Non-Return Valve Flap Holder for Fast Hydraulic Test Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for conducting hydraulic pressure resistance tests in industrial installations, particularly those using non-return valves, face challenges such as complex and costly implementations, risks of workmanship hazards, and the need for specialized resources and equipment, including the use of welded blocking devices which are invasive and require frequent replacement, and existing tools for sealing non-return valves are either inadequate or require skilled labor and lengthy maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a caliper-shaped body with articulated arms and a holder, featuring removable and interchangeable components, non-slip pads, and an adjustment mechanism, designed to securely hold the flap of a non-return valve in the closed position, allowing for simple and safe positioning by a single operator without specialized qualifications, and includes a method for positioning the device between the flap and its seat, ensuring perfect sealing and air expulsion for pressure stability during tests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If welded blocking devices are used to seal non-return valves, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity and intervention time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sealing function from complex welded blocking devices and implements it through a simple holder with pads that can be easily positioned and removed. The holder body with articulated arms and pads provides sealing through direct contact with the valve flap, eliminating the need for welding operations while maintaining sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking device is segmented into modular components: a holder body, articulated arms, and removable pads. This segmentation allows for easy assembly, positioning, and removal without requiring complex welding procedures, thereby reducing intervention complexity while maintaining effective sealing through the coordinated action of multiple simple components.
2Reliability
If welded blocking devices are used, then sealing integrity is improved, but loss of time and productivity decrease due to lengthy intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The holder and pads are pre-assembled as a complete sealing unit before intervention. This preliminary preparation allows the sealing device to be quickly positioned and installed on the non-return valve without requiring time-consuming on-site assembly or welding operations, thereby reducing intervention time while ensuring sealing integrity from the moment of installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs simple, easily replaceable pads and a basic holder structure that can be quickly installed and removed. These components are designed for single-use or limited-use applications where rapid deployment and removal are more valuable than long service life, thereby minimizing loss of time during interventions while maintaining adequate sealing integrity.
3Reliability
If complex blocking devices are used, then sealing reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates requiring specialized resources
Solution Approach 1:
The holder device is designed to be self-positioning through its articulated arms that automatically adjust to the valve flap geometry. The pads make direct contact with the flap surface without requiring precise alignment by the operator, allowing unskilled personnel to install and remove the sealing device easily while maintaining reliable sealing through the device's inherent self-adjusting mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulated arms of the holder are designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing the device to conform to different valve flap positions and geometries. This dynamic structure enables the holder to maintain reliable contact and sealing without requiring the operator to have specialized skills for precise positioning, thereby improving ease of operation while preserving sealing reliability.
4Reliability
If welded blocking devices are used, then sealing capacity is improved, but harmful factors increase due to welding risks and inspections
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the thermal welding process with a purely mechanical sealing system consisting of a holder and contact pads. This substitution eliminates all harmful factors associated with welding such as heat damage, radiological risks, and the need for complex inspections, while maintaining adequate sealing capacity through direct mechanical contact between the pads and valve flap.
Solution Approach 2:
The pads and holder are designed as simple, non-permanent components that can be easily installed and removed without causing permanent modifications to the valve or piping system. This approach eliminates the harmful effects of welding and the associated inspection requirements, providing adequate sealing capacity through temporary mechanical contact that can be safely deployed and removed by unskilled personnel.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for holding a flap of a non-return valve in a closed position, which is configured to carry out hydraulic testing of a device or apparatus, includes a body which takes the form of a caliper with two arms that are articulated relative to each other, at a first of the two opposite ends thereof, about a first axis, in that it includes a holder articulated about the first axis and in that the two arms each has, at the second end thereof, a pad pivoting about axes that are parallel to the first axis.