Compact Gas Vent Valve Design for Limited Headroom
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas vent valves for large diameter water and sewerage pipelines are typically tall, making them unsuitable for installations with limited headroom, and they struggle to maintain high venting capacity and reliability while preventing debris from interfering with sealing components under varying pressure conditions.
Innovation Solution
A gas vent valve design featuring a valve body with a constant inner diameter, a control float, a top float, and a spacer with a specific aperture configuration that allows for efficient air flow and debris exclusion, enabling the valve to be shorter while maintaining high venting capacity and reliability, by optimizing the ratio of 'normal' and 'compressed' gas pocket volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If the valve body is made tall to maintain sufficient compressed gas pocket volume at maximum pressure, then the pressure handling capability is improved, but the installation adaptability deteriorates due to limited headroom in underground vaults and manholes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a tall vertical valve body design to a shorter compact design by redistributing internal volumes and utilizing horizontal space more effectively. The constant inner diameter section is extended while reducing overall height, effectively changing the dimensional distribution from vertical dominance to a more balanced configuration that fits limited headroom spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the valve body by introducing a constant inner diameter section and optimizing the ratio between normal and compressed gas pocket volumes. This allows the valve to maintain pressure handling capability while reducing overall height to accommodate limited installation spaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the valve body is shortened to fit limited installation spaces, then the installation adaptability is improved, but the compressed gas pocket volume ratio deteriorates, compromising pressure handling capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a constant inner diameter section with specific dimensions that optimizes gas pocket volume distribution. This localized geometric feature ensures that the compressed gas pocket volume maintains the required ratio to normal gas pocket volume even in a shortened valve body, preserving pressure handling capability.
3Stress or pressure
If a larger internal diameter valve body is used to create smaller top volume and larger air volume beneath, then the pressure rating is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to requiring pipe reducers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the valve body into distinct sections: a constant inner diameter section and other sections with varying dimensions. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized independently for its function while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, avoiding the need for complex pipe reducers and welding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a larger internal diameter valve body with reducers as in prior art, the patent inverts the approach by using a constant inner diameter section that extends further, achieving the desired volume distribution without requiring size transitions and associated manufacturing complexity.
4Productivity
If the constant inner diameter section is extended to increase normal gas pocket volume, then the venting capacity is improved, but the valve body height increases, worsening installation adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the constant inner diameter section to extend in a way that increases normal gas pocket volume while controlling overall height. By carefully designing the length and positioning of this section, the valve achieves high venting capacity without excessive height, maintaining installation adaptability.
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
The design allows for a significantly shorter valve body height while maintaining high venting capacity and reliability, preventing debris from interfering with sealing components, and accommodating varying pressure conditions, thus addressing the limitations of prior art valves.
Implementation Method 1
the normal operating liquid level in the valve is just high enough to supply the control float with sufficient buoyancy so as to apply sufficient pressure to seal some nozzle or gas release mechanism
Implementation Method 2
when the pipeline pressures surge from a minimum operating design pressure up to the maximum design pressure, this gas pocket will compress (called the 'compressed gas pocket volume') in approximate ratio to the two pressures
Data Source
AI summary
A gas vent valve has a valve body having a first end, a second end, and a sidewall having a generally constant inner diameter from the first end to a normal operating liquid level. A spacer is positioned within the valve body and has an aperture formed therethrough. A control float is positioned within the valve body and has an outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the valve body and larger than the inner diameter of the spacer. A top float is positioned within the valve body, above the control float, and has an outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the spacer. A side port can extend from the sidewall and be positioned below the spacer and generally adjacent the top float with the valve in the open condition.