Ball Valve Drain Bore for Compact Depressurization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for isolating and depressurizing pipeline sections for maintenance in high-pressure systems require additional fittings and increase space requirements, making them unsuitable for compact systems.
Innovation Solution
A ball valve design with a drain opening and a metallic thread, featuring a plastic-plastic or metal-plastic plain bearing, allows for controlled depressurization and medium removal without additional fittings, using a drain valve and a bore in the actuating shaft to connect the flow space to the outlet, while maintaining compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an additional ball valve or valve with drain port is installed to enable depressurization and draining, then the ability to isolate and drain pipeline sections is improved, but the space requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drain function with the existing ball valve structure by creating a communication path between the flow chamber and outlet through the actuating shaft bore. This merging eliminates the need for separate drain valves or additional fittings, resolving the contradiction by maintaining drainage capability while reducing device complexity and space requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating shaft is given multiple functions: it serves both as the actuation mechanism for opening/closing the valve and as a drainage pathway when the valve is closed. The bore in the actuating shaft enables fluid to pass from the flow chamber to the outlet even when the ball is in the closed position, allowing the single component to perform both valve actuation and drainage functions
2Ease of manufacture
If the chamber is opened to the environment for sensor access, then sensor installation is simplified, but the medium can escape and system reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor chamber is nested within the hollow spindle structure, creating a contained space that is accessible to the sensor through the bore but remains sealed from the environment. The sensor can detect parameters through the chamber opening while the actual chamber remains enclosed, allowing sensor installation without compromising medium containment
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow spindle acts as an intermediary structure that provides both the sensor mounting location and the sealed chamber. The bore through the hollow spindle allows sensor access and signal transmission while the walls of the hollow spindle maintain the seal, enabling sensor installation without direct opening to the environment
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a ball valve (43) for selectively closing or opening a flow through a line from an upstream supply line through a control chamber (45) to a downstream outlet, with a handle (41) which is connected to an actuating element (48) inside the control chamber for unambiguous movement of the actuating element, wherein the handle and the actuating element have an openable passage which, in the open state, opens the control chamber to the environment, wherein the passage is preferably designed in accordance with DVGW standards and is suitable for use in drinking water.