Integrated Bypass Line in Fire Extinguishing System Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fire extinguishing system valves, particularly wet alarm valves, face challenges with high design and maintenance complexity, and require significant equipment and space for external piping, which is prone to leaks and difficult to retrofit, while also being inefficient in compensating for pressure fluctuations without triggering false alarms.
Innovation Solution
An integrated bypass line within the valve housing connects the fluid inlet and outlet chambers, allowing for pressure compensation without external piping, featuring a bypass shut-off element and throttle elements to control flow, and includes a non-return element and alarm channel for test alarms, reducing equipment costs and maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external piping is used for bypass lines to compensate pressure fluctuations, then pressure compensation is achieved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass line is integrated directly into the valve housing, merging the bypass function with the main valve structure. This eliminates the need for separate external piping while maintaining pressure compensation capability, thereby reducing device complexity and space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass line is nested within the valve housing structure, with the bypass channel formed as an internal passage within the housing walls. This nesting approach allows the bypass functionality to be contained within the existing valve footprint without requiring additional external space.
2Reliability
If external piping is used for bypass lines, then pressure compensation is enabled, but installation and maintenance effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the bypass line with the valve housing into a single integrated component, the number of separate parts requiring installation is reduced. The bypass channel is formed as an integral part of the housing during manufacturing, eliminating field assembly steps and reducing installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated bypass line requires no external connections or separate maintenance procedures. The bypass functionality is self-contained within the valve housing, allowing maintenance personnel to service the entire assembly as a single unit without dealing with separate external piping components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If external piping is used for bypass lines, then bypass functionality is achieved, but susceptibility to leaks and deformation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass line is merged with the valve housing as a single monolithic structure. This integration eliminates multiple connection points between separate components, thereby eliminating potential leak paths and reducing susceptibility to deformation at connection interfaces.
4Reliability
If bypass lines are added to compensate pressure fluctuations, then operational reliability improves, but equipment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass line is merged with the valve housing, meaning no additional bypass valve or external piping components are required. The bypass channel is formed within the existing housing material, thereby adding bypass functionality without increasing the quantity of discrete equipment components.
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 solution simplifies the system by eliminating external piping, reducing equipment costs and maintenance, while effectively compensating for pressure fluctuations and allowing for test alarms without opening the valve, thus enhancing operational reliability and reducing the risk of false alarms.
Implementation Method 1
the bypass line (10) allows for a small volume flow to pass from the fluid inlet chamber (8) to the fluid outlet chamber (9)
Implementation Method 2
which has a check valve element (15) which is designed to prevent a fluid flow towards the fluid inlet chamber (8)
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a fire extinguishing system valve (1), in particular a wet alarm valve, dry alarm valve or spray water valve, having a housing (2, 3) that has a fluid inlet chamber (8), a fluid outlet chamber (9) and a closing body (4a) that can be moved back and forth between a blocked state and a release state, wherein the fluid inlet chamber (8) and the fluid outlet chamber (9) communicate directly with each other in a fluid-conducting manner in the release state, and the closing body (4a) prevents direct communication between the fluid inlet chamber (8) and the fluid outlet chamber (9) in the blocked state, characterised by a bypass line (10) integrated in the housing, which bypass line is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the fluid inlet chamber (8) and to the fluid outlet chamber (9).