Pressure-Triggered Shuttle Valve for Fail-Safe Fuel Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
In gas turbine engines, existing valve designs for fuel systems can become jammed, leading to continuous fuel supply and potential fire hazards or engine damage, especially in lean burn combustion programs where precise control of fuel flow is critical.
Innovation Solution
A valve design featuring a shuttle with a partition that moves between two positions within a valve body, controlled by a piston and biasing mechanism, where the shuttle blocks or opens the outlet based on fluid pressure, ensuring safe and controlled fuel flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If actuators are used to open and close ports in a valve to control fuel flow, then fuel flow control precision is improved, but the risk of valve jamming and continuous fuel supply increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the actuator-based mechanical control system with a pressure-driven automatic control system. The shuttle valve is controlled by fluid pressure differential rather than mechanical actuators, eliminating the risk of actuator jamming while maintaining precise fuel flow control through pressure-sensitive automatic operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve system uses the fuel pressure itself to control the shuttle position. When fuel pressure exceeds the spring bias force, the shuttle automatically moves to the closed position, creating a self-regulating system that does not require external actuators and prevents continuous fuel supply in case of failure.
2Reliability
If a piston and biasing mechanism are used to control shuttle movement, then safety against continuous fuel supply is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control function from complex actuator mechanisms and concentrates it in a simple shuttle valve design. The control logic is embedded in the pressure-bias force interaction rather than requiring separate control systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve uses parameter changes in fluid pressure to control operation. The shuttle moves between positions based on pressure differential across it, with the spring providing a bias force that is overcome when pressure exceeds a threshold, creating a simple parameter-based control mechanism.
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 prevents fuel flow in case of actuator failure, preventing fire hazards and engine damage while allowing precise metering of fuel, enhancing safety and efficiency in fuel delivery systems.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing mechanism arranged to bias the shuttle towards the first position
Implementation Method 2
the shuttle is moved towards the second position when the fluid within the cavity reaches a threshold pressure
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to a valve for a fuel system having a body (44) with at least one inlet (56) and one outlet (60), the inlet fluidly connected to a pressurised fuel source in use. A shuttle (46) is mounted within the body (44), the shuttle (46) having a cavity (64) of fixed volume and movable between a first position where fluid is permitted to flow through the inlet (56) and is prevented from flowing through the outlet (60) and a second position where fluid is prevented from flowing through the inlet (56) and is permitted to flow through the outlet (60). A piston (72) is configured to engage the fluid within the shuttle cavity (64) to move the shuttle (46) between the first and second position. A biasing mechanism (50) biases the shuttle (46) towards the first position and where the shuttle (46) moves towards the second position when the fluid within the shuttle (46) reaches a critical pressure.