Adaptable control valve for fluid treatment system

• US 5,910,244 A
• Filed: 08/05/1997
• Issued: 06/08/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Osmonics, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Autotrol Corp. (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Stamos, Theodore C., Galbraith, Stephen L., Honzelka, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Drodge, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US08/906,203
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 210/120, 210/139, 210/140, 210/141, 210/142, 210/143, 210/190, 210/191, 210/277, 210/278, 210/426-428, 210/541, 210/138, 137/624.18, 137/624.19, 137/624.2, 137/599.1, 137/883, 137/885, 137/625.5
• US Class Current: 210/138
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86445 Plural, sequential, valve actuations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86461 Variable cycle

Abstract

A control valve for a fluid treatment system, such as a water softener or a water filter, includes a manifold which mounts a pair of open-ended, cylindrical valve bodies having ports in fluid communication with passages in the manifold. Interchangeable single and double poppet valve assemblies are received into the open ends of the valve body. The poppet valve assemblies have diaphragm valve actuators disposed between chambers that are in fluid communication with selective ones of an array of pilot valves that are also mounted on the manifold. The valve assemblies may be piloted to one position by a spring. A tank adapter connects the manifold to a treatment tank. The tank adapter can be connected to the manifold in two alternate alignments which connect passages in the manifold to the top and bottom of the treatment tank so that co-current or countercurrent flow of regenerative fluid and the fluid to be treated can be alternately selected. A variety of sequences of flow paths can be selected by selection of the interchangeable poppet valve assemblies, by plugging selected ports in the valve housing, and by capping open, unused ends of the valve bodies.

Claims

1. A control valve for a fluid treatment system that includes a treatment bed, comprising:

an array of pilot valves;

a timer mechanism for actuating the pilot valves in a controlled sequence;

a manifold connectable to the bed;

a pair of open-ended cylindrical valve bodies attached to the manifold and having ports in fluid communication with passages in the manifold; and

poppet valve assemblies received into certain of the open ends of the valve bodies and including valve actuators in fluid communication with respective ones of the pilot valves.

2. A control valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein the poppet valve assemblies include single face seal poppet valves and double face seal poppet valves.

3. A control valve in accordance with claim 2 wherein there being for each poppet valve assembly including double poppet valves a pair of valve seats disposed on either side of a port in one of the valve bodies and the double poppet valves are disposed on the sides of the valve seats away from the port.

4. A control valve in accordance with claim 3 wherein the double poppet valves are moved to a position sealing one valve seat while the other valve seat is open by piloting pressure, and the double poppet valves are moved by a spring to a second position opening the one valve seat and closing the other valve seat.

5. A control valve in accordance with claim 3 wherein for each valve actuator, the valve actuator is a diaphragm exposed on each side to piloting pressure from a respective pilot valve, said diaphragm being moved by pilot pressure between extreme positions in which one of the valve seats is open while the other valve seat is closed and to a neutral position in which both valve seats are open.

6. A control valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein the poppet valve assemblies include valve seats and poppet valves against which the poppet valves can seat.

7. A control valve in accordance with claim 6 wherein the valve seats are formed on one side of rings carrying seals that seal with the interior of the valve bodies at longitudinal positions located between ports in the valve bodies.

8. A control valve in accordance with claim 7 wherein the poppet valves are mounted on stems that extend longitudinally of the valve bodies.

9. A control valve in accordance with claim 8 wherein the actuators are diaphragms connected to the valve stems and disposed in chambers in fluid communication with the pilot valves.

10. A control valve in accordance with claim 9 wherein for each valve actuator, a spring is disposed in one chamber to urge the diaphragm to one position.

11. A control valve in accordance with claim 9 wherein the diaphragm chambers are formed by an inner chamber housing and an outer chamber housing, the inner chamber housing mounting a cage that extends about the valve stem and mounts the rings.

12. A control valve in accordance with claim 9 together with means for purging air from the chambers when the chambers fill with fluid from the pilot valves.

13. A control valve in accordance with claim 9 wherein each chamber is formed by an inner chamber housing and an outer chamber housing joined together at their perimeters, and the diaphragm has a rim that is trapped between the joined housings.

14. A control valve in accordance with claim 13 wherein the chamber housings each have an orifice that leads from a pilot port to a circular recess that is located inwardly of the diaphragm rim.

15. A control valve in accordance with claim 14 wherein radial passages are provided at four quadrants in each chamber housing, said radial passages extending from a respective chamber to the circular recess.

16. A control valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein the manifold includes pilot passages leading from the pilot valves to each open end of the valve bodies, and the poppet valve assemblies each include passages that connect to the pilot passages.

17. A control valve in accordance with claim 1 together with one or more caps closing off the open ends of the valve bodies that do not include poppet valve assemblies.

18. A control valve for a fluid treatment system that includes a tank having a treatment bed that requires periodic regeneration from a source of regenerative fluid, comprising:

a manifold having fluid passages adapted for communication to the top and bottom of the treatment bed and to the source of regenerative fluid;

a tank adapter for connecting the manifold to the tank;

an array of pilot valves;

a timer mechanism for actuating the pilot valves in a controlled sequence;

a pair of open-ended cylindrical valve bodies attached to the manifold and having ports in fluid communication with the passages in the manifold; and

poppet valve assemblies received into the open ends of the valve bodies, said valve assemblies including valve seats, poppet valves and valve actuators in communication with respective ones of the pilot valves.

19. A control valve in accordance with claim 18 wherein the tank adapter contains passages that are connectable to the manifold in two alternate alignments such that the source of regenerative fluid can be connected to the top or to the bottom of the treatment bed so that co-current and countercurrent flow of regenerative fluid and the fluid to be treated can be alternately selected.

20. A control valve in accordance with claim 18 wherein the pilot valves are flapper valves having valve stems that are engaged by cams on a rotating cam shaft driven by the timer mechanism.

21. A control valve in accordance with claim 20 together with valves for connecting the source of regenerative fluid to manifold passages, the valves comprising a pair of additional flapper valves engageable by the cam shaft and arranged in parallel with one flapper valve opening a smaller orifice against pressure before the second flapper valve opens a larger orifice against pressure.

22. A control valve for a fluid treatment system that includes a treatment bed, comprising:

an array of pilot valves extending in one direction from an upstanding wall;

a timer mechanism for actuating the pilot valves in a controlled sequence, said timer mechanism including a housing being removable mounted on the wall and extending in an opposite direction;

a manifold connectable to the bed;

a pair of open-ended cylindrical valve bodies attached to the manifold and having ports in fluid communication with passages in the manifold; and

poppet valve assemblies received into the open ends of the valve bodies and including valve actuators in fluid communication with respective ones of the pilot valves.

23. A control valve in accordance with claim 22 wherein the timer mechanism housing has two pairs of spaced brackets, the brackets being arranged to receive the wall in alternate positions in which a bracket of each pair is on each side of the wall or one pair of brackets is on one side of the wall and the other pair of brackets is on the other side of the wall.

24. A control valve for a fluid treatment system that includes a treatment bed in a container, comprising:

an array of pilot valves;

a mechanism for actuating the pilot valves in a controlled sequence;

a manifold connectable to the container;

an open-ended cylindrical valve body attached to the manifold and having ports in fluid communication with passages in the manifold; and

a selection of interchangeable poppet valve assemblies adapted to be received into the open ends of the valve body, each of the poppet valve assemblies including a valve actuator adapted to be connected in fluid communication with respective ones of the pilot valves.

25. A control valve in accordance with claim 24 wherein the poppet valve assemblies contain single face seal poppet valves or double face seal poppet valves.

26. A control valve according to claim 24 wherein the manifold includes pilot passages leading from the pilot valves to each open end of the valve body and the poppet valve assemblies each include passageways that connect to the pilot passages in the manifold.

27. A control valve according to claim 24 together with an end cap interchangeable with the poppet valve assemblies for closing off an unused open end of the cylindrical valve body.

28. A kit of parts for a control valve for treating a fluid treatment bed contained in a tank, comprising:

an array of pilot valves in a housing;

a timer mechanism connectable to the pilot valve housing for actuating the pilot valves in a controlled sequence;

a manifold mounting the pilot valve housing and including operating passages connectable to the tank and pilot passages leading from the pilot valves;

multiple open-ended cylindrical valve bodies attached to the manifold and including ports in fluid communication with the operating passages in the manifold and pilot passageways at the open ends that connect with the pilot passages in the manifold;

a selection of interchangeable single and double poppet valve assemblies mountable in the open ends of the valve bodies and each communication with the pilot passageways; and

an end cap for closing the open end of a valve body that does not include a poppet valve assembly.