Pressurized Fluid Valve With Progressive Opening Against Pressure Surges
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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
A valve design that progressively opens by transitioning from a first bore section to a second, smaller bore section through a controlled mechanism involving a locking actuator and control member, ensuring gradual pressurization and safety against unwanted openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a valve with lever or rotary control member is used for high-pressure gas cylinders, then the valve can be operated easily and quickly, but the valve shutter may open too suddenly causing pressure surges that damage downstream equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The valve shutter is divided into two separate shutters (first shutter and second shutter) that open sequentially. The first shutter opens to provide a restricted bore section, and the second shutter opens to provide a full bore section. This segmentation allows controlled progressive opening to prevent pressure surges while maintaining ease of operation through a single control member.
Solution Approach 2:
The first shutter opens in advance before the second shutter to create a restricted flow path. This preliminary action limits the initial pressure surge by providing a throttled opening, and only after this controlled preliminary opening does the second shutter open to provide full flow capacity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a locking mechanism is added to prevent sudden valve opening, then pressure surge damage is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is merged with the control member itself. The control member incorporates a cam profile that interacts with a cam follower to provide automatic locking in the closed position and controlled sequential opening. This integration eliminates the need for separate locking components, reducing overall device complexity while still preventing pressure surge damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The control member's cam profile automatically engages with the cam follower to lock the valve shutters in the closed position and control their sequential opening. The mechanism is self-actuating through the operator's rotation of the control member, requiring no additional actuators or complex control systems, thus minimizing added complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If two concentric valve shutters are used for gradual opening, then pressure surges are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The two shutters are arranged concentrically in a radial configuration rather than sequentially in line. The first shutter provides an inner restricted bore and the second shutter provides an outer full bore. This radial/dimensional arrangement allows both shutters to be actuated by a single control member's cam profile, simplifying the actuation mechanism while achieving gradual opening to reduce pressure surges.
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) including at least one shutoff valve shutter allowing the circuit to be closed or opened, the valve including a member for manually controlling the collection of valve shutter(s).