Valve Actuator Flange Recesses for Protected Sensor Line Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing actuator systems in process engineering lack adequate protection for sensor lines connecting sensors on the valve housing to measuring devices via a yoke, leading to potential damage during transport or handling.
Innovation Solution
The actuator system incorporates a recess in the housing flange to guide the sensor line, with a sealing flange and support columns providing additional protection by routing the line within the radially enclosed structure, preventing pinching, cutting, and mechanical damage, while also shielding against radiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensor line is routed externally on the housing flange and yoke, then the assembly is simple and accessible, but the line is vulnerable to mechanical damage during transport and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor line is nested within recesses formed in the housing flange and yoke structure. The line runs through a recess in the housing flange and continues through a recess in the yoke, placing it inside the structural elements rather than on the exterior surface, thereby protecting it from mechanical damage while maintaining integration with the existing components
Solution Approach 2:
The recesses in the housing flange and yoke act as intermediary protective structures between the sensor line and the external environment. These recesses provide a shielded pathway that prevents direct exposure to mechanical hazards during transport and handling, while the line remains connected to its functional endpoints
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the sensor line is exposed on the exterior, then installation and maintenance are easier, but the line is susceptible to pinching, cutting, and radiation
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor line is nested within the recesses of the housing flange and yoke, placing it inside the structural elements. This nested configuration provides physical protection against pinching and cutting while the recesses serve as integrated protective channels that are part of the normal assembly structure
Solution Approach 2:
The recesses provide localized protection specifically where the sensor line is most vulnerable - in the transition areas between the housing flange and yoke. The protective feature is applied locally at critical points rather than requiring complete external shielding, maintaining ease of assembly while providing targeted protection
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an actuator (10) for a process plant, comprising an actuator (16) which is spaced apart via a yoke (14) and connected to a valve housing (12) of a valve unit (11), wherein the valve housing (12) has a housing flange (32) which is detachably connected to the yoke (14), wherein the valve housing (12) has an inlet (20) and an outlet (22) for the flow of a process fluid, wherein the inlet (20) and the outlet (22) are each arranged in a fluid connection area (18, 19), and wherein in the transition (24) from the inlet (20) to the outlet (22) an actuator movable via the actuator (16) is arranged for controlling the flow rate of the process fluid.The invention is characterized in that the housing flange (32) connected to the yoke (14) has at least one recess (44) and a yoke mounting area (33), wherein the yoke mounting area (33) is designed as a ring of holes (34) with radially arranged connecting bores (36).