Modular Vacuum Valve Assembly for Gas-Tight Tube Section Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum transport systems face challenges in maintaining a desired vacuum and ensuring safety, particularly during loading/unloading and emergency situations, due to large vacuum losses and the need for reliable, robust sealing devices that are complex to construct and install.
Innovation Solution
A modular vacuum valve system with a valve seat assembly and closure component that provides a gas-tight seal, integrated into the vacuum transport system, allowing for easy assembly and on-site production using casting tools, ensuring reliable and efficient sealing of transport tube sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a robust sealing device is used to ensure gas-tight closure, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity and construction effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is divided into modular components: a closure component with sealing element and a valve seat assembly with receiving arrangement. These modules can be manufactured separately and assembled on-site, reducing construction complexity while maintaining sealing reliability through standardized interfaces and pre-tested sealing pairs.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is pre-integrated into the closure component during manufacturing, ensuring proper positioning and pre-compression characteristics. This preliminary action allows for reliable sealing without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms during installation, simplifying the overall construction process.
2Reliability
If a robust sealing device is used to ensure gas-tight closure, then sealing reliability is improved, but installation effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is divided into modular components: a closure component with sealing element and a valve seat assembly with receiving arrangement. These modules can be manufactured separately and assembled on-site, reducing construction complexity while maintaining sealing reliability through standardized interfaces and pre-tested sealing pairs.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure component is designed to be self-contained with the sealing element already integrated, allowing it to be installed as a complete unit into the valve seat assembly. The receiving arrangement guides the closure component into proper position, enabling installation without requiring separate sealing operations or complex alignment procedures.
3Reliability
If separating devices are integrated along the tube for safety and vacuum maintenance, then system safety and vacuum integrity are improved, but device complexity and installation effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum transport system is divided into sections separated by independently installable valve assemblies. Each separating device is a self-contained module that can be installed at regular intervals, providing vacuum segmentation without requiring a completely redesigned system architecture. This modular approach maintains vacuum integrity while managing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve seat assembly and closure component design serves multiple functions: normal operation sealing, emergency closure, and vacuum maintenance. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized devices, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing overall system complexity.
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 modular design reduces construction and installation efforts, ensures reliable gas-tight sealing, and enhances safety by allowing for quick and effective closure of transport tube sections in emergencies, maintaining vacuum integrity and compliance with safety standards.
Implementation Method 1
a first sealing material (seal) present between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface contacts the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a vacuum valve system for a vacuum transport system, including a valve seat assembly having a first valve opening defining an opening axis and a first sealing surface surrounding the first valve opening; a closure component for closing of the first valve opening with a second sealing surface corresponding to the first sealing surface; and a drive unit for the closure component. The valve seat assembly can be combined with the transport tube to provide a gas-tight transition between the valve seat assembly and the transport tube, and the first valve opening. At least the valve seat assembly and the closure component are formed as separate system components that can be modular, and the closure component the valve seat assembly can be modular so that the open position and the closed position for the closure component is driven by the drive unit.