Slam-Shut Valve Actuator Assembly for Easier External Reset
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Solution Overview
Problem
Slam-shut valves require manual operation to reset after shutting off fluid flow, which is cumbersome due to the internal arrangement of the shut-off element, making it difficult to directly or easily open the valve.
Innovation Solution
An actuator assembly with a Scotch yoke mechanism, a trigger mechanism, and a shaft system that allows rotational motion to be converted into linear motion, enabling the valve to be opened from outside the valve body using a handle, with a gear system that amplifies torque for easier operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shut-off element is arranged inside the valve body, then the valve structure is compact, but the valve cannot be easily opened for resetting
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator assembly is divided into two separate portions: a first portion disposed inside the valve body and a second portion disposed outside the valve body. This segmentation allows the external handle and shaft mechanism to be separated from the internal shut-off element, enabling easy external operation while maintaining a compact internal structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A shaft system with a first shaft inside the valve body and a second shaft outside the valve body acts as an intermediary mechanism. The shafts are operatively coupled to transmit rotational motion from the external handle through the valve body wall to the internal control element, enabling external operation of the internal shut-off element without direct access.
2Ease of operation
If a gear system is added to amplify torque, then the manual effort required is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A gear system is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the handle and the shaft. The gear system amplifies the torque applied by the user, reducing the manual effort required to operate the valve. The gears are integrated into the actuator assembly in a compact manner, providing mechanical advantage without significantly increasing overall complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the actuator assembly has portions both inside and outside the valve body, then external operation is enabled, but the installation and maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator assembly is segmented into an internal portion and an external portion, connected through a shaft system that penetrates the valve body wall. This segmentation allows the external handle and shaft mechanism to be accessed and serviced from outside the valve body, while the internal portion remains protected within the valve assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire actuator assembly internal and requiring disassembly of the valve body for access, the design inverts the approach by placing the operational interface (handle and shaft) externally. This allows operation, installation, and maintenance to be performed from the outside, reversing the conventional approach where internal components require internal access.
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
Facilitates easy resetting of the slam-shut valve by allowing the valve to be opened with a smaller torque, reducing manual effort and maintaining a modular design for easier installation and maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a Scotch yoke mechanism, a trigger mechanism, and a shaft that is operatively coupled to the stem via the Scotch yoke mechanism such that rotation of the shaft in a first rotational direction causes movement of the stem and the control element along the first axis in a first translational direction
Implementation Method 2
The trigger mechanism may be responsive to fluid pressure, and may prevent rotation of the shaft in a second rotational direction in a first mode of operation and may release the shaft to allow rotation of the shaft in the second rotational direction in a second mode of operation
Implementation Method 3
with a gear system that amplifies torque for easier operation
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid control device includes a body having an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid flow path between the inlet and the outlet, a seat, and a control element that is coupled to a stem. The control element and the stem are movable along a first axis and biased toward a closed position in which the control element engages the seat. The fluid control device includes an actuator assembly including a shaft that is operatively coupled to the stem via a Scotch yoke mechanism such that rotation of the shaft in a first rotational direction causes movement of the stem and control element along the first axis in a first translational direction. The actuator assembly includes a trigger mechanism that is responsive to fluid pressure and prevents rotation of the shaft in a first mode of operation and releases the shaft to allow rotation in a second mode of operation.