Parallel Relief Valve Layout With Removable Flame Arrester
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional valve apparatuses with integrated flame arresters suffer from blockages, complex maintenance, imbalanced weight distribution, and hidden flame arrester elements that hinder effective operation and safety in industrial applications.
Innovation Solution
A valve apparatus with independent and parallel first and second valve means, allowing fluid flow based on pressure differences, featuring a housing with visible flame arrester elements for easy maintenance, balanced weight distribution, and removable components for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flame arrester elements are integrated within the housing, then protection from atmospheric deflagration is improved, but maintenance complexity and inspection difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve apparatus is divided into separable components: the housing containing the pressure and vacuum relief valves, and the flame arrester element that can be independently removed. This segmentation allows the flame arrester to be maintained or replaced without disassembling the entire valve apparatus, resolving the contradiction between integrated protection and ease of maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The flame arrester element is extracted as a removable component from the housing. It can be taken out for inspection, cleaning, or replacement while the housing and valve mechanisms remain in place. This extraction principle directly addresses the maintenance difficulty caused by integrated flame arresters.
2Volume of moving object
If pressure relief valve and vacuum relief valve are integrated in the same housing, then space efficiency is improved, but weight distribution balance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with an asymmetric internal layout where the pressure relief valve and vacuum relief valve are positioned at different vertical heights and horizontal locations. The pressure relief valve is typically positioned higher than the vacuum relief valve, creating an asymmetric weight distribution that can be balanced during installation or through housing design features.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure incorporates counterbalancing features such as extended mounting brackets, adjustable positioning mechanisms, or strategic placement of heavy components to offset the uneven weight distribution created by integrating two valves in one housing, thereby achieving overall balance during installation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If flame arrester is covered by weather hood, then protection from atmospheric contaminants is improved, but visibility and inspection accessibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The weather hood acts as an intermediary protective structure that shields the flame arrester element from atmospheric contaminants while incorporating transparent or translucent panels. These panels allow visual inspection of the flame arrester element without removing the protective hood, thus maintaining both protection and visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The weather hood incorporates transparent, translucent, or UV-resistant transparent panels that allow visibility of the flame arrester element while providing protection. The material properties of these panels enable light transmission for inspection purposes while maintaining the protective function against contaminants.
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
Enhances operational reliability, simplifies maintenance, and ensures balanced weight distribution, reducing the risk of blockages and improving safety by allowing independent valve operation and easy inspection of flame arresters.
Implementation Method 1
the first valve means or valve is configured to open when the pressure in the first conduit is greater than a first pressure
Implementation Method 2
the second valve means or valve is configured to open when the pressure in the first conduit is less than a second pressure
Implementation Method 3
The flame arrester element is designed principally to prevent flame transmission in the event of an explosion
Data Source
AI summary
A valve apparatus [11] for connection to a tank or pipe, the valve apparatus[11] comprises a housing [12], a first opening [176a] and a second opening [177a] communicating with respective first conduit [16] and second conduit [17] each for providing ingress and egress of fluid into and out of the housing [11] through the first opening [176a] and the second opening [177a], and discrete first and second valve means or valves [14; 15] which are spaced apart from one another, the first and second valve means or valves [14; 15] selectively controlling fluid flow between the first and second conduits [16; 17], wherein, in use, the principal flow axes along the first conduit [16] and second conduit [17] are parallel and opposed, the first valve means or valve [14] is configured to open when the pressure in the first conduit [16] is greater than a first pressure and the second valve means or valve [14; 15] is configured to open when the pressure in the first conduit [16] is less than the first pressure.