Annular Valve Sealing Surface Geometry for Lower Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional annular valves experience significant pressure loss and energy loss due to the shape of their sealing surfaces, leading to reduced efficiency and shorter service life, as the arcuate-shaped sealing surfaces and stepped boundary lines cause flow separation and increased load on power sources.
Innovation Solution
The annular valve features a valve body with a torus-shaped sealing surface that eliminates pressure loss elements, such as edge-shaped ridgelines, and ensures line contact with the annular groove, optimized through computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel experiments to maximize the effective flow area and reduce drag coefficients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sealing surface is formed as arcuate-shaped projecting rims to enable surface contact with the valve seat, then sealing performance is improved, but pressure loss occurs on the periphery of the sealing surface due to edge-shaped ridgeline parts
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing surface is changed from arcuate-shaped projecting rims with edge-shaped ridgeline parts to a torus shape. The torus shape maintains the ability to contact the annular groove for sealing while eliminating the sharp edges that cause flow separation and pressure loss. The curved torus geometry allows gas to flow smoothly around the sealing surface without creating harmful eddies or separation zones.
2Strength
If the boundary line between the valve plate and valve receiver is formed in a stepped shape to provide structural support, then mechanical strength is improved, but pressure loss and flow separation occur behind the valve plate
Solution Approach 1:
The stepped boundary line is replaced with a curved transition shape. This curved design maintains the structural support function while eliminating the sharp corners that cause flow separation. The smooth curvature allows gas flow to transition gradually behind the valve plate, preventing eddy formation and reducing pressure loss.
3Ease of operation
If arcuate-shaped sealing surfaces are used to correspond to the passage flow channel openings, then the valve can be brought into contact with the valve seat for closing, but significant pressure loss and energy loss occur due to the shape of the sealing surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The arcuate-shaped sealing surfaces are replaced with a torus-shaped sealing surface. The torus shape maintains the ability to contact the annular groove for closing the passage flow channels while eliminating the edge-shaped ridgeline parts that cause flow separation. This results in significantly reduced pressure loss and energy loss while preserving the valve closing function.
4Reliability
If the sealing surface has edge-shaped ridgeline parts to ensure surface contact with the valve seat, then sealing contact is improved, but flow separation occurs causing increased pressure loss
Solution Approach 1:
The edge-shaped ridgeline parts are eliminated by adopting a torus-shaped sealing surface. The smooth curved geometry of the torus shape allows gas to flow around the sealing surface without separation, eliminating the harmful eddies and flow detachment that occur with sharp edges. The torus shape maintains adequate contact with the annular groove for reliable sealing.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4(a)~4(b)
AI summary
An annular valve in which the shape of a sealing surface of a valve body is optimized thus suppressing the occurrence of pressure loss in gas on the periphery of the sealing surface and extending the service life of the annular valve. The annular valve comprises: a valve seat 10 formed in a plate-like shape and including passage flow channels 11 each having an opening cross section formed in an arcuate shape; a receiving plate 20 formed in a plate-like shape and having discharge flow channels 21, the receiving plate 20 being arranged to face the valve seat 10 by way of an intermediate chamber 50; a valve body 30 formed in an annular shape corresponding to the arcuate shape of the opening cross section of the passage flow channel 11 and being arranged in the intermediate chamber 50, the valve body 30 being brought into contact with/separated from the valve seat 10 so as to open/close the passage flow channel 11; and a plurality of spring members 40 supported by the receiving plate 20, the spring members 40 each biasing elastically the valve body 30 toward the valve seat 10. A sealing surface 31 of the valve body 30 that faces the passage flow channel 11 is formed in a shape where at least one of pressure loss elements with respect to gas flowing towards the valve body 30 from the passage flow channel 11 is eliminated.