Water Addition Plug Valve Segmentation for Storage Battery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water addition plugs for storage batteries often experience early closing due to high water supply pressure, vibrations, and turbulence, leading to incomplete electrolyte level restoration and structural challenges in integrating multiple functions like specific gravity measurement and electrolyte level indicators.
Innovation Solution
A water addition plug design featuring two independent valves with a lag between their closure times, where the first valve closes the first drain port and the second valve, with a spherical element, prevents early closing by allowing the first valve to return and ensuring the second valve only closes after the first, utilizing a partition plate to reduce turbulence impact and forming water pools for enhanced leak prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single valve mechanism is used to close the water addition port, then the structure is simple, but early closing occurs due to high water supply pressure pushing the valve against the port
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single valve mechanism into two separate valves (first valve and second valve) with independent control. The first valve responds to float position while the second valve responds to water pressure, allowing each valve to handle different aspects of water addition control and preventing early closing caused by pressure alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The first valve closes the first drain port before the second valve closes the second drain port. This preliminary action of the first valve based on float position prepares the system to handle subsequent pressure changes without causing early closing, as the second valve acts as a backup that only closes when truly necessary.
2Reliability
If the valve is pushed against the water addition port by water pressure to maintain closed state, then sealing is improved, but the valve becomes difficult to return to open position
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the sealing function into two valves, the first valve handles the primary sealing when float rises, while the second valve provides backup sealing under pressure. This segmentation allows the first valve to be designed for easy returnability while the second valve handles the high-pressure sealing requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The second valve acts as an intermediary that only activates when the first valve cannot maintain sealing under high pressure. This mediator approach allows the system to maintain good sealing without requiring the first valve to withstand excessive pressure that would prevent its return.
3Reliability
If upper and lower drain ports are provided with two valve elements on the same shaft, then early closing is reduced, but the structure becomes complex and difficult to integrate with other functions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the valve control into two independent valve elements (first and second) with separate control mechanisms rather than coupling them on the same shaft. This allows each valve to be controlled independently by its own sensing mechanism, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining the benefit of multiple drainage paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The water addition plug integrates multiple functions including water addition, specific gravity measurement, and electrolyte level indication into a single device. The simplified valve structure with independent drain ports makes it easier to accommodate these additional functions without the complexity of interconnected valve mechanisms.
4Reliability
If disc-shaped elastic plate is used for drain port, then sealing is improved, but the drain port size cannot be increased and layout flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By providing separate first and second drain ports instead of using a single disc-shaped elastic plate, the patent allows each drain port to be optimized independently. This segmentation enables larger overall drainage area while maintaining sealing reliability through multiple smaller ports that can be strategically positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-plane disc-shaped seal to a three-dimensional arrangement with multiple drain ports at different locations and orientations. This dimensional change provides layout flexibility to integrate other functions like specific gravity measurement and electrolyte level indication around the drain ports.
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 design effectively suppresses early closing, ensuring accurate restoration of the electrolyte level and simplifying the structure by allowing the first valve to return and maintaining the open state, while the second valve reliably stops water addition, reducing leakage and allowing for easier integration of additional features.
Implementation Method 1
a float that moves up and down following an electrolyte level in the container
Implementation Method 2
a spherical second valve element that closes the second drain port from above
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a water addition plug for a storage battery, which is for carrying out water addition into a container of the storage battery. The water addition plug comprising a water addition plug main body having a water supply port through which the water is supplied, a water addition port through which the supplied water is discharged into the container, and a valve chest disposed between the water supply port and the water addition port and provided with a first valve and a second valve and a float that moves up and down following an electrolyte level in the container. The first valve comprises a first drain port, which is open to the valve chest and communicates with the water addition port, and a first valve element for closing the first drain port in synchronization with a vertical movement of the float. The second valve comprises a second drain port, which is open to the valve chest and communicates with the water addition port, and a second valve element for closing the second drain port.