Staged Pressure Reduction Ball Valve Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fluid control valves, particularly ball valves, experience noise and cavitation issues due to localized high-pressure drops and non-uniform flow paths, which can lead to vibration and damage, and existing solutions fail to effectively distribute pressure drops across multiple components for noise attenuation.
Innovation Solution
A ball valve design featuring a throttling ball, shoe member, diffuser plates, and internal trim with orthogonal flow paths, allowing for multiple stages of pressure reduction and reducing noise by distributing pressure drops across multiple components, including diffuser plates and flow plates, to minimize shear-induced noise and cavitation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single-stage pressure reduction is used in a ball valve, then the valve structure is simple, but localized high-pressure drops cause noise and cavitation
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is divided into multiple flow passages (first, second, third flow passages) that create staged pressure reduction. The first flow passage receives inlet fluid and directs it to the ball assembly, the second flow passage receives fluid from the ball assembly and directs it to the diffuser assembly, and the third flow passage receives fluid from the diffuser assembly and directs it to the outlet. This segmentation distributes the pressure drop across multiple components, reducing localized high-pressure drops that cause noise and cavitation.
2Ease of operation
If the bore in the valve element is out of alignment with the bores in the inlet and outlet, then flow is restricted for throttling control, but this introduces loss of fluid pressure and causes shear turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces orthogonal flow passages that change the flow direction by 90 degrees between stages. The first flow passage is substantially orthogonal to the second flow passage, and the second flow passage is substantially orthogonal to the third flow passage. This dimensional change allows the fluid to navigate through the valve with minimal alignment restrictions, reducing shear turbulence and pressure loss while maintaining throttling control capability.
3Ease of operation
If a reduced cross-section flow path is present at the valve inlet, then the valve element can extend into the flow path for control, but the fluid accelerates and loses pressure causing non-uniform flow and shear
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser assembly acts as an intermediary component between the ball assembly and the outlet. It receives fluid from the second flow passage and gradually expands it into the third flow passage, creating a smooth transition that eliminates sudden acceleration and non-uniform flow. The diffuser assembly mediates the flow characteristics, ensuring uniform velocity distribution and preventing shear-induced noise while maintaining flow control capability.
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 achieves reduced noise levels up to 25 dBA, increased turndown ratio of approximately 200:1, and self-cleaning capabilities, while maintaining a cost and time-efficient manufacturing process, effectively addressing noise and cavitation issues in fluid control applications.
Implementation Method 1
multiple stages of pressure reduction... distributing pressure drops across multiple components, including diffuser plates and flow plates
Implementation Method 2
valve induced shear turbulence and vortices formed in the fluid passing through the valve
Implementation Method 3
the bore in the valve element may be substantially out of alignment with the bores in the valve inlet and valve outlet so as to restrict flow through the valve
Implementation Method 4
The shoe has an interior surface including at least a partial hemisphere with an opening therein, where the interior surface of the shoe is disposed adjacent to and tracking an external surface of the throttling ball
Data Source
AI summary
A valve includes a body, a throttling ball, and a shoe. The body includes an upstream flow passage and a downstream flow passage in fluid communication with an interior cavity of the body. The throttling ball is rotatable within the interior cavity on an axis to adjust the valve from a closed position to an open position and includes a fluid conduit extending through the throttling ball, where the fluid conduit is alignable with the upstream flow passage and the downstream flow passage. The shoe is disposed in the cavity abutting an interior surface of the cavity and includes a fluid passage there through having an inlet being alignable with the flow conduit of the throttling ball and an outlet being alignable with the downstream flow passage of the body. The interior surface of the shoe is disposed adjacent to and tracking an external surface of the throttling ball.