High Temperature Gate Valve Door Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional high temperature air valves, such as butterfly valves, are inefficient in terms of spatial and weight constraints, and lack versatility for managing high temperature gases and fluids effectively, particularly in applications like aircraft engine fuel systems where efficient packaging and air management are critical.

Innovation Solution

A high temperature valve with a door-style design that allows for fluid communication between multiple ports and an exit, featuring a valve body and door with specific dimensions for optimal sealing and rotation, enabling efficient air and fluid management while maintaining a low radial profile, and utilizing traditional bearing technology for robust operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If butterfly valves are used for high temperature air valves, then the valve can be simple in structure, but the spatial efficiency and weight are poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve structure simplicityVSAvoidvalve weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The valve body is divided into multiple segments or sections, allowing the door to move between positions to control flow paths. This segmentation enables a more compact design compared to traditional butterfly valves while maintaining structural simplicity for high-temperature applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from the conventional circular butterfly valve design to a rectangular valve body with a door that moves in a different dimensional space. The door has length-wise and height-wise dimensions with specific orientation relative to the hinge assembly, creating a more space-efficient configuration that reduces weight while maintaining functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If butterfly valves are used for high temperature air valves, then the valve can be simple in structure, but the packaging efficiency is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve structure simplicityVSAvoidvalve volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The valve body is configured with rectangular geometry where the door's length-wise dimension is greater than its height-wise dimension, and these dimensions are oriented at specific angles relative to the hinge assembly. This dimensional reconfiguration allows for more efficient packaging and integration into constrained spaces compared to traditional circular butterfly valves.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The door and valve body employ asymmetric dimensional relationships, with the length-wise dimension being greater than the height-wise dimension for each component. This asymmetry optimizes the valve's footprint and packaging efficiency while maintaining the structural simplicity needed for high-temperature applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional valve designs are used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but versatility for high temperature applications is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing easeVSAvoidhigh temperature application versatility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The valve design provides multi-functionality by enabling the door to occupy different positions to control flow between multiple ports and an exit. This configuration allows a single valve to handle various high-temperature fluid management scenarios, including directing gases and fluids in aircraft engine fuel systems, while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through straightforward geometric relationships.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes key geometric parameters of conventional valve designs, specifically the dimensional relationships between length-wise and height-wise dimensions of the door and ports, and their orientation relative to the hinge assembly. These parameter changes enable versatility for high-temperature applications while preserving ease of manufacture through maintainable geometric relationships.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If the door prevents fluid communication in extreme positions, then sealing is improved, but intermediate positions for flow modulation are lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidflow modulation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The door is designed to move dynamically between extreme positions for sealing and intermediate positions for flow modulation. The hinge assembly enables smooth transitions between these positions, allowing the valve to switch between reliable sealing mode and flow control mode as needed for different operational requirements in high-temperature applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The valve provides multi-functionality by enabling the door to operate in both extreme positions for reliable sealing and intermediate positions for flow modulation. This dual capability allows a single valve to handle both shut-off and flow control functions, enhancing versatility while maintaining sealing reliability through the specific dimensional and angular relationships defined in the design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2428713B1Valve
Publication Date: 2013.06.05 HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORP
  • EP2428713B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2428713B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A high temperature gate valve (10) including a valve body (20) formed to define first and second ports (30,40) and an exit (50), each of which has a length-wise dimension (L) greater than a height-wise dimension (H), and a door (60), having a length-wise dimension (L) greater than a height-wise dimension (H), coupled to the valve body (20) to occupy and move between positions at which the door (60) prevents fluid communication between one of the first or the second port (30,40) and the exit (50) and intermediate positions at which fluid communication between the first and the second port (30,40) and the exit (50) is permitted.