Pressure Valve Diaphragm Rigidity for Leak Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pressure-operated control valves experience liquid leaks due to uneven diaphragm deformation caused by non-uniformity in shape or material, and misalignment of reverse plates, which leads to premature opening and leakage before reaching the setup pressure.
Innovation Solution
A pressure-operated control valve design featuring a diaphragm made of multilayered metal plates with a frustum-shaped conical portion and a flat or concave portion, where the boundary portion between these has higher rigidity, preventing initial deformation and ensuring the valve remains closed by the reactive force of the diaphragm and a coil spring pushing the valve shaft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional diaphragm is used in the pressure-operated control valve, then the valve structure is simple, but the diaphragm deforms unevenly due to non-uniformity in shape or material, causing liquid leaks before reaching the setup pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm is divided into multiple separate reverse plates (first reverse plate, second reverse plate, etc.) that are stacked together. Each plate can deform independently, and the gaps between them allow for non-uniform deformation without compromising the overall sealing performance. This segmentation resolves the technical contradiction by maintaining reliability through distributed deformation while managing the complexity through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The diaphragm is constructed as a composite structure using multiple reverse plates made of the same or different materials. This composite approach allows for better distribution of stress and more uniform deformation characteristics across the diaphragm assembly, preventing localized uneven deformation that would cause leaks before reaching the setup pressure.
2Reliability
If the diaphragm is made of multilayered metal plates with conical and flat portions, then the boundary portion has higher rigidity to prevent uneven deformation, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reverse plates have non-uniform thickness distribution with conical portions and flat portions, creating local variations in rigidity. The boundary portion between the conical and flat portions has higher rigidity to prevent uneven deformation at critical areas, while other portions remain more flexible. This local quality approach resolves the contradiction by enhancing deformation uniformity where needed without requiring the entire diaphragm to be complex.
3Reliability
If the valve shaft diameter is larger than the flat portion diameter, then the valve shaft contacts the boundary portion to prevent initial deformation, but the valve shaft design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The boundary portion of the reverse plate acts as an intermediary contact surface between the valve shaft and the diaphragm structure. By making the valve shaft diameter larger than the flat portion diameter, the valve shaft contacts this intermediary boundary portion, which has higher rigidity and prevents initial uneven deformation. This intermediary approach resolves the contradiction by providing a stable contact point that ensures valve closure stability without requiring complex valve shaft geometry.
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
Prevents liquid leaks by maintaining the valve in a closed state during initial diaphragm deformation, ensuring the valve port remains closed until the predetermined pressure is reached, thus enhancing the cycle COP value.
Implementation Method 1
a coil spring configured to push the valve shaft onto the diaphragm
Implementation Method 2
when the diaphragm starts being deformed by a setup pressure of fluid
Implementation Method 3
a diaphragm made of multilayered metal plates having a frustum-shaped conical portion and a flat portion or a concave portion
Implementation Method 4
a boundary portion interposed between the conical portion and the flat portion or the concave portion of the diaphragm abuts on an inside of a diaphragm-side end face of the valve shaft, and a diameter of the diaphragm-side end face of the valve shaft is larger than a diameter of the flat portion or the concave portion of the diaphragm
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5D
Figure 6A~6B
AI summary
[Problem] In a pressure-operated control valve having a configuration in which a valve body is pushed against a valve seat by a spring force of a diaphragm, and when the diaphragm starts being deformed by a setup pressure of fluid, the valve is open, a liquid leak upon an initial deformation of the diaphragm is prevented. [Means for solving problem] A ball valve 2 and a valve shaft 3 are arranged in a valve chamber 13. The ball valve 2 opens and closes a valve port 14. A coil spring 5 is arranged in a spring chamber 16. The coil spring 5 pushes the valve shaft 3 against a diaphragm 7 via a spring bracket 31 of the valve shaft 3. A corn portion 71 and a flat portion 72 (or a concave portion) arranged at an inside of the corn portion 71 are formed on the diaphragm 7. A diameter of a diaphragm-side end face 3A of the valve shaft 3 is larger than a diameter of the flat portion 72 of the diaphragm 7. When the diaphragm 7 is initially deformed, a boundary portion 74 interposed between the corn portion 71 and the flat portion 72 abuts on the diaphragm-side end face 3A.