Gas Valve Enclosure Layout for Easier Actuator Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas valve units for marine vessels are complex and laborious to manufacture and maintain, with access to actuators being time-consuming due to the need for robust sealing and the risk of fluid leakage through the enclosure wall.
Innovation Solution
A gas valve unit design featuring a planar base plate with side walls and a casing that allows for easy assembly and service access, with the actuator and control valve separated by a mechanical force transmission system extending through the base plate, reducing the need for pneumatic hoses and enhancing safety by containing leaked gases within a compact, visible enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the enclosure is made robust with sealed access doors to endure pressure, then safety and pressure resistance are improved, but manufacturing complexity and service time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is divided into a stationary pressure-resistant base plate and a removable casing. The base plate maintains pressure integrity while the casing can be easily removed for service access, eliminating the need for complex sealed access doors.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator is extracted from the pressure zone by placing it outside the enclosure, connected via a force transmission element that passes through the base plate. This eliminates the need for sealed access to the actuator while maintaining pressure resistance.
2Device complexity
If the actuator is placed inside the pressure proof enclosure, then integration is improved, but access for servicing becomes time-consuming and laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator is extracted from the pressure proof enclosure and positioned externally. A force transmission element passes through the base plate to connect the external actuator to the control valve, enabling easy service access while maintaining functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
A force transmission element serves as an intermediary, transmitting mechanical force from the external actuator through the base plate to the control valve inside the enclosure, enabling remote actuation without compromising pressure integrity.
3Ease of operation
If power fluid is led through the wall of the gas valve unit to the actuator, then actuation is enabled, but the risk of sealing failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces pneumatic or hydraulic actuation (which requires fluid sealing) with mechanical actuation. The actuator is positioned externally and connected via a mechanical force transmission element, eliminating the need for fluid sealing through the enclosure wall.
4Ease of operation
If a tubular enclosure with sliding parts is used, then access control is improved, but manufacturing complexity and sealing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is segmented into a stationary base plate and a removable casing. This simpler segmentation replaces the complex tubular design with sliding parts, achieving access control through straightforward assembly and disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing access through openings in a pressure-tight enclosure, the design inverts the approach by making the entire casing removable. This eliminates the need for complex sealed openings while maintaining pressure integrity when assembled.
Data Source
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AI summary
Invention relates a gas valve unit (10) comprising at least a gas pipe (14) for transporting gas through the gas valve unit (10), a control valve (20) arranged to the gas pipe (14), an enclosure (12) for enclosing the gas pipe (14) and the control valve (20), and having an inlet (16) and an outlet (18) of the gas pipe (14), wherein the enclosure (12) comprises a base plate (24) having a first side (24.1) and a second side (24.2), and a casing (28) arranged at the first side (24.1) of the base plate (24). The casing (28) having a flange part (42) which encircles a casing rim, and which flange part (42) is arranged against the base plate (24) such as forming a space in the casing (28) delimited by the inner wall of the casing (28) and the base plate (24), and the gas pipe (14) and the control valve (20) are supported by the base plate (24) at the first side (24.1) of the base plate (24), and the base plate (24) comprises an inlet lead-through (44) for the gas pipe (14) inlet, and an outlet lead-through (46) for the gas pipe (14) outlet.