Fluid admission system for providing a pressure-balanced valve

• US 8,272,399 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodward Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Woodward Incorporated
• Inventors: Farrow, Timothy J., Brodsack, Gregory J., Witt, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keasel, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAHILL, JESSICA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US12/482,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20090309053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 251/129.07, 251/129.17, 251/325, 137/601.02, 137/625.28, 137/625.3, 137/625.38
• US Class Current: 137/601.02
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0239 Pressure or flow regulators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 51/0642 the armature having a valve attached thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0689 Braking of the valve element
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86718 Dividing into parallel flow paths with recombining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87418 Balanced valve

Abstract

A valve assembly includes a valve housing located between a fluid inlet region maintained at a first pressure and a fluid outlet region maintained at a second pressure. A movable metering plate is located within valve housing. A fixed metering plate interacts with the movable metering plate to meter fluid flow through the valve housing. An armature is coupled to the movable metering plate and is configured to move the movable metering plate from a closed position toward an open position. The fluid admission system further includes a balancing region to balance pressure related forces acting on the movable portions of the valve, including the metering plate. A balance passageway is in communication with the balancing region and the fluid outlet region to maintain the balancing region at the second pressure of the fluid outlet region when the movable metering plate is in the closed position.

Claims

1. A fluid admission system comprising:

a valve housing having a fluid inlet region and a fluid outlet region;

a fixed metering plate;

a movable metering plate movable relative to the fixed metering plate along a linear travel axis between a closed position wherein a seal surface of the movable metering plate abuts an abutment surface of the fixed metering plate to prevent fluid flow from the fluid inlet region to the fluid outlet region and an open position wherein the movable metering plate and the fixed metering plate are separated by a distance to allow fluid flow from the fluid inlet region to the fluid outlet region;

an armature coupled to the movable metering plate configured to move the movable metering plate relative to the fixed metering plate;

a balancing arrangement operably coupled to the movable metering plate for applying biasing to the movable metering plate;

a balancing chamber completely fluidly separated from the fluid inlet region by the balancing arrangement when the movable metering plate is in the closed position, the balancing arrangement having a first balancing area acted on by a first fluid pressure within the inlet region to operably bias the movable metering plate toward the open position and the balancing arrangement having a second balancing area acted on by a second fluid pressure within balancing chamber, the second fluid pressure being independent of the first fluid pressure in the closed position, to operably bias the movable metering plate toward the closed position;

wherein the movable metering plate has a first effective surface area that is normal to the travel axis and that is acted on by the first fluid pressure to bias the movable metering plate toward the closed position;

the movable metering plate has a second effective surface area that is normal to the travel axis and is exposed to the second fluid pressure to bias the movable metering plate toward the open position, the second effective surface area being formed by the portion of the seal surface that overlaps the flow opening of the fixed metering plate and is not abutted against the abutment surface;

the first balancing area is an effective area being normal to the travel axis;

the second balancing area is an effective area being normal to the travel axis; and

wherein the fluid inlet region is fluidly coupled to a source of a first fluid at a first fluid pressure (P1) and the fluid outlet region is fluidly coupled to a source of a second fluid at a second fluid pressure (P2) that is less than the first fluid pressure, and wherein the first effective surface area (A1′

), the second effective surface area (A1″

), the first balancing area (A2′

), and the second balancing area (A2″

) are configured to satisfy the following equation;

P1*(A1′

)+P2*(A2″

)=P1*(A2′

)+P2*(A1″

).

2. A fluid admission system comprising:

a valve housing having a fluid inlet region and a fluid outlet region;

a fixed metering plate;

a movable metering plate movable relative to the fixed metering plate along a linear travel axis between a closed position wherein a seal surface of the movable metering plate abuts an abutment surface of the fixed metering plate to prevent fluid flow from the fluid inlet region to the fluid outlet region and an open position wherein the movable metering plate and the fixed metering plate are separated by a distance to allow fluid flow from the fluid inlet region to the fluid outlet region;

an armature coupled to the movable metering plate configured to move the movable metering plate relative to the fixed metering plate;

a balancing arrangement operably coupled to the movable metering plate for applying biasing to the movable metering plate;

a balancing chamber completely fluidly separated from the fluid inlet region by the balancing arrangement when the movable metering plate is in the closed position, the balancing arrangement having a first balancing area acted on by a first fluid pressure within the inlet region to operably bias the movable metering plate toward the open position and the balancing arrangement having a second balancing area acted on by a second fluid pressure within balancing chamber, the second fluid pressure being independent of the first fluid pressure in the closed position, to operably bias the movable metering plate toward the closed position;

wherein the movable metering plate has a first effective surface area that is normal to the travel axis and that is acted on by the first fluid pressure to bias the movable metering plate toward the closed position;

the movable metering plate has a second effective surface area that is normal to the travel axis and is exposed to the second fluid pressure to bias the movable metering plate toward the open position, the second effective surface area being formed by the portion of the seal surface that overlaps the flow opening of the fixed metering plate and is not abutted against the abutment surface;

the first balancing area is an effective area being normal to the travel axis;

the second balancing area is an effective area being normal to the travel axis; and

wherein the fluid inlet region is fluidly coupled to a source of a first fluid at a first fluid pressure (P1) and the fluid outlet region is fluidly coupled to a source of a second fluid at a second fluid pressure (P2) that is less than the first fluid pressure, and wherein the first effective surface area (A1′

), the second effective surface area (A1″

), the first balancing area (A2′

), and the second balancing area (A2″

) are configured to satisfy the following equation;

P1*(A1′

)+P2*(A2″

)=X*(P1*(A2′

)+P2*(A1″

)),

wherein X is between about 0.8 and 1.2.

3. The fluid admission system of claim 2, wherein the fluid inlet region is fluidly coupled to a source of a first fluid at a first fluid pressure (P1) and the fluid outlet region is fluidly coupled to a source of a second fluid at a second fluid pressure (P2) that is less than the first fluid pressure, and wherein the first effective surface area (A1′

), the second effective surface area (A1″

), the first balancing area (A2′

), and the second balancing area (A2″

) are configured to satisfy the following equation;

P1*(A1′

)+P2*(A2″

)=X*(P1*(A2′

)+P2*(A1″

)),

wherein X is between about 0.9 and 1.1.

4. A fluid admission system comprising:

a valve housing having a fluid inlet region and a fluid outlet region;

a fixed metering plate;

a movable metering plate movable relative to the fixed metering plate along a linear travel axis between a closed position wherein a seal surface of the movable metering plate abuts an abutment surface of the fixed metering plate to prevent fluid flow from the fluid inlet region to the fluid outlet region and an open position wherein the movable metering plate and the fixed metering plate are separated by a distance to allow fluid flow from the fluid inlet region to the fluid outlet region;

an armature coupled to the movable metering plate configured to move the movable metering plate relative to the fixed metering plate;

a balancing arrangement operably coupled to the movable metering plate for applying biasing to the movable metering plate;

a balancing chamber completely fluidly separated from the fluid inlet region by the balancing arrangement when the movable metering plate is in the closed position, the balancing arrangement having a first balancing area acted on by a first fluid pressure within the inlet region to operably bias the movable metering plate toward the open position and the balancing arrangement having a second balancing area acted on by a second fluid pressure within balancing chamber, the second fluid pressure being independent of the first fluid pressure in the closed position, to operably bias the movable metering plate toward the closed position;

wherein the movable metering plate has a first effective surface area that is normal to the travel axis and that is acted on by the first fluid pressure to bias the movable metering plate toward the closed position;

the movable metering plate has a second effective surface area that is normal to the travel axis and is exposed to the second fluid pressure to bias the movable metering plate toward the open position, the second effective surface area being formed by the portion of the seal surface that overlaps the flow opening of the fixed metering plate and is not abutted against the abutment surface;

the first balancing area is an effective area being normal to the travel axis;

the second balancing area is an effective area being normal to the travel axis; and

wherein the first balancing area and the first effective area are equal and the second balancing area and the second effective area are equal.

5. The fluid admission system of claim 4, wherein the fixed metering plate defines a flow opening through the abutment surface thereof through which fluid flow passes in the open position, the seal surface abuts the abutment surface of the fixed metering plate and over laps and seals off the flow opening in the closed position.

6. The fluid admission system of claim 4, wherein the balancing chamber fluidly communicates with the outlet region when the movable metering plate is in the closed position.

7. The fluid admission system of claim 6, further comprising a balancing passage passing through the armature, the balancing passage fluidly communicates the outlet region with the balancing chamber when the movable metering plate is in the closed position.

8. The fluid admission system of claim 4, wherein the balancing arrangement includes a balance seal coupled between the valve housing and the armature, the balancing arrangement is also formed, at least in part, by the armature such that at least a portion of the armature forms part of the first balancing area and a portion of the armature forms part of the second balancing area, the portion of the armature forming part of the second balancing area being sealed from the fluid inlet region by the balance seal.

9. The fluid admission system of claim 8, wherein the balance seal comprises an annular diaphragm through which the armature extends, the diaphragm being flexible allowing the armature to move along the travel axis.

10. The fluid admission system of claim 9, wherein the balance seal is coupled to the armature by a bead retainer, the bead retainer forming part of the first balancing area upon which the first pressure acts to bias the movable metering plate toward the open position.

11. The fluid admission system of claim 10, further comprising a biasing element biasing the movable metering plate toward the closed position.

12. The fluid admission system of claim 11, further comprising a first plurality of grooves located in the seal surface of the movable metering plate, and a second plurality of grooves located in the abutment surface of the fixed metering plate with which the sealing surface abuts, the second plurality of grooves combining to form the flow opening, wherein each of the first plurality of grooves of the movable metering plate is separated by a first land portion that overlaps the second plurality of grooves of the fixed metering plate when the seal surface of the movable metering plate abuts the abutment surface of the fixed metering plate in the closed position, the first land portions defining the seal surface, and wherein each of the second plurality of grooves of the fixed metering plate is separated by a second land portion that overlaps the first plurality of grooves of the movable metering plate when the seal surface of the movable metering plate abuts the abutment surface of the fixed metering plate in the closed position.

13. The fluid admission system of claim 12, wherein the first balancing area and the first effective area are equal and the second balancing area and the second effective area are equal, such that the only effective force maintaining the movable metering plate in the closed position is the force provided by the spring element.

14. The fluid admission system of claim 13, further comprising an actuator that causes the armature to move the movable metering plate from the closed position to the open position when energized;

wherein the armature comprises a ferrous metal armature, and wherein the actuator comprises a solenoid configured to generate a magnetic field when energized to attract the ferrous metal armature to move the movable metering plate from the closed position to the open position; and

further comprising;

a driver operably coupled to the actuator, wherein the driver is configured to energize the solenoid to move the movable metering plate from the closed position to the open position; and

a combustion cylinder of an engine, wherein the combustion cylinder is in fluid communication with the fluid outlet region, and wherein the driver regulates fluid flow from the fluid inlet region to the fluid outlet region for admission to the combustion cylinder.

15. The fluid admission system of claim 14, wherein the fluid inlet region is fluidly coupled to a source of a first fluid at the first fluid pressure and the fluid outlet region is fluidly coupled to a source of a second fluid at the second fluid pressure that is less than the first pressure.