Fuel-control manifold with broad-range temperature and pressure capability

• US 7,318,426 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 01/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Circor Aerospace, Inc. (Circor International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Circle Seal Controls, Inc. (Watts Water Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hoang, Thao
• Primary Examiner(s): BENTON, JASON
• Application Number:
  US09/972,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20030066565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 123/527, 123/525, 123/1.A
• US Class Current: 123/527
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0215 Mixtures of gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Biogas; Mine gas; Landfill gas
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0236 Multi-way valves; Multiple valves forming a multi-way valve system
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0242 Shut-off valves; Check valves; Safety valves; Pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0296 Manufacturing or assembly; Materials, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87885 Sectional block structure

Abstract

A fuel-control manifold has a non-integral body with at least three pieces joined together. The fuel-control manifold has a tank port, an engine supply port, a fueling port, and a shutoff valve, all in the upper body segment. The shutoff valve includes a controllable shutoff valve closure having a shutoff-valve first side in fluid flow communication with the tank port and a shutoff-valve second side in fluid flow communication with the engine supply port and with the fueling port. There are a defueling port in a lower body segment, a vent port in the upper body segment, and a defuel/vent valve in a middle body segment. The defuel/vent valve includes a controllable ball-valve defueling closure having a defueling-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the shutoff-valve second side and a defueling-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling port, and a controllable ball-valve vent closure having a vent-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the vent port, and a vent-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling-valve second side. The defueling closure and the vent closure are mounted on a common defuel/vent valve stem, and the defueling closure and the vent closure cannot be open at the same time.

Claims

1. A fuel-control manifold, comprising:

a non-integral body comprising at least three pieces joined together and including an upper body segment, a middle body segment, and a lower body segment;

a tank port in the upper body segment;

an engine supply port in the upper body segment;

a fueling port in the upper body segment;

a shutoff valve in the upper body segment, the shutoff valve including a controllable shutoff valve closure having a shutoff-valve first side in fluid flow communication with the tank port and a shutoff-valve second side in fluid flow communication with the engine supply port and with the fueling port;

a defueling port in the lower body segment;

a vent port in the upper body segment; and

a defuel/vent valve in the middle body segment, the defuel/vent valve comprising

a controllable ball-valve defueling closure having a defueling-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the shutoff-valve second side and a defueling-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling port, and

a controllable ball-valve vent closure having a vent-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the vent port, and a vent-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling-valve second side,

wherein the defuel/vent valve has no elastomeric materials therein,

wherein the defueling closure and the vent closure are mounted on a common defuel/vent valve stem, and

wherein the defueling closure and the vent closure cannot be open at the same time.

2. The fuel-control manifold of claim 1, wherein the shutoff valve closure is a ball-valve closure.

3. The fuel-control manifold of claim 1, further including

an instrumentation port in the upper body segment, the instrumentation port being in fluid-flow communication with the shutoff-valve second side.

4. A fuel-control manifold, comprising:

a body;

a tank port in the body;

an engine supply port in the body;

a fueling port in the body;

a shutoff valve in the body, the shutoff valve including a controllable shutoff valve closure having a shutoff-valve first side in fluid flow communication with the tank port and a shutoff-valve second side in fluid flow communication with the engine supply port and the fueling port;

a defueling port in the body;

a vent port in the body; and

a defuel/vent valve in the body, the defuel/vent valve comprising a defuel/vent valve closure structure including

a controllable ball-valve defueling closure having a defueling-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the second shutoff-valve side and a defueling-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling port, and

a controllable ball-valve vent closure having a vent-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the vent port, and a vent-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling-valve second side,

wherein the defuel/vent valve closure structure has no elastomeric materials therein,

wherein the defueling closure and the vent closure are mounted on a common defuel/vent valve stem, and

wherein the defueling closure and the vent closure cannot be open at the same time.

5. The fuel-control manifold of claim 4, wherein the body has three separate segments that are joined together, and wherein the shutoff valve is in an upper body segment and the defuel-valve is in a middle body segment.

6. The fuel-control manifold of claim 4, wherein the shutoff valve closure is a ball-valve closure.

7. The fuel-control manifold of claim 4, further including

an instrumentation port in the body, the instrumentation port being in fluid-flow communication with the shutoff-valve second side.

8. A fuel-control manifold, comprising:

a body;

a tank port in the body;

an engine supply port in the body;

a fueling port in the body;

a shutoff valve in the body, the shutoff valve including a controllable shutoff valve closure having a shutoff-valve first side in fluid flow communication with the tank port and a shutoff-valve second side in fluid flow communication with the engine supply port and the fueling port;

a defueling port in the body;

a vent port in the body; and

a defuel/vent valve in the body, the defuel/vent valve including a defuel/vent valve closure structure providing alternative controllable fluid communication between the defueling port and the shutoff-valve second side in a first operating position, and between the defueling port and the vent port in a second operating position, the defuel/vent valve closure structure having no elastomeric materials therein.

9. The fuel-control manifold of claim 8, wherein the body has three separate segments that are joined together, and wherein the shutoff valve is in an upper body segment and the defuel-valve is in a middle body segment.

10. The fuel-control manifold of claim 8, wherein the shutoff valve closure is a ball-valve closure.

11. The fuel-control manifold of claim 8, further including

an instrumentation port in the body, the instrumentation port being in fluid-flow communication with the shutoff-valve second side.

12. The fuel-control manifold of claim 8, wherein the defuel/vent valve closure structure comprises

a controllable ball-valve defueling closure having a defueling-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the second shutoff-valve side and a defueling-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling port, and

a controllable ball-valve vent closure having a vent-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the vent port, and a vent-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling-valve second side, and wherein

the defueling closure and the vent closure are mounted on a common defuel/vent valve stem.

13. The fuel-control manifold of claim 8, wherein the defuel/vent valve closure structure comprises at least one nonmetallic solid component, and wherein each nonmetallic solid component is a thermosetting polymer.

14. A fuel-control manifold, comprising:

a body;

a tank port in the body;

an engine supply port in the body;

a fueling port in the body;

a shutoff valve in the body, the shutoff valve including a controllable shutoff valve closure having a shutoff-valve first side in fluid flow communication with the tank port and a shutoff-valve second side in fluid flow communication with the engine supply port and with the fueling port;

a defueling port in the body;

a vent port in the body; and

a defuel/vent valve structure in the body, the defuel/vent valve structure comprising

a defueling closure having a defueling-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the shutoff-valve second side and a defueling-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling port, and

a vent closure having a vent-valve first side in fluid-flow communication with the vent port, and a vent-valve second side in fluid-flow communication with the defueling-valve second side,

wherein the defueling closure and the vent closure cannot be open at the same time, the shutoff valve and the defuel/vent valve being leak free over a temperature range of from −

40°

F. to +180°

F. and over a pressure range of from 72 pounds per square inch to 6000 pounds per square inch.

15. The fuel-control manifold of claim 14, wherein the body has three separate segments that are joined together.