Turn down ratio valve

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing burners, particularly gas boilers and water heaters, face challenges with low Turn Down Ratio (TDR), leading to increased temperature deviations and reduced durability due to frequent on-off operations at low load conditions, as the current damper designs hinder efficient gas and air delivery.

Innovation Solution

A TDR damper with separate air and gas passages and opening/closing mechanisms ensures efficient delivery of gas and air to a turbo fan, preventing interference and allowing for controlled gas and air flow through separate paths, enabling stable delivery and mixing at desired ratios.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If air and gas are mixed in a single passage as in prior art, then the structure is simple, but air prevents gas inflow and gas does not actually flow to the burner

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidgas flow delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single mixed passage into separate air passages and gas passages. The air passage and gas passage are independently configured, allowing air and gas to flow through separate paths without interfering with each other. This segmentation resolves the problem where air blocked gas flow in the prior art's single passage design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If a single damper controls both air and gas, then the device structure is simplified, but precise control of gas and air supply ratio is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamper structureVSAvoidgas and air supply control
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The control system is segmented into a first damper for controlling air supply and a second damper for controlling gas supply. Each damper independently regulates its respective fluid, enabling precise control of the air-gas mixture ratio while maintaining relatively simple individual damper structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs adjustable dampers that can dynamically modify the opening areas of air and gas passages independently. This dynamic adjustment capability allows precise control of supply ratios according to different combustion requirements, rather than using a fixed single-damper design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If the burner operates at high minimum gas consumption (low TDR), then the damper structure is simpler, but the burner frequently turns on and off causing temperature deviation and reduced durability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamper control systemVSAvoidburner operation stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic control system with adjustable dampers that can continuously modulate gas and air supply across a wide range. This enables the burner to operate stably at low loads by precisely controlling minimum gas consumption, preventing frequent on-off cycling and improving operational reliability and durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows independent adjustment of air and gas passage opening areas, enabling precise control of the air-gas ratio and minimum gas consumption parameters. This parameter control capability expands the Turn Down Ratio and ensures stable operation across varying load conditions without requiring overly complex control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3211305B1Turn down ratio valve
Publication Date: 2019.07.10 DAE SUNG SELTIC
  • EP3211305B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3211305B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3211305B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A turn down ratio (TDR) damper which controls an amount of gas and air flowing in the TDR damper and deliver the controlled gas and air to a turbo fan is disclosed. The TDR damper includes: air passages comprising a first air passage and a second air passage, the first air passage and the second air passage separately formed so that the air move through each path; gas passages comprising a first gas passage and a second gas passage, the first gas passage and the second gas passage separately formed so that the gas move through each path; and opening and closing means for opening and closing the second air passage and the second gas passage at the same time. The air passages and the gas passages may be separately formed and reached outlets connected to the turbo fan so that the air and gas may be delivered to the turbo fan through a separate path.