Pressure Relief Valve Assembly With Flushing Medium Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tank systems face challenges in managing pressure fluctuations, which can lead to contamination and condensation issues in the main valve chamber, affecting the valve's functionality and increasing the risk of pressure-related damage.
Innovation Solution
A tank system with a valve arrangement that includes a reservoir filled with a rinsing medium, where the rinsing medium is introduced into the filling line and control line, maintaining a rinsing pressure lower than the response pressure to prevent accidental opening of the pilot and overpressure valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the main valve chamber is filled with the medium stored in the tank via the filling line, then the pressure in the main valve chamber is the same as in the tank, but contamination and condensation occur in the filling line and main valve chamber
Solution Approach 1:
A flushing medium (inert gas such as nitrogen or dry air) is introduced as an intermediary substance to replace the process medium in the filling line and main valve chamber. This intermediary flushing medium prevents contamination and condensation by creating a protective atmosphere that does not undergo phase changes or leave residues, thereby maintaining valve functionality without direct contact between the process medium and the valve components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an inert flushing medium (nitrogen or dry air) into the filling line and main valve chamber to create an inert atmosphere. This inert environment prevents condensation of gaseous media and contamination by sulfur or other substances, as the inert gas does not react with the process medium and maintains stable physical conditions in the valve chamber.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the flushing pressure is higher than the response pressure, then the filling line is effectively flushed, but the pilot opens accidentally causing the pressure relief valve to open
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the flushing pressure to be lower than the response pressure of the pilot valve. This dynamic pressure relationship ensures that the flushing medium can still effectively clear contamination from the filling line while the pressure differential prevents accidental opening of the pilot and pressure relief valve. The flushing pressure is maintained in a controlled range that balances cleaning effectiveness with valve safety.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a reservoir with flushing medium is introduced, then contamination and condensation are prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir containing flushing medium is integrated into the existing valve arrangement, allowing the same component structure to serve multiple functions: storing the process medium in the tank and providing flushing medium from the reservoir. This multi-functional design minimizes additional complexity while achieving contamination prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The flushing system is merged with the existing valve arrangement by integrating the reservoir and flushing lines into the current structure. The flushing medium delivery system combines with the filling line infrastructure, and the pressure control mechanisms are integrated with the existing pilot and pressure relief valve system, reducing overall system complexity despite the added functionality.
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 solution effectively prevents contamination and condensation in the main valve chamber, ensures safe and reliable operation of the overpressure valve, and reduces the risk of pressure-related damage by maintaining a controlled pressure environment.
Implementation Method 1
The filling line connects the tank to the main valve chamber. This makes it possible to fill the main valve chamber with the flushing medium, for example, compressed air or nitrogen, thus preventing condensation of the medium used to fill the main valve chamber.
Implementation Method 2
The pilot is opened when a pressure difference between the ambient pressure (atmosphere) and the pressure prevailing in the control line exceeds the set pressure, so that the force applied by the force device is overcome. By opening the pilot, the main valve chamber is relieved, so that the pressure difference between the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side of the second portion of the valve disk is reduced and is preferably zero.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
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Figure 9~12
AI summary
The invention relates to a tank system comprising a tank (2) and a valve arrangement with a pilot-operated pressure relief valve (4), wherein the pressure relief valve (4) comprises a main valve chamber (10), a filling line (22), a pilot (16) and a control line (18), wherein the main valve chamber (10) is connected to the filling line (22) and can be filled with a filling medium via the latter, and wherein the control line (18) is connected to the tank (2) and the pilot (16) such that the pilot (16) is opened when a pressure in the control line (18) exceeds a predetermined response pressure, thereby opening the pressure relief valve (4), wherein the valve arrangement comprises a reservoir (20) filled with a flushing medium, and wherein the valve arrangement is configured to direct the flushing medium into the control line (18) and/or into the filling line (22) at a flushing pressure.