Ceramic Disc Valve Gear Drive for Tight Sealing and Low Torque
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shut-off valves with ceramic discs face challenges in maintaining long-term tightness while ensuring ease of movement, and their complex construction can lead to damage due to unfavorable force effects during operation.
Innovation Solution
A shut-off valve design featuring a ceramic valve body disk and seat disk with a mechanical coupling to a ring gear and pinion gear, allowing precise rotation and actuation, and incorporating a seal between the pinion gear and actuating element within the valve housing for enhanced sealing without increasing movement difficulty.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sealing rings are axially clamped between valve seat discs and valve housing to prevent fluid leakage, then sealing effect is improved, but actuation force increases and calcification reduces sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from the axially clamped sealing rings and transferred to the valve body disc itself. The valve body disc is designed with a sealing surface that directly seals against the valve seat disc, eliminating the need for separate sealing rings that require axial clamping force.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealing surface is introduced as an intermediary between the valve body disc and valve seat disc. This sealing surface is specifically designed with appropriate geometry and material properties to achieve effective sealing without requiring additional clamping force that would increase actuation effort.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex construction with external coupling is used to actuate valve body disc, then valve can be operated manually or mechanically, but external coupling becomes damage-prone due to unfavorable forces and stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation coupling is merged with the valve body disc by integrating a drive element directly into the disc structure. This eliminates separate external couplings that are susceptible to damage from unfavorable forces and stiffness mismatches between different components.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive element is nested within the valve body disc structure, with the coupling features integrated into the disc itself rather than being separate external components. This nested arrangement protects the coupling from external damage while maintaining actuation capability.
3Reliability
If ceramic discs are used for valve body and seat, then resistance to limescale buildup and friction is improved, but complex construction and sealing challenges arise
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body disc is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the ceramic sealing surface, incorporates the drive element for actuation, and integrates the sealing geometry. This multi-functionality reduces overall construction complexity despite using ceramic materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body disc combines ceramic material properties (calcification resistance, low friction) with integrated mechanical features (drive element, sealing geometry). This composite approach allows the single component to achieve both material benefits and functional integration, reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a valve, comprising a valve housing with an inlet opening, an outlet opening and a through duct which connects the inlet opening to the outlet opening, a valve arrangement with a ceramic valve body disc with at least one valve body opening which can be moved relative to a ceramic valve seat disc with at least one valve seat opening, and shuts off the through duct in a first relative position of the valve body disc with respect to the valve seat disc, and opens the through duct in a second relative position of the valve body disc with respect to the valve seat disc. It is provided according to the invention that the valve body disc is coupled mechanically to a crown gear which is in engagement with a pinion gear for the transmission of torque from the pinion gear to the crown gear and the valve body disc, and the crown gear is arranged within the valve housing, and the pinion gear is coupled mechanically to an actuating element which is arranged outside the valve housing.