Valve having rotatable valve ball with calibrated orifice and coaxial upstream/downstream ports and angled taps to measure upstream/downstream pressures for flow measurement
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising a valve having:
- a valve body configured with an upstream port to allow upstream pressure to be measured and a downstream port to allow downstream pressure to be measured, the upstream port and the downstream port being configured on a common axis; and
a valve ball configured in the valve body so as to rotate on the common axis and be operable between open and closed positions to allow for fluid flow and no fluid flow, respectively, and also configured witha calibrated member configured to form a calibrated orifice to allow the fluid flow, the calibrated member having a flow coefficient,an upstream pressure tap located upstream of the calibrated orifice and in fluidic communication with the upstream port in order to measure upstream pressure of the fluid flow when the valve ball is in the open position, anda downstream pressure tap located downstream of the calibrated orifice and in fluidic communication with the downstream port in order to measure downstream pressure of the fluid flow when the valve ball is in the open position,so that a direct fluid measurement of the fluid flow may be determined based at least partly on signaling containing information about a measured pressure differential between upstream and downstream pressure taps in relation to the flow coefficient of the calibrated orifice when the valve ball is substantially in the open position.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A valve includes a body having upstream and downstream ports to measure upstream and downstream pressures and configured on a common axis, and a ball arranged in the body to rotate re the common axis between open and closed positions to allow for fluid flow and no fluid flow. The ball has a calibrated member having a calibrated orifice to allow fluid flow and has a flow coefficient and upstream and downstream pressure taps located upstream and downstream of the calibrated orifice and in fluidic communication with the upstream and downstream ports to measure upstream and downstream pressures when in the open position and angled re the common axis, so a direct flow measurement of fluid flow is determined based on a measured pressure differential between upstream and downstream pressure taps re the flow coefficient of the calibrated orifice when in the open position.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising a valve having:
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a valve body configured with an upstream port to allow upstream pressure to be measured and a downstream port to allow downstream pressure to be measured, the upstream port and the downstream port being configured on a common axis; and a valve ball configured in the valve body so as to rotate on the common axis and be operable between open and closed positions to allow for fluid flow and no fluid flow, respectively, and also configured with a calibrated member configured to form a calibrated orifice to allow the fluid flow, the calibrated member having a flow coefficient, an upstream pressure tap located upstream of the calibrated orifice and in fluidic communication with the upstream port in order to measure upstream pressure of the fluid flow when the valve ball is in the open position, and a downstream pressure tap located downstream of the calibrated orifice and in fluidic communication with the downstream port in order to measure downstream pressure of the fluid flow when the valve ball is in the open position, so that a direct fluid measurement of the fluid flow may be determined based at least partly on signaling containing information about a measured pressure differential between upstream and downstream pressure taps in relation to the flow coefficient of the calibrated orifice when the valve ball is substantially in the open position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. Apparatus comprising a valve system having:
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a valve comprising; a valve body configured with an upstream port to allow upstream pressure to be measured and a downstream port to allow downstream pressure to be measured, the upstream port and the downstream port being configured on a common axis; and a valve ball configured in the valve body so as to rotate on the common axis and be operable between open and closed positions to allow for fluid flow and no fluid flow, respectively, and also configured with a calibrated member configured to form a calibrated orifice to allow the fluid flow, the calibrated member having a flow coefficient, an upstream pressure tap located upstream of the calibrated orifice in order to measure upstream pressure of the fluid flow when the valve ball is in the open position, the upstream pressure tap being angled in relation to the common axis, and a downstream pressure tap located downstream of the calibrated orifice in order to measure downstream pressure of the fluid flow when the valve ball is in the open position, the downstream pressure tap being angled in relation to the common axis; an upstream pressure tap sensor configured in relation to the upstream pressure tap so as to respond to upstream pressure and providing signaling containing information about the same; and a downstream pressure tap sensor configured in relation to the downstream pressure tap so as to respond to downstream pressure and providing a corresponding signal containing information about the same. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification