Manual Reset Actuator Assembly for Diaphragm Valve Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fire suppression systems require an effective mechanism to reset flow control valves after activation, ensuring reliable operation and preventing accidental discharge of fire suppressants.
Innovation Solution
A manual reset actuator assembly that includes a housing, diaphragm release aperture, upper chamber, control port, and sealing assembly, utilizing a plunger and spring mechanism to manage fluid pressure and flow, allowing user-controlled resetting of the flow control valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a manual reset actuator is designed with a plunger and spring mechanism to manage fluid pressure, then the reliability of flow control valve resetting is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manual reset actuator is divided into distinct functional components: a plunger for sealing the diaphragm release aperture, a spring for providing restoring force, an upper chamber for fluid pressure accumulation, and a button for user actuation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function reliably while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger acts as an intermediary element between the user's manual input (button press) and the diaphragm release aperture. It translates the user's action into a controlled sealing action, managing fluid pressure indirectly through this intermediate component rather than direct contact with the aperture.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the plunger is designed to selectively seal the diaphragm release aperture, then the prevention of accidental discharge is improved, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is pre-loaded to provide a restoring force that automatically returns the plunger to its sealed position after actuation. This preliminary preparation of the spring ensures that the plunger is always ready to seal the aperture, preventing accidental discharge without requiring additional user actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded plunger mechanism is self-actuating in its restoring function. After the user releases the button, the spring automatically returns the plunger to seal the diaphragm release aperture, eliminating the need for additional user intervention and reducing operational complexity while maintaining safety.
3Measurement precision
If the upper chamber is designed to accumulate fluid pressure to exert downward force on the plunger, then the control precision is improved, but the loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system controls fluid pressure by changing the volume of fluid in the upper chamber. By regulating the inflow and outflow of fluid, the system can precisely control the pressure parameter exerted on the plunger, allowing for accurate control of the sealing action without requiring excessive accumulation time.
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
Enables reliable and user-initiated resetting of flow control valves, ensuring safe and controlled operation of fire suppression systems by managing fluid pressure and flow effectively, preventing accidental discharge.
Implementation Method 1
a spring configured to couple to the diaphragm release aperture and a bottom of the plunger and exert an upward force on the plunger
Implementation Method 2
When the button is operated, the plunger prevents a fluid from exiting the main diaphragm port and a pressure of the fluid is formed in the upper chamber. The pressure is configured to exert a downward force on the plunger
Data Source
AI summary
A manual reset actuator is disclosed, which includes a main drain, a diaphragm release aperture fluidly coupled to a flow control valve, an upper chamber, a control port, a control orifice, an upper chamber supply orifice, and a sealing assembly, which includes a button, and a plunger. A pressure in the upper chamber exerts a downward force on the plunger. A spring exerts an upward force on the plunger. The fluid in the upper chamber is released via the control orifice, which lowers the pressure in the upper chamber, decreasing the downward force exerted on the plunger. When the downward force is less than the upward force, the spring forces the plunger upwards into an open configuration, which unseals the diaphragm release aperture. When the upward force is less than the downward force, the plunger remains in a closed configuration, which keeps the diaphragm release aperture sealed.