Check Valve Elastomeric V-Ring Seal Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Check valves in engine systems face challenges in sealing effectively at low temperatures and low sealing pressure differentials, while also needing to withstand high pressure differentials, and existing solutions struggle to balance weight and sealing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The use of a check valve design featuring a housing with internal elastomeric V-ring seals and a translatable check valve plate, which includes alignment members to guide the plate between closed and open positions, ensuring effective sealing with a combination of first and second elastomeric V-ring seals positioned to manage fluid flow and pressure differentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a compliant sealing member is used to conform to manufacturing variations, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the sealing member deforms under high pressure differentials causing lift-off from the sealing surface
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is constructed as a composite structure combining a rigid support portion (providing structural strength) with a compliant sealing surface portion (providing sealing effectiveness). This composite design allows the sealing member to maintain both conformability to manufacturing variations and resistance to deformation under high pressure differentials.
2Strength
If a rigid disk material is used, then resistance to high pressure differentials is improved, but sealing effectiveness is lost under low pressure differentials
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member has different local properties: the support portion is rigid to withstand high pressure differentials, while the sealing surface portion is compliant to ensure effective sealing under low pressure differentials. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between strength and sealing effectiveness.
3Weight of moving object
If the weight of the movable sealing member is reduced, then weight limit is satisfied, but the ability to withstand large sealing pressure differentials is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member uses a thin, flexible sealing surface portion that provides effective sealing without adding significant weight, while the support portion provides the necessary structural strength. This design allows the sealing member to meet weight limits while maintaining the ability to withstand large sealing pressure differentials.
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 achieves efficient sealing across varying pressure conditions, minimizing weight while maintaining sealing integrity at both low and high pressure differentials, and reduces pressure drop, effectively addressing the limitations of current check valve technologies.
Implementation Method 1
a first elastomeric V-ring seal and a second elastomeric V-ring seal... The first elastomeric V-ring seal includes a body having an interference fit to an annular channel defined by the housing and a lip extending from the body
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Check valves are disclosed that have a housing defining an internal cavity having a first port and a second port both in fluid communication therewith, and having a first seat defined by a first elastomeric V-ring seal and a second seat. and a check valve plate within the internal cavity that is translatable, in response to pressure differentials, between a closed position against the first seat and an open position against the second seat within the internal cavity of the housing. The first elastomeric V-ring seal includes a body having an interference fit to an annular channel defined by the housing and a lip extending from the body in a direction that defines a generally V-shaped void, viewed in cross-section, opening in a direction away from and generally perpendicular to the flow through the elastomeric V-ring seal into the internal cavity.