Piston Relief Valve Feedback Control for Gas Overpressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure relief valves in combination with pressure regulators lack an efficient mechanism to dynamically regulate gas pressure, leading to potential over-pressurization and inadequate flow control.
Innovation Solution
A pressure relief valve design featuring a piston and resilient member that controls gas passage through an orifice, with a pin mechanism to adjust the orifice's size and a regulating pin to set the piston's stroke, allowing for feedback-controlled pressure regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pressure relief valve is incorporated with a pressure regulator, then safety against over-pressurization is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components and integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The relief valve is integrated into the pressure regulator body, sharing common components such as the diaphragm chamber and housing. The relief valve piston and regulator diaphragm interact through shared pressure chambers, creating a unified structure that provides both regulation and relief functions without requiring separate standalone valves.
Solution Approach 2:
The diaphragm serves multiple functions: it acts as both the regulating element for the pressure regulator and the sensing element for the relief valve. The same pressure chamber that controls regulator operation also triggers relief valve activation when pressure exceeds safe limits, allowing one component to fulfill multiple safety and control roles.
2Measurement precision
If a piston and resilient member mechanism is added to control gas passage, then pressure regulation precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient member (spring) automatically biases the piston to close the orifice when pressure drops, and the piston itself responds directly to pressure differential across it. The system uses the process fluid's own pressure to actuate the control mechanism, eliminating the need for external actuators or complex control systems while maintaining precise regulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston position is directly influenced by the pressure differential across it, which is determined by the regulated pressure. As pressure changes, the piston automatically adjusts the orifice opening to maintain constant downstream pressure, creating a natural feedback control loop that improves regulation precision without requiring external sensors or controllers.
3Speed
If the relief valve opens to release gas, then pressure reduction speed is improved, but gas loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relief valve orifice size is dynamically adjusted by the piston position, which responds to the degree of over-pressurization. The resilient member provides progressive biasing force that allows the orifice to open incrementally rather than fully, enabling the system to release just enough gas to restore safe pressure levels while minimizing unnecessary gas loss.
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 manages gas pressure by allowing maximum or minimal flow, preventing over-pressurization and optimizing pressure regulation within the pressure regulator system.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member configured to bias the piston
Implementation Method 2
the force exerted by the gas within the chamber on the piston acts against the action of the resilient member
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure relief valve includes a first port that receives a first gas at an input pressure, a second port that receive a second gas at a regulating pressure, a third port in communication with the first port via an orifice and that outputs the first gas at an output pressure and a piston movable along an axis and configured to control the passage of gas through the orifice between the first port and the second port, such that the output pressure of the gas is dependent on the axial position of the piston. The valve also in include a resilient member configured to bias the piston and the valve comprises a chamber at least partly defined by the piston and in fluid communication with the second port, such that the force exerted by the gas within the chamber on the piston acts against the action of the resilient member.