This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project applies a novel approach to the design of pneumatic solenoid valves to significantly reduce manufacturing energy consumption. In the United States, over 70% of all manufacturing facilities employ compressed air systems with low efficiency, wasting hundreds of millions of dollars. This project proposes to develop a novel plug-and-play solenoid valve design that recycles compressed air via cross-flow from one cylinder chamber to the other, thereby reducing compressed air consumption of the pneumatics by 20-25%. Successful commercialization requires the development of a mechanical and electronic control system technology to prove that this approach applies broadly across applications. This project will focus on designing an internal electronic control system and mechanical housing to realize a plug-and-play replacement. This is a critical requirement in order to allow the replacement of existing valves with no upgrades or changes to hardware or software. The project will deliver an energy-saving valve technology that is reliable, cost-competitive and which can serve a significant portion of the multi-billion dollar worldwide solenoid valve market.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project targets a worldwide pneumatics market of $8.5 billion, driven by the continued growth in manufacturing around the world. The United States represents 16% (or $1.4 billion) of this total, with over 70% of all manufacturing facilities employing pneumatics to process, build, and/or package products. These pneumatic systems consume approximately 1% of the electricity used in the United States. The energy-saving valve is designed as a plug-and-play replacement for existing pneumatic solenoid valves with the benefit of using 20% less compressed air. This reduction can save manufacturers significant energy cost each year with the potential for $400-500 million in annual savings. Domestic manufacturers account for 11.5 million jobs, and economic and business leaders recognize the critical need for change in this sector to stay competitive. According to the 2011 Next Generation Manufacturing Study, sustainability was identified as an important component to manufacturers' strategy to stay competitive. The proposed energy saving valve technology can help U.S. manufacturers achieve their sustainability goals to help keep them competitive.
In the United States, over 70% of all manufacturing facilities employ compressed air systems that utilize pneumatic solenoid valves to control air flow to various actuator devices. Movement of an actuator device (e.g. an air cylinder) can be achieved by allowing high-pressure air to flow through a solenoid valve to first one side of the actuator, and then, when opposing movement is desired, the solenoid valve switches position and allows high-pressure air to flow instead to the other side of the actuator device. These pneumatic systems are regarded as highly inefficient. One primary reason for the inefficiency of these systems is the fact that each time the solenoid valve switches internal positions such that the downstream actuator may move, the high-pressure air located downstream between the valve and the actuator is vented to atmosphere and lost, while more high-pressure air then flows through the valve to the other downstream side after the valve switches position. This SBIR Phase I & IB project has applied a novel approach to the design of two- and three-position pneumatic solenoid valves. The new approach reduces compressed air consumption in devices controlled by these valves by 20-25%. The savings is achieved by a redesign to the valve body that allows downstream compressed air (between the valve and the actuator) to be ‘recycled’ via cross-flow from one output port of the valve to the other. Rather than venting the downstream high-pressure air to atmosphere each time the valve switches, the AeroValve design dwells briefly in a third (center) position during the valve switching process, which allows the two output ports of the valve to be in exclusive fluid communication with each other. Effectively, this dwell process captures a segment of the downstream air from the high-pressure chamber downstream between the valve and the actuator device, and utilizes it to pre-charge the opposite, low-pressure downstream chamber. This cross-flow occurs automatically during the valve’s switching process. It should be noted that while three-position valves do exist in the marketplace, these valves do not allow for exclusive fluid communication between the two output ports in the center position, and therefore the existing three-position valves do not provide any energy savings in this regard. Successful commercialization requires that this novel approach apply broadly across existing valve designs and typical applications. Prototypes that have been developed during this research phase were created by modifying an existing Festo-brand ISO VSVA valve. The prototypes are electrically and mechanically plug-and-play with the original Festo valve. Specifically, the prototype requires no wiring, mechanical, or programming changes by the end-user. The worldwide pneumatics market is $8.5 billion dollars, and is driven by the continued growth in manufacturing around the world. The United States boasts 16% or $1.4 billion of this total with over 70% of all manufacturing facilities employing pneumatics to process, build and/or package products. These pneumatic systems consume approximately 1% of the 3,962 TWh of electricity used in the United States. A 20% reduction in compressed air can save U.S. manufacturers significant energy costs each year, with a national potential for $400M - $500M in total savings annually. The research to date has shown that the AeroValve valve design will deliver an energy saving valve technology that is reliable, cost competitive, and can replace approximately 60% of the multi-billion dollar worldwide solenoid valve market.
