Valve Shutter with Deformable Secondary Portion for Water Hammer Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve designs often suffer from the 'water hammer' phenomenon, which causes pressure shockwaves due to abrupt fluid flow interruptions, leading to potential valve or conduit explosions, and are difficult to implement in small applications due to bulkiness and high costs, as well as mechanical instability issues.
Innovation Solution
A valve shutter with a main non-deformable portion and a secondary deformable, resilient portion that gradually varies fluid passage by deforming under hydrodynamic pressure, creating a transitional filling/emptying inner chamber to dampen pressure surges and prevent sudden section changes, featuring a deformable membrane and strategically placed recesses and structures to manage fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a monolithic prismatic shutter is used, then the valve structure is simple and strong, but it causes abrupt fluid flow interruption leading to water hammer phenomenon
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is divided into a main portion made of non-deformable material for structural strength and a secondary portion made of deformable resilient material at the fluid-facing surface to enable gradual flow transition. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between needing overall strength and avoiding water hammer.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter combines non-deformable material (for structural integrity) with deformable resilient material (for gradual flow closure). This composite structure allows the shutter to maintain strength while the deformable portion progressively reduces fluid passage, eliminating abrupt flow interruption and water hammer phenomenon.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If needle valves with frustum-conical shaped shutter are used, then water hammer phenomenon is reduced, but the valve becomes bulky and expensive for small applications
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire shutter conical (which increases volume), only the secondary portion facing the fluid is made deformable. This localized deformability achieves gradual flow transition without requiring the bulky frustum-conical geometry of needle valves, making the solution suitable for small applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary portion is made of a deformable resilient material that acts as a flexible element, allowing gradual flow closure through elastic deformation. This flexible approach achieves needle valve-like water hammer reduction without the bulky conical structure, providing a compact solution for small applications.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If needle valves with frustum-conical shaped shutter are used, then water hammer phenomenon is reduced, but mechanical stability deteriorates due to buckling caused by fluid flow
Solution Approach 1:
The main portion is made of non-deformable material providing structural rigidity and resistance to buckling, while only the secondary portion facing the fluid is made deformable. This local differentiation maintains mechanical stability against fluid-induced buckling while achieving gradual flow transition to reduce water hammer.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combines rigid non-deformable material (providing buckling resistance) with deformable resilient material (enabling gradual flow closure). This material combination resolves the contradiction between needing mechanical stability and reducing water hammer, as the rigid main portion prevents buckling while the deformable secondary portion achieves progressive flow reduction.
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 eliminates the water hammer phenomenon by providing a gradual transition between open and closed configurations, ensuring a durable and cost-effective valve with controlled fluid flow, reducing mechanical instability and production costs.
Implementation Method 1
deform progressively in the transition between the open configuration and the closed configuration, and vice versa, as a function of the hydrodynamic pressure of the fluid
Implementation Method 2
made of a deformable and resilient material as to be able to deform progressively
Implementation Method 3
the secondary portion allows, in the transition between the open configuration and the closed configuration or vice versa, to increase the transition of time causing a gradual opening or closing of the valve
Data Source
AI summary
Valve shutter (1) comprising a main portion (2) made of a non-deformable material and a secondary portion (3) made of a deformable and resilient material as to be able to deform progressively in the transition between the open configuration and the closed configuration of a valve (100), and vice versa. The secondary portion (3) includes at least an inner chamber (6) enclosed between the main portion (2) and the secondary portion (3), having at least a through hole (7) suitable for putting the inner chamber (6) in fluid communication with a chamber (102) of a valve body (101) of the valve (100). The inner chamber (6) is configured to be progressively filled, at least partially, by a fluid during the transition between the closed configuration and the open configuration, and to be progressively emptied during the transition between the open configuration and the closed configuration.