Valve Seat Leak Flow Path for Pump Restart
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pumps and compressors used in vacuum operations, such as negative pressure wound therapy, face challenges with pressure buildup when stopped, leading to difficulty in restarting due to high pressure on valve sides, which can cause inefficiencies and potential stalling.
Innovation Solution
A valve assembly with a valve seat and a leak flow path, comprising channels and lands, is designed to allow fluid leakage when the valve is closed, reducing pressure buildup and enabling easier restarts by preventing the valve from conforming to the valve face, thus allowing vacuum release and reducing motor torque requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the valve is designed to seal tightly against the valve face, then sealing performance is improved, but pressure builds up inside the pump when stopped, causing difficulty in restarting
Solution Approach 1:
The valve seat is segmented into multiple functional zones: a sealing zone with the valve face for tight sealing, and a leak flow path zone with channels and lands that allow controlled fluid leakage. This segmentation enables the valve to provide both tight sealing during operation and pressure relief during shutdown, resolving the contradiction between sealing performance and restart capability.
2Weight of moving object
If the valve is made thinner to reduce weight, then manufacturing cost and weight are reduced, but the valve may conform to the valve face, compromising sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The raised lands act as intermediary structures between the valve and the valve face. These lands prevent the valve from conforming to the valve face by providing a mechanical barrier, while still allowing the valve to maintain its thin design. The lands ensure proper sealing geometry is maintained even with thinner valve construction, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and sealing reliability.
3Productivity
If the pump operates at high vacuum levels, then pumping efficiency is improved, but pressure buildup during shutdown increases, causing motor stalling
Solution Approach 1:
The leak flow paths are pre-configured in the valve seat structure to automatically activate when pressure differential exceeds a certain threshold. During shutdown after high vacuum operation, the accumulated pressure automatically opens these pre-designed leak paths, allowing vacuum release without requiring additional motor torque. This preliminary design resolves the contradiction between pumping efficiency and motor power requirements during restart.
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
The solution effectively reduces pressure buildup inside the pump, allowing for smoother restarts, wider operating speed ranges, and enabling the use of thinner, low-durometer valves, while minimizing efficiency losses during normal operation.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid pathway from an interior of the valve seat to an exterior of the valve seat that serves as a leak flow path for fluid when the valve is in the closed position to reduce pressure build up on the valve
Data Source
AI summary
Valve assembly for a pump, the valve assembly including: a valve seat having a valve face (60), a flexible valve having a sealing portion for abutting the valve face (60), and at least a fluid pathway (66, 68, 70) from an interior of the valve seat to an exterior of the valve seat that serves as a leak flow path for fluid when the valve is in the closed position to reduce pressure build up on the valve. In this way, the vacuum inside the pump can be released when the value is in the closed position and the pump is stopped, thereby allowing the pump to start/restart due to reduced pressure build up on a side of the valve abutting the valve face. A pump or compressor including such a valve assembly is also disclosed.