Flow-Rate Adjustable Valve With Symmetric Inlet Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow-rate adjustable valves face challenges in achieving accurate flow-rate adjustment due to inclination of the main valve body during movement, primarily caused by uneven inlet pressure distribution, which affects the stability and precision of flow control.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a flow-rate adjustable valve with multiple inlet holes symmetrically arranged around the main valve body to balance the pressure distribution, ensuring that moments acting on the main valve body are canceled, thereby stabilizing its posture and preventing inclination during movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single inlet hole is provided in the main valve body, then the structure is simple, but the inlet pressure acts unevenly on the main valve body causing inclination during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The single inlet hole is segmented into multiple inlet holes (at least two) arranged symmetrically around the main valve body. This segmentation distributes the inlet pressure evenly across multiple points, preventing uneven pressure distribution and inclination of the main valve body during movement, while resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet holes are arranged asymmetrically in position (at different locations around the valve body) but symmetrically in configuration (mirror-image arrangement around the central axis). This asymmetric positioning with symmetric distribution ensures that pressure forces balance each other out, eliminating inclination while maintaining design flexibility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If multiple inlet holes are added to balance pressure distribution, then the main valve body stability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet holes are strategically positioned at specific locations around the main valve body where pressure distribution needs to be balanced. By concentrating the pressure balancing function at these specific local points rather than distributing it uniformly, the design achieves stability with minimal additional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The symmetric arrangement of inlet holes creates equipotential pressure distribution around the main valve body, ensuring that pressure forces are balanced at all critical points. This equipotential approach achieves maximum stability with the minimum number of holes required for force balance.
3Measurement precision
If the inlet holes are arranged symmetrically to cancel moments, then the flow rate control precision improves, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
While the overall arrangement is symmetric, each individual inlet hole can have asymmetric internal geometry or be positioned at asymmetric locations that are mirror-images of each other. This allows the symmetric moment-cancellation effect to be achieved while providing tolerance for manufacturing variations in each individual hole.
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 configuration allows for precise control of the flow rate by maintaining the main valve body's stability, reducing pressure loss, and preventing air-entrainment phenomena, while enabling efficient liquid and air exchange, thus enhancing the valve's operational accuracy and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a main valve body movably supported in the flow path via a diaphragm membrane
Implementation Method 2
moments acting on the main valve body based on the liquid flowing into the back pressure chamber through the plurality of inlet holes are canceled by each other in total
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a flow-rate adjustable valve for adjusting a flow rate of liquid flowing through a flow path. The flow-rate adjustable valve includes: a main valve body movably supported in the flow path via a diaphragm membrane; a back pressure chamber; a plurality of inlet holes communicating the upstream side of the flow path with the back pressure chamber; an outlet hole communicating a downstream side of the flow path with the back pressure chamber; and a pilot valve body for opening and closing the outlet hole, wherein moments acting on the main valve body based on the liquid flowing into the back pressure chamber through the plurality of inlet holes are canceled by each other in total, under a condition in which the pilot valve body opens the outlet hole.