Additively Manufactured Piston Assembly for High-Vibration Valve Wear

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pneumatically actuated butterfly valves face wear issues due to bearing wear and torsional mode excitation in high vibration environments, leading to excessive piston ring and crank mechanism wear.

Innovation Solution

A piston assembly with a cover permanently formed with a piston cross-member, featuring a cutout, slots, and a Scotch yoke crank mechanism, is additively manufactured using powdered metal, reducing weight and increasing natural frequency to above 2,300 Hz, thereby reducing torsional strain and wear.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional bearings and link mechanisms are used in pneumatic piston assemblies, then the valve can be actuated reliably, but wear occurs at the bearings and piston rings due to torsional mode excitation in high vibration environments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve actuation reliabilityVSAvoidcomponent lifespan

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the piston body and cross-member into a single integrated additively manufactured component. This integration eliminates the traditional separate link mechanism and reduces the number of moving parts, thereby eliminating bearing wear points while maintaining reliable valve actuation through the integrated piston-crank interface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the structural parameters of the piston assembly by using additive manufacturing to create an integrated design with modified geometry. The integrated piston body and cross-member create a stiffer structure that resists torsional mode excitation, reducing wear on piston rings and extending component lifespan in high vibration environments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Weight of moving object

If additive manufacturing is used to create the integrated piston assembly, then weight is reduced and natural frequency is increased, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepiston assembly weightVSAvoidmanufacturing process simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple traditional components (piston body, cross-member, and connecting elements) into a single additively manufactured part. This merging eliminates the need for assembly operations and post-processing of multiple components, offsetting the increased manufacturing complexity of additive manufacturing with reduced assembly steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated piston design allows for optimized material distribution and structural dynamics that reduce weight while maintaining strength. The additive manufacturing process enables complex internal geometries and lattice structures that reduce mass without compromising mechanical properties, achieving weight reduction despite increased manufacturing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11028923B2High vibration pneumatic piston assembly made from additive manufacturing

Publication Date: 2021.06.08 HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORP

AI summary

A piston assembly includes a piston with a first cap disposed on a first end of the piston and a second cap disposed on a second end of the piston. A piston cross-member is in between the first cap and the second cap. A cover is formed with the piston cross-member and extends between the first cap and second cap.