Simulation on the Characteristics of Pneumatic Booster Valve with Energy Recovery

In this study, we proposed a new booster valve with energy recovery (BVER) for improving the energy-efficiency. The principle of the BVER was introduced first by comparing with the traditional boost valve. We established the mathematics model of BVER which included the tank pressure response, and then Matlab/Simulink software was used for modeling and simulation. Last, air power was introduced to assess the energy-efficiency of booster valves, and the energy efficiency of booster valve was verified by experiment. The study shows that the boost ratio of BVER increases 15-25 % and the energy-efficiency increases 5-10 % according to different supply pressure. The BVER has biggest boost ratio when the recovery chamber and boost chamber diameter ratio is 1.3-1.5, and the pressure fluctuation is small than 1 % when tank volume is larger than 10 L. This study proves that BVER has better performance for its high boost ratio, stable pressure output and high energy efficiency, it provides a good reference for booster valve's design and energy saving.