Microporous Thermal Relief Valve for Simple Pressure Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of thermal relief valves is complex and expensive due to their intricate mechanisms, which complicates their manufacturing and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A thermal relief device featuring a microporous structure between the inlet and outlet, which allows hydraulic fluid to flow only when pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold, eliminating the need for moving parts and cracking pressure, and can be produced using sintered materials or 3D printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thermal relief valve with valve element and valve seat is used, then the pressure relief function is achieved, but the construction becomes complex and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex moving parts (valve element, valve seat, closing spring) from the thermal relief device, replacing them with a simple microporous structure that performs the same pressure relief function without mechanical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a microporous structure as the core component to replace the mechanical valve system. The porous material allows fluid passage only when pressure exceeds a threshold determined by the pore characteristics, achieving pressure relief functionality without moving parts
2Device complexity
If a microporous structure is used instead of a valve mechanism, then the construction is simplified and production costs are reduced, but the ability to control precise pressure thresholds may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention controls the pressure threshold by adjusting parameters of the microporous structure, specifically the pore size and thickness, rather than through mechanical adjustments. This allows precise control of the relief pressure while maintaining construction simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The microporous structure's inherent properties (pore size distribution, porosity, thickness) are engineered to provide specific pressure thresholds, combining material science with fluid mechanics to achieve both simplicity and precision
3Stress or pressure
If the microporous structure is placed nearer to the inlet, then the higher pressure is kept outside the housing, but the cross-sectional area of the structure must be smaller
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates an asymmetric pressure distribution by positioning the microporous structure near the inlet, allowing the majority of the pressure to act on a smaller area outside the housing, while the outlet side experiences reduced pressure over a larger area
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
This solution simplifies the construction and reduces production costs of thermal relief devices while maintaining their functionality by controlling fluid flow through adjustable pore size and thickness, ensuring the hydraulic system remains tight until pressure exceeds the threshold.
Implementation Method 1
When the pressure between inlet and outlet exceeds a predetermined threshold value hydraulic fluid is pressed through the pores of the microporous structure
Implementation Method 2
hydraulic fluid is pressed through the pores of the microporous structure
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal relief device (1) is described comprising a housing (2) having an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) connected by a relief channel (5). Such a thermal relief device should have a simple construction. To this end a microporous structure (10) is arranged between inlet (3) and outlet (4).