Rotating Orifice Plate Valve for Debris-Resistant Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Valves used in petrochemical processing equipment, such as those with slide or butterfly valves, are prone to blockage by debris and solid particles, leading to seizure and accelerated pipeline degradation due to misalignment of orifices, which complicates flow control and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A valve design featuring a tubular pipe section with a first and second flat plate, where each peripheral orifice is surrounded by a collar to deflect debris and guide the flow, and a tubular support to prevent solid particles from entering the inter-plate space, along with adjustable orifices to maintain alignment and reduce erosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed orifice disks are used in combination with slide valves or butterfly valves to control pressure, then pressure control capability is improved, but the valve becomes prone to blockage by debris and solid particles
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is divided into two separate plates (first plate with orifices, second plate with corresponding orifices) that can rotate independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the orifices to be distributed across multiple surfaces, reducing the likelihood that all orifices will be blocked simultaneously by debris, while maintaining pressure control capability.
2Productivity
If the pipeline has a large diameter (1m and over), then flow capacity is improved, but it becomes very difficult to keep the two plates in intimate contact and solid particles can enter the annular space causing seizure
Solution Approach 1:
A tubular support structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the two plates. This tubular support maintains the spatial relationship between the plates, ensuring they remain properly positioned and in intimate contact throughout the large-diameter pipeline, preventing solid particles from entering the annular space and causing seizure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the orifices are not fully aligned, then flow restriction geometry is created, but the fluid is deflected away from rectilinear path and impinges on pipeline walls leading to accelerated degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The second plate is made rotatable relative to the first plate, introducing dynamic adjustability to the orifice alignment. This allows the operator to optimize the alignment between corresponding orifices in the two plates, maintaining rectilinear fluid flow paths and preventing harmful deflection onto pipeline walls, while still providing flow restriction geometry when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve includes: a tubular pipe section, a first flat plate extending transversely to the pipe section inside the pipe section and secured to the pipe section, this first flat plate being pierced with a central orifice and with a plurality of peripheral orifices positioned circumferentially around the central orifice, a second flat plate extending transversely to the pipe section inside the pipe section and mounted with the ability to rotate inside the pipe section, the second plate having a plurality of orifices of which at least the shape and the spacing correspond to those of the orifices of the first plate, at least one support element supporting the second plate such that the at least one support element can pivot with respect to the first plate, and an adjusting system engaging with the second orifice plate in order to adjust the relative positions of the peripheral orifices.