Volume flow regulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing volume flow controllers face challenges in precisely regulating and limiting volume flow, especially at small volume flow rates, due to unbalanced pressure forces and torques, which affect their installation position and controllability.
Innovation Solution
The design features a damper leaf with a T-shape configuration, where the front part is narrower and the rear part is wider, creating a greater lever arm for closing torque, and includes blocking bodies to enhance flow control and hygiene by encapsulating mechanical components, allowing for precise adjustment of volume flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the front and rear damper leaf parts have the same shape and surface area, then the torques cancel each other out at 90° angle, but the medium deflection causes greater flow speed at the rear part leading to pressure drop and closing torque
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by making the front damper leaf part narrower than the rear part in the direction parallel to the pivot axis. This creates an unbalanced pressure force distribution where the closing torque becomes more significant at low volume flows, enabling precise regulation. The asymmetric geometry ensures that even when both parts have the same surface area, the pressure forces generate the desired torque characteristic for sensitive control at small flow rates.
2Force
If the pivot axis runs eccentrically to create unbalanced pressure forces for higher closing torque, then closing torque increases, but the damper leaf becomes unbalanced and cannot be installed in any position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetry in the width of the front and rear damper leaf parts rather than eccentric pivot axis placement. This asymmetric design generates the required unbalanced closing torque while keeping the pivot axis centrally positioned, thereby maintaining static balance and enabling installation in any position. The asymmetric width distribution creates the necessary torque characteristics without compromising installation versatility.
3Ease of operation
If the front damper leaf part is made narrower than the rear part, then a greater closing torque acts on the damper blade at low volume flow, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a relatively simple asymmetric geometry where the front damper leaf part is narrower than the rear part. This design achieves precise volume flow adjustment capability through the unbalanced pressure forces generated by the asymmetric shape, without requiring complex mechanisms or additional components. The simplicity of the geometric modification makes the design practical while achieving the desired control precision.
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 configuration enables sensitive response to low volume flows with low pressure losses, allowing for precise regulation and improved controllability of volume flow rates, and ensures the volume flow controller can be installed in any position due to static balance.
Implementation Method 1
Due to the inclined position of the damper leaf at smaller angles of attack, however, the medium is deflected to one side, so that with increasing cross-sectional narrowing, the rear part of the damper leaf is flown at with a greater flow speed than the front part of the damper leaf. Due to Bernoulli's law, this leads to a pressure drop in the flow pattern over the damper leaf
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The controller has a flap blade (14) pivotably arranged in a flow channel (12) and held on a pivot axis (22) running transverse to a flow direction through the flow channel. The flap blade is divided into a front flap blade part (14a) and a rear flap blade part (14b) by the pivot axis such that the front blade part has larger length than the rear flap part in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis. The front flap part has smaller breadth than the rear flap part in the direction parallel to the pivot axis, where the channel has a circular or rectangular cross-section.