Direction-Dependent Regulating Valve for Hot Water Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot water supply systems face challenges in maintaining sterile drinking and service water by efficiently replacing cooled hot water with heated water, as existing control valves do not adequately manage flow resistance to prevent germ multiplication and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A control valve with a direction-dependent control element that increases the Kv value when water flows in one direction due to pressure difference, allowing unhindered flow while maintaining minimal shut-off, and includes a thermostat-controlled actuator and a bypass mechanism to enhance flow resistance regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional control valve with fixed flow resistance is used, then the valve structure is simple, but the flow rate cannot be rapidly increased to replace cooled hot water quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The control valve employs a direction-dependent control element that dynamically adjusts the Kv value based on flow direction. When water flows in the first direction (replacement flow), the control element opens to increase the Kv value by at least 50%, allowing rapid water replacement. When water flows in the second direction (circulation flow), the control element maintains minimal shut-off with low Kv value. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by providing high flow rate when needed while maintaining simple operational structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the flow resistance parameter (Kv value) based on flow direction. The control element is designed to automatically alter the effective flow area depending on whether replacement water or circulation water is flowing through the valve. This parameter change enables the valve to provide high productivity for water replacement while maintaining structural simplicity through automatic parameter adaptation.
2Productivity
If the control valve maintains minimal shut-off to allow free flow, then rapid water replacement is achieved, but flow resistance regulation capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control valve dynamically adjusts its characteristics based on flow direction. The direction-dependent control element automatically provides minimal shut-off (high Kv value) when replacement water flows through, enabling rapid water replacement. When circulation water flows, the control element maintains normal flow resistance regulation capability. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction by providing unrestricted flow when needed while preserving regulation capability for normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control valve effectively segments its operation into two distinct modes based on flow direction: replacement mode with minimal shut-off for rapid water replacement, and circulation mode with normal flow resistance regulation. The direction-dependent control element acts as a segmented switch that activates different flow characteristics appropriate to each operational mode, resolving the contradiction between rapid replacement and regulation capability.
3Reliability
If hot water circulation is maintained to keep water sterile, then contamination is prevented, but cooled hot water is not replaced quickly enough
Solution Approach 1:
The control valve dynamically responds to flow direction to resolve the contradiction between maintaining sterility and enabling rapid replacement. When replacement water flows in the first direction, the control element opens to increase Kv value by at least 50%, enabling rapid replacement of cooled water. When circulation water flows in the second direction, the control element maintains minimal shut-off to preserve water sterility through continuous circulation. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to achieve both high replacement rates and maintained sterility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention maintains continuous useful action through the direction-dependent control mechanism. The control element continuously monitors flow direction and automatically adjusts the Kv value accordingly, ensuring that water replacement occurs rapidly when needed while circulation continues uninterrupted to maintain sterility. This continuous adaptive control resolves the contradiction by ensuring both replacement efficiency and sterility maintenance.
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 control valve effectively increases the Kv value by at least 50% in one direction, ensuring rapid replacement of cooled hot water and maintaining sterile conditions by allowing free flow when pressure differences are present, while maintaining low resistance when water is drawn off, thus preventing contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a thermostat element controlled by the water temperature is built into this valve housing as an actuating element
Implementation Method 2
when there is flow through the control valve in one direction, the Kv value of the control valve increases independently of the position of the actuator solely because of the pressure difference causing this flow
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a drinking and service water supply device (1) of a building with at least one circulation line (3) leading to at least one consumer (12) and a regulating valve installed in the circulation line and, in a secondary aspect (18), a regulating valve (18) for Hot water circulation systems, with a valve housing (20) in which a thermostatic element (25) controlled by the water temperature is built in as an actuator for a regulating element (30), which has a valve seat (34) with a flow opening (35) between the inlet and outlet channels ( 21, 22) of the valve housing (20) to regulate the water flow rate. In drinking and process water supply facilities, it is desirable that hot water that has cooled down considerably is exchanged for heated water as quickly as possible in order to avoid the formation of germs in the water and a drop in the water temperature at the consumer as far as possible. For this purpose, a circulation line is used, which leads the cooled water back to the process water heating in a temperature-controlled manner. The direction of flow within the circulation line remains the same, which can lead to a sharp drop in the water pressure if there is a high water consumption at the end of a supply line. In order to provide an improved solution to this problem, the present invention intends to specify a direction-dependent control element (37; 41, 30) which, when there is flow (V) through the control valve (18) in one direction, changes the Kv value of the control valve (18) independently of the position of the Actuator increases and when flow through the control valve (18) in the opposite direction does not increase the Kv value, so that if necessary the direction of flow is reversed in the rear part of the circulation line.