Interchangeable Butterfly Valve Discs with Universal Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing butterfly valve industry requires manufacturers to maintain costly inventories of both on-center and off-center disc valves due to their distinct designs, which differ in flow capacity, pressure ratings, and operational characteristics, leading to increased costs and logistical challenges.
Innovation Solution
A resilient seated butterfly valve design that allows for interchangeable on-center and off-center discs using a common body, featuring a spherical center and seal geometry that accommodates both disc types, ensuring bi-directional operation and reduced operational torque, thereby minimizing inventory needs and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manufacturers maintain separate inventories of on-center and off-center disc valves to meet different application requirements, then both valve types can serve their respective objectives, but inventory costs and logistical complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is designed with a universal seat seal geometry featuring both an off-center seal region and an on-center seal region, allowing the same body to accommodate both off-center discs and on-center discs. This multi-functional design enables a single valve body to serve multiple purposes, eliminating the need for separate inventories of on-center and off-center valve bodies while maintaining the ability to meet different application requirements for flow capacity and pressure ratings.
2Reliability
If off-center discs are used to achieve higher pressure ratings and longer cycle life, then valve integrity and durability improve, but operating torque increases requiring larger actuators
Solution Approach 1:
The seat seal is designed with differentiated local qualities: an off-center seal region for engagement with off-center discs that provides higher pressure ratings and longer cycle life, and an on-center seal region for engagement with on-center discs that provides lower operating torque. By selecting the appropriate disc type and seal region for each application, the system optimizes the balance between reliability and ease of operation without requiring compromise designs.
3Productivity
If on-center discs are used to achieve higher flow capacity, then fluid flow performance improves, but pressure ratings and cycle life are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The universal valve body with dual seal regions enables users to select the appropriate disc type based on application priorities. For applications requiring high flow capacity, on-center discs engage the on-center seal region. For applications requiring higher pressure ratings and longer cycle life, off-center discs engage the off-center seal region. This multi-functional design allows the same valve body to optimize for either flow or durability depending on the disc selection.
Data Source
AI summary
The resilient seated butterfly valve has a common spherical center for receiving either an on-center or off-center disc, both of which are rotatably mounted in the body. A seal has a seat spherical surface. The seal is affixed to the circumference of the valve chamber. It has an on-center seal region for engagement with the on-center spherical sealing edge of the on-center disc. The seal has an off-center seal region for engagement with the off-center spherical sealing edge of the off-center disc. The seal may include an outlet flange, an outlet ramp, an inlet ramp, and an inlet flange. The front face of the seal for the off-center disc extends beyond the position of the front face of the seal for the on-center disc.