Pressure-Reducing Valve Piston Dynamics for Fire Systems
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic fire extinguishing systems face challenges in delivering extinguishing media at reduced pressure efficiently, leading to increased costs and risk potential due to high-pressure requirements.
Innovation Solution
A pressure-reducing valve with a pressure control piston that automatically shifts from an open to a closed position when minimum pressure is reached, using a force accumulator element and extinguishing medium to control the piston's movement, ensuring a constant low-pressure delivery of extinguishing media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high pressure is used to deliver extinguishing media, then the extinguishing agent can be stored and delivered effectively, but the system cost and risk potential increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two distinct pressure zones: a high-pressure storage zone in the pressure vessel and a low-pressure delivery zone in the piping network. The pressure-regulating piston creates a barrier that segments these zones, allowing the extinguishing agent to be stored under high pressure while delivering it at reduced pressure, thus maintaining effectiveness while reducing system cost and risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure-regulating piston acts as an intermediary element between the high-pressure extinguishing agent source and the low-pressure delivery system. It mediates the pressure transition, allowing the system to benefit from both high-pressure storage efficiency and low-pressure delivery safety, thereby reducing overall system risk and cost while maintaining reliable extinguishing agent delivery.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pressure reduction is implemented, then system cost and risk are reduced, but maintaining constant low-pressure delivery becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure-regulating piston automatically self-regulates the pressure reduction process without external control. When the outlet pressure drops below the threshold, the closing force decreases, allowing the spring to open the valve and restore pressure. When pressure rises above the threshold, the closing force increases, closing the valve and maintaining constant low-pressure delivery. This self-service mechanism ensures reliable constant pressure delivery while reducing system cost and risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a feedback mechanism where the outlet pressure directly influences the piston position through the closing force. The pressure difference across the piston creates a feedback loop that automatically adjusts valve opening to maintain constant low-pressure delivery, ensuring reliability while keeping system cost and risk reduced.
3Extent of automation
If a pressure-regulating piston is used, then automatic pressure control is achieved, but valve component damage and noise may occur due to component striking
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element provides beforehand cushioning by gradually closing the valve as pressure increases, rather than allowing abrupt closure. This cushioning effect reduces impact forces between valve components, preventing damage and minimizing noise while maintaining automatic pressure control through the pressure-regulating piston.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static valve positioning to dynamic automatic pressure control through the movable pressure-regulating piston. The piston dynamically adjusts its position based on pressure conditions, enabling automatic pressure control while the spring element ensures dynamic closure that prevents component damage and noise through controlled movement rather than abrupt striking.
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 solution enables reliable pressure reduction of extinguishing media, reducing system costs and risk, allowing for constant and efficient discharge of extinguishing media at lower pressures, while preventing valve component damage and noise.
Implementation Method 1
a force storage element (33) for exerting an opening force to move the pressure-regulating piston (24) into an open position
Implementation Method 2
an extinguishing medium to move the pressure-regulating piston into the closed position. The opening force caused by the force storage element (33) and the closing force caused by the extinguishing medium act on the pressure-regulating piston (24)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A pressure-reducing valve for an automatic fire-extinguishing system comprises a valve housing (7) having a longitudinal axis (8), with an inlet opening (9) for connecting the pressure-reducing valve (5; 5a; 5b; 5c; 5d; 5e; 5f; 5g) to a pressure container (2) in which an extinguishing medium is stored under high pressure (pH), with an outlet opening (10) for connecting the pressure-reducing valve (5; 5a; 5b; 5c; 5d; 5e; 5f; 5g) to an extinguishing-medium-dispensing device (6), and with a flow channel (14) which is arranged between the inlet opening (9) and the outlet opening (10), and comprises a pressure-regulating piston (24; 24a; 24b; 24c; 24d; 24f; 24g) which is displaceable in the valve housing (7) along the longitudinal axis (8) between an open position and a closed position, a first sealing element (19; 19c; 19d; 19, 19e; 19f, 51), which is arranged along the flow channel (14), for bearing in a sealing manner against the pressure-regulating piston (24; 24a; 24b; 24c; 24d; 24f; 24g) in the closed position, a force accumulator element (33) for exerting an opening force (F1) on the pressure-regulating piston (24; 24a; 24b; 24c; 24d; 24f; 24g) for shifting the latter into the open position, wherein, in the closed position of the pressure-regulating piston (24; 24a; 24b; 24c; 24d; 24f; 24g), the first sealing element (19; 19c; 19d; 19, 19e; 19f, 51) separates a high-pressure chamber (36), which faces the inlet opening (9), of the flow channel (14) in a fluid-tight manner from a low-pressure chamber (37), which faces the outlet opening (10), of the flow channel (14), wherein the extinguishing medium is stored under high pressure (pH) in the high-pressure chamber (36) and under low pressure (pN) in the low-pressure chamber (37), and wherein the extinguishing medium causes a closing force (F2), which opposes the opening force (F1) on the pressure-regulating piston (24; 24a; 24b; 24c; 24d; 24f; 24g) for shifting the latter into the closed position.