Cushioned Check Valve Mitigating Hydraulic Shock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid flow systems, particularly those with check valves, face challenges in mitigating hydraulic shock and transient high pressure pulses, which can lead to mechanical stress, noise, and potential damage due to the rapid changes in fluid momentum and pressure.
Innovation Solution
A cushioned check valve design that incorporates a piston and diaphragm mechanism within a hollow cylinder, utilizing a compressible gas volume to absorb and dissipate excess pressure from shockwaves, allowing the piston to move and redirect pressure away from the check valve, thereby reducing hydraulic shock without additional mechanical components or increased flow restrictions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a check valve is used to prevent retrograde fluid flow when pumps are turned off, then fluid flow direction is controlled, but hydraulic shock and extreme pressure gradients are generated causing mechanical stress and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating a cushioning chamber with a spring-loaded piston positioned upstream of the check valve. When the check valve closes to prevent retrograde flow, the spring piston is already in place to cushion the incoming pressure wave, absorbing the shock and reducing extreme pressure gradients that would otherwise damage the piping system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary cushioning chamber with a spring piston mechanism between the upstream pressure source and the check valve. This intermediary absorbs and dissipates the shockwave energy generated by rapid check valve closure, mediating the harmful effects on the piping system while maintaining the check valve's flow control function.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If valve closing rate is increased to mitigate hydraulic shock, then shockwave energy is reduced, but flow velocity changes more rapidly causing other system disturbances
Solution Approach 1:
The spring piston is pre-positioned in the cushioning chamber ready to compress. When the check valve closes and retrograde flow begins, the spring piston compresses gradually, extending the duration of momentum change and reducing the rate of flow velocity change while simultaneously absorbing shockwave energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic spring piston mechanism that adjusts to the pressure wave in real-time. The spring allows the piston to move dynamically, extending the time period over which the fluid's momentum is brought to zero, thereby reducing both shockwave energy and the rate of velocity change compared to abrupt valve closure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If alternative energy absorbing pathways like water towers or gas-filled tanks are added, then hydraulic shock is mitigated, but device complexity and system size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cushioning function with the existing check valve assembly by integrating a compact cushioning chamber directly into the valve body. This combines multiple functions (flow control and shock absorption) into a single integrated component, avoiding the need for separate water towers or gas-filled tanks and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning chamber with spring piston is nested within or directly integrated into the check valve housing. This nested arrangement allows the shock-absorbing mechanism to occupy minimal additional space while providing effective hydraulic shock mitigation, avoiding the large external structures required by traditional water towers or separate accumulator tanks.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If basic system design considerations are adjusted to mitigate hydraulic shock, then shock is reduced, but cost and feasibility become prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pressure management function into distinct components: the check valve for flow direction control and the separate cushioning chamber with spring piston for shock absorption. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and manufactured using standard techniques, reducing overall implementation cost compared to redesigning the entire piping system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic principles with a spring-loaded piston in a cushioning chamber to absorb hydraulic shock. This approach leverages readily available pneumatic components and standard hydraulic design practices, making the solution easier and more cost-effective to manufacture and implement compared to complex system redesigns.
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
Effectively mitigates hydraulic shock and transient high pressure pulses by dissipating excess pressure without affecting flow rates or requiring additional mechanical components, making it adaptable to various fluid flow velocities and pressures, and compatible with different pipe diameters and fluid types.
Implementation Method 1
a cushioned check valve that changes the rate at which the check valve closes to mitigate hydraulic shock
Implementation Method 2
Water hammer, also known as hydraulic shock, can occur in piping systems that carry a high momentum fluid when rapid changes in momentum of the fluid take place
Implementation Method 3
The diaphragm is also generally biased toward the first end of the hollow cylinder, but is capable of deflecting away from, and back towards, the first end of the hollow cylinder
Data Source
AI summary
A cushioned check valve includes a flow channel with an inlet, a check valve, and an outlet. Bypass channels connect the outlet, a cylinder containing a piston, and the inlet. The piston is biased toward a first end of the cylinder by a diaphragm and a hermetically sealed gas volume containing a compressible gas, blocking the bypass channels. When the fluid pressure in the outlet exceeds a nominal operating range, the piston moves toward a second end of the cylinder until the fluid pressure acting on the piston is equalized by the piston bias, and fluid flows through the bypass channel. Once the fluid pressure and piston bias are equalized, the piston returns to a position blocking the bypass channels.