Actuator Throttle Pressure-Relieving Chamber Friction Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing actuator designs for controlling fluid flow face challenges with high friction and wear, especially under high flow rates and differential pressures, due to sealing issues which increase the required actuating force and lead to premature wear, particularly in the presence of media with particles.
Innovation Solution
The actuator design incorporates a pressure-relieving chamber with movable boundary walls and a seal that only seals on the outlet side in the closed position, allowing defined leakage in open positions, reducing sealing requirements and friction, and features a cylindrical wall and conical cover design with a seat ring for reliable sealing and tolerance compensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is provided between the chamber closure and the throttle body to prevent leakage, then the fluid flow control reliability is improved, but the friction increases and wear occurs during throttle body movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sealing state changeable based on throttle body position. The seal only engages when the throttle body is in the closed position, allowing free movement during open positions. This is achieved through the geometric relationship between the seal, chamber closure, and throttle body, where the seal naturally contacts the chamber closure only when the throttle body is retracted to its closed position, eliminating friction during operation.
2Reliability
If a seal is provided between the chamber closure and the throttle body, then the wear is reduced in terms of fluid control, but the actuating force required to move the throttle body increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sealing state changeable based on throttle body position. The seal only engages when the throttle body is in the closed position, allowing free movement during open positions. This is achieved through the geometric relationship between the seal, chamber closure, and throttle body, where the seal naturally contacts the chamber closure only when the throttle body is retracted to its closed position, eliminating friction during operation.
3Ease of operation
If a double cone system is used to avoid sealing issues, then the friction and wear are reduced, but the construction complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the complex double cone system and retaining only the essential single throttle body structure. Instead of using two interlocking cones, the invention extracts the core functionality by using a simplified throttle body with a seal that selectively engages only in the closed position, eliminating the need for complex housing geometry while maintaining low friction and wear characteristics.
4Reliability
If the chamber is sealed between the chamber closure and the throttle body, then the fluid flow leakage is prevented, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the complex double cone system and retaining only the essential single throttle body structure. Instead of using two interlocking cones, the invention extracts the core functionality by using a simplified throttle body with a seal that selectively engages only in the closed position, eliminating the need for complex housing geometry while maintaining low friction and wear characteristics.
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
This design significantly reduces friction and wear during valve adjustment, allowing for low-friction, low-wear operation with minimal actuating force, even under high flow conditions, and simplifies the manufacturing process by reducing the complexity of the housing geometry.
Implementation Method 1
The channel ensures that there is approximately the same pressure on both sides of the throttle body, as a result of which the actuating force required to move the throttle body is reduced.
Implementation Method 2
the seal leads to increased friction when the throttle body is moved relative to the chamber closure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The actuator (10) has throttle (18) that is connected with cone shaped chamber (22) in valve housing (11) to form a pressure-relieving chamber (28). The volume of the pressure-relieving chamber is varied depending on the direction of relative movement between throttle and cone shaped chamber. The seals (26,30) are provided between the throttle and valve housing to seal the throttle on valve seat (16) in closed position, and to define a passage for flow of fluid from pressure-relieving chamber through recess (24) in open position.