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 which can cause pressure surges damaging downstream equipment, especially when handling high-pressure gases like oxygen, leading to mechanical damage, leaks, and loss of calibration in pressure regulators.
Innovation Solution
The valve design incorporates a mechanism where the actuator moves from a locked to an unlocked position, allowing the valve to open progressively to a smaller bore section, reducing pressure spikes by controlling the rate of pressurization and incorporating a locking mechanism to prevent unwanted openings, using a combination of levers, push-buttons, and cam mechanisms to manage the movement and force transmission between control members and actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the valve shutter opens quickly to allow rapid fluid flow, then the productivity is improved, but the pressure surge damages downstream equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The valve shutter is divided into two distinct shutters arranged in series: a first shutter that opens to provide a restricted flow path, and a second shutter that opens to provide a full flow path. This segmentation allows progressive opening of the valve, first through the restricted path then through the full path, enabling rapid fluid flow while controlling pressure surge by staging the opening sequence.
2Ease of operation
If the valve is made easy to operate with a simple control member, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of unwanted opening increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is engaged by default, requiring a deliberate unlocking action before the valve can be opened. The actuator must first be moved from its locked position to an unlocked position, and only then can the control member be actuated to open the valve shutters. This preliminary unlocking step ensures intentional operation while maintaining simple lever or rotary control for the actual opening action.
3Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to prevent unwanted opening, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is integrated with the existing control member and actuator assembly. The actuator that controls the valve shutters also serves as part of the locking mechanism, with its movement between locked and unlocked positions directly controlling access to the valve opening function. This merging avoids adding separate complex locking components while maintaining reliability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If two concentric valve shutters are used for gradual opening, then the pressure surge is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The two valve shutters are designed with different degrees of freedom in their opening sequences. The first shutter opens to provide restricted flow, then the second shutter opens to provide full flow. This dynamic, staged opening sequence reduces pressure surge by controlling the rate of pressurization downstream, while the shutters are controlled by the same control member and actuator assembly, managing complexity through coordinated movement rather than independent control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve for pressurized fluid having 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 having 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 to allow 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