Emergency Actuator Reset via Piston Pressure Differential
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjusting devices for turbines and wind turbines require significant installation space and are complex, making them costly and unreliable for emergency actuation scenarios, such as power failures, where quick and reliable reset mechanisms are necessary.
Innovation Solution
An emergency actuation device with a piston driven by a hydraulically prestressed energy store and a damping mechanism, including a synchronous or differential cylinder, allows for independent reset of the actuator during faults, using a switching valve to release stored energy and a damping throttle to control movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a toggle lever mechanism is used for emergency actuation, then the valve can be reset in case of power failure, but the installation space required is considerable and the design is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential emergency reset function from the complex toggle lever mechanism and implements it using a simplified piston-cylinder unit with spring element. This removes unnecessary mechanical complexity while retaining the core safety function of resetting the valve in emergency situations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a mechanical linkage system (toggle lever) that requires extended positioning, the invention inverts the approach by using a pneumatic-hydraulic system (piston-cylinder) where the spring element provides the resetting force directly through pressure differential, eliminating the need for complex mechanical locking and unlocking mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a toggle lever mechanism is used for emergency actuation, then the valve can be reset in case of power failure, but the installation space required is considerable
Solution Approach 1:
The piston-cylinder unit is designed to be compact and can be integrated within or adjacent to the existing valve body structure. The spring element is contained within the cylinder, and the entire assembly fits within a minimal footprint, effectively nesting the emergency actuation components within the existing system geometry.
3Productivity
If the pressure chamber is relieved to activate the energy store, then the actuator can be reset, but the rapid movement may cause damage to components
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates a damping device that is pre-configured to activate when the piston moves rapidly during emergency reset. This damping mechanism provides beforehand cushioning by dissipating the kinetic energy of the rapidly moving actuator components, preventing impact damage before it can occur. The damping element is positioned to engage automatically at the point of potential impact.
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
This solution provides a compact, reliable, and cost-effective means for emergency actuation, ensuring the actuator returns to a safe position without damage, enhancing operational reliability and reducing the risk of system failure.
Implementation Method 1
a piston (20) which is acted upon on the one hand by an energy store (18) and on the other hand by a pressure in a pressure chamber (22)
Implementation Method 2
a synchronous or differential cylinder which is mechanically coupled to the actuator, this synchronous or differential cylinder being designed with a pressure chamber (164) that decreases as the actuator moves, which pressure chamber is connected via a damping throttle or a throttle gap to another pressure chamber (162) that increases accordingly
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a control device for an apparatus, for example, a gas or steam turbine valve or in general a process fitting for controlling a process fluid, comprising an electric actuating drive and an emergency actuation device for resetting the apparatus in the event of a malfunction by means of an actuator. The emergency actuation device comprises an energy accumulator, the stored energy of which is used to reset the actuator. According to the invention, a piston is associated with the energy accumulator and is subjected to the pressure in a pressure chamber in order to charge the energy accumulator, said pressure chamber being connectible by a control valve to a tank or the like such that the piston is displaced by the energy accumulator, which discharges itself. The piston interacts with the actuator of the actuating drive in order to displace said actuator in the resetting direction.