Lifting Valve Structure With Integrated Cylinder for Hygienic CIP
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional valve devices in spray drying systems face challenges in maintaining high hygienic standards and effective cleaning-in-place (CIP) due to deposit formation and complex designs, especially when handling powdery fluids.
Innovation Solution
A compact lifting valve device with a stationary piston and integrated pneumatic drive, featuring a cylindrical design with a throttle gap and annular channel for flushing, and a guide rod to prevent rotation, enhancing cleanability and reducing deposit formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional pneumatic actuator with a spring assembly is used to actuate the closing element, then the valve device achieves reliable actuation, but the product-contacting surface area increases and cleanability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spring assembly is extracted from the product-contacting area and relocated to a non-product-contacting region. This allows the pneumatic actuator to maintain reliable actuation functionality while eliminating unnecessary product-contacting surfaces, thereby improving cleanability without sacrificing actuation reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the piston rod move with the closing element, the invention inverts the arrangement by making the piston stationary and moving the cylinder together with the closing element. This inversion eliminates the need for a long piston rod that would increase product-contacting surface area, while the spring assembly is positioned in a non-contacting region to maintain actuation reliability
2Ease of operation
If the piston rod is made long to connect the piston to the closing element, then actuation is achieved, but the risk of product adhesion to the piston rod increases
Solution Approach 1:
The long piston rod is extracted from the product-contacting path by making the piston stationary and the cylinder movable. This eliminates the extended surface that would be prone to product adhesion, while actuation capability is maintained through the alternative arrangement where the cylinder moves with the closing element
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional arrangement of moving piston with stationary cylinder is inverted to stationary piston with movable cylinder. This inversion removes the long piston rod from the product-contacting area, eliminating the adhesion risk while preserving actuation functionality through the movable cylinder design
3Ease of manufacture
If a compact design with integrated actuator is used, then cleanability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cylinder is merged with the closing element to move together as a single unit, creating a compact design that reduces product-contacting surface area and improves cleanability. The stationary piston with integrated spring assembly maintains actuation functionality without adding excessive complexity to the overall structure
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 provides improved hygienic properties and CIP capabilities by minimizing contact areas, reducing deposits, and allowing for efficient flushing, while being cost-effective and easy to manufacture.
Implementation Method 1
a piston (12) which can be actuated by a pressure medium and is housed in a cylinder (10)
Implementation Method 2
In a closed position, the closing element (7) and the valve seat (6) are in sealing contact
Implementation Method 3
a throttling gap is formed between the receiving bore and the throttle piston. This throttling gap is intended to create an operating condition in which virtually no fluid pressure is present in the sealing surface area
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a valve device, more particularly a lifting valve device, having a housing, a valve seat (6), a movable closing body (7), which can be brought into an open position in an opening movement and into a closed position in a closing movement, in which closed position the movable closing body (7) and the valve seat (6) are in sealing contact, and having a piston (12) to which a pressure medium can be applied and which is received in a cylinder (10). To improve the hygienic properties, it is proposed that the cylinder (10) is part of the movable closing body (7).