Monolithic Valve Body With Integral Bypass for Leak-Free Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-pressure valves with traditional bypass systems face challenges due to unbalanced forces caused by pressure differentials, leading to difficulty in opening the valve and potential manufacturing defects and leaks in welded or mechanically coupled connections, which are costly and prone to fabrication issues.
Innovation Solution
A valve body with an integral bypass seamlessly integrated into the primary valve body portion, eliminating the need for welds or mechanical connections, and formed through a monolithic casting process, allowing for a smooth and precise bypass that reduces unbalanced forces and manufacturing complexities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a bypass is attached to the primary valve body portion, then space and equipment clearance are optimized, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to welding or mechanical coupling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass and primary valve body portion are merged into a single monolithic casting, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of the bypass component. This integration resolves the contradiction by achieving compact space utilization while simplifying manufacturing to a single casting process without welding or mechanical coupling.
2Ease of manufacture
If welded or mechanically coupled connections are used for bypass attachment, then the bypass can be assembled, but fabrication defects and leaking risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the bypass and primary valve body into a single monolithic casting, the invention eliminates welded or mechanically coupled connections entirely. This resolves the contradiction by ensuring leak resistance through the seamless integrated structure while maintaining manufacturability through a single casting process.
3Stress or pressure
If a traditional bypass system is used, then the valve can handle high pressure differentials, but unbalanced forces create difficulty in opening the valve
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass is designed with optimized local geometry and positioning within the monolithic structure, creating favorable pressure distribution characteristics. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining high pressure differential handling capability while reducing unbalanced forces on the valve member through strategic bypass configuration, improving ease of operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A valve body with an integral bypass includes a primary valve body portion defining a primary internal surface, the primary internal surface defining a primary bore extending through the primary valve body portion from a primary upstream end to a primary downstream end; and the bypass seamlessly integrated with the primary valve body portion, the bypass defining a bypass internal surface, the bypass internal surface defining a bypass bore, the bypass bore comprising a bypass upstream bore and a bypass downstream bore, the bypass upstream bore extending through the primary upstream end of the primary valve body portion, the bypass downstream bore extending through the primary downstream end of the primary valve body portion, the bypass internal surface seamlessly intersecting the primary internal surface at the primary upstream end and the primary downstream end.