HIGH-PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Abstract

A high-pressure switching valve includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes a plurality of ports where each port is connected at one end to a port connection and having at another end a predetermined port opening cross section at a stator end face of the stator. The rotor includes a rotor end face and at least one or a plurality of grooves. The rotor can be configured to have a rotary position with respect to the stator where two predetermined port opening cross sections connect to one of the grooves in a pressure-tight manner. The rotor and the stator can be pressed together in a sealing manner at the rotor end face and the stator end face in regions away from the port opening cross sections and the at least one or a plurality of grooves. The rotor and the stator each include a hard material. The rotor can be configured to wobble or tilt with respect to a rotational axis of the rotor.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A high-pressure switching valve for high-performance liquid chromatography, the high-pressure switching valve comprising: (a) a stator including a plurality of ports, wherein each port is connected at one end to a port connection and each port having at another end a predetermined port opening cross section at a stator end face of the stator, (b) a rotor including a rotor end face, in which the rotor end face presses against the stator end face and in which the rotor end face includes at least one or a plurality of grooves, the rotor configured to have a rotary position with respect to the stator where two predetermined port opening cross sections connect to one of the grooves in a pressure-tight manner, (c) wherein the rotor and the stator are pressed together in a sealing manner in a region of contact at the rotor end face and the stator end face, (d) the rotor and the stator each comprise a hard material, and (e) in that the rotor is configured to wobble or tilt with respect to a rotational axis of the rotor, in which the stator end face includes a planar region in the region of contact with the rotor end face, and the rotor end face includes a domed region in the region of contact with the stator end face, or the rotor end face includes a planar region in the region of contact with the stator end face, and the stator end face includes a domed region in the region of contact with the rotor end face, or the rotor end face includes a domed region in the region of contact with the stator end face and the stator end face includes a domed region in the region of contact with the rotor end face, in which a peripheral region of the region of contact has a reduced surface pressure when applying pressure between the rotor and the stator compared to another high-pressure switching valve that does not have at least one domed region of a stator end face or a rotor end face.

13. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which each port is a duct.

14. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which the hard material is selected from the group consisting of a metal, a glass, and a ceramic.

15. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which a portion of the rotor at a region of the rotor end face is the hard material and a portion of the stator at a region of the stator end face is the hard material.

16. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12 further comprising: at least one cushion-like element coupled to the rotor that causes the rotor to wobble or tilt with respect to the rotational axis of the rotor.

17. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the cushion-like element is sufficiently soft and elastic to allow a wobbling movement and is also sufficiently rigid to generate the pressure force necessary for the sealing manner at the rotor end face and the stator end face.

18. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the cushion-like element is a material selected from the group consisting of a polymer material, a polyimide, a polyamideimide, and a polyether ketone.

19. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the cushion-like element comprises PEEK.

20. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the at least one cushion-like element is disposed in a recessed portion of a rotationally driven part of a drive for the rotor, the rotationally driven part being arranged on a side remote from the rotor end face.

21. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the cushion-like element comprises a spring element.

22. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 20, in which the rotationally driven part is coupled to the rotor for conjoint rotation.

23. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 20, in which the rotationally driven part includes a plurality of engagement elements configured to engage in corresponding recesses in the rotor and couple the rotor to the drive.

24. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 23, in which the engagement elements and the recesses are configured to allow wobbling movements or tilting movements of the rotor.

25. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 23, in which the engagement elements comprise pins and the recesses comprise holes

26. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 25, in which the recesses have a smaller diameter in a foot region of the corresponding engagement element than in a head region of the corresponding engagement element axially adjoining the foot region.

27. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which the stator comprises: a metal body that forms the port connections and a glass or ceramic insert part that forms the stator end face.

28. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 27, in which the stator further comprises: a plastic layer at least partially disposed in between the metal body and the insert part.

29. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 28, in which the plastic layer is a material selected from the group consisting of a polyimide, a polyamideimide, and a polyether ketone.

30. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which the hard material of the rotor end face and the stator end face each comprise an amorphous carbon coating.

31. The high-pressure switching valve of claim 30, in which the amorphous carbon is applied by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The invention is explained in more detail in the following text with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective exploded illustration of a rotor and of a stator of a high-pressure switching valve according to the prior art;

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective of a rotor, interacting with a stator, of the high-pressure switching valve from FIG. 1;

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a high-pressure switching valve according to the invention;

[0040] FIG. 3A is an enlarged detail 3A of the high-pressure switching valve of FIG. 3;

[0041] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged illustration of the region of the rotationally conjoint connection between the rotor drive and the rotor from FIG. 3;

[0042] FIG. 5 shows a diagram for explaining the excessive increase in the surface pressure in the peripheral region of the contact face between the rotor and stator of the high-pressure switching valve from FIG. 3;

[0043] FIG. 6 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a high-pressure switching valve according to another embodiment of the invention;

[0044] FIG. 7 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a high-pressure switching valve according to yet another embodiment of the invention; and

[0045] FIG. 8 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a high-pressure switching valve according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0046] The high-pressure switching valve 100 illustrated schematically in FIG. 3 consists of a not fully illustrated housing 102 in which there is arranged an only partially illustrated drive 104 which drives a rotor 106 in rotation about the axis A. The drive may be for example an electric-motor-powered drive, in particular a stepping motor, which can be controlled into predetermined switching positions by a control unit (not illustrated in more detail). In this case, of course, not only the predetermined switching positions can be actuated but also the rotational speed or the time profile of the rotational speed.

[0047] The rotor 106 of the switching valve 100, in the rotor end face 110 of which one or a plurality of grooves 108 are provided, interacts with a stator 112 which has a stator end face 114 in which port opening cross sections 116 of a plurality of ports 118 formed in the stator 112 open in the manner described at the beginning. The in each case other ends of the ducts forming the ports 118 are connected to only partially illustrated port connections 118a which provide for example a screw connection for connecting high-pressure capillaries. These may accommodate for example a capillary (not illustrated) which extends into the front, narrowed region of the relevant port connection 118a and is pressed against the latter in a sealing manner, for example by means of a plug part that can be screwed into the region 118a.

[0048] The basic mode of operation of the high-pressure switching valve 100 illustrated in FIG. 3 corresponds to the principle illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and so reference can be made to the explanations given above in this regard.

[0049] The stator 112 of the high-pressure switching valve 100 illustrated in FIG. 3 can form a part of the housing 102 and be connected for example to a further housing part 120, for example screwed thereto. The housing part 120 may be formed in the manner of a pot such that all of the remaining components of the high-pressure switching valve 100 can be accommodated in the housing part 120, which is illustrated in FIG. 3 only with its upper peripheral region. In particular, the drive 104, which has a rotationally driven part 122, can be arranged in the housing part 120. As is illustrated in FIG. 3, the rotationally driven part 122 of the drive 104 is drivable about the axis A and guided with regard to this movement.

[0050] The upper part, facing the rotor 106, of the driven part 122 has a cylindrical shape and has, on its end face facing the rotor 106, a plurality of engagement elements 124 in the form of pins which extend parallel to the axis A. The engagement elements 124 engage in correspondingly formed holes 126 in the rotor 106 which, as illustrated in FIG. 3, can likewise have a cylindrical shape. The engagement elements 124 are arranged preferably along a concentric circle about the axis A. For example, three engagement elements 124 can be provided, which are arranged preferably along the concentric circle. The same applies, of course, to the holes 126 interacting with the engagement elements 124.

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the rotor 106 is pressed by way of its rotor end face 110 against the stator end face 114 of the stator 112. The surface pressure at the contact face of the rotor end face 110 and the stator end face 114 is so great that a sealing action is produced even when the liquid medium is supplied to the high-pressure switching valve 100 at high pressure. To this end, the rotor is acted upon in the axial direction by the part 122 of the drive 104 in the axial direction. To this end, the part 122 of the drive 104 is acted upon axially by a pressure unit 128. This may be a spring unit formed in an annular manner which, as illustrated in FIG. 3, acts upon an annular, rear end face of the part 122. The pressure unit 128 can be supported against the base (not illustrated) of the housing part 120 by way of the other end.

[0052] In the case of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the stator is configured in two parts. An outer part 112a consists preferably of metal, such that the port connections 118a for the ports 118 can be produced in a simple manner, for example by drilling.

[0053] An inner stator part 112b, which is accommodated in the outer stator part 112a and on which the stator end face 114 is also formed, can be produced from a hard material, in particular from ceramic. Of course, it is necessary to form the relevant parts of the ducts forming the ports 118 in this ceramic part, said ducts opening into the corresponding port opening cross sections in the stator end face 114.

[0054] The use of an inner stator part 112b consisting of hard material instead of a stator 112 consisting entirely of the hard material provides the advantage that the port connections can be produced in simpler manner.

[0055] Since the stator end face 114 consists of a hard material, such as ceramic, corresponding wear resistance and stability of the high-pressure switching valve 100 are achieved.

[0056] The inner stator part 112b can be pressed into a corresponding recess in the inner side of the outer stator part 112a. However, this is not absolutely necessary. Rather, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the inner stator part 112b can also have on its outer circumference a shoulder by way of which the inner stator part 112b rests on the annular end face of the housing part 120. Since the stator 112 is connected by way of its outer stator part 112a to the housing part 120, for example is screwed thereto, in the two-part configuration illustrated in FIG. 3, the inner stator part 112b is held securely between the outer stator part 112a and the end side of the housing part 120.

[0057] In addition, the inner stator part 112b is fixed securely in the housing by the application of a high-pressure force which is produced by the pressure unit 128 and is transmitted to the inner stator part 112b by the driven part 122 of the drive 104 and the rotor 106.

[0058] It would thus not be absolutely necessary for the stator part 112b to be supported on the housing part 120. Rather, the stator part 112b can also be securely fixed in its position just by the pressure force which is exerted via the rotor 106 onto the stator 112.

[0059] The ensuring of a sufficiently precise radial position of the stator part 112b or of the stator 112 is ensured by the recess in the outer stator part 112a, into which recess the inner stator part 112b can be inserted with a precise fit, and by the sufficiently exact radial positioning of the stator as a result of the connection to the housing part 120.

[0060] In order to achieve high wear resistance and stability, the rotor 106 of the high-pressure switching valve 100 is likewise produced from a hard material, preferably from ceramic. As a result, a rotor end face 110 and a stator end face 114, which each consist of hard material, interact with one another. Since such hard materials have only extremely low elasticity, which is not sufficient to compensate usual tolerances during the manufacturing and mounting of the high-pressure switching valve, in particular tilting of the rotational axis A of the rotor with respect to the normal to the stator end face 114, given a conventional construction of the high-pressure switching valve there would be a high risk that, at the high necessary surface pressure or the high pressure force which is exerted via the rotor 106 onto the stator 112, the stator end face 114 and/or the rotor end face 110 would be damaged, in particular during the rotary movement of the rotor 106.

[0061] For this reason, the underside, i.e. the end side, remote from the rotor end face 110, of the cylindrical rotor 106 is not acted upon directly by the end face of the rotationally driven part 122 of the drive 104, but via a cushion-like element 130. The cushion-like element 130 consists of a sufficiently soft and elastic material to allow a wobbling movement or tilting movement of the rotor 106 during its movement about the axis A. However, the material of the cushion-like element 130 is sufficiently rigid to transmit the pressure force necessary for the sealing action at the contact face between the rotor 106 and stator 112. The cushion-like element 130 is accommodated in an axial recess in the rotationally driven part 122 of the drive 104 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 and projects by way of its top side slightly beyond the upper end face of the part 122. The material and this protrusion of the cushion-like element 130 should be selected such that, even when the full pressure force is transmitted on to the rotor 106, the element 130 is not compressed to such an extent that the rotor 106 rests with its rear end side flat against the end face, facing it, of the part 122. This is because, in this case, the necessary wobbling movements of the rotor 106 would be blocked.

[0062] The material of the element 130 can be a sufficiently firm or hard and yet elastic plastics material, for example a polyether ketone. In particular, the part 130 can consist of PEEK. Of course, the coupling between the driven part 122 and the rotor 106 by means of the engagement elements 124 and the recesses or holes 126 interacting therewith also has to be configured such that the wobbling movements are enabled to a sufficient degree. To this end, the inside diameter of the holes 126 can be selected to be larger by a corresponding degree than the outside diameter of the engagement elements or pins 124. Such a clearance between the engagement elements 124 and the recesses 126 is acceptable also with regard to sufficiently exact angular positioning of the rotor 106.

[0063] As can be seen from the enlarged detail according to FIG. 4, sufficiently exact angular positioning about the axis A is achieved in that the recesses 126 in the lower region, that is to say in the foot region of the engagement element 124, have a smaller inside diameter than in the front region of the engagement element 124. The inside diameter of the recess 126 has to be selected in this region (relatively small axial height) such that the required accuracy of the angular positioning of the rotor about the axis A is achieved, but the ability to wobble about a desired angular range remains. This positioning accuracy has to be in an order of magnitude of about half of one degree. This is sufficient in order to ensure a secure connection between the ports 118 and the grooves 108 or complete isolation of the ports 118 from the grooves 108 in the predetermined switching positions of the high-pressure switching valve 100.

[0064] Of course, the desired wobbling movement of the stator 106 when hard materials are used for the rotor and stator can also be achieved by means of other constructions. For example, instead of a single axially arranged cushion-like element 130, a plurality of cushion-like elements arranged around the circumference of a coaxial circle in the end face of the part 122 may also be used. Instead of a cushion-like element made of plastics material, it is likewise possible to use other means that ensure corresponding movability of the rotor 106, for example spring elements made of metal (spiral springs, plate springs, solid-body joints etc.).

[0065] The construction, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, of a high-pressure switching valve 100 thus ensures, via the allowing of necessary wobbling movements of the rotor 106, that the rotor end face 110 rests in a planar manner against the stator end face 114 with a surface pressure which is as uniform as possible over the entire contact face in every angular position of the rotor 106 and also during its rotary movement.

[0066] In order to reduce the friction between the stator end face 114 and the rotor end face 110, the use of what is known as a DLC coating on one of the two surfaces or on both surfaces has been found to be advantageous.

[0067] Although such a coating on a hard surface of a stator is known in the prior art, in this case an element made of a synthetic resin is used as rotor. Since the interaction of different materials and coatings on surfaces made of particular materials frequently entails surprising effects for reducing friction and for creating surfaces which are as wear-resistant as possible, it was thoroughly surprising that such a DLC coating is advantageous both for the stator 112 and for the rotor 106 when hard materials, in particular ceramics, are used.

[0068] Such a DLC layer was applied using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). As a result, an extremely uniform coating with a constant thickness was produced. The application of such a DLC layer to a ceramic surface which is as planar as possible thus results in an extremely planar and smooth stator end face 114 or rotor end face 110.

[0069] A further improvement in the region of the contact face between the rotor 112 and the stator 106 can be achieved in that one of the two surfaces, in the construction according to FIG. 3 preferably the stator end face 114, is formed in a slightly domed manner. In particular, the stator end face 114 may be formed in a planar manner in the region of contact with the rotor end face 110 and the rotor end face 110 is formed in a slightly domed manner in the region of contact with the stator end face 114, or in that the rotor end face 110 may be formed in a planar manner in the region of contact with the stator end face 114 and the stator end face 114 is formed in a slightly domed manner in the region of contact with the rotor end face 110, or both the rotor end face 110 and the stator end face 114 may be formed in a slightly domed manner in the region of contact with the in each case other end face (see FIG. 3A). As a result, the effect of the excessive increase in the surface pressure in the outer peripheral region of the contact face can be reduced.

[0070] FIG. 5 shows a simulation for the surface pressure (the slight deviations for the curves “rotor edge” and “stator edge” result from numeric inaccuracies which are produced for example by the definition of the boundary conditions) without a domed configuration of the stator end face 114. As can be seen from FIG. 5, an extreme excessive increase in the surface pressure is produced in the peripheral region. Since the force for creating the surface pressure is determined as an integral over the profile of the surface pressure and the radius, it is clear from FIG. 5 that a quite considerable part of the axial pressure force “is lost” in the outer peripheral region and cannot contribute to producing a sufficient sealing action in the radially inner region of the contact face between the rotor end face 110 and stator end face 114, in which the port opening cross sections 116 and the grooves 108 are located.

[0071] A slightly domed formation (optionally with different radii) of the stator end face 114 can thus contribute firstly to reducing the necessary pressure force F between the rotor and stator (in order to ensure a sealing action) and secondly to avoiding extremely high surface pressures in the radial peripheral region, which may in this region result in increased wear or in destruction of the surfaces and possibly of the entire parts.

[0072] Thus, the invention creates a high-pressure switching valve which has improved wear resistance and stability on account of the use of hard and optionally also brittle materials for the rotor and stator in conjunction with the allowing of wobbling movements for the rotor. An additional coating on one or both of the end faces of the rotor and/or stator can have an additional advantageous effect in relation to the wear resistance and the frictional action between the two parts. A domed formation on one of the two end faces results in further reduced surface pressure in the radial peripheral region and thus likewise increases the wear resistance.

[0073] Of course, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3. In addition to the further possibilities already outlined above, reference is made to the fact that the stator can of course also be mounted such that it can carry out a wobbling movement. In this case, the rotor can be structurally formed in the usual manner.

[0074] In order to achieve appropriately flexible mounting of the stator, the embodiment according to FIG. 3 can be altered for example such that the stator 112 is not connected firmly to the housing part 120 but rather via elastic, for example again cushion-like elements provided between the underside of the outer stator part 112a and the annular end face of the housing part 120. Thus, the entire stator 112 can be tilted with respect to the housing part 120. Radial positioning and axial fastening of the stator 112 to the housing part 120 can then take place for example by means of a further connecting element. This can be configured for example as an annular nut which can be screwed to the part 120 and which acts by way of an upper shoulder upon the upper side of the stator 112 and presses the latter in the axial direction onto the housing part 120.

[0075] Furthermore, a thin layer or a separate thin element can also be provided between the inner stator part 112b and the outer stator part 112a, said thin layer or separate thin element being elastically or plastically deformable such that tolerances between said parts or irregularities on the surfaces thereof can be compensated. In addition, a sealing action at the transition between the ducts forming the ports 118 can be achieved here at the transition from the part 112b to the part 112a or vice versa.

[0076] The thickness of the layer or of the separate part and the elasticity thereof can also be selected such that, with the sealing action being maintained, the part 112b is mounted with wobbling action in the part 112a. In this case, however, the part 112b should not, as illustrated in FIG. 3, be supported on the housing part 120 but has to be accommodated in the part 112a in a movable manner (but in a manner fixed sufficiently precisely with regard to transverse movements in the plane of the contact face).

[0077] The rotor can be formed in a two-part form both in such an embodiment and in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein an inner part that forms the rotor end side and is made of hard material, such as glass or ceramic, is held in an outer part which accommodates this part and is made of softer material, for example plastics material. As a result, in the case of a more complicated geometry for the outer part, it is simpler and cheaper to produce the latter.

[0078] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a high-pressure switching valve having a more pronounced domed region on stator end face 114.

[0079] FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a high-pressure switching valve having a more pronounced domed region on rotor end face 110.

[0080] FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of a high-pressure switching valve having a more pronounced domed region on both stator end face 114 and rotor end face 110.