Adjustable Orifice Valve Gate Segmentation for Bulk Material Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Known orifice valves used in handling dry bulk materials tend to wedge or pack material, leading to cross-contamination and difficulty in cleaning due to material build-up when the gate opens.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable orifice valve design featuring a gate with an orifice that aligns with the opening, supported by a movable mechanism allowing orthogonal movement to prevent material flow when closed and facilitate easy cleaning by allowing disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional orifice valve gate is used, then material flow can be controlled, but material builds up on the sides and ends of the body causing cross-contamination and cleaning difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The gate is divided into multiple segments that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the gate to open in a way that prevents material from wedging between the gate and valve body, eliminating the buildup that causes cross-contamination and cleaning difficulties while maintaining flow control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one with multiple movable segments. The segments can shift positions to control flow while preventing material accumulation, resolving the contradiction between maintaining reliable flow control and enabling easy cleaning by eliminating the wedging problem.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the gate is kept closed to prevent material flow, then cross-contamination is prevented, but productivity is reduced due to frequent cleaning interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the gate into movable parts, the valve can maintain a sealed closed position that prevents cross-contamination while allowing for quick opening and cleaning operations. The segmented design enables the gate to be opened fully for cleaning without compromising the sealed closure during operation, thus maintaining both contamination prevention and operational continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented gate design allows the valve to be quickly opened and cleaned without requiring disassembly or special tools. The simple mechanical segmentation enables operators to perform cleaning operations rapidly, minimizing interruptions to productivity while maintaining contamination prevention during normal operation.
3Reliability
If the valve is designed for tight sealing, then material flow control is improved, but disassembly complexity increases making cleaning harder
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented gate provides tight sealing through the interaction of multiple segments with the valve body, achieving reliable flow control. The segmentation is designed so that each segment can move independently but still maintains sealing contact, allowing for simple disassembly and reassembly for cleaning without increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic segmented gate design achieves tight sealing through controlled movement and positioning of segments during closure. The mechanical simplicity of the segmented structure allows for easy disassembly and reassembly, maintaining both flow control precision and low disassembly complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve for controlling the flow of a solid material from an opening includes a gate having a first face adjacent the opening, a second face opposite the first, and an orifice. A support is disposed adjacent the second face of the gate and is configured so that the gate can move relative to the support from a first position permitting the material to flow from the opening through the orifice and a second position preventing the material from flowing through the opening. The support is movable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction so that the distance from the first face to the opening can be varied.