Ball Segment Valve Anti-Friction Bearing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ball valves in chemical industrial applications face issues with solid particles obstructing the valve and requiring high mechanical effort to operate due to friction, leading to wear in sealing assemblies and maintenance challenges, especially in processes like paper manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A ball segment valve design with a valve housing, rotating spindle, and spherical segment that allows easy assembly and disassembly, featuring a spline assembly for torque transmission and anti-friction bearings to reduce operational force and prevent particle trapping, along with a tightening sleeve unit for secure fluid sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ball segment valve is used to prevent solid particle obstruction, then the valve closing is improved, but the sealing assembly wears quickly due to high fluid pressure on the spindle
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is segmented into an upper valve body and a lower valve body that can be separated. The sealing assembly is integrated with the upper valve body, allowing it to be removed by simply detaching the upper valve body from the lower valve body, without needing to drain the pipeline or deal with high fluid pressure on the spindle.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing assembly is extracted from the traditional integrated valve structure and combined with the upper valve body as a separate removable unit. This allows the sealing assembly to be easily removed and replaced by separating the upper and lower valve bodies, significantly simplifying maintenance operations.
2Device complexity
If a traditional ball valve is used, then the structure is simple, but solid particles are trapped between the ball and sealing assembly obstructing closing
Solution Approach 1:
The ball is replaced with a ball segment (partial spherical structure) that prevents solid particles from being trapped during the closing motion. The valve body is also segmented into upper and lower parts for easier maintenance. This segmentation solves the particle trapping problem while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a full ball that rotates 360 degrees (which traps particles), the invention uses a ball segment that opens and closes without full rotation, allowing particles to pass through freely. This inverts the traditional ball valve operating principle to solve the particle trapping issue.
3Ease of operation
If high mechanical effort is applied to operate the valve against friction, then the valve can be opened and closed, but the sealing assembly wears quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing assembly is made a removable component integrated with the upper valve body. When wear occurs, the upper valve body can be separated from the lower valve body to access and replace the sealing assembly, eliminating the need for complex disassembly and reducing downtime despite the high operational demands.
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
Facilitates easy maintenance and reduces the mechanical effort required to operate the valve, minimizing wear and fluid pressure effects, ensuring smooth operation and reducing the need for frequent sealing assembly replacements.
Implementation Method 1
anti-friction bearings to reduce operational force
Implementation Method 2
a spline assembly is disposed between the upper lug and the coupling segment to axially guide the coupling segment to the fully engaging position where a torque exerted on the actuated segment is transmitted through the spline assembly to rotate the valve body about the rotating axis
Implementation Method 3
the outer spherical surface is in sealing contact with an entire circumference of the valve seat so as to interrupt fluid communication between the flow duct and the flow opening
Data Source
AI summary
A ball segment valve for controlling fluid flow in a piping, includes a valve housing with a valve seat disposed therein, a tubular bearing body fitted to an upper axial opening of the valve housing, a rotating spindle inserted through the bearing body into the valve housing, a tightening sleeve unit sleeved on the spindle to ensure full engagement of the spindle with the bearing body, a journal member inserted through a lower axial opening into the valve housing, and a valve body having upper and lower lugs coaxially fitted to the spindle and the journal member, and a spherical segment having a convex outer spherical surface and rotated with the spindle between a fully closed position, where the spherical surface is in sealing contact with the valve seat, and a fully opened position to permit a full fluid communication of the valve housing.