Control Valve Drain Passage for Trapped Water
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control valves for heating and cooling installations face issues with trapped water in the pressure chamber, which obstructs the closing movement of regulators due to the simultaneous closure of exit openings by the differential pressure regulator when the flow regulator closes.
Innovation Solution
A control valve design that includes a pressure regulating arrangement with a movable throttle member and a drain passage connecting the pressure chamber to the outlet, allowing liquid to drain when the throttle member closes the exit openings, preventing counteractions from trapped water and enabling smooth closure of the flow area regulator and pressure regulating arrangement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the flow regulator closes off efficiently and the differential pressure regulator simultaneously closes the exit openings, then the liquid flow is effectively stopped, but an excessive amount of water is trapped in the pressure chamber which obstructs the closing movement of the regulators
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure chamber is segmented into two functional zones: a main pressure chamber for differential pressure regulation and a drain passage leading to a drain cavity. This segmentation allows the majority of the pressure chamber to be sealed for effective flow closure, while the drain passage provides a dedicated escape route for trapped water, preventing obstruction of the regulators during closing movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain passage acts as an intermediary element between the pressure chamber and the outlet. It provides a secondary pathway that mediates the conflict between sealing the pressure chamber for flow closure and allowing water drainage to prevent obstruction, enabling both regulators to close smoothly without water trapping issues.
2Reliability
If the exit openings are completely closed by the differential pressure regulator, then liquid flow is stopped, but the trapped water creates counteractions that prevent smooth closure
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure chamber is segmented into a main sealed region for flow stop capability and a drain passage region that provides water escape. This segmentation allows complete closure of the main exit openings while the drain passage handles the water trapping issue, maintaining closure smoothness without compromising flow stop capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The problematic trapped water is extracted from the main pressure chamber through the drain passage, which leads to a drain cavity. This extraction removes the harmful trapped water that would otherwise create counteractions during closure, allowing the exit openings to be completely closed without operational interference.
3Ease of operation
If a drain passage is added to allow water drainage, then regulator closing is enabled, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The drain passage is merged with the existing pressure chamber structure, utilizing the same structural components and materials. The drain passage integrates seamlessly into the valve body, combining the flow regulation function with the water drainage function in a unified structure, thereby minimizing additional complexity while enabling smooth regulator closing.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure chamber structure serves multiple functions: it maintains differential pressure for flow regulation and simultaneously provides the drain passage for water drainage. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated drainage components, minimizing structural complexity while achieving the desired ease of operation during regulator closing.
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 allows the control valve to close without liquid obstruction, ensuring efficient regulation of liquid flow and maintaining constant differential pressure, thus overcoming the issue of trapped water and ensuring smooth operation.
Implementation Method 1
a drain passage connecting the pressure chamber to the outlet, with the drain passage still allowing liquid in the pressure chamber to drain to the outlet when the movable throttle member is in the position where it closes the exit openings
Data Source
AI summary
A control valve (1) for controlling liquid flow in a heating and/or cooling installation. The control valve (1) comprises a valve housing (2) with an inlet (3) and an outlet (4), a flow area regulator for regulating a flow area of an entry opening through which the liquid flowing through the control valve (1) from the inlet (3) to the outlet (4) has to pass, the flow regulator comprises at least one valve member (24) that is rotatable between a fully open position that corresponds to a largest possible flow area of the entry opening (53) and a fully closed position that corresponds to the smallest possible flow area of the entry opening, in which the entry opening is essentially closed, a pressure regulating arrangement downstream of the flow area regulator with a pressure chamber (8) upstream of the flow area regulator and downstream of the pressure regulating arrangement, the pressure regulating arrangement being configured for maintaining an essentially constant differential pressure between the pressure (P1) in the inlet (3) and the pressure (P2) in the pressure chamber (8) and a drain passage (54) connecting the pressure chamber (8) to the outlet (4).