Sealless Fluid Valve Geometry for Low-Leakage Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid valves in temperature-control systems and motor vehicles face challenges in reducing leakage and contact pressure, leading to increased torque requirements and inefficiencies due to the need for contact seals, which can be cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A fluid valve design featuring a cavity and actuator with strategically sized openings and through-passages that induce swirling, reducing leakage by eliminating the need for contact seals and minimizing torque requirements through cross-sectional area differences between inflow, outflow, and actuator openings, ensuring consistent fluid flow and balanced resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact seals are used to prevent leakage, then leakage is reduced, but contact pressure increases and torque requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the contact seal component from the valve system. By using a sealless design where the valve stem rotates within the valve body without requiring sealing contact, the patent removes the source of contact pressure and friction while maintaining leakage prevention through precise geometric fitting and fluid dynamic sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical contact sealing system with a fluid dynamic sealing approach. The valve stem and valve body are designed with specific geometric relationships that create fluid sealing through pressure distribution and flow patterns, eliminating the need for mechanical contact and associated friction forces.
2Reliability
If contact seals are used to prevent leakage, then leakage is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the contact seal component from the valve system. By using a sealless design where the valve stem rotates within the valve body without requiring sealing contact, the patent removes the source of contact pressure and friction while maintaining leakage prevention through precise geometric fitting and fluid dynamic sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by creating specific geometric features at critical sealing locations. The valve stem and valve body have precisely engineered local geometries that provide sealing functionality without requiring separate seal components, concentrating the sealing function in the fundamental structure rather than adding auxiliary elements.
3Productivity
If cross-sectional area of actuator openings is increased, then fluid flow is improved, but leakage through gaps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the valve openings, specifically making the actuator opening cross-sectional area larger than the cavity opening area. This parameter change optimizes fluid flow through the actuator while the sealless design with controlled gaps prevents excessive leakage, balancing productivity and substance loss.
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
The design reduces leakage and contact pressure, allowing for a contact seal-free operation that minimizes torque and ensures consistent fluid flow, even with varying flow resistances, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the fluid valve.
Implementation Method 1
A fluid valve design featuring a cavity and actuator with strategically sized openings and through-passages that induce swirling, reducing leakage by eliminating the need for contact seals
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid valve has a cavity in which an actuator is accommodated, the cavity has a first inflow opening and a first outflow opening. The actuator has a through-passage with a first actuator opening and a second actuator opening, in one actuator position, the first actuator opening is situated opposite the first inflow opening and the second actuator opening is situated opposite the first outflow opening, and in one different actuator position, the first actuator opening is not situated opposite the first inflow opening and/or the second actuator opening is not situated opposite the first outflow opening, and a cross-sectional area of the first actuator opening is greater than a cross-sectional area of the first inflow opening, and/or a cross-sectional area of the first outflow opening is greater than a cross-sectional area of the second actuator opening.