Convex Valve Sealing Surfaces for Edge Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve designs experience high stress levels at the edges of the sealing and seating surfaces when transitioning to the closed position, leading to potential wear and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
The valve body and valve seat feature a sealing surface and seating surface with tapered and curved portions that connect radially inner and outer edges, reducing stress concentrations and optimizing the stress distribution across the contact area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If straight sealing surfaces are used in valve design, then manufacturing is simple, but stress levels at edges become excessively high during closure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the sealing surfaces by replacing straight edges with rounded profiles. The sealing surface includes a first radius of curvature at its first end and a second radius of curvature at its second end, both being non-zero values. This curvature eliminates the sharp edges that cause stress concentrations, thereby reducing peak stress levels during valve closure while maintaining manufacturability through standard machining operations.
2Stress or pressure
If larger sealing surface area is used to reduce stress, then stress distribution improves, but valve size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the radius of curvature at different locations along the sealing surface. The first radius of curvature at the first end differs from the second radius of curvature at the second end, allowing optimization of stress distribution in high-stress regions without unnecessarily increasing the overall valve size. This localized geometric modification achieves improved stress distribution while maintaining compact valve dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve, including: a valve seat including a seating surface with an outer edge furthest, an inner edge, and a first portion; and a valve body including a sealing surface with an outer edge, an inner edge, and a first portion. In a closed position, the first portion of the sealing surface is in contact with the first portion of the seating surface to block flow through the valve. The sealing surface tapers from the first portion of the sealing surface to the inner edge of the sealing surface or the outer edge of the sealing surface, or the seating surface tapers from the first portion of the seating surface to the inner edge of the seating surface or the outer edge of the seating surface. In the open position, the first portion of the sealing surface is free of contact with the first portion of the seating surface.