JPS59103089A - Valve making use of shape memory alloy - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a driving part of a plug compact, by providing a coil made of a shape memory alloy and an inlet and outlet to be frequented by a thermal medium are provided on a cover case into which a plug stem is inserted. CONSTITUTION:Normally a plug stem 5 is pulled up by elastic force in a contracting direction of a coil 11 made of a shape memory alloy of one way memory type, a fluid A is streamed through a gap between a plug 3 and a seat ring 2, which is made into a flow B. When heat such as hot water is made to flow into the inside of a cover case 12 through an inlet 13 and a temperature of the inside of the cover case 6 is made more than a responsive temperature of the shape memory alloy, the plug stem 5 is pushed downward by restoring the coil 11 to an extended state, and the gap between the plug 3 and the seat ring 2 is closed. When an inflow of the heat into the cover case 12 is suspended and a temperature is lowered, the gap is regained between the plug 2 and the seat ring 3. In addition to the above, the coil 11 may be manufactured of the shape memory alloy of two-way memory type.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a valve that attempts to control fluid flowing through a pipe body by utilizing the restoring action caused by temperature changes in a shape memory alloy to open and close the valve.

A valve is something that is connected in the middle of a pipe or at the end of a pipe to control the fluid passing through the pipe, and is also generally called a valve.

The valve body includes globe valves, sanderne valves, butterfly valves, etc., but these are all opened and closed manually or by applying air pressure, electricity, etc. from the outside, and this is gradually becoming automated. I've been following it.

Therefore, the mechanism becomes complicated, and the device for driving the opening and closing of the valve is larger than the valve body.For example, a diaphragm type or an electric type.

Electromagnetic methods have been developed, and these methods now account for most of the cost.

Therefore, the present invention aims to reduce the fluctuation or drive thrust of the valve plug in a type of valve called a conventional globe valve.
The feature is that it utilizes the shape-recovery effect of the shape-memory alloy due to temperature changes.The gap between the plug and the seat ring inside the body is opened and closed using the temperature change to the shape-memory alloy as a command signal. This is an attempt to achieve control, and to simplify the drive unit, make it more reliable, and lower the cost compared to conventional methods.

The main configuration will be explained below using an example shown in the figure.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a shape memory alloy valve using a coiled shape memory alloy according to the present invention.

Although FIG. 1 shows a single-seat valve as an example, it may be a two-seat valve.

The body 1 is in the form of a so-called globe valve made of cast iron, bronze or plastic, and inside.

It encloses the seat ring 2 and plug 3, and the fluid flow path is formed in a substantially S-shape.

And the plug stem 5 extends from the plug 3.

While the inside of the throat 4 is supported by the guide push-piece 6 and the seal 7, the inside of the cover case 8 (
In the cover case chamber 12, between the ten coil sheets 10 fixed to the upper surface of the cover case 8 and the lower coil sheet 9, one or more coils are inserted. Shape memory alloy 11 of the shape is placed,
It is connected to the upper end of the plug stem 5.

The shape memory alloy 11 at this time has unidirectional memory (restores its original shape when the temperature exceeds a preset temperature).However, in this case, it is combined with an elastic material such as a coil by by any method. For example, an arbitrary number of coil springs and coiled shape memory alloys may be installed in parallel between the coil sheets 9 and 10. Or.

Top and bottom halves of coil spring and shape memory alloy.

A method of connecting them together may also be used. ) or two-way memory (returning to different shapes of the leek on the preset low temperature side and high temperature side, i.e., the elongated state and the contracted state). good.

The cover case 8 has a medium such as a thin iron plate or plastic that causes a temperature change as a command signal to the cover case interior 12.

For example, an inlet 13 and an outlet 14 are provided for the inflow and outflow of electricity, hot water, gas, etc.

The operation of the shape memory alloy valve having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is as follows.

It is assumed that the fluid flows within the body 1 as fluid B rather than fluid A.

First, a case will be described in which a shape memory alloy with unidirectional memory is used.

Normally, due to the elastic force in the contraction direction of the combined fill spring, the coiled shape memory alloy 11 is also contracted, and the plug stem 5 is pulled up, and the plug 3 and seat ring 2 The gap between them is open, and fluid A flows as fluid B through the gap.

When heat such as hot water, which serves as a medium for command signals, flows into the cover case chamber 12, if the temperature changes beyond the preset response temperature for restoration of the shape memory alloy 11, the shape changes. The memory alloy restores its pre-memorized shape (i.e., by elongating, it acts as a thrust force, pushing the plug stem 5 downward and pushing its tip (
This plug 3 results in closing the gap with the seat ring 2.

Then, it will control the flow of fluid A.

If the flow of hot water or the like stops or its temperature decreases, the temperature inside the cover case interior 12 will also decrease, and the restoring force of the shape memory alloy 11 will be lost.

Due to the action of elastic force in the direction of contraction of the coil by.

The upward convergence occurs, and the gap between the seat ring 2 and the plug 3 is opened again.

In this way, the shape memory alloy with unidirectional memory will elongate in the direction of elongation using the temperature change inside the cover case as a command signal. The coil-by, which is used in combination, shares the direction of contraction due to elastic force, and uses its vertical thrust.

The purpose is to open and close the gap between the plug and the seat ring to control fluid flow.

A specific example is 1. For example, shape memory alloy 11 has 5
If we use a memory device that has been stored to restore the response of the expanded state Q at a temperature of 0°C, and assume that the elastic force of the coil spring placed in parallel with it acts in the contraction direction G, then now the cover case interior 12 is Assuming it is at room temperature around 20℃, the plug 3 will close due to the contraction force of the coil.
has been pulled up by ζ, and the gap between it and the seat ring 2 is open, so it passes through that gap,
Fluid A flows as fluid B in an approximately S-shape.

Cover case indoor 12 (hot water etc. flows into it,
When the temperature reaches 0°C or higher, the shape memory alloy 11 responds to this, its restoring force overcomes the contractile force of the coil, and restores it to its elongated state.

Therefore, the plug 3 connected thereto is pushed downward, the gap between it and the note ring 2 is closed, and the fluid A is controlled.

Next (the flow of hot water, etc. stops, or its temperature rises to 5
If the temperature drops below 0°C, the temperature inside the cover case chamber 12 will also drop, and the restoring force of the shape memory alloy 11 will be lost. 11 is convergent.

As a result, the plug 3 is pulled up from the seat ring 2 and the gap is re-established.

If this is a shape memory alloy with two-way memory, it is possible to memorize both the shape that moves up and down, i.e., the contracted shape and the expanded shape, between the low temperature side and the high temperature side. It is clear that the opening and closing operations between the seat ring 2 and the plug 3 are performed in the same way based on the temperature change in the case interior 12.

Also, if reverse operation is required depending on the usage or purpose. The reverse operation of the valve, that is, the operation in which the gap between the seat ring 2 and the plug 3 opens when the temperature in the cover case chamber 12 is low and closes when the temperature is high, is due to the direction of the restoring action of the shape memory alloy;
This can be done more easily by changing the combination with the characteristics of the coil spring.

In this way, in the present invention, the temperature change is given as a command signal to the coiled shape memory alloy (3).Thus, as mentioned above, the restoring force acts as a thrust, Since it is characterized by opening and closing the valve,
The scope of application of this concept is not limited to globe valves, but can also be used as thrust to open and close valves such as diaphragm valves, butterfly valves, camflex valves, etc. I can do it.

An example of using this shape memory alloy valve is when the temperature of the supply from the heat source is greatly fluctuating, such as when using a factory waste heat cylinder rlJ, and the supplied heat fluid, etc. is transferred from a thin tube etc. to the cover case indoor 12+. Short-circuit this and send it in (from here,
It is possible to classify and extract only the thermal fluid at a temperature of generation temperature (which can be independently controlled by opening and closing the valve, which is equal to or higher than the set temperature).

Also, to prevent freezing of solar heat collectors (if this is used).

Create a binoculars circuit for draining water from the heat collector Q and install a shape memory alloy valve there.

Set the operation of the shape memory alloy so that when the outside temperature is 7F17, the valve is closed, and as the temperature approaches zero, the gap between the J nog 2 and the plug 3 opens. It is conceivable that the water can be drained by hand through the bypass circuit.

In this way, the present invention uses a shape-memory alloy to create a compact drive unit for opening and closing the valve.
This is a shape memory alloy valve that can guarantee simple and reliable operation using a /ll1t degree change as a command signal.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

In FIG. 1, the cross section of a valve using a shape memory alloy is 1. Patent applicant Takashi Yasukawa - 8 Minkusunoki i0 r'&% 14- @ 2-'111 Tomoe λI)
Tosho Ruled School Shame O Most t + ggg ÷ 2, Post 91"S r> Bonshu ring 4-Kai t・l Lips Tani Rimsha (1) 3, Suppression [L12. Φ, Seiri pasting tree a = 843 days and 7 days shi, Fusho 000, volume 1, 11, 1, 1, 1, 1, li 4).

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) The body of the shape memory alloy valve contains a seat ring and a plug, and the plug stem that extends from the plug is inserted into the upper cover case, where one or more coiled shape memory It is connected to the alloy of (2) Cover case Q: Insert the cover case into the room. An outlet is provided for the inflow and outflow of the medium that causes the temperature change as a command signal. (3) A valve using a shape memory alloy, characterized in that the valve is opened and closed using the restoring force of the shape of the coiled shape memory alloy as a thrust when a temperature change inside the cover case chamber is used as a command signal.