Gas Control Valve Stepper Motor Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas control valves with plunger coils suffer from inaccurate regulation and limited modulation due to mechanical and magnetic hysteresis, leading to poor reproducibility and gas quantity control, especially with fluctuating gas network pressures.
Innovation Solution
A gas control valve design incorporating a direct pressure regulator with an electronically controlled stepper motor, where the valve body is moved in precise axial sections, achieving a force balance between spring forces and gas pressure, allowing for larger modulation bands and improved reproducibility without mechanical and magnetic hysteresis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a plunger coil is used to control the valve body, then the valve can be actuated, but the regulation accuracy deteriorates due to mechanical and magnetic hysteresis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the plunger coil (electromagnetic actuator with hysteresis) with a stepping motor that directly drives the valve body through a drive shaft. This substitution eliminates mechanical and magnetic hysteresis effects, enabling precise positioning of the valve body in predefined axial sections without the accumulation of errors that plagues coil-based systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body movement is divided into predefined axial sections or steps, with each step corresponding to a specific gas flow rate. The stepping motor positions the valve body accurately at each discrete location, allowing for precise modulation of gas quantity without requiring continuous analog control that would be susceptible to hysteresis.
2Measurement precision
If the valve body stroke is increased to accommodate pressure fluctuations, then gas quantity control improves, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stepping motor provides high-resolution positional control with fine step increments, allowing the valve body to be positioned precisely at each predefined section. This eliminates the need for large stroke distances to compensate for pressure variations, as the motor can make small, accurate adjustments to maintain optimal valve positioning under fluctuating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the valve body position in small incremental steps rather than requiring large static stroke ranges. The stepping motor can rapidly reposition the valve body between predefined sections, providing adaptive control that responds to pressure fluctuations without increasing the overall valve dimensions.
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 enhances the accuracy and reproducibility of gas quantity control, enabling a larger modulation band and reducing the size and cost of the valve, while maintaining control precision through precise stepper motor operation.
Implementation Method 1
at least one first spring (8) which acts permanently on the valve body (3) in the first axial direction
Implementation Method 2
a gas pressure in the first axial direction is against the membrane and in the second, opposite axial direction against the valve body (3)
Implementation Method 3
an electronically controlled and electrically operated stepping motor (6) that acts on the axis (5) moves the axis (5) and thus the valve body (3) in predefined length sections in the axial direction
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a gas control valve for the control of a quantity of gas to be supplied to a gas burner, having a direct pressure regulator which has a valve body that can be moved by an electronically controlled stepper motor.