Pressure Relief Valve Seat Design for Cryogenic Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pressure-relief valves face challenges such as particulate collection, noise due to collisions, and reduced sealing quality at cryogenic temperatures, leading to potential leaks and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a valve with a body, holder, and valve seat disc that features inner and outer surfaces with specific geometries to prevent particulate accumulation, reduce collisions, and maintain effective sealing across temperature variations, utilizing materials with different thermal expansion coefficients to enhance sealing at cryogenic temperatures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional pressure-relief valves are used, then basic pressure relief function is provided, but particulates accumulate on valve seats causing sealing degradation and leaks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing qualityVSAvoidparticulate accumulation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the valve seat from the main valve body, creating a separate, removable component. This allows the valve seat to be independently cleaned or replaced without disassembling the entire valve, thereby preventing particulate accumulation from degrading sealing quality over time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The valve seat is pre-configured with specific geometric features (such as angled surfaces and clearance gaps) that prevent particulates from accumulating in the first place. The design proactively addresses the sealing quality issue by incorporating anti-particulate features before problems occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If simple valve structure is used, then manufacturing is easier, but valve members collide with outer valve body generating noise and erosion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve structure simplicityVSAvoidcollision noise and erosion

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The valve member is nested within a dedicated holder that provides guidance and constraints. This nested structure prevents the valve member from colliding with the outer valve body during operation, eliminating noise and erosion while maintaining a relatively simple overall design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The holder acts as an intermediary component between the valve member and the outer valve body. It provides a controlled interface that guides the valve member's movement and absorbs any minor collisions, preventing direct contact between the valve member and the outer valve body.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If uniform material composition is used for valve components, then manufacturing is simplified, but sealing quality degrades at cryogenic temperatures due to differential shrinkage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial uniformityVSAvoidsealing quality at cryogenic temperatures

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different material properties to different components based on their specific functional requirements. The valve seat and valve member use materials with carefully selected thermal expansion coefficients to ensure they maintain proper sealing contact at cryogenic temperatures, while other components can use simpler materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The design explicitly accounts for thermal expansion and contraction of different materials at cryogenic temperatures. By selecting materials with appropriate thermal properties for the valve seat and valve member, the patent ensures that differential shrinkage does not compromise sealing quality when the valve is exposed to extreme cold.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #37Thermal expansion

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 effectively prevents particulate accumulation, reduces noise, and maintains sealing integrity at cryogenic temperatures, ensuring reliable pressure relief without leaks or inefficiencies.

Implementation Method 1

the valve seat disc sealingly engages the outer surface of the valve seat

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

utilizing materials with different thermal expansion coefficients to enhance sealing at cryogenic temperatures

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS12044324B2Pressure relief valve

Publication Date: 2024.07.23 ENGINEERED CONTROLS INT

AI summary

A valve for conveying fluid has a closed position and an open position and comprises a body, a valve seat disposed in the body, a holder disposed in the body, and a valve seat disc. The valve seat comprises one or more inner surfaces and an outer surface, and the one or more inner surfaces define an inner void. The valve seat disc is connected to and movable with the holder between a first position in which the valve seat disc sealingly engages the outer surface of the valve seat and a second position in which the valve seat disc is disengaged from the outer surface of the valve seat. The valve is in the closed position when the valve seat disc is in the first position and the valve is in the open position when the valve seat disc is in the second position.