Magnetically Damped Check Valve

NASA's Magnetically Damped Check Valve invention is a damping technology for eliminating chatter in passive valves. Because valve failure in space missions can cause catastrophic failure, NASA sought to create a more reliable check valve damper. The new damper includes the attachment of a magnet to the poppet in a check valve to provide stabilizing forces that optimize flow and pressure conditions. Test results have proven that the Magnetically Damped Check Valve offers substantial benefits. The Magnetically Damped Check Valve works over a wide range of flow dynamics and eliminated chatter under all flow conditions tested, allowing valves to operate under various flow rates and pressures without a risk of degradation or total destruction from chatter. This technology could provide a more simple and cost-effective solution for valve manufacturers and system designers than solutions currently available in the market. Applications for the new valve include use in aerospace or industrial processes. NASA's damping technology was originally designed for check valves, but could also benefit pressure regulators, relief valves, shuttle valves, bellows sealed valves or other passive valves. Innovators at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have developed a Magnetically Damped Check Valve for eliminating chatter in passive valve systems. At low flow rates, passive valves often chatter (i.e., slightly open and shut at some frequency). Check valves, for example, are designed for full-flow conditions but oftentimes experience much lower flow levels. Over time, this chatter mechanism can degrade if not destroy a valve and/or the overall system. Valve experts have employed other damping solutions over time to minimize chatter, but such attempts would only work under certain flow conditions. NASA's Magnetically Damped Check Valve eliminated chatter under all flow conditions tested. The invention is applicable to check valves, but could also benefit other systems using passive valves.