Valve cage for a control valve
A valve cage ( 100 ) for a control valve ( 10 ) incorporates a plurality of throttle channels ( 104 ) which extend from an inner contour of the valve cage ( 100 ) to its outer contour and penetrate the valve cage ( 100 ), each throttle channel ( 104 ) having an inlet opening ( 106 ) on the inner contour side and an outlet opening ( 110 ) on the outer contour side when viewed in the flow direction (S). When viewed in the circumferential direction (u), the valve cage ( 100 ) has a plurality of arcuate outer contour portions ( 112 ) which are each separated from one another via a step ( 114 ) acting as a tear-off edge, and the throttle channels ( 104 ) are arranged so that they extend such that the outlet openings ( 110 ) of the throttle channels ( 104 ) on the outer contour side are arranged in the step ( 114 ) between two outer contour portions ( 112 ).
1. A valve cage for a control valve, comprising a plurality of throttle channels which extend from an inner contour of the valve cage to its outer contour and penetrate the valve cage, each throttle channel of the plurality of throttle channels having an inlet opening on an inner contour side and an outlet opening on an outer contour side, when viewed in a flow direction(S), wherein, when viewed in a circumferential direction (u), the valve cage has a plurality of arcuate outer contour portions which are each separated from one another via a step acting as a tear-off edge in relation to a respective lateral surface of the plurality of arcuate outer contour portions aligned in a radial direction, and in that the plurality of throttle channels are arranged to extend such that the outlet openings of the plurality of throttle channels on the outer contour side are arranged in the step between two outer contour portions.
2. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein starting from their inlet openings on the inner contour side to the outlet openings on the outer contour side—the plurality of throttle channels are designed to have a curved course.
3. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein channel portions of the plurality of throttle channels are circular in cross-section.
4. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein channel portions of the plurality of throttle channels are designed to continuously increase in cross-section starting from the inlet openings to the outlet openings.
5. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein channel portions of the plurality of throttle channels are designed to be essentially of the same length.
6. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein a substantially hollow-cylindrical basic shape with an outer contour which is at least substantially circular when viewed along an axial direction (a), at least one of the outlet openings of the throttle channels and the steps acting in each case as a tear-off edge being arranged substantially on the outer contour of the valve cage when viewed along the axial direction (a).
7. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein at least one additional throttle channel is formed to be essentially symmetrically with respect to an axis of symmetry of the valve cage and arranged at a distance from the steps and the plurality of throttle channels, wherein the at least one additional throttle channel extends from an inner side of the valve cage to an outer side of the valve cage formed in a downstream direction (AB), wherein the at least one additional throttle channel is provided to generate a flow directed in the downstream direction (AB).
8. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein the valve cage is manufactured using a casting process.
9. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein the valve cage is made of a metallic material.
10. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of throttle channels are each bent in an outflow direction (AB), with the valve cage having at least one outflow edge arranged on an outer side of the valve cage, which outflow edge is formed in the outflow direction (AB), which, viewed along a circumferential direction, delimits at least one of the outer contour portions and is arranged at a distance from the steps, the outflow edge preferably being provided to cause a flow guided along a respective outer contour portion of the plurality of arcuate outer contour portions to tear off in the downstream direction (AB).
11. A valve cage according to claim 10 , wherein two outflow edges are arranged on the outer contour side of the valve cage, which is formed in the outflow direction (AB), which outflow edges each delimit one of the plurality of outer contour portions when viewed along the circumferential direction (u) and together delimit, in particular on two opposite sides, an outer surface of the valve cage, which is formed angled away from the plurality of outer contour portions via the two outflow edges.
12. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein the valve cage is produced in layers by an additive manufacturing process.
13. A valve cage according to claim 12 , wherein the additive manufacturing process is a laser sintering process or a laser melting process.
14. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of outlet openings arranged in series in an axial direction are arranged in the step between two outer contour portions.
15. A valve cage according to claim 14 , wherein the outlet openings arranged in a row are each aligned tangentially adjacent to an adjoining arcuate outer contour portion when viewed in the flow direction.
16. A valve cage according to claim 14 , wherein a slot extending in the axial direction (a) is formed in the step, with the outlet openings arranged in series opening into this slot which is aligned tangentially adjacent to an adjoining arcuate outer contour portion when viewed in the flow direction (S).
17. A valve cage according to claim 1 , wherein, when viewed in the circumferential direction (u), the valve cage has an even number (n) of steps and arcuate outer contour portions.
18. A valve cage according to claim 17 , wherein the following applies for the number (n) of steps and arcuate outer contour portions:
6
≤
number
(
n
)
≤
40.
19. A valve cage according to claim 17 , wherein the n arcuate outer contour portions and the n steps are arranged to be axially symmetric to an axis of symmetry (AS) aligned perpendicular to a direction of extension of the valve cage.
20. A control valve, comprising a valve housing with a valve inlet and a valve outlet, a valve cage disposed between the valve inlet and valve outlet, and a valve element which is displaceably mounted in the valve housing and interacts with the valve cage, wherein the valve cage includes a plurality of throttle channels which extend from an inner contour of the valve cage to its outer contour and penetrate the valve cage, each throttle channel of the plurality of throttle channels having an inlet opening on an inner contour side and an outlet opening on an outer contour side, when viewed in a flow direction(S), wherein, when viewed in a circumferential direction (u), the valve cage has a plurality of arcuate outer contour portions which are each separated from one another via a step acting as a tear-off edge in relation to a respective lateral surface of the plurality of outer contour portions aligned in a radial direction, and in that the plurality of throttle channels are arranged to extend such that the outlet openings of the plurality of throttle channels on the outer contour side are arranged in the step between two outer contour portions.