Actively Controlled Valve with Sliding Plate and Spring Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional compressor valves suffer from increased pressure drop and flow speed due to the closing body's design, requiring fluid to change direction twice, leading to inefficiencies and slow, imprecise actuation.
Innovation Solution
An actively controlled valve with a movably supported valve plate and a counter-plate, driven by a drive spring and a controllable holding apparatus, allowing for rapid positioning and energy storage in a torsion spring, enabling fast and precise opening and closing without flow deflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a conventional closing body design is used, then the valve structure is simple, but the fluid undergoes two direction changes causing increased pressure drop and higher flow speed
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the closing body perpendicular to the flow direction as in conventional valves, this invention moves the closing body parallel to the flow direction. The closing body is a plate that slides along the flow path, opening and closing the passage without requiring the fluid to change direction, thereby eliminating the harmful flow deflection and pressure drop.
2Speed
If conventional valve actuation is used, then the structure is simple, but the valve opens and closes slowly and imprecisely
Solution Approach 1:
The valve employs a spring-loaded actuation mechanism that pre-stores energy in the spring. When actuation is required, the holding apparatus releases the spring, which then rapidly drives the closing body to open or close the valve. This preliminary energy storage enables extremely fast switching times of 1-2 ms without requiring complex active control systems during the switching event.
3Measurement precision
If the valve plate is moved directly by an external drive, then the valve can be actively controlled, but the actuation is slow and imprecise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a spring as an intermediary energy storage element between the external drive and the valve plate. The external drive slowly tensions the spring to the required position, storing energy precisely. When release is commanded, the spring rapidly converts this stored energy into fast, precise motion of the valve plate, achieving both positioning precision and high switching speed.
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 results in significantly reduced flow losses, increased efficiency, longer service life due to minimal wear, and the ability to regulate compressor flow without frequent cycling, with switching times as short as 1-2 ms.
Implementation Method 1
the drive spring then being tensioned by the drive apparatus, the valve plate then being released by the holding apparatus so that the valve plate is moved by the energy stored in the drive spring
Implementation Method 2
The holding apparatus can advantageously be activated very fast, for example in that the holding apparatus includes a piezoelectric drive which serves for the drive of the holding apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an actively controlled valve (1) having a housing (6) and comprising a displaceably supported valve plate (4) having aperture openings (4a) and a counter plate (2) disposed in a fixed manner relative to the housing (6) and having aperture openings (2a), wherein the valve plate (4) is slidably supported relative to the counter plate (2), such that the penetration openings (2a, 4a) form an open or closed aperture (24), and comprising a drive device (8) driving the valve plate (4), wherein the valve plate (4) is connected to the drive device (8) by means of a drive spring (7), and an actuatable clamping device (10) is provided for fixing the location of the valve plate (4).