Dual-Spool Pressure-Regulating Valve for Hydraulic Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional pressure-regulating valves in hydraulic cooling circuits of electrical generators experience instability due to insufficient damping and frequency response incompatibility, leading to potential cooling circuit failures.
Innovation Solution
A pressure-regulating valve design featuring a dual-spool mechanism with springs and a bypass line, including a bypass orifice and transfer tube, to regulate pressure and purge trapped air, ensuring compatibility with the hydraulic circuit's frequency response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pressure-regulating valves are used in hydraulic cooling circuits, then the cooling circuit can operate, but instability occurs due to insufficient damping and trapped air
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the valve system by introducing a bypass line with an orifice and a transfer tube. These components change the flow characteristics and pressure distribution parameters, enabling continuous fluid flow that purges trapped air and improves damping. The bypass orifice specifically controls the flow rate through the bypass line, creating a pressure differential that sustains stable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass line acts as an intermediary element between the main chamber and the balance pressure chamber. It provides an alternative flow path that mediates the pressure balance and enables continuous fluid circulation. This intermediary pathway allows trapped air to be purged while maintaining the primary pressure-regulating function of the valve.
2Reliability
If traditional pressure-regulating valves are used, then the valve can regulate pressure, but frequency response incompatibility with the hydraulic circuit causes instability and hydraulic resonance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic elements including a movable second valve spool that controls flow through the bypass line, and a balance pressure chamber that dynamically adjusts pressure. These dynamic components enable the valve to adapt its frequency response characteristics to match the hydraulic circuit, preventing resonance and instability while maintaining pressure regulation capability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a bypass line with orifice and transfer tube is added to purge trapped air, then damping robustness increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass line with orifice and transfer tube serves multiple functions simultaneously: it purges trapped air from the balance pressure chamber, provides continuous fluid flow for damping, and helps regulate pressure by creating a controlled bypass path. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single integrated structure.
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 enhances stability by reducing trapped air, increasing damping robustness, and tuning the frequency response to prevent hydraulic resonance, resulting in stable operation with minimal deviation from target pressure.
Implementation Method 1
A first spring can be mounted between the first valve spool and the second housing portion. The first spring can be operatively connected to the first valve spool for biasing the first valve spool towards the first end of the valve sleeve.
Implementation Method 2
A second spring can be mounted within the bore between the second valve spool and the second end of the valve sleeve. The second spring can be operatively connected to the second valve spool for biasing the second valve spool towards the first end of the valve sleeve.
Implementation Method 3
The bypass orifice can be configured to sustain a pressure differential between the sense line and the balance pressure chamber and to meter flow through the bypass line.
Implementation Method 4
The balance pressure chamber can be configured for continuous fluid flow between the inlet of the balance pressure chamber and the outlet of the balance pressure chamber for purging trapped air from the balance pressure circuit.
Implementation Method 5
Instability can arise from insufficient damping due to trapped air in chambers of the valve
Data Source
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AI summary
A pressure-regulating valve includes a valve sleeve (102; 202) with first (114; 214) and second (116; 216) ends defining a longitudinal axis (A), a sense line (104; 204), a sense piston (106; 206), a main chamber (108; 208), and first (110; 210) and second (112; 212) valve spools. The sleeve includes an axially aligned bore (118; 218). The sense line is within the bore proximate the first end. The sense piston is within the bore between the sense line and the second end, and is configured to move along the longitudinal axis in response to pressure exerted by fluid in the sense line. The main chamber is within the bore between the sense piston and the second end, and includes supply (120; 220) and vent (122; 222) ports. The first valve spool is within the bore between the sense piston and the second end. The second valve spool is within the bore between the first valve spool and the second end.