Fluid Delivery Line Shut-Off Valve with Segmented Reset Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fluid delivery lines, especially those buried underground, face challenges in detecting leaks promptly, leading to potential fluid wastage and soil contamination, with existing shut-off valves requiring significant work and costs to reset after leak detection.
Innovation Solution
A fluid delivery line assembly with a valve assembly, pressure-operated member, and end connector that allows fluid to enter the valve control chamber to maintain the valve open, featuring a check valve, flow-limiting orifice, and manual loading valve to manage pressure and detect leaks efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical shut-off valve is installed in the fluid delivery line to automatically prevent fluid delivery when a leak is detected, then fluid loss and soil contamination are reduced, but the entire fluid delivery line must be dug up to reset the valve, involving significant work and costs
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into a valve body and a separate reset mechanism. The reset mechanism includes a reset conduit that can be accessed through a small access hole in the ground, allowing the valve to be reset without excavating the entire fluid delivery line. This segmentation separates the automatic shut-off function (buried with the line) from the reset function (accessible via small hole).
Solution Approach 2:
A reset conduit acts as an intermediary channel between the access hole and the valve mechanism. This conduit allows the insertion of a reset tool through the small access hole to actuate the valve without requiring direct access to the valve itself, which remains buried with the main line. The intermediary conduit bridges the gap between limited surface access and the buried valve mechanism.
2Loss of substance
If the valve is designed to automatically shut off fluid delivery when a leak is detected, then fluid wastage is minimized, but the delay between leak formation and detection allows significant fluid loss and soil infiltration
Solution Approach 1:
The valve incorporates a feedback mechanism where a portion of the fluid flow is directed through a feedback conduit to a sensor or indicator system. This continuous feedback loop allows real-time monitoring of fluid flow conditions, enabling immediate detection of leaks and automatic valve response without delay. The feedback mechanism transforms the fluid flow itself into a detection signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly includes self-diagnostic and self-actuating capabilities. When a leak is detected through the feedback mechanism, the valve automatically shuts off without requiring external intervention or manual inspection. The system serves itself by using its own fluid flow to detect anomalies and trigger the shut-off response, eliminating detection delays caused by human response time.
3Ease of operation
If a secondary conduit passageway is added to allow fluid to enter the valve control chamber for pressure maintenance, then the valve can be kept open during operation, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary conduit passageway serves multiple functions: it provides control pressure to keep the valve open during normal operation, enables leak detection by allowing pressure monitoring, and facilitates valve reset operations. By designing this single conduit structure to perform multiple functions, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control chamber and pressure regulation functions are merged into a single integrated structure within the valve assembly. The secondary conduit passageway connects directly to this integrated control chamber, eliminating the need for separate pressure vessels, control lines, and regulation mechanisms. This merging reduces the number of discrete components while achieving the desired ease of operation.
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
Enables rapid detection and prevention of leaks, reducing fluid wastage and soil contamination, while minimizing the need for extensive excavation and maintenance costs by allowing pressure adjustments and leak testing without disrupting the fluid flow.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure-operated member disposed in the valve control chamber, the pressure-operated member being operatively connected to the valve member to maintain the valve member in the open position when the control pressure within the pressure control chamber is above a predetermined opening pressure
Implementation Method 2
the end connector further includes a check valve disposed between the main connector passageway and the secondary connector passageway to allow fluid to enter the secondary connector passageway from the main connector passageway and to prevent fluid from exiting to the main connector passageway from the secondary connector passageway
Implementation Method 3
the end connector further includes a flow-limiting orifice disposed between the main connector passageway and the secondary connector passageway
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid delivery line assembly comprising: a valve assembly including: a fluid passageway and a valve control chamber, a valve member disposed within the fluid passageway and movable between closed and open positions, a pressure-operated member disposed in the valve control chamber and operatively connected to the valve member to maintain the valve member in the open position when pressure within the pressure control chamber is above a predetermined opening pressure; a conduit having a main conduit passageway in fluid communication with the fluid passageway of the valve assembly and a secondary conduit passageway in communication with the valve control chamber; and an end connector including a main connector passageway in fluid communication with the main conduit passageway and a secondary connector passageway in fluid communication with the main connector passageway and with the secondary conduit passageway to allow fluid from the main connector passageway to enter the valve control chamber to allow the pressure inside the valve control chamber to reach the predetermined opening pressure.