Regulating device

• US 10,215,291 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2017
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Super, Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): McCalister, William
• Application Number:
  US15/593,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20170248250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 137490, 137491, 137492, 1374925, 137498, 137501, 137503, 251 3003, 251 3004, 251 3005
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/04 using a motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/128 servo actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 7/12 with flat, dished, or bowl-shaped diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 1/005 using electrical or electromechanical means F23N1/04 - F23N1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2235/14 electromagnetically operated
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2235/16 variable flow or proportional valves
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2235/18 Groups of two or more valves
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2235/20 Membrane valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7765 Pilot valve within main valve head
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7766 Choked passage through main valve head
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/777 Spring biased
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7791 Pressures across flow line valve

Abstract

A regulating device may include a housing that defines an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, with a flow restriction seat between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber. A flow restriction valve is movable relative to the flow restriction seat to adjust the flow between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber of the regulating device. A servo valve having a servo chamber may be used to adjust the position of the flow restriction valve. The servo chamber may be fluidly coupled to the inlet chamber though a fixed flow restriction and to the outlet chamber though an adjustable flow restriction. A stepper motor may be used to adjust the servo valve to adjust the adjustable flow restriction between the servo chamber and the outlet chamber. This causes a change of the servo pressure, which moves the flow restriction valve and adjusts the flow of the regulating device.

Claims

1. A gas regulating device, comprising

a housing defining a gas inlet chamber having a gas inlet pressure and a gas outlet chamber having a gas outlet pressure, the housing further having a flow restriction seat that defines a flow path between the gas inlet chamber and the gas outlet chamber that extends along a flow axis;

a flow restriction valve movable relative to the flow restriction seat to adjust a flow between the gas inlet chamber and the gas outlet chamber in the flow path, wherein the flow restriction valve is movable along the flow axis of the flow path;

a servo valve including;

a valve body attached to a membrane, wherein the membrane defines at least part of the servo chamber in which the servo pressure is present and the membrane positioned between a first membrane support plate and a second membrane support plate;

a servo chamber in which a servo pressure is present, wherein the servo chamber is fluidly coupled to the gas inlet chamber through a fixed orifice and to the gas outlet chamber through an adjustable orifice; and

a stepper motor for adjusting the adjustable orifice between the servo chamber and the gas outlet chamber, which is configured to cause a change of the servo pressure present in the servo chamber, which is configured to move the flow restriction valve relative to the flow restriction seat along the flow axis to thereby adjust the flow between the gas inlet chamber and the gas outlet chamber of the housing,

wherein the fixed orifice is provided by an opening in the flow restriction valve, and the adjustable orifice is defined by the valve body of the servo valve and by the first membrane support plate.

2. The gas regulating device of claim 1, wherein:

when the stepper motor is driven in a first direction, the servo valve is moved in a first direction thereby decreasing or closing the adjustable orifice, thereby changing the servo pressure present in the servo chamber towards the gas inlet pressure present in the gas inlet chamber and thereby decreasing or alternatively increasing flow between the gas inlet chamber and the gas outlet chamber; and

when the stepper motor is driven in a second direction, the servo valve is moved in a second direction thereby increasing or opening the adjustable orifice, thereby changing the servo pressure present in the servo chamber towards the gas outlet pressure present in the gas outlet chamber and thereby increasing or alternatively decreasing flow between the gas inlet chamber and the gas outlet chamber.

3. The gas regulating device of claim 1, wherein:

the flow restriction valve is coupled to the first membrane support plate through a hollow valve stem; and

a servo flow channel provided by the hollow valve stem of the flow restriction valve, by the valve body of the servo valve and by the first membrane support plate, is coupled to the gas inlet chamber through the fixed orifice, to the gas outlet chamber through the adjustable orifice, and to the servo chamber.

4. The gas regulating device of claim 1, wherein the adjustable orifice comprises multiple flow channels, wherein the multiple flow channels are arranged in a circumferential pattern around an axis along which the flow restriction valve is axially movable.

5. A method for adjusting a position of a flow restriction valve in an axial direction between a gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber in order to adjust the flow of gas between the gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber, wherein the flow of gas impinges on the flow restriction valve and provides a force on the flow restriction valve in the axial direction, the method comprising:

using a stepper motor to adjust a position of a servo valve in a first direction, which decreases a size of an adjustable orifice between a servo chamber and the gas outlet chamber, wherein a fixed orifice is present between the servo chamber and the gas inlet chamber, wherein decreasing the size of the adjustable orifice changes a pressure in the servo chamber towards a gas inlet pressure in the gas inlet chamber and moves the flow restriction valve in a first axial direction thereby adjusting a flow of gas acting on the flow restriction valve in the axial direction between the gas inlet chamber and the gas outlet chamber, wherein the servo valve including a valve body attached to a membrane, wherein the membrane defines at least part of the servo chamber in which the servo pressure is present and the membrane positioned between a first membrane support plate and a second membrane support plate; and

using the stepper motor to adjust the position of the servo valve in a second direction, which increases the size of the adjustable orifice between the servo chamber and the gas outlet chamber, wherein increasing the size of the adjustable orifice changes the pressure in the servo chamber towards a gas outlet pressure in the gas outlet chamber and moves the flow restriction valve in a second axial direction thereby adjusting the flow of gas acting on the flow restriction valve in the axial direction between the gas inlet chamber and the gas outlet chamber,

wherein the fixed orifice is provided by an opening in the flow restriction valve, and the adjustable orifice is defined by the valve body of the servo valve and by the first membrane support plate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein decreasing the size of the adjustable orifice changes the pressure in the servo chamber towards the gas inlet pressure in the gas inlet chamber and decreases the flow of gas between the gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein increasing the size of the adjustable orifice changes the pressure in the servo chamber towards the gas outlet pressure in the gas outlet chamber and increases the flow of gas between the gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber.

8. A regulating device, comprising

a housing providing a first chamber in which a first pressure is present and a second chamber in which a second pressure is present, the housing further providing a flow restriction seat that defines a flow path between the first chamber and the second chamber that extends along a flow axis;

a flow restriction valve positioned in the housing, wherein the flow restriction valve comprises a valve body acting together with the flow restriction seat to adjust a flow from the first chamber into the second chamber, the flow restriction valve being movable along the flow axis of the flow path;

a servo valve positioned in the housing, wherein the servo valve comprises a valve body attached to a membrane, wherein the membrane defines at least part of a servo chamber in which a servo pressure is present, the membrane positioned between a first membrane support plate and a second membrane support plate, and wherein the servo chamber is connected to the first chamber though a fixed orifice, and the servo chamber is connected to the second chamber though an adjustable orifice; and

a stepper motor for moving the valve body of the servo valve, thereby adjusting the adjustable orifice, wherein the adjustment of the adjustable orifice causes a change of the servo pressure present in the servo chamber which is used to move the flow restriction valve to adjust the flow from the first chamber into the second chamber,

wherein the fixed orifice is provided by an opening in the flow restriction valve, and the adjustable orifice is defined by the valve body of the servo valve and by the first membrane support plate.

9. The regulating device of claim 8, wherein:

when the stepper motor is driven in a first direction, the valve body of the servo valve is moved in a first direction thereby decreasing or closing the adjustable orifice, thereby changing the servo pressure present in the servo chamber towards the first pressure present in the first chamber and thereby increasing or alternatively decreasing flow resistance over flow restriction valve and thereby decreasing or alternatively increasing flow over the flow restriction valve from the first chamber into the second chamber;

when the stepper motor is driven in a second direction, the valve body of the servo valve is moved in a second direction thereby increasing or opening the adjustable orifice, thereby changing the servo pressure present in the servo chamber towards the second pressure present in the second chamber and thereby decreasing or alternatively increasing flow resistance over flow restriction valve and thereby increasing or alternatively decreasing flow over the flow restriction valve from the first chamber into the second chamber.

10. The regulating device of claim 8, wherein:

the valve body of the flow restriction valve is coupled to the first membrane support plate through a hollow valve stem;

a servo flow channel provided by the hollow valve stem, by the valve body of the servo valve and by the first membrane support plate, is coupled to the first chamber though the fixed orifice, to the second chamber though the adjustable orifice, and to the servo chamber;

the fixed orifice is provided by an opening in the valve body of the flow restriction valve or by an opening in the hollow valve stem;

the adjustable orifice is defined by the valve body of the servo valve and by the first membrane support plate.

11. The regulating device of claim 10, wherein the servo chamber is connected to the servo flow channel between the fixed orifice and the adjustable orifice.

12. The regulating device of claim 10, wherein the valve body of the servo valve is moveable relative to the first membrane support plate by the stepper motor to thereby adjust the adjustable orifice.

13. The regulating device of claim 8, wherein the valve body of the servo valve is coupled to the stepper motor by a spindle, wherein the spindle converts a rotation of the stepper motor into a linear movement of the valve body of the servo valve.

14. The regulating device of claim 8, wherein the second pressure within the second chamber is measured by a sensor, and that the stepper motor is operated on basis on a pressure measured by the sensor in such a way that the second pressure within the second chamber is kept substantially constant.

15. The regulating device of claim 8, wherein the flow restriction valve and the servo valve are coaxially aligned.

16. The regulating device of claim 8, further comprising a safety shut-off valve positioned in the housing, wherein the safety shut-off valve comprises a valve body acting together with a valve seat provided by the housing, wherein a flow from the first chamber into the second chamber is prevented when the valve body of the safety shut-off valve is pressed against the valve seat provided by the housing, wherein a flow from the first chamber into the second chamber is possible when the valve body of the safety shut-off valve is lifted up from the valve seat provided by the housing.

17. The regulating device of claim 16, wherein the safety shut-off valve, the flow restriction valve and the servo valve are all coaxially aligned.

18. The regulating device of claim 16, wherein the flow restriction valve adjusts the flow from the first chamber into the second chamber when the valve body of the safety shut-off valve is lifted up from the valve seat provided by the housing.