Cryogenic Valve Inner Lid Structure for Thermal Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valves for cryogenic fluids like liquefied hydrogen face challenges with complex configurations that increase manufacturing and maintenance costs, and heat transfer issues that affect the valve element's temperature.
Innovation Solution
A valve design featuring a body with integrated openings for fluid flow, a valve element, a stem connected to the element, a bonnet for sealing, and an inner lid body partitioning spaces to maintain operability and thermal isolation, using a top entry type configuration to minimize heat transfer and simplify assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a valve box fixing shaft with a small-diameter cylinder and hollow chamber is provided to hold the valve element, then the valve element can be held at a predetermined position, but the configuration becomes complex and manufacturing cost and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the valve element holding function from the complex valve box fixing shaft structure and implements it through a simplified support plate with positioning holes. The support plate is a simple flat component that holds positioning holes for receiving the valve element, eliminating the need for small-diameter cylinders and hollow chambers while maintaining the positioning function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the valve box fixing shaft into separate functional components: a support plate for positioning and a separate fixing mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be simple and specialized, rather than requiring a single complex integrated shaft structure.
2Reliability
If a valve box fixing shaft with small-diameter cylinder and hollow chamber is used, then the valve element is held at predetermined position, but heat conduction from the shaft transfers temperature to the bundle
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the heat conduction pathway by replacing the solid valve box fixing shaft with a support plate structure that has air gaps and positioning holes. This extraction of the continuous metal structure eliminates the thermal bridge that was causing heat transfer to the bundle.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces air gaps and positioning holes as intermediary spaces between the support plate and surrounding structures. These air gaps act as thermal insulators, mediating between the valve element positioning requirement and the heat isolation requirement.
3Reliability
If the body has an integrated structure with welded parts to prevent leakage, then sealing is improved, but the body diameter must be large enough to accommodate the valve element passage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the dimensional approach by using a support plate with positioning holes rather than a through-passing shaft. This allows the valve element to be positioned and secured within the body without requiring a large diameter passage, effectively solving the problem in a different dimensional configuration.
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 reduces heat transfer to the valve element, prevents cost increases, and ensures reliable operation while maintaining the integrity of cryogenic fluids, with improved manufacturing efficiency and reduced maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
an inner lid body partitioning a space in the body into a space on a side of the bonnet and a space on a side of the valve element, in such a manner that the stem is operable
Implementation Method 2
a valve for cryogenic temperature is often disposed inside a jacket (vacuum jacket) that is maintained in vacuum to maintain low temperatures
Data Source
AI summary
A valve (10) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a body (1) having a space in which a stem (3) and a ball (4) are housed, wherein an inner lid body (60) fixing the ball (4) in the space liquid-tightly partitions the space into a part in which the stem (3) is housed and a part in which the ball (4) is housed.