Temperature-Compensating Regulator for Evacuation Inflation Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inflation systems for evacuation assemblies struggle to maintain consistent output pressure across a wide range of operating temperatures, with springs becoming weaker under hot conditions and stiffer under cold conditions, leading to inconsistent inflation performance.
Innovation Solution
A regulator arrangement with an adjuster plug and spring member that adjusts its position in response to temperature changes, using a material with a high coefficient of linear thermal expansion to vary the spring's pre-load and maintain consistent output pressure by expanding or contracting to compensate for thermal variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a spring member is used to maintain output pressure in the inflation system, then the inflation force can be provided, but the spring becomes weaker under hot conditions and stiffer under cold conditions, leading to inconsistent output pressure across temperature ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and parameters of the gas in the expansion chamber in response to temperature changes. When temperature decreases, the gas expands to push the piston and adjuster plug, increasing the spring pre-load to compensate for cold conditions. When temperature increases, the gas contracts, allowing the spring to maintain appropriate pre-load. This dynamic parameter change ensures consistent output pressure across temperature ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes thermal expansion/contraction of the gas in the expansion chamber to compensate for temperature effects on the spring member. The gas volume changes with temperature, and this thermal response is harnessed to automatically adjust the spring pre-load, counteracting the spring's temperature-dependent stiffness variations and maintaining reliable inflation force.
2Reliability
If the spring pre-load is increased to compensate for cold conditions, then inflation performance in cold temperatures improves, but the system becomes overly complex with additional temperature compensation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-adjustment through the thermal response of the gas in the expansion chamber. The gas automatically expands or contracts based on ambient temperature, which in turn automatically adjusts the spring pre-load via the piston and adjuster plug mechanism. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external temperature sensors, control systems, or manual adjustments, maintaining simplicity while ensuring reliable inflation performance across temperature ranges.
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 solution ensures consistent inflation system performance by adapting to temperature fluctuations, maintaining desired output pressure regardless of ambient conditions, thereby ensuring reliable deployment of evacuation devices.
Implementation Method 1
an adjuster plug configured to expand or contract in response to temperature changes to vary a pre-load on the spring member
Data Source
AI summary
A method for assembling a regulator includes moving a piston into a bore of a regulator housing and moving an adjuster plug into the bore and axially adjacent the piston, moving an adjuster plug stop into the bore, wherein the adjuster plug stop comprises a tapered surface configured to contact a tapered head of the adjuster plug, and moving a spring member into the bore and between the adjuster plug and the piston. The method can further include threadingly coupling the adjuster plug stop to the regulator housing, wherein the adjuster plug stop moves into the bore in response to being threadingly coupled to the regulator housing. The method can further include configuring the adjuster plug to translate with respect to the regulator housing in response to a change in temperature of the adjuster plug.