Gas Valve Segmentation for Liquid Sealing and Vacuum Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas valves in liquid supply systems fail to effectively discharge both large and small gas quantities while preventing liquid discharge, and they do not adequately facilitate ambient gas ingress to prevent system collapse under vacuum conditions.
Innovation Solution
A valve design featuring a housing with a gas inlet valve component that spontaneously opens for ambient gas ingress during pressure drops and a gas discharge valve component with a displaceable float to allow gas egress while preventing liquid egress, using a flexible diaphragm and radially extending apertures for sealing, ensuring the valve remains closed during normal operation and opens only when necessary to discharge gas or admit air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional air purge valve uses a float to seal against liquid discharge, then liquid egress is prevented, but the valve fails to effectively discharge both large and small quantities of gas
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is divided into two independent components: a gas discharge valve component with float mechanism and a gas inlet valve component with diaphragm and apertures. Each component handles specific functions (gas discharge vs. gas inlet/liquid sealing), allowing optimized performance for both gas discharge effectiveness and liquid sealing reliability without compromise
2Reliability
If the valve remains sealed during normal operation, then liquid egress is prevented, but ambient gas ingress is not facilitated during vacuum conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible diaphragm acts as an intermediary sensing element that responds to pressure differential (vacuum conditions) and triggers the opening of radially extending apertures. This allows the valve to distinguish between normal operation (sealed) and vacuum conditions (gas ingress permitted), achieving both system integrity and vacuum response capability
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
The valve effectively prevents liquid egress and allows ambient air ingress to prevent system collapse, while efficiently discharging gas to prevent damage from gas pockets, maintaining system integrity and operation.
Implementation Method 1
a displaceable float member to thereby facilitate spontaneous egress of substantially only gas from the housing and remain closed upon presence of liquid within the housing
Implementation Method 2
an outlet barrier configured for spontaneous opening to thereby facilitate only ingress of ambient gas into the housing upon pressure drop at the valve coupling port
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a valve including a housing fitted with a valve coupling port being in flow communication with a gas inlet valve component and an independent gas discharge valve component. The gas inlet valve component includes a normally closed valve inlet port and an outlet barrier configured for spontaneous opening to thereby facilitate only ingress of ambient gas into the housing upon pressure drop at the valve coupling port The gas discharge valve component including a valve discharge port and a displaceable float member to thereby facilitate spontaneous egress of substantially only gas from the housing and remain closed upon presence of liquid within the housing.