Gas Valve Throttle Segment for Stable Burner Flow Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas valve units for gas burners experience undesirable fluctuations in gas flow during switching operations, leading to temporary reductions or increases in flame size due to the need to open and close valves simultaneously, resulting in inefficient control of volumetric gas flow.
Innovation Solution
A gas valve unit design featuring a series-connected throttle segment with connecting sections between throttle points, where each open/close valve controls the flow through specific throttle points, allowing for sequential bypassing to adjust gas flow without simultaneous valve operations, ensuring stable and reproducible gas flow adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple open/close valves are operated simultaneously to adjust gas flow stages, then the gas flow can be adjusted to different stages, but the volumetric gas flow briefly reduces or increases to undesired values causing flame size fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The gas valve unit divides the gas flow control into separate sequential stages, with each stage controlled by an individual open/close valve. The throttle segment is segmented into multiple throttle points arranged in series, where each throttle point corresponds to a specific gas flow stage. This segmentation allows independent control of each stage without requiring simultaneous valve operations, eliminating flame size fluctuations during switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares the gas flow path in advance by pre-configuring the throttle segment with multiple throttle points and connecting sections. Before switching between stages, the relevant open/close valve is opened to establish the new flow path through the appropriate throttle point, ensuring continuous and stable gas flow without interruption or fluctuation. This preliminary action ensures the flame size remains stable during transitions.
2Productivity
If parallel secondary gas lines with multiple open/close valves are used, then the gas flow can be controlled in multiple stages, but switching operations require simultaneous opening and closing of valves which causes undesired gas flow changes
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using parallel gas lines where switching requires closing one valve while opening another, the invention inverts the approach by arranging throttle points in series with bypass connections. Each open/close valve opens to bypass upstream throttle points, allowing gas flow to progress through progressively fewer throttle points as stages advance. This inversion eliminates the need for simultaneous valve operations, simplifying the switching process while maintaining multi-stage control capability.
3Reliability
If sequential bypassing of throttle points is implemented, then simultaneous valve operations are eliminated, but the device complexity increases with additional connecting sections and valve arrangements
Solution Approach 1:
The throttle segment structure serves multiple functions: it provides the throttling action through series-connected throttle points, enables bypass routing through connecting sections, and facilitates multi-stage control through the coordinated arrangement of open/close valves. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving reliable switching operation stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas valve unit for adjusting a volumetric gas flow supplied to a gas burner of a gas appliance, in particular a gas cooking appliance. The gas valve unit has a gas inlet, at least two open/close valves, at least two throttle points and a gas outlet. The gas valve unit includes a throttle segment in which the throttle points are arranged in series and each pair of adjacent throttle points is connected by corresponding connecting section. The inlet sides of at least two open/close valves are connected to the gas inlet, and the outlet side of at least one open/close valve leads into a connecting section of the throttle segment.