Balanced Valve Control Assembly With Compressed Housing Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve control designs for fluid flow management in industrial applications require complex and costly construction to withstand high pressures and caustic environments, leading to increased manufacturing and assembly time, and often necessitate numerous fasteners and labor-intensive machining processes.
Innovation Solution
A valve control design that utilizes a support structure to compress parts of the valve housing, reducing the need for fasteners and simplifying assembly by using compression forces to maintain alignment and functionality, incorporating a pair of balanced valves to regulate actuator operation based on pressure changes, and integrating a manifold unit for efficient fluid management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional valve control designs are used to withstand high pressures and caustic environments, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated valve body structure that houses both the control valve and actuator components. This merging eliminates the need for numerous separate fasteners and complex assembly procedures while maintaining the structural integrity required for high-pressure and caustic environment operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously serves as a pressure-containing structure, a flow control mechanism, and an actuator housing. This universal design reduces overall device complexity by eliminating redundant structural elements while preserving reliability under harsh operating conditions.
2Reliability
If complex construction with numerous fasteners is used, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into modular components that can be manufactured separately using standardized processes, then quickly assembled with minimal fasteners. This segmentation enables parallel manufacturing of components, reducing overall production time while maintaining structural integrity through precision-machined mating surfaces and sealed interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Critical sealing surfaces and alignment features are pre-machined and pre-assembled during component manufacturing, allowing for rapid final assembly with minimal fastening operations. This preliminary action ensures structural integrity is achieved during manufacturing rather than during assembly, significantly reducing assembly time.
3Manufacturing precision
If extensive machining and post-manufacture processing are required, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The design concentrates precision machining requirements to specific localized areas such as sealing surfaces and critical mounting interfaces, while other portions of the components use simpler, faster-to-manufacture geometries. This local quality approach maintains necessary alignment and fit accuracy at critical interfaces while reducing overall machining time and increasing productivity.
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 design reduces manufacturing and assembly costs, simplifies the assembly process, and ensures more accurate and reliable operation by minimizing fasteners and labor, while maintaining robustness and accuracy in fluid flow management under high pressures.
Implementation Method 1
a support structure that compresses or 'squeezes' together parts of a valve housing
Data Source
AI summary
A valve control is configured for use with control valves and other flow controls. The valve control leverages a simplified structure to avoid problems with manufacture and reduce costs. This structure includes a support unit that compresses parts of a valve housing together. Inside of the valve housing, the structure incorporates diaphragms that cause a pair of balanced valves to move in response to changes in pressure of fluid in a conduit. For industrial application, the valve control finds use to maintain pressure of natural gas in pipelines downstream from a control valve.