Pilot Line Cleaning in Process Medium-Controlled Regulating Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-medium-controlled control valves face operational reliability issues due to inadequate removal of limescale deposits on the inner circumference of the pilot line, which leads to clogging and reduced performance over time.
Innovation Solution
The cleaning wire element is designed with an actuation contour that can slide into contact with the main valve piston, generating a transverse force to scrape off limescale deposits, and a helical compression spring provides additional closing force to ensure reliable operation, while a flat sealing surface with a projecting sealing edge enhances sealing efficiency and prevents overloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stationary cleaning wire element is guided through the pilot line with a hole clearance, then the pilot line can be cleaned of contaminants, but the limescale deposits on the inner circumference of the pilot line and on the cleaning wire element can only be removed inadequately
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning wire element is designed with an actuation contour that interacts with a counter contour on the main valve piston to generate transverse motion during stroke adjustment. This dynamic movement transforms the stationary cleaning approach into an active scraping mechanism that effectively removes limescale deposits from the pilot line inner circumference.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuation contour and counter contour serve as intermediary elements that convert the axial stroke motion into transverse cleaning action. These geometric features mediate between the main valve piston movement and the cleaning wire element, enabling effective deposit removal without requiring additional complex mechanisms.
2Ease of manufacture
If the cleaning wire element is guided essentially without contact, then the structure is simple, but the limescale deposits cannot be scraped off effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The design transitions from a static non-contact guide to a dynamic contact-based scraping mechanism. The actuation contour on the cleaning wire element interacts with the counter contour on the piston to generate transverse force during operation, enabling effective limescale removal while maintaining simple installation procedures.
3Reliability
If a helical compression spring is used to provide closing force, then the main valve piston can be reliably held in closed position, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The helical compression spring is integrated into the existing control chamber and main valve piston assembly, combining the closing force function with the existing structural elements. This merging approach provides reliable valve closing without requiring separate complex spring mechanisms.
4Ease of manufacture
If the sealing surface is completely flat, then the manufacturing is simple, but the sealing edge may be overloaded at high water pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing surface is designed with differentiated zones: a flat base surface for simple manufacturing and a projecting sealing edge for enhanced sealing capability. This local quality variation allows the sealing edge to handle high water pressures effectively while the base surface maintains manufacturing simplicity.
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 effectively removes limescale deposits and ensures reliable operation by applying a transverse force to the cleaning wire element and utilizing a helical compression spring for additional closing force, while the flat sealing surface with a sealing edge maintains effective sealing even at low water pressures.
Implementation Method 1
a helical compression spring, which can extend around the pilot valve piston, can be supported in the control chamber between the main valve piston and a valve housing wall facing axially away from it. By means of the helical compression spring, an additional spring force (i.e. a closing force) can be applied to the main valve piston
Implementation Method 2
The wire-side actuation contour and the piston-side counter contour are geometrically designed so that they slide along each other while building up a transverse force acting on the wire element
Implementation Method 3
The application of transverse force allows the wire element to collide with the inner circumference of the pilot line, which means that any limescale deposits that may be present can be scraped off
Implementation Method 4
the sealing surface facing the main valve piston can preferably be divided into a base surface which is flat transversely to the axial direction and a sealing edge which projects from it in the direction of the main valve piston
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a process medium-controlled regulating valve for a liquid throughflow regulating means, having a main valve which has a main valve piston (21) with an adjustable stroke in the axial direction and a main valve seat (23) which interacts with the former and delimits an outlet chamber (15) radially on the inside and an inlet chamber (13) radially on the outside, and having a pilot valve for controlling the main valve piston, which pilot valve has, on that side of the main valve piston which faces away from the main valve seat, a control chamber (5) which is flow-connected via a pilot line (1) in the main valve piston to the inlet chamber and via a pressure relief line (31) to the outlet chamber, and has a pilot valve piston (33) which closes the pressure relief line in a closed position, to be precise with the pressure build-up of a closing pressure in the control chamber and with a stroke adjustment of the main valve piston in a closing direction, and opens the pressure relief line in an open position, to be precise with pressure equalization between the control chamber and the outlet chamber and with a stroke adjustment of the main valve piston in an opening direction, wherein a cleaning wire element (3) which is stationary in the axial direction is guided with hole tolerance through the pilot line, and the pilot line can be moved along the cleaning wire element which is guided therein during a stroke adjustment of the main valve piston. According to the invention, the cleaning wire element has an actuating contour (45) which, at least during the stroke adjustment, can be brought into conducting contact with a counter-contour (51) which is configured on the main valve piston, with the build-up of a transverse force (F) which acts on the cleaning<sb /> wire element.