Valve Safety Drive Circuit Using Capacitive Return Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional safety circuits for returning flaps or valves to a safety position in heating/venting air conditioning and fire protection systems face issues with increased mechanical wear and reduced spring tension over time, and existing solutions like capacitive energy storage systems suffer from unreliable emergency operation and heat production.
Innovation Solution
A safety drive with a controllable power assembly that charges or discharges a capacitive energy store, using a DC/DC converter capable of both step-down and step-up modes, and a microcontroller to manage energy flux, eliminating the need for separate switching regulators and reducing wear and heat production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a return spring is used to return the flap or valve to safety position during power failure, then the return action occurs virtually immediately, but the spring loses its tension over time and causes increased mechanical wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical return spring system with an electrical energy storage system consisting of a capacitor and switching regulator. The capacitor stores electrical energy during normal operation and releases it during power failure to drive the motor back to safety position, eliminating mechanical wear and tension degradation while maintaining fast return action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy storage parameter from mechanical spring potential energy to electrical capacitor energy. This allows the system to maintain consistent energy availability over time without degradation, as electrical capacitors do not suffer from the same tension loss and wear issues as mechanical springs.
2Reliability
If a capacitive energy store with separate switching regulators is used for charging and discharging, then the spring system is replaced, but the circuit complexity increases and heat is produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single switching regulator that performs dual functions: charging the capacitor during normal operation and discharging it during power failure. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate charging and discharging circuits, reducing component count and circuit complexity while maintaining reliable emergency operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the charging and discharging functions into a single switching regulator circuit. By combining these functions, the system reduces the number of active components, minimizes circuit complexity, and lowers overall heat generation while ensuring reliable operation in both normal and emergency modes.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple power supply units and voltage regulators are used to maintain constant voltage during emergency operation, then voltage stability is improved, but the device complexity and energy loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The switching regulator is designed to operate in multiple modes: voltage regulation during normal operation and voltage boosting during power failure. This single multi-functional unit replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate power supply units and voltage regulators, reducing complexity while maintaining voltage stability throughout all operating conditions.
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 solution simplifies energy management, reduces wear, and provides reliable emergency operation by using a single switching regulator for both charging and discharging, ensuring efficient and stable return of flaps or valves to a safety position without the need for springs.
Implementation Method 1
safety circuit (12) having a capacitive energy store (20)
Implementation Method 2
DC/DC converter capable of both step-down and step-up modes
Data Source
AI summary
A safety drive unit (1) with a safety circuit (12) that resets a flap or a valve into a specified safety position for controlling a gas or liquid volumetric flow, in particular in the field of heating, ventilation, and monitoring systems. The safety drive unit (1) comprises an actuator (14) with a controllable electric motor (28), a capacitive energy storage unit (20), and energy converter (22) with a power module, and a power supply (18). During normal operation, the electric current in the power module of the energy converter (22) is converted to a lower voltage and stored in the capacitive energy storage unit. If the voltage drops below a predetermined value or if there is a power failure, the stored electrical charge is converted back to a higher voltage by the same power module, and the electric motor (28) is activated until the specified safety position is reached.