Vaporizing pressure regulator

• US 20040250855A1
• Filed: 06/11/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomson, Christopher James, Hyde, Daniel Neal
• Granted Patent: US 7,021,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/341
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 49/002 Electric heating means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/0663 using a spring-loaded membrane with a spring-loaded slideable obturator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6606 With electric heating element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7821 With valve closing bias

Abstract

A vaporizing pressure regulator is provided, comprising: a valve body having a flow path therethrough and a pressure responsive valve carried in the flow path to regulate the flow of a fluid; and a heat source operatively associated with the valve body to heat fluid in the flow path by thermal conduction through a portion of the valve housing. In another aspect of the invention, heating is enhanced by providing power to the heat source proportional to the difference between a measured temperature indicative of the temperature of the fluid and a predetermined temperature.

Claims

1. A vaporizing pressure regulator comprising:

a valve body having a flow path extending therethrough and a pressure responsive valve carried in said flow path to regulate the flow of a fluid through said flow path; and

a heat source operatively associated with the valve body in close proximity with the flow path whereby the valve body heats fluid in the flow path.

2. The regulator recited in claim 1 wherein the valve body is formed with a cavity and wherein the heat source is an electrically powered cartridge heater located in the cavity.

3. The regulator recited in claim 2 wherein said heater is separated from said flow path by a portion of said valve housing having a thickness of between about 0.025 inches and about 0.075 inches.

4. The regulator recited in claim 2 including a film of conductive paste disposed between said heater and the wall of said cavity.

5. The regulator recited in claim 4 wherein said film has a thickness of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.006 inches.

6. The regulator recited in claim 1 including a temperature measuring sensor carried by the valve body for providing an electrical signal indicative of the temperature of fluid in the flow path.

7. The regulator of claim 6 further comprising a controller responsive to the sensor for providing power to the heat source proportional to the difference between the temperature measured by the sensor and a predetermined temperature.

8. A vaporizing pressure regulator comprising:

a valve body having a flow path extending therethrough;

a valve carried in the flow path to regulate the flow of a fluid flowing through the flow path;

a heat source operatively associated with the valve body for heating fluid in the flow path;

a temperature measuring sensor providing an electrical signal 8 indicative of the temperature of the fluid in the flow path; and

a control circuit responsive to the electrical signal for controlling the heat source and maintaining a predetermined fluid temperature in the flow path.

9. The regulator of claim 8 wherein the temperature measuring sensor is a thermocouple contacting said valve body for measuring the temperature thereof, and

the control circuit regulates the heat source such that the heat source provides heat proportional to the difference between the temperature measured by the sensor and a predetermined fluid temperature.

10. The regulator of claim 9 wherein the control circuit provides pulsed power to the heat source that is proportional to the difference between the measured temperature and the predetermined temperature.

11. A vaporizing pressure regulator comprising:

a valve body having a flow path extending therethrough;

a pressure responsive valve in the flow path for regulating the flow of fluid through the flow path;

an electrically powered heater carried in said valve body proximate to said flow path for heating the valve body and a fluid flowing through the flow path;

a temperature measuring sensor operatively associated with the valve body for providing a signal indicative of the fluid temperature in the flow path; and

a control circuit providing power to said heater proportional to the difference between a measured temperature signal from the sensor and a signal representative of a predetermined fluid temperature.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the control circuit comprises:

a power circuit distributing power to the heater;

a comparator circuit comparing the measured temperature signal from the sensor with the predetermined fluid temperature, the comparator circuit providing a pulsed switching signal that is proportional to the difference between the measured temperature signal and the predetermined fluid temperature; and

a switching circuit switching power to said heater corresponding to said switching signal.