for media shut-off and flow regulation in pipeline systems. They rely on rotating butterfly plates to change the flow area, quickly controlling the flow and volume of fluid. They are widely used in low-pressure, normal-temperature applications such as water treatment, HVAC, petroleum, chemical, metallurgy, light industry, and municipal water supply and drainage. They are suitable for media such as clean water, sewage, air, general gases, and oils, and are commonly used valves for fluid control in industrial and civil applications.

[0004] Due to structural and sealing limitations, center-type butterfly valves have significant drawbacks in use: the butterfly plate and valve seat are squeezed and scraped throughout the entire process, resulting in rapid wear of the sealing surface, short service life, and the only way to replace them is by replacing the entire valve, leading to high operating costs in the long run; at the same time, they cannot be quickly replaced according to different operating conditions, which greatly limits their applicable scenarios; and because they lack an effective intelligent control module, their use in high-end and complex operating conditions is also limited. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is that the butterfly plate and valve seat are squeezed and scraped throughout the process, resulting in rapid wear of the sealing surface and short service life. The only way to replace it is to replace the whole, which leads to high cost in the later use. At the same time, it is not possible to quickly replace the structure according to different operating conditions, which makes its applicable scenarios very limited. Moreover, the lack of an effective intelligent control module limits its use in high-end and complex operating conditions.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: an intelligent center-type butterfly valve, including a valve body and an adjusting handle installed on the valve body. A replaceable valve seat and a valve controlled by the adjusting handle are installed inside the valve body. The outer arc surface of the valve body has an outwardly protruding lateral connecting seat. An external sealing cover is bolted to the outer opening position of the lateral connecting seat. An internal transmission control module that is pulsatorically connected to the adjusting handle is provided inside the lateral connecting seat and the external sealing cover. An embedded intelligent control module is installed inside the replaceable valve seat on both sides of the valve.

[0007] The valve is movably assembled with the valve body by inserting the upper and lower assembly shafts into the mounting holes inside the valve body. The upper assembly shaft of the valve is inserted into the lateral connecting seat and is connected to the internal transmission control module.

[0008] The internal transmission control module includes a combined top worm gear movably mounted between the lateral connecting seat and the external sealing cover, a lateral worm gear meshing with the combined top worm gear, and an adjustment motor for controlling the adjustment handle.

[0009] The adjusting handle is fixed axially to the lateral worm gear via a control shaft, and a lateral transmission gear set that is axially fixed on the control shaft and is connected to the adjusting motor.

[0010] The combined top worm gear includes a centrally mounted control gear axially mounted on the mounting shaft at the upper end of the valve and an annular worm gear fixed to the outside of the centrally mounted control gear. The annular worm gear is connected to the lateral worm gear drive.

[0011] The valve housing has a built-in annular assembly groove inside, and the replaceable valve seat has embedded mounting grooves that are evenly distributed on its inner wall and communicate with the built-in annular assembly groove.

[0012] The embedded intelligent control module includes a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor that are fixedly installed inside the embedded mounting slot.

[0013] A plurality of LED indicator lights are installed on the outer arc-shaped surface of the valve body for visually displaying the operating status.

[0014] The outer sealing cover has a side-mounted cover for mounting the lateral worm gear, adjusting motor, and lateral transmission gear set.

[0015] An electromagnetic engagement / disengagement assembly for controlling the lateral transmission gear set is installed on the side wall of the side-mounted cover.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) The intelligent center-type butterfly valve of the present invention adopts a replaceable valve seat, which can be replaced separately after the valve seat wears out, thus reducing the later maintenance cost; (2) Intelligent control is achieved by monitoring the fluid state in real time through an embedded intelligent control module; (3) The multi-stage transmission structure of the internal transmission control module improves transmission accuracy and operational stability; (4) The operation status is intuitively fed back through LED display lights, which facilitates on-site monitoring. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0018] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the transmission position of the internal transmission control module in this invention.

[0021] 1. Valve housing; 2. Adjusting handle; 3. Replaceable valve seat; 4. Valve; 5. Lateral connection seat; 6. External sealing cover; 7. Internal transmission control module; 8. Embedded intelligent control module; 9. Assembly shaft; 10. Combined top worm gear; 11. Lateral worm; 12. Adjusting motor; 13. Control shaft; 14. Lateral transmission gear set; 15. Centrally located control gear; 16. Annular worm gear; 17. Built-in annular assembly groove; 18. Embedded mounting groove; 19. Pressure sensor; 20. Temperature sensor; 21. Humidity sensor; 22. LED indicator; 23. Side-mounted cover; 24. Electromagnetic disengagement assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, illustrating only the basic structure of the invention, and therefore only show the components relevant to the invention.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0024] Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The intelligent center-type butterfly valve shown includes a valve body 1 and an adjusting handle 2 mounted on the valve body 1. A replaceable valve seat 3 and a valve 4 controlled by the adjusting handle 2 are installed inside the valve body 1. The outer arc surface of the valve body 1 has an outwardly protruding lateral connecting seat 5. An external sealing cover 6 is bolted to the outer opening of the lateral connecting seat 5. An internal transmission control module 7 that is pulsatorically connected to the adjusting handle 2 is provided inside the lateral connecting seat 5 and the external sealing cover 6. An embedded intelligent control module 8 is installed inside the replaceable valve seat 3 on both sides of the valve 4.

[0025] Valve 4 is movably assembled with valve body 1 by inserting the upper and lower assembly shafts 9 into the inner mounting holes of valve body 1. The upper assembly shaft 9 of valve 4 is inserted into the lateral connecting seat 5 and is connected to the internal transmission control module 7.

[0026] The internal transmission control module 7 includes a combined top worm gear 10 movably mounted between the lateral connecting seat 5 and the outer sealing cover 6, a lateral worm 11 meshing with the combined top worm gear 10, and an adjusting motor 12 for controlling the adjusting handle 2. The adjusting handle 2 is axially fixed to the lateral worm 11 via a control shaft 13, and a lateral transmission gear set 14 axially fixed on the control shaft 13 and driven by the adjusting motor 12. The combined top worm gear 10 includes a centrally mounted control gear 15 axially mounted on the mounting shaft 9 at the upper end of the valve 4 and an annular worm gear 16 fixed to the outside of the centrally mounted control gear 15, the annular worm gear 16 being driven by the lateral worm 11.

[0027] The valve body 1 has an internal annular mounting groove 17, and the replaceable valve seat 3 has evenly spaced embedded mounting grooves 18 that communicate with the internal annular mounting groove 17. The embedded intelligent control module 8 includes a pressure sensor 19, a temperature sensor 20, and a humidity sensor 21, which are fixedly installed inside the embedded mounting groove 18.

[0028] A plurality of LED indicator lights 22 are mounted on the outer arc-shaped surface of the valve housing 1 to visually display the operating status. A side-mounted cover 23 is mounted on the side wall of the outer sealing cover 6 for mounting the lateral worm gear 11, the regulating motor 12, and the lateral transmission gear set 14. An electromagnetic engagement / disengagement assembly 24 for controlling the lateral transmission gear set 14 is mounted on the side wall of the side-mounted cover 23.

[0029] Working principle and working process The intelligent central butterfly valve of this invention monitors the fluid state in real time through an embedded intelligent control module 8 during operation. Pressure sensor 19, temperature sensor 20, and humidity sensor 21 collect pressure, temperature, and humidity data of the fluid medium, respectively, and feed the data back to the external control system.

[0030] When valve opening needs adjustment, the control system starts the regulating motor 12 based on feedback data or preset commands. The regulating motor 12 drives the control shaft 13 to rotate via the lateral transmission gear set 14, which in turn drives the lateral worm gear 11 to rotate. The lateral worm gear 11 meshes with the annular worm wheel 16, driving the combined top worm wheel 10 to rotate. Since the centrally located control gear 15 is fixedly connected to the mounting shaft 9 at the upper end of the valve 4, the valve 4 rotates accordingly, changing the flow area and achieving flow regulation.

[0031] The operator can also manually rotate the adjusting handle 2 to directly drive the lateral worm gear 11 via the control shaft 13, thus achieving manual control. The electromagnetic engagement / disengagement assembly 24 is used to control the engagement and disengagement of the lateral transmission gear set 14, enabling switching between manual and automatic modes.

[0032] The LED indicator 22 on the outside of the valve body 1 displays different colors or flashing patterns based on the data collected by the embedded intelligent control module 8 or the opening status of the valve 4, making it easy for on-site personnel to intuitively understand the operating status of the equipment.

[0033] When the replaceable valve seat 3 wears out, the external sealing cover 6 and the side connection seat 5 can be removed to replace the valve seat separately, without replacing the entire valve, thus reducing maintenance costs and time.

[0034] The core innovation of this invention, an intelligent central butterfly valve, lies in the construction of a hierarchical intelligent control system integrating perception, decision-making, execution, and communication. This system uses an embedded intelligent control module 8 as the sensing terminal and an internal transmission control module 7 as the actuator. Through preset control logic and an external communication interface, it achieves adaptive valve adjustment, remote monitoring, and fault self-diagnosis, significantly improving the applicability and reliability of the central butterfly valve under complex operating conditions.

[0035] The embedded intelligent control module 8, located on both sides inside the replaceable valve seat 3, forms the sensing foundation of the control system. This module is not a simple stack of sensors, but rather a miniature data acquisition unit integrating a pressure sensor 19, a temperature sensor 20, and a humidity sensor 21. These three sensors work synchronously, capturing real-time data on the pressure difference, medium temperature, and ambient humidity of the fluid on both sides of the valve 4. These raw analog signals are amplified, filtered, and converted from analog to digital within the module, and then transmitted to the main control circuit board inside the external sealing cover 6 or the side-mounted cover 23 via signal lines built into the valve body 1. This close-to-the-flow-channel data acquisition method eliminates lag and interference during long-distance transmission, ensuring extremely high real-time performance and fidelity of the data used for control decisions.

[0036] The main control unit is the control core of this invention, typically a microcontroller (MCU) housed within the side-mounted housing 23. This MCU receives real-time data from the pressure sensor 19, temperature sensor 20, and humidity sensor 21, and compares it with preset target operating conditions.

[0037] To address the strong nonlinearity and time-delay issues in butterfly valve flow regulation, this invention introduces a self-tuning fuzzy PID control algorithm as the core decision logic. When the system detects a deviation, the MCU does not simply execute linear proportional regulation. Instead, it first fuzzifies the deviation signal and tunes the proportional, integral, and derivative parameters in real time according to fuzzy rules in an expert experience base. The advantages of this control method are: during dynamic regulation, it effectively suppresses overshoot and significantly shortens the settling time; when the system approaches steady state, it maintains high-precision error-free regulation and exhibits strong robustness even in the face of load disturbances or changes in media characteristics. For example, in pressure control scenarios, this algorithm can quickly respond and accurately maintain the target pressure, avoiding the oscillations or slow response caused by fixed parameters in traditional PID control.

[0038] The decision-making layer's calculations are ultimately translated into precise commands for the opening degree of valve 4. This command first drives the regulating motor 12. To improve transmission accuracy and reduce output torque, the motor power is transmitted to the control shaft 13 via the lateral transmission gear set 14, which in turn drives the first-stage worm gear reduction mechanism composed of the lateral worm 11 and the annular worm wheel 16. Finally, the power drives the assembly shaft 9 at the upper end of valve 4 via the centrally located control gear 15, achieving precise rotation of the valve plate. The entire transmission chain has low backlash and high efficiency, ensuring the accuracy of valve opening control.

[0039] Meanwhile, the control system retains high priority for manual operation. Operators can manually control valve 4 by rotating the adjustment handle 2, directly driving the lateral worm gear 11 via the control shaft 13. More importantly, the electromagnetic engagement / disengagement component 24 enables intelligent switching between electric and manual modes, reducing interference between the two systems. When the motor is running, the electromagnetic engagement / disengagement component 24 keeps the lateral transmission gear set 14 engaged; when manual intervention is required or the motor malfunctions, the system can control the electromagnetic engagement / disengagement component 24 to automatically disengage the gear set, eliminating the need for manual operation to overcome the significant resistance of the motor gearbox. This protects the motor and ensures emergency operation capability in case of power failure or malfunction.

[0040] To achieve integration with a remote control center, the control system of this invention integrates multiple communication interfaces. Valves can be connected to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) via an RS-485 industrial bus or a LoRa wireless communication module. The MCU uploads collected data such as pressure, temperature, humidity, and current valve opening and switching status to the central server or DCS control system in real time. Simultaneously, it can also receive 4-20mA analog signals or Modbus digital commands from the control room, participating as an independent regulating node in system-level interlocking control and logic optimization.

[0041] In addition, the system possesses comprehensive self-diagnostic and protection intelligence. The MCU continuously monitors and regulates the real-time current of motor 12, the operating torque of valve 4, and the signal integrity of each sensor. When valve jamming is detected, causing an abnormal surge in motor current, the system will immediately cut off the power supply to prevent motor burnout and issue an alarm signal via LED indicator 22 in a specific flashing pattern. When the data from pressure sensor 19 or temperature sensor 20 exceeds the preset safety threshold, the system can also issue an audible and visual alarm to remind maintenance personnel to handle the situation promptly. The LED indicator 22 on the outside of valve body 1 uses different colors such as red, green, and yellow to intuitively reflect various operating states of the valve, such as fully open, fully closed, faulty, or under adjustment, allowing on-site personnel to easily grasp the equipment's operating status.

[0042] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the inventive concept. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An intelligent central butterfly valve, comprising a valve housing (1) and an adjusting handle (2) mounted on the valve housing (1), characterized in that: The valve housing (1) is equipped with a replaceable valve seat (3) and a valve (4) controlled by an adjusting handle (2). The outer arc surface of the valve housing (1) has an outwardly protruding lateral connecting seat (5). An external sealing cover (6) is bolted to the outer opening of the lateral connecting seat (5). An internal transmission control module (7) that is connected to the adjusting handle (2) is provided inside the lateral connecting seat (5) and the external sealing cover (6). An embedded intelligent control module (8) is installed inside the replaceable valve seat (3) on both sides of the valve (4).

2. The intelligent central butterfly valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve (4) is inserted into the inner mounting hole of the valve body (1) through the upper and lower assembly shafts (9) and is movably assembled with the valve body (1). The upper assembly shaft (9) of the valve (4) is inserted into the side connecting seat (5) and is connected to the internal transmission control module (7).

3. The intelligent central butterfly valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The internal transmission control module (7) includes a combined top worm gear (10) movably mounted between the lateral connecting seat (5) and the outer sealing cover (6), a lateral worm (11) meshing with the combined top worm gear (10), and an adjustment motor (12) for controlling the adjustment handle (2).

4. The intelligent central butterfly valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adjustment handle (2) passes through the lateral worm (11) via the control shaft (13) and is axially fixed to the lateral worm (11). A lateral transmission gear set (14) that is axially connected to the adjustment motor (12) is axially fixed on the control shaft (13).

5. The intelligent central butterfly valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The combined top worm gear (10) includes a central control gear (15) axially mounted on the mounting shaft (9) at the upper end of the valve (4) and an annular worm gear (16) fixed on the outside of the central control gear (15). The annular worm gear (16) is connected to the lateral worm (11) for transmission.

6. The intelligent central butterfly valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve housing (1) has an internal annular assembly groove (17) and the replaceable valve seat (3) has an embedded mounting groove (18) that communicates with the internal annular assembly groove (17) evenly distributed on its inner wall.

7. The intelligent central butterfly valve according to claim 6, characterized in that: The embedded intelligent control module (8) includes a pressure sensor (19), a temperature sensor (20), and a humidity sensor (21) fixedly installed inside the embedded mounting slot (18).

8. The intelligent central butterfly valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body (1) has a plurality of LED indicator lights (22) installed on its outer arc-shaped surface for visually displaying the operating status.

9. The intelligent central butterfly valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer sealing cover (6) has a side-mounted cover (23) on its side wall for mounting the lateral worm gear (11), the adjusting motor (12) and the lateral transmission gear set (14).

10. The intelligent central butterfly valve according to claim 9, characterized in that: The side-mounted cover (23) is equipped with an electromagnetic engagement / disengagement assembly (24) for controlling the lateral transmission gear set (14).

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