Three-Way Valve Geometry for Accurate Heat-Medium Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing three-way valves for flow rate control and temperature control devices face challenges in accurately controlling the mixture ratio between high-temperature and low-temperature heat-medium circulating liquids, leading to inefficiencies in temperature regulation.
Innovation Solution
A three-way valve design featuring a valve body with a half-cylindrical shape and curved end surfaces, allowing for precise control of fluid flow rates by linearly changing the opening areas of the valve ports, enabling accurate mixture ratio adjustment between high-temperature and low-temperature fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a conventional three-way valve with control valve is used to control flow rate ratio, then the device can be operated, but the mixture ratio control accuracy between high-temperature and low-temperature fluids is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body employs curved end surfaces with specific radius ratios instead of flat surfaces. The first curved portion has a curvature radius R1 and the second curved portion has a curvature radius R2, where R1/R2 falls within 0.5-2.0. This curved geometry enables linear change in opening areas of valve ports during rotation, achieving accurate mixture ratio control without complex additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the valve body, specifically the curvature radii of the end surfaces. By optimizing the ratio R1/R2 within 0.5-2.0, the valve achieves linear opening area change characteristics. This parameter optimization directly improves mixture ratio control accuracy while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the valve ports are switched without linearly changing opening areas, then the valve operation is simple, but the flow rate control precision and mixture ratio accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The curved end surfaces of the valve body create a geometric relationship where rotation angle linearly correlates with opening area changes. The specific curvature radius ratio (R1/R2 = 0.5-2.0) ensures that as the valve rotates to switch between valve ports, the opening areas change linearly, providing precise flow rate control through simple rotational motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body has asymmetric curved end surfaces with different curvature radii (R1 and R2). This asymmetric geometry is specifically designed to achieve linear opening area changes during rotation, balancing manufacturing precision requirements with operational simplicity.
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 high accuracy in controlling the mixture ratio between high-temperature and low-temperature fluids, enhancing the precision of temperature control in applications such as chiller devices for semiconductor manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a valve body (35) provided in a freely rotatable manner in the valve seat (8) of the valve main body (6) so as to simultaneously switch the first valve port (9) from a closed state to an opened state and switch the second valve port (18) from an opened state to a closed state
Implementation Method 2
a cross section of each of both end portions (45a, 45b) of the valve operating portion (45) in a circumferential direction, which is taken along a direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the center axis (C), is formed into a curved-surface shape... the curvature radius (R1) of the first curved portion (50) and a curvature radius (R2) of the second curved portion (51)... linearly changed with respect to a rotation angle of the valve shaft (34)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(c)
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided are a three-way valve for flow rate control and a temperature control device using the three-way valve for flow rate control. The three-way valve for flow rate control is capable of controlling a mixture ratio between two kinds of fluids with higher accuracy, as compared to a three-way valve including an inflow port which allows inflow of a high-temperature heat-medium circulating liquid, an inflow port which allows inflow of a low-temperature heat-medium circulating liquid, an outflow port which allows outflow of a constant-temperature heat-medium circulating liquid, and a control valve configured to control the flow rate ratio between the high-temperature heat-medium circulating liquid and the low-temperature heat-medium circulating liquid. The three-way valve for flow rate control includes: a valve main body including a valve seat, the valve seat having a columnar space and having a first valve port, which allows inflow of a first fluid and has a rectangular cross section, and a second valve port, which allows inflow of a second fluid and has a rectangular cross section; a valve body being provided in a freely rotatable manner in the valve seat of the valve main body so as to simultaneously switch the first valve port from an closed state to an opened state and switch the second valve port from an opened state to a closed state, the valve body being formed into a half-cylindrical shape having a predetermined central angle and being formed into a curved-surface shape at each of both end surfaces of the valve body in a circumferential direction; and drive means for driving the valve body to rotate.