Pilot Water Valve Lever Mechanism for Low-Power Opening
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pilot operated water valves require large, expensive solenoids due to high pressure differentials and spring forces, leading to high energy usage and costs, which is a disadvantage for appliance manufacturers seeking energy efficiency and cost reduction.
Innovation Solution
A compact, low-power pilot operated water valve design utilizing a lever arm to provide mechanical advantage, reducing the power and size of the solenoid needed to operate the pilot valve, and incorporating a ferromagnetic lever arm or plunger mechanism to overcome static pressure and spring forces without mechanical contact, thereby reducing copper usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large solenoid is used to directly act on the valving member to overcome high static fluid pressure and spring force, then the valve can reliably open under all operating conditions, but the solenoid size and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pilot valve as an intermediary component between the solenoid and the main valving member. The solenoid actuates the pilot valve, which then controls a small amount of fluid to flow and create pressure differential across the main valving member, enabling the main valve to open with minimal solenoid force and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes fluid pressure differentials created by the pilot valve operation to actuate the main valving member. By controlling a small amount of fluid flow through the pilot valve, the system creates sufficient pressure differential to overcome the high static fluid pressure and spring force on the main valve, eliminating the need for a large high-power solenoid.
2Force
If a large solenoid is used to directly act on the valving member, then the valve can overcome high static fluid pressure and spring force, but the solenoid size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pilot valve serves as a force multiplication intermediary. The small solenoid generates sufficient force to actuate the pilot valve, which then controls fluid flow to generate the large pressure differential needed to move the main valving member against high static pressure and spring force, achieving force multiplication without a large solenoid.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hydraulic pressure multiplication through the pilot valve. A small control fluid flow generated by the solenoid creates a pressure differential that is amplified to generate the large opening force needed for the main valving member, reducing solenoid size while maintaining sufficient opening force.
3Reliability
If traditional pilot valve design is used with solenoid moving plunger, then the valve can operate reliably, but copper usage and cost are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical plunger-solenoid contact system with a magnetic field-based actuation system. The solenoid generates a magnetic field that directly actuates the pilot valve mechanism without requiring a physical plunger, eliminating the copper windings needed for the traditional plunger design while maintaining reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the plunger component from the solenoid actuation mechanism. By removing the plunger, the associated copper windings and mechanical contact components are eliminated, reducing copper usage and cost while the solenoid continues to reliably actuate the pilot valve through magnetic field interaction with the lever arm.
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 design achieves significant reduction in solenoid size and energy usage by up to 50-80%, lowering costs and maintaining reliable operation and long life, making it more energy efficient and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
A pilot operated water valve includes a solenoid positioned within the main valving chamber and in fluid isolation from the process fluid... the solenoid... to move the lever arm
Implementation Method 2
A compact, low-power pilot operated water valve design utilizing a lever arm to provide mechanical advantage, reducing the power and size of the solenoid needed to operate the pilot valve
Implementation Method 3
When opened, this pilot valve allows a small amount of water to flow and open a diaphragm using the principle of differential pressure and surface area. The diaphragm then opens the main valving member that controls the main flow of the process fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A solenoid operated pilot valve utilizes an offset pilot opening and a lever arm to provide a mechanical advantage to multiply the opening force of the solenoid, thereby allowing the solenoid size to be reduced. The lever arm used to position the pilot valving member is mechanically positioned via a solenoid driven plunger in one embodiment, and is positioned by magnetic force alone in an alternative, plungerless embodiment. The lever arm pivots via a fixed fulcrum point, a profiled fulcrum providing continuously variable mechanical advantage, or a stepped fulcrum providing discreet different mechanical advantages as the pilot valving member is moved from its fully closed to its fully opened position.