US 6,439,540 B1 · Butterfly valve noise suppressor

Abstract

A butterfly valve noise suppressor is provided for reducing the noise generated by a gas flow passing through an open butterfly valve having a disc pivotally mounted in a valve housing for rotation about a transverse axis between an open and a closed position thereof. The noise suppressor includes a plurality of flat and perforated baffle plates arranged in a cruciform configuration, mounted in a flow path immediately downstream of the pivotal disc, axially extending and thereby dividing the downstream flow path into four axial and quadrant cross-sectional segments. The gas flow passing the edge of the pivotal disc in the valve generates a flow turbulence to form an unsteady large wake downstream of the valve. This unsteady wake is the source of noise. The cruciform baffle plates permit the gas flow to pass therethrough without obstruction thereto, while allowing the turbulence to communicate laterally through the perforation, thereby dissipating the wake unsteadiness to reduce noise. The butterfly valve noise suppressor according to the present invention provides a better acoustic result compared to a muffler used in a conventional butterfly valve, and is lighter, durable, simpler and more economical to manufacture.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A butterfly valve comprising:

a) a valve housing defining a flow path;
b) a closing member pivotally mounted in the valve housing for rotation about a axis between an open position for allowing the passage of a gas flow through the valve housing and a closed position for blocking the gas flow through the valve housing, the axis extending transversely and centrally across the closing member so that the closing member has a section to pivot in a generally downstream direction when the closing member moves from the closed toward the open position;
and
c) means for attenuating noise mounted to the valve housing immediately downstream of the closing member but without interfering with the section of the closing member pivoting downstream, the means including a duct defining a downstream flow path of the butterfly valve, and at least one perforated plate mounted in the duct, extending axially to divide a section of the duct into at least two axial segments.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Butterfly valve noise suppressor

Life of this patent

Butterfly valve noise suppressor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12