Inverted Poppet Valve for Rapid Fire Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional actuated valves for fire suppression systems, while effective, lack improvements for high-speed and high-mass flow applications, particularly in compact and robust designs that can efficiently respond to fast-developing fires or explosions.
Innovation Solution
A compact valve arrangement featuring a two-piece housing with a poppet and rollers, where the poppet is inverted and retained by rollers that move between inner and outer positions upon actuation, allowing for rapid fluid communication between the inlet and outlet, utilizing a rocker and actuator mechanism for quick release and high-pressure resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional collet and poppet assembly is used, then robust construction to withstand pressurized suppressant force is achieved, but valve height and overall size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional poppet orientation by positioning the poppet stem in the inlet rather than extending from the outlet. This inversion allows the poppet to be retained by rollers within a compact housing, eliminating the need for a tall collet assembly while maintaining structural integrity to withstand pressurized suppressant force.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is divided into a two-piece construction with an inlet body and outlet body. This segmentation allows the poppet and roller retention mechanism to be housed compactly in the inlet body, while the outlet body provides the discharge path, thereby reducing overall valve height while maintaining robust construction.
2Strength
If conventional valve design is used, then sufficient strength to contain pressurized suppressant is achieved, but actuation speed and mass flow rate are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional collet retention mechanism with a roller-based retention system actuated by a rocker mechanism. This mechanical substitution enables faster actuation speed while maintaining the strength required to contain pressurized suppressant, as the rollers can quickly move between retention and release positions under rocker actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller retention mechanism is designed to be dynamically actuated through the rocker, allowing rapid transition between held and released states. This dynamic design enables high-speed actuation while the robust housing and poppet construction maintain containment strength throughout the pressure cycles.
3Volume of moving object
If compact valve design is implemented, then reduced size and weight are achieved, but cost-effective manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The two-piece housing design segments the valve into an inlet body and outlet body that can be manufactured separately using standard casting or machining processes. This segmentation reduces overall valve volume and weight while maintaining ease of manufacture, as each piece can be produced independently with conventional manufacturing methods.
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 enables high-speed actuation and high-mass flow discharge, ensuring rapid suppression of fires or explosions by maintaining a hermetic seal until actuated, while being lightweight and cost-effective due to the two-piece housing design.
Implementation Method 1
A resilient member can be arranged in outlet body and along the movement axis
Implementation Method 2
The upper and lower races can be oblique relative to the movement axis. Each roller is movable between radially inner and radially outer roller positions
Implementation Method 3
An axial face of the poppet can have a beveled periphery. The beveled periphery can be arranged on an end of the poppet opposite the inlet for seating the rollers on diametrically opposite sides of the movement axis
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A valve arrangement (100) includes a housing (102) with an outlet (130) and an inlet (122) and having a poppet (120). The poppet (120) has a stem (134) and is movable within the housing (102) along a movement axis between an open position and a closed position. The inlet (122) is isolated from the outlet (130) when the poppet (120) is in the closed position. The inlet (122) is in fluid communication with the outlet (130) when the poppet (120) is in the open position. The stem (134) is inverted relative to the housing (102) such that at least a portion of the poppet stem (134) is disposed in the inlet (122) when the poppet is in the open position.