Crankcase Explosion Relief Valve Using Porous Metal

摘要

A crankcase explosion relief valve with an external flame trap made from compressed and sintered porous metal powder. Should an explosion take place, the valve plate will lift, allowing the flame front and exhaust gasses to enter the device. The exhaust gasses exit the valve though a circular flame trap made of porous metal. The circular flame trap is of a ribbon shape as to increase the amount of permeable area on the component. Due to the narrow interconnected porosity, flames will not be able to propagate past the porous material, while the exhaust gasses are able to freely pass through. In another embodiment, the porous material component is in the form of a plurality of cups.

主权项

1. A crankcase explosion relief valve comprising:
a carrier for attachment to a crankcase, having an outer perimeter, a lower surface for attachment to a crankcase, an upper surface and a central valve inlet passing through the carrier for passage of gasses from an aperture in the crankcase into the valve; a cap having an outer perimeter, an upper surface and a lower surface; a perforated metal screen having a height extending from the outer perimeter of the upper surface of the carrier to the outer perimeter of the lower surface of the cap; a valve seal around the central valve inlet of the carrier; a valve plate, biased by a compressed spring against the valve seal, closing the central valve inlet of the carrier; and a porous metal ribbon flame arrester fitted between the upper surface of the carrier and the lower surface of the cap, radially inside the perforated metal screen.