Vortex Chamber Flow Damper With Jet Straightening for Stable Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flow dampers for pressure-accumulation and water-injection apparatuses in nuclear installations face challenges in maintaining a required water injection flow rate due to manufacturing errors or imbalanced jet pressures, leading to increased outflow resistance and reduced flow rates, especially when the structure becomes complex and large to accommodate pressure equalizing passages.
Innovation Solution
A flow damper design featuring a cylindrical vortex chamber with straightening plates arranged between the outlet and the peripheral edge, which straightens impinging jets from both the small and large flow-rate pipes to maintain a consistent flow rate, even when jets are imbalanced, while minimizing the overall size of the damper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pressure equalizing passage is provided outside the cylindrical vortex chamber to offset pressure differences, then the water-injection flow rate is maintained, but the structure becomes complicated and the size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure equalizing function is merged with the vortex chamber structure by placing the pressure equalizing passage inside the vortex chamber rather than outside. This integration eliminates the need for separate external passages and reduces overall structural complexity while maintaining the flow rate stabilization function.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure equalizing passage is nested within the vortex chamber volume. The passage is positioned concentrically inside the vortex chamber, utilizing the internal space of the existing structure to achieve pressure equalization without adding external components or increasing the overall footprint.
2Reliability
If a pressure equalizing passage is provided outside the cylindrical vortex chamber to offset pressure differences, then the water-injection flow rate is maintained, but the size of the flow damper becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure equalizing passage is nested within the vortex chamber volume. The passage is positioned concentrically inside the vortex chamber, utilizing the internal space of the existing structure to achieve pressure equalization without adding external components or increasing the overall footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure equalizing function is merged with the vortex chamber structure by placing the pressure equalizing passage inside the vortex chamber rather than outside. This integration eliminates the need for separate external passages and reduces overall structural complexity while maintaining the flow rate stabilization function.
3Productivity
If jets from the small flow-rate pipe and large flow-rate pipe impinge on each other in the vortex chamber, then the outflow resistance becomes low and water-injection flow rate increases, but manufacturing errors or disturbances cause jet imbalance leading to swirling flow and increased outflow resistance
Solution Approach 1:
A flow straightening plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the impinging jets and the outlet. This plate mediates the interaction by straightening the combined flow, preventing the formation of harmful swirling patterns while maintaining the low outflow resistance condition, thus ensuring stable and reliable water-injection flow rate.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the inlet height of the small flow-rate pipe is lower than that of the large flow-rate pipe, then switching between large and small flow rates is achieved, but manufacturing errors cause jet pressure imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
A flow straightening plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the impinging jets and the outlet. This plate mediates the interaction by straightening the combined flow, preventing the formation of harmful swirling patterns while maintaining the low outflow resistance condition, thus ensuring stable and reliable water-injection flow rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The design accepts that manufacturing errors will cause variations in jet parameters (pressure, flow rate) and uses the flow straightening plate to compensate for these variations. The plate's geometry is designed to work effectively across a range of jet conditions, making the system robust to manufacturing tolerances.
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 straightening plates ensure a required water injection flow rate is maintained at both large and small flow rates, preventing degradation and reducing the size of the flow damper, allowing it to be effectively integrated into limited spaces within the tank.
Implementation Method 1
jets from the small flow-rate pipe and from the large flow-rate pipe impinge on each other in the vortex chamber
Implementation Method 2
water flows into the cylindrical vortex chamber only from the small flow-rate pipe, to form a swirling flow that flows along an inner periphery of the vortex chamber
Implementation Method 3
a straightening plate that is arranged in a part between the outlet and the peripheral edge of the vortex chamber, and when jets flow into the vortex chamber from the first inlet pipe and the second inlet pipe, straightens impinging jets from the first inlet pipe and from the second inlet pipe having flowed into the vortex chamber toward the outlet
Implementation Method 4
a cylindrical vortex chamber, a small flow-rate pipe connected to a peripheral edge of the vortex chamber along a tangential direction thereof
Data Source
AI summary
To include a cylindrical vortex chamber 35, a small flow-rate pipe 37 connected to a peripheral plate 35C of the vortex chamber 35 along a tangential direction thereof, a large flow-rate pipe 36 connected to the peripheral plate 35C with a predetermined angle with respect to the small flow-rate pipe 37, an outlet pipe connected to an outlet 39 formed in a central part of the vortex chamber 35, and a straightening plate 50 that is arranged in a part between the outlet 39 and the peripheral plate 35C of the vortex chamber 35, and when jets flow into the vortex chamber 35 from the small flow-rate pipe 37 and the large flow-rate pipe 36, straightens impinging jets from the small flow-rate pipe 37 and from the large flow-rate pipe 36 having flowed into the vortex chamber 35 toward the outlet 39.