HYDRAULIC HEATER VALVE

• US 20110272036A1
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parker Intangibles LLC (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
• Inventors: Sayles, Samuel C., Vanderveen, John Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,881,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/13
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0704 comprising locking elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0716 with fluid passages through the valve member F16K11/0704, F16K11/0708, F16K11/0712 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/048 combined with other safety valves, or with pressure control devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/065 with differential piston
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 49/00 Means in or on valves for heating or cooling heating or cooling of pipes or pipe systems F16L53/00; thermal insulation in connection with pipes or pipe systems F16L59/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/08 with bimetallic element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0391 Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy

Abstract

Provided is a valve assembly having a thermal valve member and a priority valve member that are shiftable to first and second positions in response to a temperature and pressure of a fluid flowing through the valve assembly. Consequently, the valve can provide for flow through a heating orifice under low temperature, high pressure conditions so that pressure drops in fluid lines coupled to the valve assembly may be prevented or reduced, allowing fluid lines with small diameters to be used in an aircraft or other fluid flow system, thereby reducing the weight of the aircraft or fluid flow system.

Claims

1. A valve assembly including:

a housing having an inlet for receiving fluid and first and second outlets for delivering the fluid from the valve assembly; and

thermal and priority valve members shiftable in the housing;

the thermal valve member being shiftable by first and second springs between a first position permitting fluid flow from the inlet to the priority valve member and a second position blocking fluid flow, at least one of the springs being responsive to temperature changes of the fluid flowing through the housing; and

the priority valve member being shiftable against a biasing force by pressure at the inlet above a predetermined pressure, the priority valve member being shiftable between a first position blocking flow from the inlet to the second outlet and a second position permitting flow.

2. A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second springs shift the thermal valve member to the first position when a temperature of the fluid is below a predetermined temperature and to the second position when the temperature of the fluid is above the predetermined temperature.

3. A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the priority valve member is shifted to the first position when the pressure of the fluid is below the predetermined pressure and to the second position when the pressure of the fluid is above the predetermined pressure.

4. A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the thermal valve member has a bore allowing fluid to flow through the thermal valve member to act on an end face of the priority valve member to shift the priority valve member to the second position.

5. A valve assembly according to claim 1, further including a third spring for effecting the biasing force on the priority valve member.

6. A valve assembly according to claim 5, wherein the third spring is seated against a priority spring seat, and wherein movement of the priority valve member to the second position shifts the spring seat from a first position to a second position to allow the fluid to flow to the second outlet.

7. A valve assembly according to claim 1, further including a sleeve disposed in the housing that guides the thermal and priority valve members, wherein the sleeve includes a first opening for receiving fluid from the thermal valve member when the thermal valve member is in the first position, a second opening communicating with the first opening, a third opening communicating with the second opening, and an annulus communicating with the first and second openings.

8. A valve assembly according to claim 7, wherein the thermal valve member includes a first opening for receiving fluid and a second opening for delivering fluid to the first opening in the sleeve when the thermal valve member is in the first position.

9. A valve assembly according to claim 7, wherein the priority valve member includes an annulus communicating with the second and third openings in the sleeve when the priority valve member is in the second position.

10. A valve assembly according to claim 1, further including a heating orifice disposed between the inlet and the second outlet, wherein fluid passing through the heating orifice will increase in temperature.

11. A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the thermal and priority valve members are axially shiftable spools.

12. A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring responsive to temperature change has a spring force that increases when the fluid temperature is above the predetermined temperature to overcome a spring force of the other spring.

13. A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring responsive to temperature changes of the fluid is a nickel titanium spring.

14. A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second springs are concentric.

15. A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second springs are in a path of the fluid from the inlet to the first outlet.

16. A valve assembly according to claim 1, further including a pressure sensor for sensing pressure in a passage downstream of the thermal valve member.

17. A method of delivering fluid through a valve assembly, the valve assembly including a housing and thermal and priority valve members shiftable in the housing, wherein the thermal valve member is balanced by first and second springs, and wherein at least one of the springs is responsive to temperature changes of the fluid flowing through the housing, the method including:

receiving fluid at an inlet of the housing;

delivering the fluid to a first outlet of the housing; and

delivering the fluid to a second outlet of the housing when the fluid has a temperature below a predetermined temperature and a pressure above a predetermined pressure.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein prior to delivering the fluid to the second outlet, the method includes:

heating the fluid in a heating orifice to a temperature above the predetermined temperature.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein delivering the fluid to the second outlet includes:

shifting the thermal valve member to a first position when the temperature of the fluid is below the predetermined temperature; and

shifting the priority valve member to a second position when the pressure of the fluid is above the predetermined pressure.