Rotary Valve Seal Geometry for High-Flow Low-Friction Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid control valves experience increased friction and sliding due to the ball element's significant retraction from the primary flow path, leading to inefficiencies in fluid flow and potential wear.
Innovation Solution
A valve design with a housing seal surface and a valve body seal surface that face each other over the entire circumference, reducing the amount of sliding during closure by employing a Möbius strip-like configuration to minimize friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the ball element is significantly retracted from the primary flow path in an open state, then a large flow rate of fluid can flow through the primary flow path, but an amount of sliding of the ball element against the seal assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly is configured with a curved surface that corresponds to the curvature of the ball element's outer peripheral surface. This curved configuration allows the ball element to rotate while maintaining continuous contact with the seal assembly, reducing sliding friction and enabling the ball element to be positioned closer to the primary flow path without excessive wear or energy loss
2Productivity
If the ball element is significantly retracted from the primary flow path in an open state, then a large flow rate of fluid can flow through the primary flow path, but friction and the like accompanying the sliding may be easily generated
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly is configured with a curved surface that corresponds to the curvature of the ball element's outer peripheral surface. This curved configuration allows the ball element to rotate while maintaining continuous contact with the seal assembly, reducing sliding friction and enabling the ball element to be positioned closer to the primary flow path without excessive wear or energy loss
Data Source
AI summary
A valve includes: a housing having a flow path of fluid in the housing; and a valve body provided rotatably with respect to the housing, and configured to open and close the flow path, wherein the housing has a housing seal surface that surrounds the flow path, wherein the valve body has a valve body seal surface, which is formed on an outer periphery portion of the valve body and faces the housing seal surface when the valve body is located at a closing position for closing the flow path, and wherein the valve body seal surface faces a closing rotation direction of the valve body for closing the flow path, over an entire circumference of the outer periphery portion.