GB2586598A

GB2586598A - Dynamic control valve

Info

Publication number: GB2586598A
Application number: GB1912231.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Hudson Raymond
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-08-26
Filing date: 2019-08-26
Publication date: 2021-03-03
Also published as: GB201912231D0

Abstract

A butterfly valve disc wherein the circumference 4 of the disk is outwardly extendable to seal and lock the valve in a closed position. The circumference of the disc is extended via a reverse iris valve seal mechanism within the disc, whereby gear mechanisms 5a,6a,7a,8a extend outwards when hub 18 rotates anticlockwise, until hub arms reach stop extrusions 13d,14d,15d,16d, wherein the outer circumference engages with the inner surface of the valve housing forming a tight seal. The hub may be automatically rotated when a material within an actuator (fig 5) expands due to temperature changes or alternatively by electromotive means. Preferably the disc has a safeguard wherein the disc is moved to the correct closed position via a spring mechanism when a release material (37, fig 6) turns to liquid at a set temperature, overriding any other means of controlling the valves position, or upon the detection of alternative thresholds e.g. smoke, humidity and pressure. A further increase in temperature causes a secondary actuator (fig 5) to rotate the hub 18 and extend the iris mechanism sealing the valve disc to the valve housing. The secondary actuator preferably contains a material that expands with a temperature increase.

Description

DYNAMIC CONTROL VALVE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a composite butterfly valve and in particular to automatically close and then alter its shape to ensure the transient fluid is sealed in normal and extreme conditions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Butterfly valves are well known and used in many applications, conventionally butterfly valve disks have been formed from a fiat planar disk member having two sides in a planar relationship, one with respect to the other, and being generally symmetrical about a transverse plane through the butterfly valve disk, In normal usage, shaft means are secured within bore means extending diametrically through the valve disk for permitting mounting of a valve disk located within the confines of a valve housing.

Achieving effective seals with this type of valve in challenging conditions require edge surface contact or arrangements that are inclined to interfere with the flow properties of the transient fluid material.

As a result current butterfly valve arrangements require a significant connecting surface interference to achieve an effective seal against the transient fluid material, this requirement makes the valve design bulky with the need for external mounted powerful drives, this is particularly required subjected to extreme conditions such as high temperature, pressure, density, flow and turbulence.

Existing techniques of self operating butterfly valves may use spring closures, they are also known to use a thermal fuse that melts, the integrity of closing and the closed position being then reliant upon the strength of the spring to keep the valve sealed.

Therefore there is a need to overcome the shortcomings of butterfly valves that need powerful mechanisms to keep them closed, with the recumbent housing material required to withstand the power of these requirements, it is also preferable to avoid spring systems in thermal situations as springs effectiveness is known to fail at higher temperatures, the closure is also limited to the strength of the extended spring that would avail leakage when attempting to retain the closed position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention therefore provides an improved butterfly valve disk that is dynamic in its form reducing flow resistance when open and creating a seal in normal and demanding conditions. The object of this invention is to provide automatic mechanical means to close the valve disk and then sequentially a secondary automatic mechanical means to extend and engage the sealing surfaces of the valve disk when closed. In the case where required a final dead bolt action occur's when fully closed.

The interactive Dynamic process of this valve provides for the circumference surface edge to seal when in the closed position.

In the current embodiment a reverse iris disk mechanism extends to complete the seal of the valve within the circumference of the tube structure

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in detail by reference exemplary embodiments and by reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic of a butterfly valve Open & Closed Figure 2 shows the reverse iris expansion mechanism of the valve disk Figure 3 shows the valve disk arrangement when fully extended in the closed position Figure 4 Shows the expanded circumference of the valve disk when closed Figure 5 shows the actuator mechanism activation arrangement Figure 6 shows the valve disk closure mechanism

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows a simple layout of a butterfly valve system, with the valve housing seen in item 1, this valve housing being preferably of the same dimensions of the connected systems that is carrying the transient fluids being passed through the valve. 2 shows the valve in the horizontal position that has minimal impact resistance upon the passing fluids. 3 shows the axis point in the closed position.

Figure 2 shows the valves disk inner mechanism of the reverse iris valve seal in its retracted position, during activation the hub 18 rotates anti clockwise around the central pivot 19, the gear mechanisms 5a, 6a, 7a & 8a are angular shaped so that the anticlockwise rotation of the hub arms will cause the gear mechanisms to push outwards, the direction of travel of this expansion movement being guided by slots 41e, 42em 43e & 44e. Full extension is reached when the hub arms reach the stop extrusions of the gear mechanism 13d,14d, 15d. & 16d, at this point the outer circumference 4 will have engaged, seating hard against the inner surface of the circular valve housing, the valve disk gear iris arrangement now matching the shape of the whole of the inner surface of the valve, thereby forming a tight seal. Indentations are allowed for at locations 11c & 12c on the gearing mechanism, these align with pivot points 9b & 10b, these directly correspond to the central axis pivot that supports and locates a shaft, radially and axially, relative to valve housing 1.

Figure 3 shows the inner mechanism of the iris disk valve seal in its extended position, At this position the transverse pin 23 link's to the actuator plunger shaft 31 whose located is on the flip side of the assembly as seen in Figure 5.

Figure 4 shows the fully extended iris disk valve 28 beyond the retracted position 29 within valve surface plate 27. The final shape in this embodiment is a circle mating and matching the inner surface of the valve housing 1.

Figure 5 shows the actuator mechanism 30, in this embodiment the actuator contains a plunger shaft 31 that is propelled forward by a material that expands with temperature, thus when a temperature increase occurs the plunder shaft 31 extends and applies force to the transverse pin 23, the travel and direction of this force guided by slot 32. The resulting action of this directional force is the moving of the hub 18 that extends the iris shutter.

Figure 6 Shows the safeguard valve disk closure system, this will propel the angle of the disk in the valve to the correct closed position, the power of the spring mechanism sufficient to override mechanical linkages to any other means of controlling the valve disk position.

In this embodiment the spring arm 35 is fixed to the disk facia of the butterfly valve 34 with the coiled and sprung charge arm 44 fixed within the release material 37, the release material being fixed to the facia 34, the release material 37 Changes its physical state with temperature from solid to liquids releasing the spring 44, when this change of state occurs. When the spring arm 44 releases from the material 37, the arm locates with transverse pin 38. The transverse pin 38 is fixed to and projects from the valve housing in a manner that will always connect with the Sprung charge-arm 44. The position of this arm 44 in relation to the pin 38 is located to ensure the valve disk 34 is pushed back and held in the fully closed position, a location stop position bar 33 is placed on the housing 1 that stops the travel of the valve disk 34, to ensure it does not extend beyond the final closed position.

The valve disk closure may occur automatically via powered linkage mechanism, however whether or not this linkage is in place the valve in this embodiment will work in the following manner; When the temperature increases to trigger release material,37 "that is when this material turns to a liquid", the spring mechanism 44 closes the valve, a further increase in temperature then triggers the activation of the plunger valve 30 that consequentially expands the iris of the valve disk, the iris disk now being in the shut position with the circumference of the iris valve hard against the inside circumference of valve housing 1. At this final closed position the iris will not contract as any downward pressure from the Iris circumference engagement back to the hub is channeled so as not to cause reverse slippage on the hub. This position is therefore locked.

The temperature level required to extend the Iris disk mechanism to the sealed and engaged position, is set higher than the sprung valve disk closure mechanism to ensure the valve disk is placed in the shut position prior to Iris disk expansion and engagement.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A valve disk that adapts its circumference then locks in the valve's closed position 2. A valve disk that adapts its parameter then locks in the valve's closed position 3. A valve disk device according to claim 1 and 2 that provides a tangential force between the disk edges against the inner surface of the valve body 4. A valve disk device according to claim 3 where the force is transmitted through an iris structure 5. A valve disk device according to claim 1 and 2 where the adaptive force changes the circumference or its parameter, that this adaptive force is derived from an object that changes its volume or shape with temperature, or pressure 6. A valve disk device according to claim 1 and 2 where the adaptive force will change the circumference or its parameter, that this adaptive force is derived from any electromotive device.7. A valve disk device according to claim 1 and 2 where the adaptive force will change the circumference or its parameter, that this adaptive force is derived from any other source.8. A valve disk that adapts its parameter then locks in the valve's at any position 9. A valve disk device according to claim 1 and 2 that is initiated at a set temperature threshold 10. A valve disk device according to claim 1 and 2 that has a valve disk closure actuator that has a set temperature threshold 11. A valve disk device according to claim 9 that has a set temperature threshold higher than that set at claim 10 12. A valve disk device according to claim 11 that has the set temperatures set sequentially given sufficient time for the valve disk closure at claim 10 to occur before temperature threshold at claim 9 occurs.13. A valve disk device where mechanical interlock ensures disc closure first then expansion as claim 1 and 2 14. A valve disk device according to claim 1 and 2 where a mechanical linkage to a an electromotive device controls the disks open to closed position 15. A valve disk device according to claim 14 where the valve open to closed position is determined by thresholds of sensed thresholds, temperature, smoke, humidity, pressure.16. A valve disk device according to claim 14, of any threshold level of sensed material or substance.17. A valve disk device according to claim 14, that can be remotely controlled by any processor, App and management controlling system 18. A valve disk device according to claim 17, that can be remotely controlled through any internet cloud based system.19. A valve disk device according to claim 1 and 2 that forms a composite form of any ventilation device or system.20. A valve disk device according to claim 13, with sensing system set to any physical or chemical parameters to enact the opening or closing of the disk valve system.