Rotary Valve Inner Wall Geometry for Debris Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
In valve devices with rotating valve bodies, foreign substances in coolant water can become trapped in the gap between the valve body and the housing inner wall, leading to malfunction, increased load torque, and pressure drop resistance, as the constant distance between the valve body and housing inner wall hinders the discharge of foreign matter.
Innovation Solution
The valve device features a housing inner wall with a varying distance along the circumferential direction, allowing foreign substances to move to larger gaps during rotation, facilitating their discharge and preventing operational failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the distance between the housing inner wall and the rotation axis is constant, then the valve body can rotate smoothly, but foreign substances become trapped in the gap leading to malfunction and increased load torque
Solution Approach 1:
The housing inner wall is designed with non-uniform radial distance from the rotation axis, creating local variations in gap width. The gap width varies circumferentially with a maximum width Wmax and minimum width Wmin, allowing foreign substances to be discharged at specific locations rather than being trapped uniformly throughout the gap.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing inner wall employs an asymmetric cross-sectional shape where the radial distance from the rotation axis varies in the circumferential direction. This asymmetric design creates a non-uniform gap between the housing inner wall and the valve body outer circumferential wall, enabling foreign substance discharge through the varying gap width.
2Reliability
If the gap between valve body and housing inner wall is small, then sealing is improved, but foreign substances cannot be discharged leading to increased pressure drop resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The gap width is optimized locally with different widths at different circumferential positions. The maximum gap width Wmax allows foreign substance discharge to reduce pressure drop, while the minimum gap width Wmin maintains sealing performance. This local variation resolves the contradiction between sealing and pressure drop reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The gap width dynamically varies as the valve body rotates, creating alternating regions of wide and narrow gaps. This dynamic gap configuration allows the system to achieve both sealing (when gap is narrow) and foreign substance discharge (when gap is wide), reducing pressure drop resistance.
3Reliability
If the housing inner wall has varying distance from rotation axis, then foreign substances are discharged effectively, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing inner wall incorporates localized geometric variations rather than complex overall redesign. The cross-sectional shape varies circumferentially with controlled maximum and minimum widths, which can be achieved through standard manufacturing processes like CNC machining or molding, balancing functionality with manufacturability.
Data Source
AI summary
A housing has a housing main body and an outlet port. The housing main body includes a cylindrical housing inner wall that defines an internal space therein. The outlet port fluidly connects the internal space and an outside of the housing main body to each other. The valve has a valve body rotatable about an rotation axis along a rotation axis of the cylindrical housing inner wall. The valve is configured to selectively open and close the outlet port depending on a rotation position of the valve. The housing inner wall is formed such that a distance between the housing inner wall and the axis of the housing inner wall varies in a circumferential direction.