Welded Ball Valve Shoe Structure for Flow Noise Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ball valves in industrial systems experience noise issues due to high fluid flow rates causing vibration, which existing countermeasures often fail to adequately address, leading to excessive noise levels.
Innovation Solution
A shoe component with specific geometry is integrated into ball valves to throttle fluid flow, reducing vibrations and noise by securing better than conventional fasteners and using welds, and featuring a stepped profile to accommodate existing structures and control pressure drops effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fasteners (e.g., bolts) are used to secure the shoe component, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential loosening during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe component is secured to the valve body through welding, merging the two components into a single integrated structure. This eliminates the need for separate fasteners and ensures permanent attachment that cannot loosen during operation, directly resolving the reliability issue while accepting increased manufacturing complexity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If additional parts (trim) are incorporated to attenuate flow, then the noise suppression is improved, but the device complexity increases and the loss of energy increases due to pressure drop
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe component introduces localized flow restriction at specific positions within the valve, creating controlled turbulence zones that dissipate acoustic energy without requiring extensive trim throughout the entire flow path. This targeted approach reduces noise effectively while minimizing overall pressure loss compared to comprehensive trim solutions.
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 suppresses noise by reducing errant flow and securing the shoe component, achieving noise attenuation of up to 25 dBa or more, while preventing loosening during operation.
Implementation Method 1
The shoe may have geometry that is useful to reduce errant flow that can cause vibrations, which is also a root cause of the noise
Implementation Method 2
Welds around the periphery of the shoe avoid potential loosening of the shoe that may occur in operation in the field
Data Source
AI summary
A component for a ball valve that is configured to reduce noise. The component or “shoe” can install into the valve body, for example, on a downstream side of a throttling ball. In one implementation, the embodiments comprise an annular ring with an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface is cupped to receive a portion of the throttling ball. The outer surface may have a stepped profile with portions of the annular ring that have concentrically-decreasing diameter. This stepped profile sits in a corresponding recess in the valve body. Welds can be used to secure the shoe in place in lieu of fasteners, like bolts or screws.