APPARATUS TO REGULATE FLUID FLOW

• US 20090288718A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Process Managment Regulator Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company), Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Process Managment Regulator Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jablonski, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,136,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/486
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/163 using membranes within the main valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7759 Responsive to change in rate of fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7769 Single acting fluid servo
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7784 Responsive to change in rate of fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7793 With opening bias [e.g., pressure regulator]

Abstract

Apparatus to regulate fluid flow are disclosed. The apparatus includes an example regulator valve and an example automatically-adjusting or self-adjusting amplifier valve to maintain fluid flow during low downstream demand fluid flow conditions, and to maintain the operational accuracy and stability of the regulator valve during higher downstream demand fluid flow conditions.

Claims

1. Apparatus to adjust the gain of a regulated fluid flow system, comprising:

a fluid amplifier valve to receive fluid flow associated with an inlet of a regulator valve and to provide an adjusted fluid flow to a valve mechanism and to one side of a valve member of the regulator valve, the fluid amplifier valve having a flow pin at an amplifier orifice and the flow pin connected to the valve member of the regulator valve, wherein changes in fluid flow at an outlet of the regulator valve cause the valve mechanism to regulate the adjusted fluid flow to simultaneously move the valve member and the flow pin to vary a gain of the regulated fluid flow system.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the regulator valve regulates the flow of a gas.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the fluid amplifier valve is part of the regulator valve.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the fluid amplifier valve is part of the valve mechanism.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the fluid amplifier valve includes a housing connected to the regulator valve.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the valve member and the flow pin move a same amount when simultaneously moved by the valve mechanism.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the valve member and the flow pin are connected by a fixed length travel connector.

8. Apparatus to regulate fluid flow, comprising:

a control valve having a valve inlet and a valve outlet, a housing valve seat at a valve passage, and a valve member subjected at one side to a loading fluid pressure and movable to regulate fluid flow at the housing valve seat;

a fluid connection to communicate with the valve inlet and the valve outlet;

a fluid amplifier disposed in the fluid connection to receive fluid flow associated with the valve inlet and including an amplifier orifice, a flow pin at the amplifier orifice and connected to the valve member, and an amplifier outlet to communicate the loading fluid pressure to the one side of the valve member; and

a valve mechanism disposed in the fluid connection to regulate loading fluid pressure received from the amplifier outlet and to communicate the regulated loading fluid pressure to the valve outlet, wherein a change in fluid flow at the valve outlet causes valve mechanism to change the regulated loading fluid pressure communicated to the valve member to regulate fluid flow at the housing valve seat.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the control valve is a regulator valve that regulates the flow of a gas.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the fluid amplifier is part of the control valve.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the fluid amplifier is part of the valve mechanism.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the flow pin extends to engage the valve member.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the valve member and the flow pin move a same amount when simultaneously moved by the valve mechanism.

14. Apparatus to regulate fluid flow, comprising:

a control valve with a valve member to regulate the fluid flow;

a fluid connection to communicate fluid flow between an inlet and an outlet of the control valve;

an amplifier valve disposed in the fluid connection and having a flow pin connected by a fixed length travel connector to the valve member, the amplifier valve providing a loading fluid flow to the control valve; and

a valve mechanism to regulate the loading fluid flow and to communicate the regulated loading fluid flow to the outlet, wherein changes in fluid flow at the outlet causes the valve mechanism to change the regulated loading fluid flow to move simultaneously the valve member and the flow pin to provide the fluid flow at the outlet.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the valve member and the flow pin move a same amount when simultaneously moved by the valve mechanism.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the amplifier valve and the control valve are contained within a housing.

17. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the amplifier valve and the valve mechanism are contained within a housing.

18. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the amplifier valve is supported by the control valve.

19. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the simultaneous movement further comprises adjusting the gain of the valve mechanism in accordance with the amount of the fluid flow at the outlet.

20. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the control valve is a regulator valve and the fixed length travel connector provides at least part of an automatically-adjusting amplifier valve.