Progressive Pressurized Fluid Valve Opening to Limit 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 smaller second bore section to a larger first bore section, using a mechanism where the actuator unlocks to allow partial opening before full opening, incorporating a locking mechanism and a coupling mechanism to control the movement of the control member and actuator, ensuring gradual pressurization and safety against unwanted openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the valve shutter opens quickly to allow rapid fluid flow, then productivity is improved, but pressure spikes damage downstream equipment and create safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The valve shutter is divided into two distinct shutters (first and second shutters) that open sequentially. The first shutter opens to establish initial flow, then the second shutter opens to increase flow rate. This segmentation allows controlled progressive opening rather than sudden full opening, preventing pressure spikes while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first shutter opens in advance before the second shutter. This preliminary action establishes a gradual pressure build-up in the system before full flow is achieved, preventing sudden pressure surges that would damage downstream equipment while still allowing rapid overall flow.
2Ease of operation
If the control member is made easily movable for simple operation, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of unwanted sudden opening increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control member's mobility is dynamically controlled through the locking mechanism. The control member can be locked in a closed position to prevent unwanted opening, or unlocked when deliberate opening is required. This dynamic control allows simple operation when needed while providing reliability against accidental activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism acts as an intermediary between the control member and the valve shutters. It mediates the control member's movement, allowing it to be easily movable only when unlocked, while providing a secure locked state when closure is required, thus balancing ease of operation with protection against unwanted opening.
3Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to prevent unwanted opening, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is merged with the control member assembly, sharing common components and space. The locking feature integrates with the existing control member structure rather than being a completely separate system, thus providing reliability against unwanted opening while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
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 with the ability to move on the body 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.