Air Dryer Housing Socket Valves for Leak-Safe Regeneration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air dryer devices for vehicles face challenges in precise control and sealing efficiency during the regeneration phase, leading to increased costs, material usage, and complexity due to large sealing surfaces and multiple parts required for control valves.
Innovation Solution
The air dryer device incorporates a control valve arrangement at the housing socket, utilizing multiple check valves to manage backpressure and regeneration airflow, reducing leakage risks and assembly time, while simplifying maintenance and manufacturing through a symmetrical design that minimizes mechanical tensions and parts needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a control valve with large sealing surface is used to control the regeneration process, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control valve is divided into multiple smaller check valves arranged in parallel. Each check valve has a small sealing surface, but collectively they provide sufficient flow control. This segmentation reduces the sealing requirement for each individual valve while maintaining overall control effectiveness, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing costs without compromising sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control function is extracted from a single complex control valve and distributed to multiple simple check valves. By removing the need for a large sealing surface in one valve and replacing it with several smaller valves, the invention simplifies the overall valve structure while maintaining the necessary flow control during regeneration.
2Reliability
If a control valve with large sealing surface is used, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the manufacturing costs and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control valve is divided into multiple smaller check valves arranged in parallel. Each check valve has a small sealing surface, but collectively they provide sufficient flow control. This segmentation reduces the sealing requirement for each individual valve while maintaining overall control effectiveness, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing costs without compromising sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses multiple simple, inexpensive check valves instead of one complex, expensive control valve with large sealing surfaces. The check valves are simpler in design and easier to manufacture, reducing overall manufacturing costs while achieving the same functional outcome through redundancy.
3Productivity
If multiple desiccant containers are accommodated in the housing, then the drying capacity is improved, but the housing space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple desiccant containers are arranged in a nested or compact configuration within the housing. The containers are positioned to utilize vertical and horizontal space efficiently, with one container potentially nested within or adjacent to another, maximizing the drying capacity within a minimized housing volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The desiccant containers are arranged in a vertical stacking configuration rather than horizontal placement. By utilizing the vertical dimension, the housing can accommodate multiple containers without significantly increasing the horizontal footprint, thereby maintaining compact overall dimensions while improving drying capacity.
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 configuration enhances the precision and safety of the regeneration process, extends the lifespan of components, reduces manufacturing efforts, and ensures reliable contamination removal, thereby improving the overall operational efficiency and safety of the air dryer device.
Implementation Method 1
the check valves are arranged and configured for opening or closing the regeneration conduit device (12e)
Implementation Method 2
the desiccant of all air dryer devices needs to be pretensioned as, during the lifetime of the desiccant, vibrations caused by the powertrain
Implementation Method 3
the desiccant needs to be regenerated from time to time since the desiccant has a limited capability of absorbing water that has to be separated from the desiccant after its water saturation
Data Source
AI summary
An air dryer device for an air treatment device for a utility vehicle includes at least one housing forming at least one accommodation chamber for accommodating at least one desiccant container. The housing has at least one housing socket arranged, in a mounted state, at a bottom region of the housing; at least one first connection device and at least one second connection device, wherein the first and second connection device, via the desiccant container, are connectable during at least one load phase and/or during at least one regeneration phase of the air dryer device; at least one regeneration conduit for connecting the first connection device with the second connection device during the regeneration phase; and at least one first control valve arranged and configured for opening or closing the regeneration conduit, especially wherein the first control valve is arranged at the housing socket.