Optimal design of metal seated ball valve mechanism

Abstract

A seat is a device mounted in a valve. When a ball valve is in the closed position, the seat seals the ball valve. The seat is usually made from plastic or rubber, so it can be damaged by high pressure or high temperature environments. The objective of this study is to design a new metal seat mechanism for the ball valve. To design a new metal seat, there are four steps to the engineering design process: planning and clarifying the task; conceptual design; embodiment design; detailed design. Some useful tools from the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) technique and the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) method are used in this design process. The design optimization is completed by the ANSYS package. The novel design of the metal-seated ball valve provides low torque, low wear and long life.