Rotary Irrigation Valve Flow Adjustment for Low-Range Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water irrigation systems lack effective mechanisms for adjusting water flow to suit the needs of residential landscapes, leading to inefficiencies due to excessive runoff, overwatering, and evaporation, with existing valves not easily adjustable in the mid to low range to accommodate varying plant growth needs.
Innovation Solution
A variable flow adjustable valve with a rotary disc and rotating mechanism that allows for adjustable water flow restriction, featuring dial graduations to indicate flow percentages, and optional integration with wireless systems for smart valve functionality, enabling precise control and monitoring of water flow based on plant growth and environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing adjustable flow valves are used, then water flow can be restricted, but they are not easily adjustable in the mid to low range to suit landscape needs
Solution Approach 1:
The valve employs a rotary disc with multiple angular positions that can be easily rotated to change flow restriction levels. The rotating mechanism allows dynamic adjustment between fully open and various restricted positions, making it easy to operate while providing adaptability across a wide range of flow rates suitable for different landscape irrigation needs.
2Productivity
If water flow is increased to meet landscape irrigation needs, then plant growth requirements are satisfied, but excessive runoff, overwatering, and evaporation occur causing water waste
Solution Approach 1:
The valve changes the flow parameter by rotating the disc to different angular positions, which varies the opening size of the water flow passage. This allows precise control of water flow rate to match actual irrigation needs, preventing both insufficient watering and excessive water application that leads to runoff, overwatering, and evaporation losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve system enables users to monitor and adjust flow settings based on observed landscape conditions and plant needs. By providing controllable flow restriction, users can respond to changing conditions throughout the growing season, adjusting water application to match actual evaporation rates and plant uptake, thereby reducing water waste from overapplication.
3Device complexity
If a fixed flow restriction is installed on the main water line, then water flow control is provided, but the settings are not definable to measure the need to increase or decrease with time and plant growth
Solution Approach 1:
The valve incorporates a dial with graduations that provide visual information about the current flow setting. As the rotary disc is rotated to different positions, the dial indicator moves to show the corresponding flow percentage, giving users definable and measurable flow setting information that can be monitored and adjusted over time as plants grow and irrigation needs change.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable rotary flow valve, comprising: a body; an upstream port; a downstream port; a rotary disc comprising a water flow opening; a rotating mechanism couple with the rotary disc and configured to move the water flow opening past a plurality of channels in a flow of water from the downstream port to the upstream port so as to variably restrict the flow; dial graduations that illustrate a plurality of flow percentage; and a dial couple with the rotating mechanism and configured to illustrate via the dial graduations the current flow percentage based on a position of the rotary disc.