A fluid stop valve unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid stop valves require increased force to further open beyond a threshold opening force, leading to instability in liquid flow and potential hammering during conduit evacuation and refilling.
Innovation Solution
A liquid stop valve unit with a pressure-responsive diaphragm spring that biases the valve body towards a closed state until a threshold pressure is reached, allowing it to switch to an open state, reducing pressure from 1 to 2 bar above ambient to 0.1 bar, ensuring stable flow and preventing hammering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional fluid stop valve is used, then the valve can open at a threshold pressure, but increased force is required to further open the valve beyond the threshold, leading to flow instability and hammering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter characteristics by using a diaphragm spring mechanism that maintains constant pressure after threshold opening. The diaphragm spring is designed to deform from a first position to a second position, causing the valve body to move away from the valve seat and maintain open state at reduced pressure (0.1 bar), thereby eliminating the need for continuously increasing force and preventing flow instability and hammering.
2Reliability
If the valve opens with threshold pressure, then the valve can start flow, but the pressure remains high (1-2 bar above ambient) causing potential hammering during conduit evacuation and refilling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the pressure parameter from a high threshold level (1-2 bar above ambient) to a low maintenance level (0.1 bar) through the diaphragm spring mechanism. The spring deformable structure enables the valve to transition to an open state and maintain it at substantially reduced pressure, eliminating pressure-related instability and hammering during conduit evacuation and refilling operations.
3Reliability
If a diaphragm spring mechanism is used to reduce pressure, then flow stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a diaphragm spring made of flexible material (metal or elastomer) as the pressure-responsive component. This flexible element deforms in response to pressure changes, enabling the valve body to transition between closed and open states. The diaphragm spring mechanism provides the necessary pressure reduction and flow stability while maintaining a relatively simple structural implementation suitable for liquid distribution systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the fluid stop valve to open smoothly and maintain stable flow by reducing the pressure threshold, overcoming the need for increased force and preventing hammering during liquid distribution.
Implementation Method 1
said pressure responsive part of the liquid stop valve unit comprises at least one diaphragm spring being adapted to be deformed from a first position, in which it is biased towards said valve seat and keeps the valve body in said closed state, into a second position, in which it keeps the valve body in an open state
Implementation Method 2
The deformation of the diaphragm spring from said first position to said second position causing the valve body to overwin the biasing force and to move away from said valve seat so as to keep said valve body in said open state and to reduce the liquid pressure in the liquid stop valve unit from said threshold level, being up to 1 to 2 bar higher than an ambient atmospheric pressure, down to a lower level being substantially lower than said threshold pressure level, said lower level possibly being as low as 0.1 bar
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The present invention concerns a fluid stop valve unit comprising at least one fluid stop valve and a pressure responsive part, integrated or separate, arranged so that the at least one fluid stop valve is kept in a closed state. The pressure responsive part, integrated or separate, has an opening characteristic going from the closed state to an open state with a decrease of pressure after a threshold pressure has been reached.