Valve Arrangement Standardization for Flow Rate Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity in designing and manufacturing valve clusters with different flow rate categories due to varying dimensions and electrical interface requirements, leading to increased complexity in manufacturing and assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
Standardizing the overall height, width of component mounting sites and electrical interface means across all valve clusters, allowing for identical control and signal transmission components, and varying valve unit lengths and heights to achieve different nominal flow rates while maintaining a constant mounting grid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different transverse dimensions and mounting site lengths are used for valve bases of different flow rate categories, then different nominal flow rates can be achieved, but design and manufacturing complexity increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The valve base is segmented into a standardized control section and a variable fluid distribution section. The control section maintains constant dimensions and mounting sites across all flow rate categories, while the fluid distribution section varies in length to achieve different nominal flow rates. This segmentation allows standardized manufacturing of the control portion while adapting only the necessary fluid handling portion.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of varying transverse dimensions (width) of the valve base as in prior art, the invention varies the longitudinal dimension (length) of the fluid distribution section while keeping the transverse dimensions standardized. This dimensional shift allows different flow rates to be achieved through extended fluid pathways rather than wider mounting areas, maintaining compatibility with standardized valve units and electrical interfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different width dimensions of valve units are used for different nominal flow rates, then flow rate categories are achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single universal valve unit design with standardized width and electrical interface is used across all flow rate categories. The valve units are mounted on standardized mounting sites that are identical in width for all flow rate categories. Different nominal flow rates are achieved by varying the length of the fluid distribution section rather than using different valve unit widths, thereby simplifying manufacturing through component standardization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different electrical interface means are used for different control portions, then specific control requirements are met, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A standardized electrical interface design is implemented across all valve units regardless of flow rate category. The control portion mounting site maintains constant dimensions and electrical connection points. This universal electrical interface simplifies manufacturing and assembly by eliminating the need to produce and manage multiple types of electrical connectors and control portions for different flow rate categories.
4Ease of manufacture
If constant mounting grid is used across all valve clusters, then manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but achieving different flow rates becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The valve base is divided into a standardized control section with constant mounting grid and a variable fluid distribution section. The control section maintains identical mounting sites, dimensions, and electrical interfaces across all flow rate categories, enabling standardized manufacturing and assembly procedures. The fluid distribution section extends in length from the control section to achieve different nominal flow rates while maintaining compatibility with the standardized mounting grid.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve arrangement has several valve clusters which are designed for different nominal flow rates. Each valve cluster (1c) comprises a valve base (2) fitted with valve units (4), the valve units (4) respectively having a control portion (13), which is connected by way of electrical interface means (23) with internal signal transmission means (22) of the valve base (2). Irrespectively of the flow rate category the overall height of the valve bases (2), the width of the component mounting sites and of the valve units (4) and also the electrical interface means (23) are identically configured in the case of the valve clusters of all flow rate categories. The modification of the nominal flow rates is performed more especially by the choice of different overall lengths of the valve units (4).