Floating Yoke Clamp Assembly for Knife Gate Valve Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional knife gate valves experience tilting of the gate during loading, leading to concentrated stress and potential leaks, as the yoke assembly is not effectively secured to the valve body, allowing for tilting and inadequate sealing.
Innovation Solution
A yoke assembly is fastened to the valve body via first and second pinned connections, utilizing clamp assemblies with bolts, bushings, and spring members to apply a pressure-containing preload, securing the yoke and reducing gate tilt by enabling axial translation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the yoke assembly is loosely connected to the valve body, then the gate can move freely, but the gate tilts during loading causing concentrated stress and potential leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp assembly incorporates spring members that allow dynamic adjustment of the yoke connection. The springs enable the yoke to move axially with the gate while maintaining a secure pinned connection, preventing tilt but allowing necessary movement freedom for operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pinned connection acts as an intermediary between the yoke and valve body, providing a fixed rotational axis that prevents gate tilt while allowing axial movement. This intermediary element resolves the contradiction by decoupling rotational freedom from axial movement.
2Reliability
If the yoke assembly is rigidly secured to the valve body, then gate tilt is prevented, but the gate cannot translate axially leading to increased stress
Solution Approach 1:
The spring members provide dynamic compliance to the connection, allowing axial translation of the gate while maintaining the pinned connection that prevents tilt. This dynamic element distributes stress by allowing controlled movement rather than creating rigid stress concentration points.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring members change the mechanical parameters of the connection by introducing elastic compliance. This allows the connection to transition from a rigid fixed position to a compliant position that accommodates axial movement while maintaining rotational stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional fastening methods are used, then the yoke is secured to the valve body, but the connection allows tilting and inadequate sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into separate functional elements: the pinned connection provides rotational stability while the spring members provide axial compliance. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall connection stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the pinned connection and spring members into a single integrated clamp assembly that combines rotational constraint with axial compliance. This merging creates a unified connection system that achieves both stability and sealing performance.
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 provides a secure and leak-free operation by reducing gate tilt during loading, promoting axial translation and distributing stress evenly, thus enhancing the operational reliability of the knife gate valve.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second spring members can be compressed by the bolt to apply a resilient spring force to the associated first or second leg of the yoke
Implementation Method 2
The bolt can extend through the first and second bushings, the first and second valve body portions, and the associated first or second leg of the yoke to apply a pressure-containing preload to the first and second valve body portions via the first and second bushings
Data Source
AI summary
A clamp assembly to secure a yoke to a valve body of a knife gate valve is provided. The clamp assembly can include a bolt that is configured to extend through a first bushing, a first spring member, a first side wall of the yoke, the valve body, a second side wall of the yoke, a second spring member, and a second bushing. The clamp assembly can be configured to pin the yoke to the valve body, apply a pressure-containing preload to the valve body via the first and second bushings, and compress the first spring member between the first bushing and the first side wall of the yoke and the second spring member between the second bushing and the second side wall of the yoke.