Horizontal flow regulating valve and system for preparing edible salt from seawater

Abstract

The utility model provides a horizontal flow regulating valve and a system for preparing edible salt from seawater, and belongs to the technical field of regulating valves. A horizontal flow regulating valve is used in the system for preparing edible salt from seawater. The horizontal flow regulating valve comprises a valve body part and a driving part. The valve body part is a ball valve or a stop valve. The driving part comprises a servo motor; the worm is provided with helical teeth and is directly driven by the servo motor to rotate; the worm gear is fixed in position, is perpendicular to the worm, is provided with tooth grooves matched and meshed with the spiral teeth, and is driven by the worm to rotate around the axis of the worm gear; and the transmission piece is connected with the valve body part and is driven by the worm gear so as to control the opening and closing degree of the valve body part. Wherein the length direction of the power shaft of the servo motor and the length direction of the worm are marked as the first direction, the axis direction of the worm gear and the transmission part is marked as the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of regulating valve technology, specifically relating to a horizontal flow regulating valve and a seawater salt production system. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional methods for producing sea salt mainly include boiling, sun-drying, and spray evaporation. Each of these methods has its drawbacks. For example, boiling is only suitable for industrial salt production and is energy-intensive; sun-drying requires a large area and manpower, and has a long production cycle; spray evaporation also requires a large area and is energy-intensive. Therefore, to produce edible salt from seawater more efficiently and energy-savingly, and to fully utilize sea salt resources, a new type of seawater-to-edible-salt system is needed.

[0003] Currently, there is a membrane-based freshwater production system that can be used to collect, filter, and reverse osmosis seawater to obtain freshwater and concentrated seawater (salt water). This invention improves upon the aforementioned seawater-to-freshwater system to create a seawater-to-edible-salt system. Considering the convenience of transportation and deployment in practical use, the system is integrated into a single container. This new system requires flow control valves that work in conjunction with the ultrafiltration module and reverse osmosis membrane. While various flow control valves exist on the market, none are suitable for this new system.

[0004] The flow control valves currently on the market mainly have the following problems:

[0005] (1) Low adjustment accuracy: Traditional valves (such as ordinary gate valves and ball valves) rely on manual or simple electric drive. The mechanical transmission components have back clearance (such as the thread clearance of the lead screw), which leads to lag in the response when adjusting the flow rate and makes it difficult to achieve high-precision dynamic control.

[0006] (2) Insufficient pressure resistance: Under extreme working conditions of high pressure (6-15MPa) or low pressure (0-6MPa), the valve body sealing is prone to failure, which increases the risk of leakage. Especially under high flow impact, the valve core and valve seat are prone to wear, shortening the service life.

[0007] (3) Poor material corrosion resistance: In highly corrosive media environments such as seawater, valve bodies and transmission components made of ordinary stainless steel or cast iron are prone to pitting corrosion or stress corrosion cracking, leading to valve failure.

[0008] (4) Complex structure and difficult maintenance: Most existing control valves adopt a split design, and the connection between the transmission mechanism and the valve body is complicated. Disassembly and maintenance require shutdown, which affects the continuity of the system; in addition, the degree of modularity is low and the cost of component replacement is high.

[0009] (5) Dynamic response delay: Valves driven by ordinary motors are difficult to respond quickly to changes in flow due to inaccurate torque control and lack of real-time feedback mechanism, resulting in a decrease in system efficiency.

[0010] (6) Control error caused by backlash: The gaps in the mechanical transmission chain (such as the meshing gap between the worm and the worm wheel, and the gap between the lead screw and the nut) generate empty strokes during reverse movement, which leads to the accumulation of flow regulation error and affects the stability of process parameters.

[0011] (7) Existing flow control valves are bulky and not suitable for the seawater salt production system integrated into the small space of the container, thus taking up too much space. Utility Model Content

[0012] This invention was developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a horizontal flow regulating valve and a seawater salt production system.

[0013] This utility model provides a horizontal flow regulating valve, characterized by comprising a valve body and a drive unit. The valve body is a ball valve or a gate valve. The drive unit includes: a servo motor; a worm gear directly driven by the servo motor to rotate, having helical teeth; a worm wheel having tooth grooves that mesh with the helical teeth, the worm wheel's axis direction being perpendicular to the worm gear's axis direction, the worm wheel's position being fixed, and the worm wheel being driven by the worm gear to rotate around its own axis; and a transmission component connected to the valve body, the transmission component being driven by the worm wheel to control the opening and closing degree of the valve body. The power shaft of the servo motor and the length direction of the worm gear are denoted as the first direction, and the axial direction of the worm wheel and the transmission component is denoted as the second direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction.

[0014] The horizontal flow regulating valve provided by this utility model may also have the following features: the valve body is a shut-off valve, the transmission component includes a lead screw and an anti-rotation ring, the anti-rotation ring is fixed in position, the anti-rotation ring is used for the lead screw to pass through and prevent it from rotating around its own axis, the lead screw is threadedly connected to a worm gear, the worm gear rotates around its axis to drive the lead screw to move along its length direction, the valve body includes: a shut-off valve body, having an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe respectively having an inlet flow channel and an outlet flow channel, the inlet flow channel and the outlet flow channel intersect; and a shut-off valve core, the shut-off valve core is connected to the lead screw and driven by it to move along its length direction and at least partially passes through the inlet flow channel, so that the valve cone of the shut-off valve core has different degrees of blockage at the intersection of the inlet flow channel and the outlet flow channel, thereby changing the flow rate of the outlet flow channel, the maximum radial outer diameter of the valve cone is at least 0.01mm to 0.2mm smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet flow channel.

[0015] The horizontal flow regulating valve provided by this utility model may also have the following features: the shut-off valve body includes: a connecting unit for the shut-off valve core having a valve cone end to pass through, and the passage is sealed; a water inlet unit including a water inlet pipe communicating with the connecting unit; and a water outlet unit including a water outlet pipe communicating with the side wall of the connecting unit.

[0016] The horizontal flow regulating valve provided by this utility model may also have the following features: the shut-off valve body includes: a transition unit for the shut-off valve core with a valve cone end to pass through; a connecting unit including a first connecting section, a radial water outlet section, and a second connecting section, wherein the first connecting section is connected to the transition unit, the radial water outlet section is connected to the first connecting section and its outer diameter is smaller than that of the first connecting section, the peripheral wall of the radial water outlet section has a plurality of water outlet holes, the second connecting section is connected to the radial water outlet section and its outer diameter is larger than that of the radial water outlet section; an inlet unit including an inlet pipe connected to the second connecting section; and an outlet unit including a rotating component and an outlet pipe, wherein the rotating component is rotatably ring-fixed on the radial water outlet section and is clamped together by the transition unit and the second connecting section, and the rotating component and the outlet pipe are connected.

[0017] The horizontal flow regulating valve provided by this utility model may also have the following features: the outer periphery of the lead screw has a first threaded groove, and the through hole of the worm gear for the lead screw to pass through has a second threaded groove. The first threaded groove and the second threaded groove are adapted to each other and are densely embedded with balls. The worm gear has a ball return channel inside. The inlet and outlet of the ball return channel are both located in the through hole, and the inlet and outlet of the ball return channel are respectively connected to the two ends of the second threaded groove. A row of balls is densely embedded in the ball return channel. The lead screw, balls and worm gear together constitute a ball screw structure. The water flow in the inlet channel gives the valve core an axial force toward the anti-rotation ring, thereby causing the lead screw to be axially pressed toward the anti-rotation ring, driving the balls to move slightly, thereby causing the lead screw and worm gear to be axially pre-tightened and eliminating the backlash during the relative displacement process of the lead screw and worm gear.

[0018] The horizontal flow regulating valve provided by this utility model may also have the following features: the valve body is a ball valve, the transmission component is rod-shaped, one end of the transmission component is fixed to the worm gear and driven by it to rotate coaxially, and the other end is connected to the ball of the ball valve with a flow channel, thereby driving the ball to rotate to adjust the opening and closing degree of the flow channel.

[0019] The horizontal flow regulating valve provided by this utility model may also have the following features: the drive unit further includes: a housing, which serves as the outer shell of the drive unit; a bearing seat, which is disposed at the upper opening of the housing; a worm gear, which is disposed in the internal space formed by the housing and the bearing seat; the upper and lower ends of the worm gear are indirectly abutted to the lower surface of the bearing seat and the bottom of the housing through thrust bearings, so that it will not produce axial displacement when rotating around its own axis; and a transmission component extends through the bottom of the housing and is connected to the valve body.

[0020] The horizontal flow regulating valve provided by this utility model may also have the following features: the shut-off valve core and the transmission component are detachably threaded, the adapter unit and the first connecting section are detachably threaded and sealed by a sealing ring, the rotating component and the outlet pipe are detachably threaded, and the second connecting section and the inlet pipe are detachably threaded and sealed by a sealing ring.

[0021] The horizontal flow regulating valve provided by this utility model may also have the following features: the valve body is made of duplex steel, the worm is made of stainless steel, and the worm wheel is made of brass.

[0022] This utility model also provides a seawater-to-edible-salt system, which uses the horizontal flow regulating valve of any of the foregoing and is integrated into a container.

[0023] Functions and effects of utility models

[0024] According to this utility model, a horizontal flow regulating valve and a seawater-to-salt system are disclosed. The horizontal flow regulating valve includes a valve body and a drive unit. The valve body is a ball valve or a gate valve. The drive unit includes: a servo motor; a worm gear directly driven by the servo motor to rotate, having helical teeth; a worm wheel with grooves meshing with the helical teeth, the worm wheel's axis perpendicular to the worm gear's axis, the worm wheel's position fixed, and the worm wheel rotating around its own axis driven by the worm gear; and a transmission component connected to the valve body, driven by the worm wheel to control the opening and closing degree of the valve body. The direction of the servo motor's power shaft and the length direction of the worm gear are designated as the first direction, and the direction of the worm wheel's axis and the transmission component's axis are designated as the second direction, with the first direction perpendicular to the second direction. This horizontal flow regulating valve is used in a seawater-to-salt system (integrated into a container).

[0025] Therefore, this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] (1) Using a servo motor can make the flow regulation extremely accurate, with linear pressure adjustment and fast response speed, without relying on manual or simple electric drive (no manufacturer has used a servo motor in the control valve under the current technology).

[0027] (2) The horizontal flow regulating valve of this utility model is horizontal and has a compact overall structure. It is suitable for seawater salt production systems integrated in the small space of a container and has a stable center of gravity, so it will not tip over due to vibration.

[0028] (3) The vertical axis design of the worm gear makes the horizontal flow regulating valve have a self-locking characteristic, and the regulating range of the regulating valve will not be forced to change due to excessive water pressure, making it suitable for both high pressure (6-15MPa) and low pressure (0-6MPa) working conditions.

[0029] (4) The seawater salt production system using a horizontal flow regulating valve is linked with a servo motor to meet the requirements of high-precision real-time flow adjustment. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the horizontal flow regulating valve of Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the horizontal flow regulating valve of Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the horizontal flow regulating valve in Embodiment 1 of this utility model at the drive section position;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the connection unit of Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the horizontal flow regulating valve in Embodiment 2 of this utility model at the drive section position;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the horizontal flow regulating valve of Embodiment 3 of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this utility model easy to understand, the following embodiments, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, specifically illustrate a horizontal flow regulating valve and a seawater edible salt production system of this utility model.

[0037] <Example 1>

[0038] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the horizontal flow regulating valve of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a horizontal flow regulating valve 60, which is installed in the pipeline of a seawater salt production system and used to regulate the flow rate in the pipeline. The seawater salt production system has a main control device.

[0040] The horizontal flow regulating valve 60 includes a drive unit 61 and a valve body unit 62.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the horizontal flow regulating valve of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0042] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the drive unit 61 includes a housing 611, a bearing housing 612, a dust cover 613, a worm gear 614, a servo motor 615, a worm 616, a transmission component 617, and a sensor (not shown in the figure).

[0043] The housing 611 serves as the outer shell of the transmission part in the drive unit 61, and its material is stainless steel. The housing 611 has an opening.

[0044] The bearing housing 612 is provided at the opening on the housing 611 and has a through passage thereon.

[0045] The dust cover 613 is bolted to the bearing housing 612 to prevent dust and other foreign objects from falling into the housing 611 through the opening on the housing 611 and / or the channel of the bearing housing 612. The dust cover 613 is made of stainless steel.

[0046] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the horizontal flow regulating valve in the drive section of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0047] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the worm gear 614 is disposed in the internal space formed by the housing 611 and the bearing seat 612. The upper and lower ends of the worm gear 614 are indirectly abutted to the lower surface of the bearing seat 612 and the bottom of the housing 611 through the thrust bearing 1, so that it will not produce axial displacement when rotating around its own axis.

[0048] The cylindrical outer surface of the worm gear 614 has a plurality of worm gear teeth 614a, the extending direction of which is parallel to the cylindrical central axis of the worm gear 614, and a tooth groove 614b is formed between each pair of adjacent worm gear teeth 614a. Each worm gear tooth 614a includes straight tooth sections 2 at both ends and an arc-shaped tooth section 3 in the middle that is recessed into the worm gear 614. In this embodiment, the worm gear 614 is made of brass.

[0049] The servo motor 615 is mounted on the side wall of the housing 611, and its drive shaft passes through the interior of the housing 611. The servo motor 615 has a controller, which is connected to the main control unit and receives its commands to adjust the output torque of the drive shaft of the servo motor 615.

[0050] The worm gear 616 is directly connected to the power shaft of the servo motor 615 and is driven by it to rotate around its own axis. The worm gear 616 has helical teeth 616a, the curvature of which is the same as the curvature of the bottom of the tooth groove 614b, and the outer chamfer of the helical teeth 616a matches the inner chamfer of the sidewall of the tooth groove 614b. In this embodiment, the worm gear 616 is made of stainless steel.

[0051] The worm 616 is located inside the housing 611 and next to the worm wheel 614. The worm 616 meshes with the tooth groove 614b through the helical teeth 616a. The rotation of the worm 616 causes the helical teeth 616a to advance along the axial direction of the worm 616, thereby forming a continuous line contact with the worm wheel teeth 614a and forcing the worm wheel 614 to rotate around its own central axis.

[0052] In this embodiment, the length direction of the power shaft of the servo motor 615 and the worm gear 616 is referred to as the first direction.

[0053] The transmission component 617 includes a lead screw 6171 and an anti-rotation ring 6172.

[0054] The lead screw 6171 is a T-shaped lead screw, which passes through and is threadedly connected to the worm gear 614 along its axis. When the worm gear 614 rotates around its own axis, it drives the lead screw 6171 to move along its length. In this embodiment, the axial direction of the worm gear 614 and the lead screw 6171 is referred to as the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The entire horizontal flow regulating valve 60 has a horizontal structure.

[0055] The anti-rotation ring 6172 is held by the bearing housing 612 and the dust cover 613, and is used to allow one end of the lead screw 6171 to pass through and prevent the lead screw 6171 from rotating around its own axis when it is displaced along its length.

[0056] The sensor (not shown in the figure) is a proximity sensor, located in the internal space formed by the dust cover 613 and the bearing housing 612, and above the end of the lead screw 6171 that passes through the anti-rotation ring 6172. It is used to detect the displacement distance of the lead screw 6171 along its axial direction. The sensor is connected to the controller, and the controller adjusts the output torque of the power shaft of the servo motor 615 based on the sensor data.

[0057] The valve body 62 is a stop valve, including a stop valve core 620 and a stop valve body. Both the stop valve core 620 and the stop valve body are made of duplex steel.

[0058] The shut-off valve core 620 is threadedly connected to the end of the lead screw 6171 away from the anti-rotation ring 6172, and its valve cone 620a passes through the bottom of the housing 611. The shut-off valve core 620 is driven by the lead screw 6171 to move along its length direction.

[0059] The shut-off valve body includes a transition unit 621, a connection unit 622, an inlet unit 623, and an outlet unit 624.

[0060] The adapter unit 621 is an adapter flange, located at the bottom opening of the housing 611, and fixed to the bottom of the housing 611 by bolts. The adapter unit 621 and the housing 611 are sealed by a sealing ring. The valve core 620 has one end with a valve cone 620a that movably passes through the adapter unit 621.

[0061] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the connection unit of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0062] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the connecting unit 622 includes a first connecting section 6221, a radial water outlet section 6222, and a second connecting section 6223.

[0063] The outer diameter of the first connecting section 6221 is smaller than the outer diameter of the adapter unit 621. The first connecting section 6221 and the adapter unit 621 are fixed and connected by a threaded detachable screw connection, and the screw connection is sealed by several sealing rings.

[0064] The outer diameter of the radial water outlet section 6222 is the same as that of the first connecting section 6221 and is integrally connected to it. The peripheral wall of the radial water outlet section 6222 has a number of water outlet holes 4.

[0065] The outer diameter of the second connecting section 6223 is larger than the outer diameter of the radial water outlet section 6222, and it is integrally connected with the connecting section 6223.

[0066] The water inlet unit 623 is a water inlet pipe with an annular valve seat 623a at one end. The end of the water inlet unit 623 with the valve seat 623a is detachably screwed to the second connecting section 6223, and the inner diameter of the valve seat 623a is at most 0.01mm to 0.2mm larger than the maximum outer diameter of the valve cone 620a. The water inlet unit 623 has a water inlet channel 623b inside, which communicates with the second connecting section 6223.

[0067] In this embodiment, the main body of the water inlet unit 623 is sealed with the second connecting section 6223 by a sealing ring, and the valve seat 623a at its end is also sealed with the second connecting section 6223 by a sealing ring.

[0068] The water outlet unit 624 includes a rotating component 6241 and a water outlet pipe 6242.

[0069] The rotating component 6241 is rotatably ring-fixed onto the radial water outlet section 6222 and is clamped together by the adapter unit 621 and the second connecting section 6223. The rotating component 6241 and the radial water outlet section 6222 are connected through the water outlet hole 4. The rotating component 6241 is sealed to the adapter unit 621 by a sealing ring, and the rotating component 6241 is sealed to the second connecting section 6223 by a sealing ring.

[0070] The outlet pipe 6242 is detachably screwed to the side wall of the rotating component 6241 by a thread and sealed by a sealing ring. The outlet pipe 6242 has an outlet channel 6242a inside, which communicates with the internal space of the rotating component 6241.

[0071] The horizontal flow regulating valve 60 in this embodiment is suitable for both high-pressure (6-15MPa) and low-pressure (0-6MPa) operating conditions, and its operation process is as follows:

[0072] S10, the servo motor 615 operates, driving the worm 616 to rotate around its own axis. The rotation of the worm 616 causes the helical teeth 616a to advance along the axial direction of the worm 616, thereby forming continuous line contact with the worm wheel teeth 614a and forcing the worm wheel 614 to rotate around its own central axis.

[0073] S20, one end of the lead screw 6171 passes through the anti-rotation ring 6172, so it will not rotate around its own axis; the worm gear 614 rotates around its own central axis, and through the threaded connection with the lead screw 6171, it drives the lead screw 6171 to move along its length direction.

[0074] S30, after the lead screw 6171 is displaced along its length, it drives the shut-off valve core 620 and its valve cone 620a to move in the internal space formed by the radial water outlet section 6222, the second connecting section 6223, the valve seat 623a and the water inlet unit 623. This changes the degree of blockage of the valve cone 620a at the intersection of the water inlet channel 623b and the water outlet channel 6242a, thereby ultimately changing the flow rate of the water input from the water inlet channel 623b when it is output from the water outlet channel 6242a.

[0075] During the above steps S10 to S30, the controller of the servo motor 615 adjusts the torque of the output shaft of the servo motor 615 by detecting the displacement distance of the lead screw 6171 by the sensor.

[0076] This embodiment also provides a seawater-to-edible-salt system integrated in a container, including a main control device, an ultrafiltration module, a primary RO module, a secondary RO module, a flow meter, and a horizontal flow regulating valve 60.

[0077] The ultrafiltration module, the primary RO module, and the secondary RO module are connected in sequence.

[0078] Two flow meters are installed, one on the pipeline connecting the ultrafiltration module and the first-stage RO module, and the other on the pipeline connecting the first-stage RO module and the second-stage RO module. The flow meters are connected to the main control unit.

[0079] A horizontal flow regulating valve 60 is installed between the ultrafiltration module and the first-stage RO module and / or between the first-stage RO module and the second-stage RO module. The controller of the horizontal flow regulating valve 60 is connected to the main control device.

[0080] The main control unit issues dynamic commands to the controller based on the flow meter's measurement value to dynamically control the opening and closing degree of the valve body 62.

[0081] <Example 2>

[0082] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the horizontal flow regulating valve in Embodiment 2 of this utility model at the drive section.

[0083] like Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment provides a horizontal flow regulating valve 60a, suitable for both high-pressure (6-15MPa) and low-pressure (0-6MPa) operating conditions. Its structure and operation are largely similar to the horizontal flow regulating valve 60 in Embodiment 1, with the only difference being:

[0084] The outer circumferential side of the lead screw 6171 has a first thread groove (groove-shaped thread structure).

[0085] The worm gear 614 is used to provide a second thread groove in the through hole of the central axis through which the lead screw 6171 passes, which matches the first thread groove.

[0086] When the lead screw 6171 is inserted into the worm gear 614, the first thread groove and the second thread groove work together to densely embed a row of balls 5 along the track of the thread groove.

[0087] The worm gear 614 has a ball return channel inside. The inlet and outlet of the ball return channel are both located in the through hole of the central axis of the worm gear 614. The inlet and outlet of the ball return channel are connected to the two ends of the second thread groove, respectively. A row of balls 5 are also densely embedded in the ball return channel.

[0088] The lead screw 6171, the ball bearing 5, and the worm gear 614 together constitute the ball screw structure.

[0089] The operation process of the ball screw structure of the horizontal flow regulating valve 60a in this embodiment:

[0090] The water flow in the inlet channel 623b exerts an axial force on the shut-off valve core 620 toward the anti-rotation ring 6172, thereby causing the lead screw 6171 to be axially pressed toward the anti-rotation ring 6172, driving the ball 5 to make a slight displacement in the track formed by the first and second threaded grooves (the ball 5 simultaneously circulates through the return ball channel). Compared with ordinary threaded connections, the ball screw structure in this embodiment utilizes the force exerted by the water flow in the inlet channel 623b under the shut-off valve structure, and causes the lead screw 6171 and the worm gear 614 to be axially preloaded, eliminating the backlash during the relative displacement process of the lead screw 6171 and the worm gear 614, thus reducing adjustment errors.

[0091] This embodiment also provides a seawater-to-edible-salt system integrated in a container, including a main control device, an ultrafiltration module, a primary RO module, a secondary RO module, a flow meter, and a horizontal flow regulating valve 60a.

[0092] The connection relationships of the modules in the seawater-to-edible-salt system in this embodiment are generally similar to those in the seawater-to-edible-salt system in Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0093] <Example 3>

[0094] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the horizontal flow regulating valve of Embodiment 3 of this utility model.

[0095] like Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a horizontal flow regulating valve 60b, which is suitable for both high-pressure (6-15MPa) and low-pressure (0-6MPa) operating conditions. It is installed in the pipeline of a seawater salt production system and is used to regulate the flow rate in the pipeline. The seawater salt production system has a main control device.

[0096] The horizontal flow control valve 60b includes a drive unit 61b and a valve body unit 62b.

[0097] The drive unit 61b includes a housing, bearing housing, dust cover, worm gear, servo motor, worm, transmission components, and sensor (not shown in the figure).

[0098] The housing, bearing seat, dust cover, servo motor, and worm gear structure in this embodiment are largely similar to those in Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here. The only difference is:

[0099] In this embodiment, the worm gear is fixedly connected to the transmission component, which is rod-shaped (without the anti-rotation ring in Embodiment 1). The transmission component is driven by the worm gear to rotate around the axis.

[0100] The sensor in this embodiment is an angle sensor, used to detect the rotation amplitude of the transmission component.

[0101] The valve body 62b is a ball valve. One end of the transmission component is fixed to the worm gear and rotates coaxially with it. The other end is connected to the ball with a flow channel of the ball valve, thereby driving the ball to rotate to adjust the opening and closing degree of the flow channel.

[0102] In this embodiment, the servo motor controller adjusts the torque of the servo motor's output shaft by detecting the self-rotation amplitude of the transmission component by a sensor.

[0103] The role and effect of the embodiments

[0104] According to this embodiment, a horizontal flow regulating valve is installed in the pipeline of a seawater salt production system and used to regulate the flow rate in the pipeline. The seawater salt production system has a main control device, which includes a valve body and a drive unit. The valve body is a ball valve or a gate valve. The drive unit includes: a servo motor with a controller, the controller being connected to the main control device and receiving its commands to adjust the output torque of the servo motor; a worm gear, directly driven to rotate by the servo motor, having helical teeth; a worm wheel, having tooth grooves that mesh with the helical teeth, the worm wheel's axis being perpendicular to the worm's axis, the worm wheel's position being fixed, and the worm wheel being driven to rotate around its own axis by the worm; and a transmission component connected to the valve body, the transmission component being driven by the worm wheel to control the opening and closing degree of the valve body. The power shaft of the servo motor and the length direction of the worm are denoted as the first direction, and the axis direction of the worm wheel and the transmission component is denoted as the second direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction.

[0105] Therefore, the horizontal flow regulating valve in this embodiment has the following beneficial effects:

[0106] (1) Using a servo motor with a controller can make the flow regulation extremely accurate, with linear pressure adjustment and fast response speed, without relying on manual or simple electric drive (no manufacturer has used servo motors in regulating valves under the current technology).

[0107] (2) The horizontal flow regulating valve is horizontal and has a compact overall structure. It is suitable for seawater salt production systems integrated in the small space of a container and has a stable center of gravity, so it will not tip over due to vibration.

[0108] (3) The vertical axis design of the worm gear makes the horizontal flow regulating valve have a self-locking characteristic, and the regulating range of the regulating valve will not be forced to change due to excessive water pressure, making it suitable for both high pressure (6-15MPa) and low pressure (0-6MPa) working conditions.

[0109] Furthermore, the valve body is a stop valve, and the transmission components include a lead screw and an anti-rotation ring. The anti-rotation ring is fixed in position and is used to allow the lead screw to pass through and prevent it from rotating around its own axis. The lead screw is threadedly connected to a worm gear, and the worm gear rotates around its axis, thereby driving the lead screw to move along its length direction. The valve body includes: a stop valve body having an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe having an inlet flow channel and an outlet flow channel respectively, the inlet flow channel and the outlet flow channel intersecting; and a stop valve core, the stop valve core being connected to the lead screw and driven by it to move along its length direction and at least partially passing through the inlet flow channel, so that the valve cone of the stop valve core has different degrees of blockage at the intersection of the inlet flow channel and the outlet flow channel, thereby changing the flow rate of the outlet flow channel. The maximum radial outer diameter of the valve cone is at least 0.01mm to 0.2mm smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet flow channel. The configuration in Examples 1 and 2 enables the horizontal flow control valve to achieve extremely high adjustment accuracy. Flow can be adjusted by controlling the axial displacement of the shut-off valve core. At the same time, the taper of the valve cone can be adjusted according to actual needs. The smaller the taper of the valve cone, the greater the flow adjustment accuracy, thus meeting the high precision requirements of flow adjustment. Furthermore, the anti-rotation ring ensures that the lead screw only undergoes axial displacement without rotating around its own axis, thereby reducing energy loss during worm gear transmission (preventing the lead screw from being driven by the worm gear to rotate around its axis).

[0110] Furthermore, the shut-off valve body includes: a transition unit for the valve core with a valve cone end to pass through; a connecting unit including a first connecting section, a radial water outlet section, and a second connecting section, wherein the first connecting section is connected to the transition unit, the radial water outlet section is connected to the first connecting section and its outer diameter is smaller than that of the first connecting section, the peripheral wall of the radial water outlet section has several water outlet holes, the second connecting section is connected to the radial water outlet section and its outer diameter is larger than that of the radial water outlet section; a water inlet unit including a water inlet pipe connected to the second connecting section; and a water outlet unit including a rotating component and a water outlet pipe, wherein the rotating component is rotatably fixed to the radial water outlet section and clamped by the transition unit and the second connecting section, and the rotating component and the water outlet pipe are connected. This configuration in Embodiments 1 and 2 allows the water outlet pipe of the water outlet unit to rotate 360° around the axial direction of the connecting unit, meeting the needs of applying a regulating valve in a small space (the container where the seawater salt production system is located has a compact structure, requiring minimal space wastage).

[0111] Furthermore, the lead screw has a first threaded groove on its outer periphery, and the worm gear has a second threaded groove in the through hole through which the lead screw passes. The first and second threaded grooves are adapted to each other and are densely embedded with balls. The worm gear has a ball return channel inside, with the inlet and outlet of the ball return channel located in the through hole. The inlet and outlet of the ball return channel are respectively connected to the two ends of the second threaded groove. A row of balls is densely embedded in the ball return channel. The lead screw, balls, and worm gear together constitute a ball screw structure. In Embodiment 2, this configuration allows the water flow in the inlet channel to exert an axial force on the shut-off valve core towards the anti-rotation ring before the flow valve adjusts the flow rate (by controlling the servo motor to drive the worm gear to rotate). This causes the lead screw to be axially pressed against the anti-rotation ring, resulting in a slight displacement of the balls. This causes the lead screw and worm gear to be axially pre-tightened, eliminating the backlash during the relative displacement process between the lead screw and worm gear.

[0112] Furthermore, the valve body is a ball valve, and the transmission component is rod-shaped. One end of the transmission component is fixed to the worm gear and rotates coaxially with it, while the other end is connected to the ball valve's ball with a flow channel, thereby driving the ball to rotate and adjust the opening and closing degree of the flow channel. This configuration in Embodiment 3 makes the overall structure of the horizontal flow regulating valve simple and easy to maintain, while the valve body has a self-locking characteristic through the worm gear transmission design.

[0113] Furthermore, the drive unit also includes: a housing, serving as the outer shell of the drive unit; a bearing housing, located at the upper opening of the housing; a worm gear located in the internal space formed by the housing and the bearing housing; the upper and lower ends of the worm gear axially indirectly abutting against the lower surface of the bearing housing and the bottom of the housing via thrust bearings, respectively, so that it will not generate axial displacement when rotating around its own axis; a transmission component extending through the bottom of the housing and connecting to the valve body; and a sensor, used to detect the movement or rotation amplitude of the transmission component; the sensor is connected to the controller, and the controller adjusts the torque of the servo motor based on the sensor data. This configuration has the following beneficial effects: (1) the housing protects against external contaminants affecting the worm gear transmission structure; (2) the thrust bearing can fix the worm gear (preventing its axial displacement) while reducing the energy loss of its rotation around its own axis; (3) the controller can control the axial displacement or rotation of the transmission component with high precision based on the displacement or angle detection data from the sensor, providing real-time feedback to improve the efficiency and accuracy of flow regulation. This avoids the problem of inaccurate torque control without a real-time feedback mechanism.

[0114] Furthermore, the shut-off valve core and the transmission component are detachably threaded together; the adapter unit and the first connecting section are detachably threaded together and sealed with a sealing ring; the rotating component and the outlet pipe are detachably threaded together; and the second connecting section and the inlet pipe are detachably threaded together and sealed with a sealing ring. This configuration in Embodiments 1 and 2 ensures that each component has high sealing performance while also featuring a detachable connection design, supporting quick replacement and effectively reducing downtime for maintenance.

[0115] Furthermore, the valve body is made of duplex steel, the worm gear is made of stainless steel, and the worm wheel is made of brass. This design allows the valve body to withstand seawater corrosion over a long period, making it more suitable for brine flow regulation in seawater-to-table salt production systems.

[0116] According to the seawater-to-edible salt system provided in this embodiment, because it uses any of the aforementioned horizontal flow regulating valves and is integrated in a container, it includes: a main control device; an ultrafiltration module, a primary RO module, and a secondary RO module connected in sequence; a flow meter installed on the pipeline connecting the ultrafiltration module, the primary RO module, and the secondary RO module, and the flow meter is connected to the main control device; and a horizontal flow regulating valve installed between the ultrafiltration module and the primary RO module and / or between the primary RO module and the secondary RO module, wherein the controller of the horizontal flow regulating valve is connected to the main control device, wherein the main control device issues dynamic commands to the controller at least according to the measured value of the flow meter to dynamically control the opening and closing degree of the valve body.

[0117] Therefore, in this embodiment, a seawater salt production system using a horizontal flow regulating valve is linked with a flow meter and a servo motor to meet the high-precision requirement for real-time flow adjustment.

[0118] Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed utility model. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A horizontal flow regulating valve, characterized in that, Includes valve body and drive unit, The valve body is either a ball valve or a gate valve. The drive unit includes: Servo motor; The worm gear, which is directly driven to rotate by the servo motor, has helical teeth on it; A worm gear has tooth grooves that mesh with the helical teeth. The axis of the worm gear is perpendicular to the axis of the worm. The position of the worm gear is fixed, and the worm gear is driven by the worm to rotate around its own axis. A transmission component, connected to the valve body, is driven by the worm gear to control the opening and closing degree of the valve body. The direction of the servo motor's power shaft and the worm gear's length is designated as the first direction, and the direction of the worm wheel's axis and the transmission component's axis is designated as the second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

2. The horizontal flow regulating valve according to claim 1, Its features are: The valve body is a shut-off valve. The transmission component includes a lead screw and an anti-rotation ring. The anti-rotation ring is fixed in position and is used to allow the lead screw to pass through while preventing it from rotating around its own axis. The lead screw is threadedly connected to the worm gear. The worm gear rotates around its axis, thereby driving the lead screw to move along its length. The valve body includes: The shut-off valve body has an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe each have an inlet channel and an outlet channel, and the inlet channel and the outlet channel intersect. A shut-off valve core is connected to the lead screw and is driven by it to move along its length direction and is at least partially inserted into the water inlet channel. This causes the valve cone of the shut-off valve core to have different degrees of blockage at the junction of the water inlet channel and the water outlet channel, thereby changing the flow rate of the water outlet channel. The maximum radial outer diameter of the valve cone is at least 0.01 mm to 0.2 mm smaller than the inner diameter of the water inlet channel.

3. The horizontal flow regulating valve according to claim 2, Its features are: The shut-off valve body includes: A connecting unit is provided for the end of the shut-off valve core having the valve cone to pass through, and the end is sealed to the connecting unit; The water inlet unit includes the water inlet pipe, which is connected to the connection unit; and The water outlet unit includes the water outlet pipe, which is connected to the side wall of the connecting unit.

4. The horizontal flow regulating valve according to claim 2, Its features are: The shut-off valve body includes: A transition unit is provided for the end of the shut-off valve core having the valve cone to pass through; The connecting unit includes a first connecting section, a radial water outlet section, and a second connecting section. The first connecting section is connected to the adapter unit. The radial water outlet section is connected to the first connecting section and its outer diameter is smaller than that of the first connecting section. The peripheral wall of the radial water outlet section has a plurality of water outlet holes. The second connecting section is connected to the radial water outlet section and its outer diameter is larger than that of the radial water outlet section. The water inlet unit includes the water inlet pipe, which is connected to the second connecting section; and The water outlet unit includes a rotating component and the water outlet pipe. The rotating component is rotatably ring-fixed on the radial water outlet section and is clamped together by the adapter unit and the second connecting section. The rotating component and the water outlet pipe are connected.

5. The horizontal flow regulating valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: in, The lead screw has a first threaded groove on its outer circumference, and the worm gear has a second threaded groove in the through hole through which the lead screw passes. The first threaded groove and the second threaded groove are adapted to each other and are densely embedded with balls. The worm gear has a ball return channel inside, with both the inlet and outlet of the ball return channel located in the through hole. The inlet and outlet of the ball return channel are respectively connected to both ends of the second threaded groove. A row of balls is densely embedded in the ball return channel. The lead screw, the balls, and the worm gear together constitute a ball screw structure. The water flow in the inlet channel exerts an axial force on the shut-off valve core toward the anti-rotation ring, thereby causing the lead screw to press axially toward the anti-rotation ring, driving the ball to make a slight displacement, thereby causing the lead screw and the worm gear to be preloaded axially and eliminating the backlash during the relative displacement process of the lead screw and the worm gear.

6. The horizontal flow regulating valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The valve body is a ball valve, and the transmission component is rod-shaped. One end of the transmission component is fixed to the worm gear and rotates coaxially with it. The other end is connected to the ball with a flow channel of the ball valve, thereby driving the ball to rotate to adjust the opening and closing degree of the flow channel.

7. The horizontal flow regulating valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The drive unit also includes: The housing serves as the outer casing of the drive unit; A bearing housing is provided at the upper opening of the housing. The worm gear is provided in the internal space formed by the housing and the bearing housing. The upper and lower ends of the worm gear are indirectly connected to the lower surface of the bearing housing and the bottom of the housing through thrust bearings, so that it will not produce axial displacement when rotating around its own axis. The transmission component passes through the bottom of the housing and is connected to the valve body.

8. The horizontal flow regulating valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: in, The shut-off valve core and the transmission component are connected by a threaded, detachable screw connection. The adapter unit is detachably screwed to the first connecting section and sealed by a sealing ring. The rotating component is detachably screwed to the water outlet pipe via a thread. The second connecting section is detachably screwed to the water inlet pipe and sealed by a sealing ring.

9. The horizontal flow regulating valve according to claim 8, characterized in that: in, The valve body is made of duplex steel. The worm gear is made of stainless steel. The worm gear is made of brass.

10. A system for producing edible salt from seawater, characterized in that, The horizontal flow regulating valve described in any one of claims 1 to 9 is used and integrated into a container.

Images