Safety Valve With Melting Pipe For Extended Fire Sensitivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire safety systems for fluid control are limited by point sensitivity, where a single sensitive element may not adequately respond to heat exposure across large areas, such as a tank, potentially failing to control the opening of safety valves effectively.
Innovation Solution
A safety valve design featuring a heat-sensitive piston and spring mechanism, where a pipe made of thermoplastic material melts at a predetermined temperature, releasing control fluid to extend sensitivity over a distance, and a second spring maintains calibrated tension to manage pressure and prevent premature valve opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a point-sensitive element is used to control the safety valve, then the device complexity is reduced, but the sensitivity coverage area is limited and cannot detect heat across large areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a hydraulic system with control fluid under pressure transmitted through a pipe to the piston. The control fluid transmits the heat-sensitive signal from the remote pipe location to the valve mechanism, enabling extended sensitivity coverage while maintaining a relatively simple device structure through fluid-based signal transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The control fluid acts as an intermediary between the heat-sensitive pipe and the valve piston. The fluid transmits the mechanical movement generated by pipe melting to the piston, which then actuates the valve, allowing the sensitivity to be extended over distance while keeping the valve mechanism itself simple.
2Speed
If the control fluid pressure is increased to improve valve response, then the valve opening speed is improved, but the risk of premature opening due to pressure variations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of control fluid pressure from a fixed high value to a calibrated predetermined pressure that balances response speed and reliability. The first spring is calibrated to maintain this optimal pressure, ensuring the valve opens quickly when needed but remains stable under normal pressure variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The first spring is pre-calibrated to maintain a predetermined pressure in the control fluid that provides a safety margin against premature opening. This cushioning pressure ensures that normal pressure variations or minor leaks do not trigger valve opening, while still allowing rapid response when the pipe melts and releases the piston.
3Reliability
If a passive control system is used to avoid external energy, then the system reliability is improved, but the ability to maintain stable pressure against volume variations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The first spring is calibrated to maintain a predetermined pressure in the control fluid, compensating for volume variations due to temperature changes or minor leaks. This calibrated spring ensures stable pressure conditions without requiring active control systems or external energy sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibrated spring automatically compensates for pressure variations caused by temperature changes or minor fluid leaks. The system self-regulates the control fluid pressure to maintain the predetermined level, providing stable operation without external intervention or energy input.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design provides a passive, extended sensitivity mechanism that effectively releases fluid in case of fire, absorbing volume variations and preventing premature opening, ensuring operational reliability and secondary safety against pressure bursts.
Implementation Method 1
the pipe being made of a material capable of melting at a predetermined temperature so as to release the control fluid in the event of a fire around the pipe
Implementation Method 2
a first spring held in tension against a sensitive means
Implementation Method 3
the line and the chamber containing a control fluid under a predetermined pressure so that the piston holds the first spring in tension
Data Source
AI summary
A safety valve releases a fluid in the event of a fire. To do so it comprises a valve shutter in a body for opening or closing a pipe containing the fluid. A first spring is kept under tension against heat-sensitive means for releasing the valve shutter when the tension is released by the sensitive means. The sensitive means comprise a piston acting on the first spring, a pipe being connected to a chamber delimited in the body by the piston on the opposite side to the first spring. The pipe and the chamber contain a pressurized control fluid so that the piston keeps the first spring under tension. The pipe is made of a material capable of melting at a predetermined temperature so as to release the fluid in the event of a fire around the pipe.