Valve Piston Segmentation for Flow Cross Section

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing valve devices experience high pressure differences and reduced flow cross sections due to flow forces acting on the valve body, leading to decreased volume flow and potential cavitation issues in hydraulic systems.

Innovation Solution

The valve device features a fluid channel that opens into a funnel-shaped expansion space, with a valve piston divided into actuating and control parts, utilizing the Bernoulli and Venturi effects to increase the effective flow cross section and reduce pressure drop, ensuring a larger volume flow and minimizing cavitation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional spring-loaded check valve is used, then the valve structure is simple and reliable, but high pressure differences occur and flow forces reduce the effective flow cross section

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve reliabilityVSAvoidpressure difference
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The valve piston is divided into an actuating part and a control part, with the control part featuring a third control surface that adjoins a valve seat. This segmentation allows separate control of opening/closing actions and flow guidance, enabling the valve to maintain reliability while reducing pressure differences through optimized flow paths and reduced flow forces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If a conventional spring-loaded check valve is used, then the valve structure is simple, but the flow forces act on the valve body in the closing direction reducing the effective flow cross section

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve structure complexityVSAvoideffective flow cross section
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSArea of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The valve piston is divided into an actuating part and a control part, with the control part featuring a third control surface that adjoins a valve seat. This segmentation allows separate control of opening/closing actions and flow guidance, enabling the valve to maintain simplicity while increasing the effective flow cross section through optimized flow paths and reduced flow forces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A fluid channel connects the third fluid space (delimited by the first control surface) to the second fluid space, serving as an intermediary that equalizes pressures and reduces flow forces. This fluid channel acts as a mediator that prevents high flow forces from reducing the effective flow cross section, while maintaining the overall simplicity of the valve structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the valve opens to feed fluid from tank to hydraulic consumer, then cavitation is avoided, but high pressure drop occurs leading to reduced volume flow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecavitation preventionVSAvoidvolume flow
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

A fluid channel connects the third fluid space (delimited by the first control surface) to the second fluid space, serving as an intermediary that equalizes pressures and reduces flow forces. This fluid channel acts as a mediator that prevents high flow forces from reducing the effective flow cross section, while maintaining the overall simplicity of the valve structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The valve piston is divided into an actuating part and a control part, with the control part featuring a third control surface that adjoins a valve seat. This segmentation allows separate control of opening/closing actions and flow guidance, enabling the valve to maintain reliability while reducing pressure differences through optimized flow paths and reduced flow forces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Area of moving object

If a valve piston with fluid channel is used, then the effective flow cross section increases, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeffective flow cross sectionVSAvoidvalve device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The valve piston is divided into an actuating part and a control part, with the control part featuring a third control surface that adjoins a valve seat. This segmentation allows separate control of opening/closing actions and flow guidance, enabling the valve to maintain simplicity while increasing the effective flow cross section through optimized flow paths and reduced flow forces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control part of the valve piston serves multiple functions: it guides the fluid flow through the third fluid space, acts as a seal against the valve seat, and controls the opening/closing action. This multi-functionality increases the effective flow cross section while minimizing the increase in device complexity by combining multiple functions into a single integrated component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

This design enhances the flow cross section and reduces pressure drop, preventing cavitation and ensuring a continuous, gentle fluid supply to hydraulic consumers by leveraging the Venturi effect to increase the opening stroke of the valve piston, thus improving the efficiency and reliability of the valve device.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing the Bernoulli and Venturi effects to increase the effective flow cross section and reduce pressure drop

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVenturi effect: Venturi Effect

Implementation Method 2

utilizing the Bernoulli and Venturi effects to increase the effective flow cross section and reduce pressure drop

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBernoulli effect: Bernoulli Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3149370B1Valve device, in particular a non-return-type valve device, and method for operating such a valve device
Publication Date: 2018.03.21 HYDAC TECH GMBH
  • EP3149370B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3149370B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3149370B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a valve device, in particular a non-return-type valve device, comprising a valve piston (16) which is guided in a valve housing (18) in a longitudinally movable manner and which fluidically connects a first fluid chamber (26) to a second fluid chamber (28) starting from a closed position into at least one of the open positions of the valve piston. The invention is characterized in that a third fluid chamber (30) is provided which is partly delimited by a first control surface (32) of the valve piston (16) and which is permanently fluidically connected to the second fluid chamber (28) via a fluid channel (34) and is separated from the first fluid chamber (26) in the closed position of the valve piston (16). The fluid pressure in the second fluid chamber (28) is applied to a second valve piston (16) control surface (36) which acts opposite the first control surface (32) when pressure is applied.