Compensation valve for environments, such as a cold room, in which the pressure is different from atmospheric
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compensation valves in controlled atmosphere chambers or cold rooms face issues with suboptimal pressure balancing, moisture infiltration leading to ice formation, turbulent airflow, and reduced air flow efficiency due to their design, which affects safety and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A compensation valve with a cylindrical body and a valve member comprising two identical, symmetric portions with transverse air passage zones and movable panels that rotate to ensure secure closure and efficient airflow, utilizing a torsion spring for pressure balancing and a scraper element to prevent ice formation, allowing laminar flow and high air flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a panel of polygonal shape is used to intercept a cylindrical passage, then the panel can move relative to the frame within the passage, but the panel cannot completely intercept the passage and gaps remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by making the passage polygonal (square) instead of circular, and the panel circular. This allows the circular panel to completely cover the polygonal passage when closed, eliminating gaps while maintaining smooth movement on the circular guide, thus resolving the contradiction between movability and sealing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies asymmetry by using a circular panel within a square passage frame. The circular shape of the panel provides smooth movement and rotational capability, while the square passage ensures complete interception when closed, creating an asymmetric configuration that resolves the contradiction.
2Reliability
If a frame with aperture is used to hold the movable panel, then the panel can be secured within the passage, but the useful cross-section of the passage is considerably limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the traditional frame structure with aperture that limited the passage cross-section. Instead, it uses a simple guide structure that defines the passage boundaries without requiring a frame, thereby maximizing the useful cross-section and air flow rate while still ensuring proper panel positioning through the guide's geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the valve into distinct functional components: the guide structure for positioning, the circular panel for closure, and the polygonal passage for flow. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the guide providing positioning without the frame's aperture limitation.
3Ease of operation
If the panel moves vertically within the passage to enable opening and closing, then the panel can rotate about hinges, but optimal valve passage interception is not achieved and moisture infiltration occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the orientation relationship by making the panel horizontal rather than vertical, and the passage square rather than circular. This allows the panel to move horizontally on vertical hinges, achieving both smooth movement and complete interception of the passage, thereby preventing moisture infiltration while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses asymmetric configuration with a horizontal circular panel moving within a vertical square passage. This asymmetry allows the panel to maintain optimal interception position while moving smoothly on hinges, preventing the moisture infiltration problem that occurs with vertical panels in circular passages.
4Reliability
If heating elements are added to prevent ice formation on frame aperture edges, then panel movement security is improved, but ice formations still occur on the ceiling of the cold room
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the frame structure that created the aperture edges where ice formation occurred. By removing the frame and using a guide structure instead, there are no protruding edges to heat, and the panel moves smoothly within the guide without creating turbulence that would cause moisture to rise and freeze on the ceiling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of moisture infiltration into a benefit by designing a system where the panel completely intercepts the passage when closed, preventing moisture from entering in the first place. This eliminates the need for heating elements and prevents ice formation on the ceiling by stopping the moisture source.
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 solution enables secure, efficient, and rapid pressure balancing with minimal moisture infiltration, preventing ice formation and turbulence, while ensuring high air flow rates and silent operation.
Implementation Method 1
a torsion spring (27) acting on the first zone (11) to automatically open or close the passage (4) in response to a pressure difference between the cold room interior and the external environment
Implementation Method 2
a scraper element (19) present on the panel (13) to prevent ice formation on this latter
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
A compensation valve for balancing the pressure of environments, such as a cold room, in which the pressure is different from the pressure of an external environment, the environment at different pressure being bounded by walls (100), in at least one of which a through hole (F) is provided containing the valve body (1), which presents an internal passage (4) opening at one end (3) into the environment at different pressure and communicating via the opposite end (5) with the exterior of this latter, said valve comprising in the passage (4) a valve member (8) presenting at least one aperture (12) able to connect together said ends (3, 5) of the valve body (1), on this aperture there being provided a movable interception member (13); the aperture (12) is provided within a zone (11) of the valve member (8) lying in a horizontal plane (P) within the passage (4).