Series Intensifier Pressure Control With Pilot-Operated Bypass
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intensifiers face limitations such as cost, size, controllability, speed, accuracy, and energy requirements, making it difficult to achieve desired pressure rises with a single unit.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising multiple intensifiers configured in series, with a control system and pilot-operated check valves, allows for controlled pressurization and depressurization phases, utilizing a programmable logic controller to manage the process medium pressure and reduce mechanical shock.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a single intensifier is used to increase pressure, then the device complexity is low, but the desired pressure rise cannot be achieved due to physical limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the pressure intensification function into multiple separate intensifiers connected in series. Each intensifier handles a portion of the total pressure increase, allowing the system to achieve high pressure rises that would be impossible with a single intensifier while maintaining manageable complexity in each individual component.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple intensifiers are combined in series configuration where the output of one intensifier becomes the input of the next. This merging of multiple pressure-stage components creates a cumulative pressure multiplication effect, achieving the desired high pressure rise through the combined action of several intensifiers working together.
2Stress or pressure
If multiple intensifiers are used in series to achieve desired pressure rise, then the pressure increase capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs multiple functions: it controls the pressurization sequence of intensifiers, manages the depressurization sequence in reverse, operates pilot-operated check valves to isolate intensifiers, and monitors system pressure. This multi-functional control approach manages the complexity of multiple intensifiers through a single integrated control mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary pressurization of intensifiers in a specific sequence before activating the next intensifier. The control system pre-pressurizes upstream intensifiers first, then progressively activates downstream intensifiers. This preliminary action approach allows complex multi-intensifier operation to be managed through structured, sequential control rather than simultaneous complex coordination.
3Speed
If intensifiers are pressurized quickly to improve speed, then the pressurization speed increases, but mechanical shock occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The control system implements periodic, sequential pressurization of intensifiers rather than simultaneous continuous pressurization. Each intensifier is pressurized in discrete stages in a specific sequence, with the control system activating one intensifier at a time. This periodic action allows rapid pressure buildup while distributing the mechanical shock across separate, controlled intervals rather than concentrating it in a single event.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs preliminary pressurization of upstream intensifiers before activating downstream intensifiers. This staged preliminary action allows the system to build pressure progressively through pre-pressurized stages, reducing sudden pressure shocks while maintaining overall fast pressurization performance through the coordinated sequence.
4Ease of operation
If a pilot-operated check valve is used during pressurization, then the controllability of pressure transitions is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Pilot-operated check valves serve as intermediary components between the control system and the intensifiers. These valves use a pilot pressure signal as a mediator to control the main valve opening, providing precise control over pressure transitions. The pilot-operated mechanism allows the control system to indirectly and precisely manage the opening and closing of check valves, improving controllability while keeping the valve operation simple and reliable.
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 system effectively increases process medium pressure while minimizing mechanical shock and reducing the need for additional components, enhancing control and efficiency in pressure transitions.
Implementation Method 1
a process medium inlet check valve configured to fluidly couple between the process medium system inlet and the process medium intensifier inlet of the first intensifier in the series
Implementation Method 2
Because pressure varies inversely with surface area, an intensifier may have, for example, two plungers, each having a different surface area. As such, an intensifier may leverage a relatively low-pressure volume of hydraulic fluid acting on a plunger having a relatively large surface area, against a plunger having a relatively small surface area acting on a relatively high-pressure volume of water.
Data Source
AI summary
An intensifier system comprising at least two intensifiers configured in series, wherein each intensifier in the series is configured to generate a greater pressure in a process medium than the preceding intensifier. A process medium pilot-operated check valve is configured between each intensifier to operate normally as a check valve (e.g., closed) and to operate in a bypass mode when piloted (e.g., open), allowing for both full bypass and enhanced control over a smoother depressurization of the intensifier system without the need for assistance from external devices.