Fast-acting fluid control valve

• US 7,717,130 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (Purdue University)
• Original Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (Purdue University)
• Inventors: Lumkes, John H. Jr., Batdorff, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): FOX, JOHN C
• Application Number:
  US11/750,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20070289649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 137/625.28, 137/625.33, 137/625.34, 137/625.37, 251/282
• US Class Current: 137/625.33
• 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 31/0675 Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86759 Reciprocating

Abstract

A fluid control valve capable of rapidly opening and closing. The valve includes a housing with an annular-shaped spool cavity that contains an annular-shaped spool capable of axial movement within the spool cavity between first and second spool positions. The spool has axially-spaced circumferential spool sealing features and optionally radial passages therethrough. The housing has axially-spaced circumferential housing sealing features configured and disposed within the spool cavity so that, with the spool in the first spool position, fluid flow is enabled through the spool cavity axially between the spool sealing features and the housing sealing features, which provide axial force balancing of the spool. With the spool in the second spool position, the spool sealing features and the housing sealing features cooperate to substantially prevent fluid flow through the spool cavity.

Claims

1. A fluid control valve comprising:

an annular-shaped spool comprising multiple axially-spaced circumferential spool sealing features;

a housing comprising an annular-shaped spool cavity in which the spool is received so as to be capable of axial movement within the spool cavity between first and second spool positions, the housing having multiple axially-spaced circumferential housing sealing features configured and disposed within the spool cavity so that;

with the spool in the first spool position, fluid flow is enabled through the spool cavity, the fluid flow being enabled axially between the circumferential spool sealing features and the circumferential housing sealing features, which are sized and configured to provide axial force balancing of the spool; and

with the spool in the second spool position, the circumferential spool sealing features and the circumferential housing sealing features cooperate to substantially prevent fluid flow through the spool cavity.

2. The fluid control valve according to claim 1, wherein each of the circumferential spool sealing features is paired with a corresponding one of the circumferential housing sealing features to define multiple axial flow paths through the spool cavity.

3. The fluid control valve according to claim 1, wherein the spool further comprises multiple radial passages therethrough and, with the spool in the first spool position, fluid flow is also enabled radially through the radial passages of the spool.

4. The fluid control valve according to claim 3, wherein the radial passages are located between adjacent pairs of the circumferential spool sealing features.

5. The fluid control valve according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of fluid flow through the spool cavity flows radially through the radial passages before flowing axially between the circumferential spool sealing features and the circumferential housing sealing features.

6. The fluid control valve according to claim 3, wherein all of fluid flow through the spool cavity flows radially through the radial passages before flowing axially between the circumferential spool sealing features and the circumferential housing sealing features.

7. The fluid control valve according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential housing sealing features of the housing define at least two axially-spaced circumferential-oriented channels within the spool cavity, and the housing comprises a first fluid passage directly fluidically coupled to a first of the circumferential-oriented channels.

8. The fluid control valve according to claim 7, wherein the first fluid passage is an inlet fluid passage to the spool cavity, and the housing further comprises an outlet fluid passage directly fluidically coupled to a second of the circumferential-oriented channels.

9. The fluid control valve according to claim 7, wherein the spool further comprises multiple radial passages therethrough and, with the spool in the first spool position, fluid flow is also enabled radially through the radial passages of the spool.

10. The fluid control valve according to claim 9, wherein each of the radial passages are directly fluidically coupled to a corresponding one of the at least two circumferential-oriented channels.

11. The fluid control valve according to claim 7, wherein the spool further comprises multiple radial passages therethrough and, with the spool in the first spool position, fluid flow is also enabled radially through the radial passages of the spool, the first fluid passage is an outlet fluid passage of the spool cavity, and the housing further comprises an inlet fluid passage directly fluidically coupled to the radial passages of the spool.

12. The fluid control valve according to claim 11, wherein each of the radial passages of the spool are directly fluidically coupled to a second of the circumferential-oriented channels but not the first of the circumferential-oriented channels.

13. The fluid control valve according to claim 1, further comprising means for forcing the spool to move within the spool cavity between the first and second positions.

14. The fluid control valve according to claim 13, wherein the forcing means comprises at least one pair of annular-shaped electromechanical devices located adjacent a first axial end of the spool.

15. The fluid control valve according to claim 14, wherein the annular-shaped electromechanical devices are electromagnets.

16. The fluid control valve according to claim 13, wherein the forcing means comprises a first pair of annular-shaped electromechanical devices located adjacent a first axial end of the spool and a second pair of annular-shaped electromechanical devices located adjacent an oppositely-disposed second axial end of the spool.

17. The fluid control valve according to claim 16, wherein the annular-shaped electromechanical devices are electromagnets.

18. The fluid control valve according to claim 1, wherein the spool cavity is an enclosed chamber.

19. The fluid control valve according to claim 1, wherein the spool cavity is not an enclosed chamber.

20. A fluid control valve comprising:

a spool comprising an annular-shaped spool wall, circumferential-oriented inner spool channels on an interior surface of the spool wall, circumferential-oriented inner spool sealing lands between adjacent pairs of the inner spool channels, circumferential-oriented outer spool channels on an exterior surface of the spool wall, circumferential-oriented outer spool sealing lands between adjacent pairs of the outer spool channels, and radial flow passages extending through the spool wall so as to fluidically couple corresponding pairs of the inner and outer spool channels;

a housing comprising an inner housing portion circumscribed by the spool and an outer housing portion circumscribing the spool, the spool being received in an annular-shaped spool cavity between the inner and outer housing portions so as to be capable of axial movement within the spool cavity between first and second spool positions;

the inner housing portion comprising circumferential-oriented inner housing channels on an exterior surface thereof, circumferential-oriented inner housing sealing lands between adjacent pairs of the inner housing channels thereof, first internal flow passages within the inner housing portion that are directly fluidically coupled to a first set but not a second set of the inner housing channels, and second internal flow passages within the inner housing portion that are directly fluidically coupled to the second set but not the first set of the inner housing channels, the inner housing channels and inner housing sealing lands being disposed within the spool cavity;

the outer housing portion comprising circumferential-oriented outer housing channels on an interior surface thereof and circumferential-oriented outer housing sealing lands between adjacent pairs of the outer housing channels, the outer housing channels and outer housing sealing lands being disposed within the spool cavity, each of the outer housing channels of the outer housing portion being fluidically coupled to a corresponding one of the inner housing channels of the inner housing portion through a corresponding one of the radial flow passages of the spool; and

means for forcing the spool to move within the spool cavity between the first and second positions;

wherein the spool and the inner and outer housing portions are configured so that when the spool is in the first spool position within the spool cavity a continuous fluid course is defined through the flow control valve, the continuous fluid course comprising

the first internal flow passages within the inner housing portion fluidically coupled to the first set of the inner housing channels of the inner housing portion,

the first set of the inner housing channels of the inner housing portion fluidically coupled to the second set of the inner housing channels of the inner housing portion through axial flow passages between the inner spool sealing lands of the spool and the inner housing sealing lands of the inner housing portion,

the first set of the inner housing channels of the inner housing portion being further fluidically coupled to the second set of the inner housing channels of the inner housing portion through the radial flow passages,

and wherein the spool and the inner and outer housing portions are configured so that, when the spool is in the second spool position within the spool cavity, the continuous fluid course is closed as a result of closure of the axial flow passages between the inner spool sealing lands of the spool and the inner housing sealing lands of the inner housing portion.