Tube-end butterfly metering and shutoff valve

• US 7,506,858 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodward Governor Company (Woodward Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Woodward Governor Company (Woodward Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brinks, Barry T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bastianelli; John
• Application Number:
  US11/676,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20080197312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 251/304, 251/305, 251/308, 251/315.01, 251/315.16, 251/314, 251/160, 251/192
• US Class Current: 251/304
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/222 Shaping of the valve member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/2263 the sealing being arranged on the valve seat

Abstract

A butterfly valve comprising a valve body having a passage, a valve shaft assembly, a plate, and a tube is provided. The valve shaft assembly comprises first and second shaft portions in opposing spaced relation, an intermediate portion therebetween, and a support plate secured to the valve shaft assembly. The first and second shaft portions rotatably couple the valve shaft assembly to the valve body. The intermediate member forms a chamber in fluidic communication with the passage. The support plate is disposed within the chamber at a closed valve position approximately perpendicular to a direction of fluid flow through the passage. The plate is secured to the support plate and has an inner portion and a flange radially outward of the inner portion. The flange is directed away from the support plate. The tube is disposed within the passage and friction or clearance fit over a portion of the flange.

Claims

1. A butterfly valve comprising:

a valve body having a passage;

a valve shaft assembly comprising a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion in opposing spaced relation, an intermediate portion between the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion, and a support plate secured to the valve shaft assembly, the first and second shaft portions rotatably coupling the valve shaft assembly to the valve body, the intermediate member forming a chamber in fluidic communication with the passage, the support plate disposed within the chamber at a closed valve position approximately perpendicular to a direction of fluid flow through the passage;

a plate secured to the support plate, the plate having an inner portion and a flange radially outward of the inner portion, the flange directed away from the support plate; and

a tube disposed within the passage, the tube being friction fit or clearance fit over a portion of the plate.

2. The butterfly valve of claim 1 wherein the tube starts at an attachment to the housing toward one end of the valve flow passage in a spaced relation to the shaft and extending to a location near the centerline of the shaft assembly.

3. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the plate includes a tapered thickness section radially outward of the inner portion and radially inward of the flange.

4. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the plate is rotatable about ninety degrees between a fully closed position and a fully open position.

5. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the first and second shaft portions, the intermediate member, and the support plate of the valve shaft assembly are integrally formed.

6. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the tube and the plate each have a radial deflection with respect to a forward and a reverse fuel pressure differential, the radial deflections of the tube and the flange approximately equivalent to each other.

7. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein a circular portion of the support plate has a radius that is less than a radius of the plate.

8. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the valve shaft assembly further includes at least one support web interposed between the support plate and the intermediate member, the at least one support web integrally formed with the valve assembly.

9. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the plate includes an aperture and the support plate includes a threaded recess, the plate secured to the support plate by a threaded member extending through the aperture and driven inwardly into the threaded recess.

10. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the tube is deflectable such that the tube has an oval cross section transverse to a direction of fluid flow through the passage.

11. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein a reduced flow mechanism is secured to the valve shaft assembly.

12. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the butterfly valve is operably coupled to an actuator, the actuator adapted to move the butterfly valve between an open position and a closed position.

13. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the butterfly valve is operably coupled to a biasing member, the biasing member preloaded to move the butterfly valve to one of the open position and the closed position upon a loss of power to the actuator.

14. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the butterfly valve has an equivalent flow area in both forward and reverse flow directions when the butterfly valve is in an open position.

15. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tube and the circular plate are provided with a coating.

16. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the shaft assembly has material at a location outside of the tube diameter when the valve is in the fully closed position.

17. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the shaft assembly has material located in and blocking a portion of the chamber within the shaft assembly.

18. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the rotation centerline of the shaft is coplanar with the OD of the plate protuberance.

19. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the rotation centerline of the shaft bisects the OD of the plate protuberance.

20. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the rotation centerline of the shaft is not coplanar with the OD of the plate protuberance.

21. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the rotation centerline of the shaft does not bisect the OD of the plate protuberance.

22. The butterfly valve of claim 1, wherein the flange is directed toward the support plate.

23. A butterfly valve comprising:

a valve body forming a passage, a shaft aperture, and a recess, the shaft aperture transverse to the passage and in opposing spaced relation with and axially aligned with the recess;

a valve shaft assembly including a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion in opposing spaced relation, an intermediate member, and a support plate, the first shaft portion rotatably extending into the shaft aperture and the second shaft portion rotatably situated within the recess, the intermediate member disposed between the first and second shaft portions and forming a chamber in fluidic communication with the passage, the support plate disposed within the chamber at a closed valve position approximately perpendicular to a direction of fluid flow through the passage;

a plate secured to the support plate, the plate having a inner portion and a flange radially outward of the inner portion, the flange directed away from the support plate; and

a tube disposed within the passage, the tube friction fit with the passage or fastened to the passage and friction fit over at least a portion of the flange;

wherein a rounded portion of the support plate and a corresponding portion of the plate are rotatable into the tube to place the valve in an open position and rotatable to a location at an end of the tube to place the valve in a closed position.

24. The butterfly valve of claim 23, wherein the tube and the plate are replaceable without removing the valve bonnet from the valve body.

25. The butterfly valve of claim 23, wherein at least one of the tube and the circular plate are provided with at least one of an erosion resistant coating and a corrosion resistant coating.

26. The butterfly valve of claim 23, wherein the plate is secured to the support plate by at least one threaded member and the tube and the plate are equivalently radially deflectable in a forward flow direction and equivalently radially deflectable in a reverse flow direction.

27. The butterfly valve of claim 23, wherein an end of the tube terminates proximate a centerline of the first and second shaft portions.

28. A butterfly valve shaft assembly for use with a ball valve housing, the butterfly valve shaft assembly comprising:

a first shaft portion;

a second shaft portion in opposing spaced relation with the first shaft portion;

an intermediate member between the first and second shaft portions and having a chamber passing therethrough;

a support plate disposed within the chamber at a closed valve position approximately perpendicular to a direction of fluid flow through the passage; and

a plate secured to the support plate, the plate having an inner portion and a flange radially outward of the inner portion, the flange directed one of away from or toward the support plate; and

a tube disposed within the passage, the tube being friction fit or clearance fit over a portion of the plate.

29. The butterfly valve shaft assembly of claim 28, wherein the flange includes a protuberance projecting radially outwardly, the protuberance progressing circumferentially around the flange, and wherein a tube is one of friction fit and clearance fit over at least a portion of the protuberance.

30. The butterfly valve shaft assembly of claim 28 wherein the ball valve housing has a passage, the butterfly valve shaft assembly further comprising a tube adapted to be disposed within the passage, the tube friction fit or clearance fit over at least a portion of the flange.

31. The butterfly valve shaft assembly of claim 30, wherein the tube is cylindrical and at least one of the support plate and the plate is oval, the tube deflectable such that the tube has an oval cross section transverse to a direction of fluid flow through the passage.

32. The butterfly valve shaft assembly of claim 30, wherein at least one of the tube and the plate is rigid in a radial direction when at least one of a low closed valve actuator force or a tight shutoff are not needed.

33. The butterfly valve shaft assembly of claim 28, wherein the plate and the support plate are integrally formed with each other.

34. A butterfly valve comprising:

a valve body having a passage;

a valve shaft assembly comprising a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion in opposing spaced relation, an intermediate portion between the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion, and a support plate secured to the valve shaft assembly, the first and second shaft portions rotatably coupling the valve shaft assembly to the valve body, the intermediate member forming a chamber in fluidic communication with the passage, the support plate disposed within the chamber at a closed valve position approximately perpendicular to a direction of fluid flow through the passage;

a plate secured to the support plate, the plate having a rigid portion in the radial direction, the plate having an inner portion and a flange radially outward of the inner portion, the flange directed one of away from or toward the support plate; and

a tube disposed within the passage, the tube friction fit or clearance fit over at least a portion of the plate.