Adaptive Facial Sealing Ring for Ball Valve Conduit Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Valves used in fluid flow control, such as ball and gate valves, face issues with sealing integrity due to particle collection and damage from harsh operating conditions, leading to reduced longevity and increased leakage.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an adaptive facial sealing ring with a shoulder received in a recess, allowing axial translation to compensate for conduit deflection, and features like protective ridges and particle-deflecting bores to maintain sealing integrity and prevent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed sealing ring is used in a valve, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but sealing integrity is compromised when the conduit deflects away from the valve body
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member is designed with a recess that allows it to move dynamically along the bore axis in response to conduit deflection. This dynamic adjustment maintains sealing engagement between the closure member and conduit without requiring a completely fixed rigid structure, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess geometry is specifically designed with dimensional relationships (depth and width proportions) that enable the closure member to translate axially while maintaining proper sealing contact. This parameter optimization allows the system to adapt to conduit deflection while keeping the structural complexity manageable.
2Strength
If sealing surfaces are made robust to withstand harsh conditions, then pressure tolerance increases, but particle collection on sealing surfaces increases, reducing sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts the sealing function from the main valve body structure by using a separate, movable closure member that can independently adjust its position. This separation allows the sealing surface to maintain robustness for pressure tolerance while enabling independent movement to prevent particle accumulation, resolving the contradiction between strength and reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the closure member is tightly fixed to the valve body, then structural stability is high, but the ability to compensate for conduit deflection is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member incorporates a recess that provides controlled dynamic movement capability along the bore axis. This allows the closure member to adapt to conduit deflection while maintaining sufficient structural stability through the recess geometry constraints, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve including a flow control assembly having an adaptive, floating closure member is provided. In one embodiment, a ball valve includes a floating closure member having a shoulder enclosed within a recess of the valve body. The recess is larger than the shoulder of the closure member and allows axial movement of the closure member with respect to the valve body and along a flow path through the valve. Additional valve systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.