Pressurized Fluid Valve with Staged Opening to Limit Pressure Surge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Valves for pressurized fluids, particularly those with lever or rotary control members, risk sudden opening, leading to pressure surges that can damage downstream equipment and pose safety hazards, especially when handling high-pressure gases like oxygen.
Innovation Solution
The valve design incorporates a mechanism where the actuator unlocks to allow progressive opening of the valve circuit, transitioning from a smaller second bore section to a larger first bore section, with distinct movements and locking mechanisms to control the opening process, ensuring gradual pressurization and safety against unintended openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a manual control member is provided to open the valve shutter, then the valve can be operated manually, but the valve shutter may open too suddenly causing pressure surge
Solution Approach 1:
The valve shutter is divided into two separate shutters (first valve shutter and second valve shutter) that open sequentially. The first shutter opens to provide a restricted bore section, then the second shutter opens to provide the full bore section, segmenting the opening process to control pressure surge
Solution Approach 2:
The first valve shutter opens in advance before the second valve shutter. This preliminary action creates a restricted flow path first, allowing downstream equipment to gradually pressurize before full flow is established, preventing sudden pressure surge
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to prevent sudden opening, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is integrated with the control member itself. The control member includes a locking element that can engage with a locking surface on the body, merging the locking function into the existing control structure rather than adding a completely separate locking device
Solution Approach 2:
An actuator serves as an intermediary element between the user and the control member. The actuator must be moved to unlock the control member before the valve shutter can be opened, providing an additional safety barrier without requiring a complex independent locking system
3Object-affected harmful factors
If gradual opening through two concentric valve shutters is implemented, then pressure surge is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve shutter function is segmented into two separate shutters (first and second valve shutters) with different opening positions. Each shutter controls a different flow state (restricted bore section and full bore section), dividing the opening process into controlled stages to reduce pressure surge
Solution Approach 2:
The valve shutters are designed to open dynamically in sequence rather than simultaneously. The first shutter opens to establish restricted flow, then the second shutter opens to establish full flow, creating a dynamic progression that controls pressure buildup downstream
Data Source
AI summary
A valve for pressurized fluid including a body housing a fluid circuit having an upstream end configured to be placed in communication with a reserve of pressurized fluid and a downstream end configured to be placed in communication with a user of fluid, the circuit including a collection of valve shutter(s) having at least one shutoff valve shutter allowing the circuit to be closed or opened, the valve having a member for manually controlling the collection of valve shutter(s), the control member being mounted thereby allowing the body to move between a rest position in which the collection of valve shutter(s) is in a position in which the circuit is closed and an active position in which the control member actuates the collection of valve shutter(s) into a position in which the circuit is open with a first bore section.