Gate Valve Closing Element Guiding Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gate valves face issues with high frictional resistance and wear due to lateral tilting of the closing element, leading to increased torque requirements and uneven sealing, especially when handling contaminated fluids with solid particles, which affects operational efficiency and durability.
Innovation Solution
The gate valve design incorporates pairs of guiding projections on the closure plate, with specific positioning and materials like rubber and plastic high glide covers, to minimize tilting and frictional resistance, ensuring effective sealing and reduced wear, while maintaining low torque demands on the spindle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the closing element is not specially guided in the gate valve body, then the device complexity is reduced, but the lateral tilting of the closing element increases leading to high frictional resistance and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding structure is segmented into multiple guide rails positioned at different locations on the valve body, each collaborating with corresponding projections on the closing element. This segmentation provides distributed guidance that reduces lateral tilting while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide rails and guiding projections serve as intermediary elements between the closing element and the valve body, providing controlled interaction that minimizes lateral tilting and frictional resistance during operation.
2Reliability
If guide rails are added to guide the closing element, then the frictional resistance and wear are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rails are positioned at specific locations where they provide maximum guidance benefit with minimum interference to the closing element movement. The guiding projections are strategically placed on the closing element to collaborate effectively with the guide rails, reducing lateral tilting while maintaining simplicity.
3Strength
If the closing element is rigidly connected to the cap, then the structural strength is improved, but the torque required to operate the valve increases due to high frictional resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding function is extracted from the cap-closing element connection and transferred to separate guide rails and projections. This allows the cap to remain loosely installed in the closing element, reducing frictional resistance and torque requirements while maintaining structural integrity through the guiding mechanism.
4Power
If the cap is loosely installed in the closing element, then the torque requirement is reduced, but the sealing reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rails and guiding projections act as intermediary elements that provide stable guidance and positioning for the loosely installed cap, ensuring reliable sealing performance while allowing the cap to be loosely connected to the closing element.
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 achieves reduced frictional resistance and tilting, resulting in lower spindle torque requirements, improved sealing efficiency, and extended valve durability, even under challenging fluid conditions.
Implementation Method 1
closing elements usually possess plastic high glide covers or inserts, which collaborate in an adequate manner with the body guides in the form of lead grooves or guiding ribs
Implementation Method 2
The closure plate 1.1 is covered with rubber, which is connected together with the remaining external surface of the closure plate
Implementation Method 3
When the valve is closed or partly closed, the pressure on one side of the closing element is greater than on the other side. This pressure difference produces a force that clamps the closing element to the clamping surfaces in the gate valve body
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
Closing element (1) of a gate valve (2) containing a closure plate (1.1) placed in the body (3) of said valve, said valve comprising a pipe segment (4), a side pocket (5) and guide rails (9), said closing element being slidingly movable along a displacement axis being perpendicular to the central fluid flow axis (x), wherein said closing element possesses at least two pairs of guiding projections (10) of the closure plate (1.1), wherein a pair of lower guiding projections (16) is found on a level that is closer to the lower face seal (14), and a pair of upper guiding projections (17) is found on a level that is closer to a cap (8) of a drive unit (6).