Segmented Valve Cells to Prevent High-Frequency Failure Propagation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High-frequency pumps used in portable electronic devices face issues with valve failure due to damage, abrasion, or degradation, leading to propagation of imperfections and reduced device efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A valve design featuring a sealing plate with multiple ports and valve members, each with an anchor portion and a closure portion, partitioned to form individual valve cells, preventing failure propagation and ensuring discrete operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a thin, moving valve flap is used to operate at high frequencies, then the valve can respond to high frequency oscillating pressure, but damage and imperfections can propagate through the thin valve affecting larger areas
Solution Approach 1:
The valve flap is divided into multiple discrete valve members that are spatially separated and independently supported by anchor portions. This segmentation prevents damage propagation across the entire valve structure, as failures are confined to individual valve members rather than affecting the whole thin flap as in conventional designs.
2Productivity
If multiple small holes are provided in valve plates, then low flow restriction is achieved, but the small hole sizes reduce valve robustness
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing functionality is localized to the closure portions of individual valve members rather than requiring multiple small holes in rigid valve plates. This allows the sealing surfaces to be larger and more robust while maintaining low flow restriction, as each valve member provides localized sealing at its closure portion.
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 enhances the robustness of high-frequency valves by isolating failures within individual cells, maintaining efficiency and preventing catastrophic failure, thus ensuring continuous operation of portable electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
a closure portion which is contiguous with the anchor portion and in movable relationship with the sealing plate under a differential pressure of the fluid across the valve
Data Source
AI summary
A valve for controlling a flow of a fluid comprises: a sealing plate comprising a plurality of ports for passage of the fluid through the sealing plate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sealing plate; and a plurality of valve members, each valve member comprising at least one anchor portion arranged in fixed relationship with the sealing plate and a closure portion which is contiguous with the anchor portion and in movable relationship with the sealing plate under a differential pressure of the fluid across the valve, the closure portion being movable away from the sealing plate under a first differential pressure direction to open at least one of the ports and toward the sealing plate under a second and opposite differential pressure direction to close said at least one of the ports. The anchor portions of the plurality of valve members partition the closure portions from each other such as to define a plurality of valve cells, each valve cell comprising one of the valve members and at least one associated port.