Inlet-Outlet Valve Pressure Testing for Leak-Free Opening Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a method to test whether an inlet-outlet normally open valve opens when the pressure of supplied liquid gas increases above the gas opening pressure, ensuring the valve remains closed without leaks at lower pressures and opens correctly at higher pressures.
Innovation Solution
A testing method involving a test chamber with a valve unit that includes a piston chamber, sealing rings, and a test gas system to apply pressure and check for leaks, using control oil and test gas pressures to simulate operational conditions and verify the valve's opening and closing functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control oil pressure is increased to ensure valve closing, then sealing integrity improves, but the complexity of pressure control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The testing system incorporates feedback mechanisms to monitor gas pressure and control oil pressure, automatically adjusting parameters to maintain optimal testing conditions. This feedback control simplifies the operation by eliminating the need for manual coordination of multiple pressure parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve unit is designed to automatically respond to pressure changes during testing, self-regulating its position based on the applied test gas pressure and control oil pressure. This self-service capability reduces the complexity of external control systems by leveraging the inherent characteristics of the valve mechanism.
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
Effectively determines if the inlet-outlet valve opens correctly at increased gas pressure and remains closed without leaks at lower pressures, ensuring proper operation and sealing integrity.
Implementation Method 1
supplying a test gas at a first closure gas pressure to the valve inlet opening via the test gas outlet of the test unit, said first closure gas pressure being below a first gas opening pressure
Implementation Method 2
supplying control oil at a first control oil pressure to the valve unit, said first control oil pressure being high enough for the valve unit to close the inlet-outlet valve
Implementation Method 3
increasing the test gas supply pressure from the first closure gas pressure until the pressure reaches the first gas opening pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of testing an inlet-outlet valve being part of a valve unit (1), such as an inlet-outlet normally open valve unit for opening or closing for a fluid, such as liquid gas, is provided. The inlet-outlet valve can be brought into a closed position, which closes for a fluid passage, by supply of a pressurized control oil, and from the closed position the inlet-outlet valve can be brought into an open position, allowing a fluid passage, when the pressure of a supplied fluid exceeds a gas opening pressure for a given control oil pressure. For testing purpose, the supplied fluid is a test gas, such as Nitrogen. A method is provided for verifying that the inlet -outlet valve, when brought in the closed position by supply of pressurized control oil, stays closed without leaks when the pressure of the supplied test gas is below a gas opening pressure corresponding to the pressure of the supplied control oil. The test gas may be supplied at a pressure being not lower than 90% or 95% of the gas opening pressure corresponding to the pressure of the supplied control oil. The inlet-outlet valve may be provided with an outer valve body seal (14, 15, 16) and an inner valve piston seal (17, 18), and the method may further comprise verifying that the outer valve body seal and the piston seal are tight, when the inlet -outlet valve is in the normally open position without supply of pressurized control oil. A method is also provided for verifying that the inlet-outlet valve, when being in the closed position by supply of pressurized control oil, opens when the pressure of the supplied test gas exceeds the gas opening pressure corresponding to the pressure of the supplied control oil. There is also provided a test unit (33) for testing an inlet-outlet valve, such as an inlet-outlet normally open valve.