Minimum Pressure Valve With Compensating Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimum pressure valves require strong springs to compensate for high gas pressures, leading to large spring constants and increased material costs, while also facing challenges in achieving a small pressure drop and compact design due to contradictory requirements of spring force and valve lift.
Innovation Solution
A minimum pressure valve design featuring a sliding valve body within a valve casing that creates a confined space connected to the inlet via a duct, allowing gas forces to be compensated, enabling the use of a smaller spring constant and reducing the pressure difference between initial and fully open positions, thus allowing for a larger valve lift and compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a strong spring is used to compensate for high gas pressures, then the valve can maintain closed position at high pressures, but the spring constant becomes large and material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a compensating pressure chamber as an intermediary element that receives gas pressure to counterbalance the main spring force. This mediator allows the use of a weaker main spring by providing additional compensating force from the gas pressure itself, thereby reducing material costs while maintaining reliable valve closure at high pressures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a counterbalancing mechanism where gas pressure acting on a compensating area creates a force that opposes and reduces the required main spring force. This counterweight approach allows the spring to be dimensioned for only the difference between closing force and compensating pressure force, significantly reducing spring strength requirements and material costs
2Length of stationary object
If a large spring constant is used to maintain small overall height, then the valve remains compact, but the pressure drop over the valve becomes large in the lower service range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of spring force requirement by introducing pressure compensation, which effectively reduces the net force the spring must provide. This allows using a spring with smaller constant that can accommodate larger valve lift while maintaining compact dimensions, thereby reducing pressure drop in the lower service range
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dynamic pressure compensation mechanism where the compensating force varies with gas pressure. As pressure increases, the compensating force increases, allowing the spring to operate with smaller force variation and enabling larger valve lift without excessive pressure drop, while maintaining small overall height
3Loss of energy
If a larger valve opening is used to reduce pressure drop, then the valve can pass more flow, but the required spring force increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The compensating pressure chamber acts as an intermediary that provides additional force to counterbalance the gas pressure acting on the larger valve opening area. This allows the valve to have a larger opening for reduced pressure drop while the spring only needs to compensate for the difference between the gas pressure force and the compensating pressure force
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the compensating gas pressure as a counterweight to offset the increased force required by larger valve openings. By providing this counterbalancing force, the system enables larger valve areas for better flow and reduced pressure drop without requiring proportionally larger springs
4Loss of energy
If a larger valve lift is used to reduce pressure drop, then the valve opening range increases, but the pressure range over which the valve body moves becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of required spring force through pressure compensation, which reduces the net force the spring must provide throughout the valve lift range. This allows achieving larger valve lift for reduced pressure drop while the spring operates with smaller force variation, thereby limiting the pressure range over which the valve body moves
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 design allows for a compact and cost-effective minimum pressure valve with a small pressure drop and reduced spring force, enabling a larger valve opening without excessive pressure range, suitable for high opening pressures like 20 bar, using a lighter spring and maintaining a small overall height.
Implementation Method 1
a movable valve body is provided in the above-mentioned duct system which is pressed against a seating round the above-mentioned inlet in a first, closed position by means of a spring
Implementation Method 2
Via the inlet, a force is exerted on the valve body by the gas pressure at the inlet
Data Source
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AI summary
Minimum pressure valve having a housing (13) with an inlet (14) and an outlet (15) and in which has been provided a valve body (21) which is pushed against a seating (30) round the inlet (14) in a closed position, and whereby the valve body (21) is situated at a distance from the above- mentioned seating (30) in an open position, such that the inlet (14) is connected to the outlet (15), whereby the valve body (21) is provided in a sliding manner in a valve casing (17) confining, together with the valve body (21) an inner space (36) that is connected to the inlet (14) via a duct (35).