Balanced Valve Disc Groove for Stable Gas Regulator Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas regulators with balanced trim assemblies face issues of reduced capacity at low inlet pressures and increased capacity at high inlet pressures due to the balancing mechanism, leading to inefficient gas delivery.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a valve disc with longitudinally extending passages and a curved groove on its intermediate surface, allowing for adjustable balancing springs to bias the valve disc, optimizing the 'boost' effect and capacity regulation by altering the force distribution between upstream and downstream pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a balanced trim assembly is used to reduce upstream pressure influence, then the regulator responds better to downstream pressure variations, but capacity is reduced at low inlet pressures and increased at high inlet pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The valve disc is designed with non-uniform thickness, creating different local densities. The thicker first end (upstream side) and thinner second end (downstream side) create differential buoyancy forces that counterbalance the upstream pressure effects, allowing the regulator to maintain accurate downstream pressure control while preserving gas delivery capacity across varying inlet pressures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameter of the valve disc by varying its thickness along the longitudinal axis. This geometric parameter change creates density variations that generate compensating buoyancy forces, transforming the valve disc from a uniform component into a pressure-compensating element that maintains capacity while improving response accuracy.
2Reliability
If balancing channels extend through the valve disc to communicate upstream pressure with the balancing diaphragm, then upstream pressure influence is balanced, but the boost effect varies with inlet pressure causing capacity fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The non-uniform valve disc acts as a counterweight mechanism where the differential buoyancy forces generated by varying thickness compensate for the variable boost effect. The thicker upstream portion provides greater counterbalancing force at low inlet pressures, while the thinner downstream portion reduces counterbalancing at high inlet pressures, thereby stabilizing capacity delivery despite varying upstream conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve disc deliberately employs asymmetric thickness distribution rather than a uniform or symmetric design. This asymmetry creates the necessary differential buoyancy forces that counterbalance the upstream pressure variations, transforming a source of instability into a compensating mechanism that maintains consistent capacity across different operating conditions.
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 regulator's ability to maintain consistent capacity across varying inlet pressures, improving the accuracy and efficiency of gas delivery by compensating for upstream pressure influences.
Implementation Method 1
The valve disc includes one or more disc passages longitudinally extending through the valve disc from the first end to the second end. The valve disc also includes an intermediate surface disposed inward of the sealing surface. The valve disc further includes a groove formed in the intermediate surface.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A fluid regulating device, in particular a gas regulator having a balanced trm assembly, includes a regulator valve having an inlet, an outlet, and a valve port disposed between the inlet and the outlet. An actuator is coupled to the regulator valve and includes a valve disc that displaces along a longitudinal axis to open and close the fluid regulating device. The valve disc includes a sealing surface disposed adjacent to an outer radial end of the valve disc, and the sealing surface is adapted to sealingly engage the valve port in the closed position. The valve disc also includes an intermediate surface disposed inward of the sealing surface, and a groove is formed in the intermediate surface. The groove extends along a groove axis extending along the intermediate surface normal to the longitudinal axis, and the groove axis is at least partially curved when viewed along the longitudinal axis.