Pressure-Balanced Gaseous Fuel Dosing Valve With Bellows Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing metering valves for gaseous fuels struggle to compensate for pneumatic closing forces caused by pressure differences, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs in actuator design.
Innovation Solution
A metering valve design featuring a plate-shaped valve seat element with a corrugated bellows that creates a compensation chamber, equalizing gas pressure to generate a counterforce that cancels out pneumatic forces, allowing for efficient and secure operation with reduced opening force and increased switchable pressure differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional metering valve design is used without pressure compensation, then the actuator design is simpler, but the valve cannot compensate for pneumatic closing forces resulting from pressure differences
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is divided into distinct pressure chambers (inlet pressure chamber and outlet pressure chamber) separated by a partition wall. This segmentation allows independent pressure management in different zones, enabling the outlet pressure to act on the closing element to compensate for pneumatic closing forces without complicating the overall actuator design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a pressure balance by allowing the outlet pressure to act on the closing element through the compensation chamber, equalizing the pressure forces on both sides of the closing element. This equipotential approach compensates for pneumatic closing forces while maintaining a relatively simple actuator design.
2Measurement precision
If the valve stroke is made independent of pressure conditions through pressure balancing, then metering precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is segmented into inlet and outlet pressure chambers with a partition wall, allowing the outlet pressure to be channeled to act on the closing element. This segmentation enables pressure-balanced operation that ensures precise fuel metering independent of pressure conditions while keeping the structure manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
A compensation chamber serves as an intermediary structure that transmits the outlet pressure to the closing element. This mediator allows the pressure balancing function to be achieved without directly complicating the actuator design, as the compensation chamber acts as an intermediate pressure transmission path.
3Area of stationary object
If larger valve assemblies are realized with standard magnets, then the valve size or pressure differential capability is increased, but the actuator design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
By implementing pressure balancing that equalizes forces on the closing element, the patent enables larger valve assemblies to be actuated by standard magnets. The pressure compensation reduces the net force the magnet must overcome, allowing larger valve areas or higher pressure differentials without requiring oversized actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet pressure acting on the closing element through the compensation chamber creates a counterforce that opposes the pneumatic closing forces. This counterweight effect allows standard magnets to adequately actuate larger valve assemblies by reducing the net opening force required.
4Force
If the compensation chamber is arranged on the side of the closing element facing the valve seat element, then the counterforce is optimized, but the valve stroke space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The compensation chamber is arranged in the radial direction rather than extending axially, utilizing the radial space around the closing element. This dimensional change allows the compensation chamber to be positioned optimally for counterforce generation without significantly reducing the axial valve stroke space.
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 design results in a compact, cost-effective actuator concept that maintains secure closure and efficient operation, enabling larger valve assemblies or higher pressure differences with standard magnets, and potentially eliminates the need for return springs.
Implementation Method 1
The compensation chamber is connected to a pressure chamber via a recess formed in the closing element, so that the same gas pressure prevails in both chambers regardless of the switching position of the metering valve
Implementation Method 2
When the gas pressure in the pressure chamber increases, the gas pressure in the compensation chamber also increases. This results in a pneumatic pressure force acting directly or indirectly on the closing element, which – due to the position of the compensation chamber – acts in the opening direction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a metering valve (1) for a gaseous medium, in particular for a gaseous fuel, comprising a preferably planar valve seat element (2) having at least one flow-through opening (3) for the gaseous medium, a closing element (4) movable in a stroke-like manner and interacting in a sealing manner with the valve seat element (2) in order to release and close the at least one flow-through opening (3), and a corrugated or folding bellows (5) connected to the closing element (4) for delimiting a compensation space (6), which is connected to a pressure space (8) via a recess (7) formed in the closing element (4) so that the same gas pressure prevails in both spaces (6, 8) irrespective of the switched position of the metering valve (1). According to the invention, the compensation space (6) is arranged on the side of the closing element (4) facing the valve seat element (2) and is delimited in the axial direction by a pressure surface (10) which is formed on the closing element (4) or on a component (11) connected to the closing element (4), in particular a flange component.