Shut-off valve providing pressure equalization

• US 20070089792A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Pechtold, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 7,322,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/625.500
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/302 with valve member and actuator on the same side of the seat
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/303 with a valve member, e.g. stem or shaft, passing through the seat
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/44 Details of seats or valve members of double-seat valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0603 Multiple-way valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0606 fluid passing through the solenoid coil
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86759 Reciprocating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86895 Plural disk or plug

Abstract

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a shut-off valve is disclosed that has particular application for opening and closing a high pressure compressed gas storage tank. In one embodiment, the valve includes a single sealing member and a bellows. High pressure is provided at inlet port to one side of the sealing member and a bellows chambers so that both sides of the sealing member are at high pressure to provide equalization. A spring bias is the sealing member against a valve seat in one direction. An electromagnetic coil is energized to draw the sealing member away from the valve seat against the bias of the spring.

Claims

1. A valve comprising:

a valve body defining a valve chamber therein, said valve body including a valve seat and an outlet port;

a coil mounting structure mounted to the valve body and including an internal bore extending completely therethrough;

an electromagnetic coil wound on the coil mounting structure;

a shaft extending into the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, said shaft including a shaft bore extending therethrough and being in fluid communication with the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, said shaft including a sealing member mounted to the shaft proximate to the valve seat;

a spring applying a spring bias to the sealing member to cause the sealing member to seat against the valve seat; and

a bellows mounted to the shaft and to the valve body to form a bellows chamber within the valve chamber, wherein an end of the shaft opposite to the coil mounting structure is positioned within the bellows chamber, and wherein a pressure applied to the internal bore of the coil mounting structure applies a force against the sealing member in combination with the spring to force the sealing member against the valve seat and applies a pressure to the bellows chamber to force the sealing member away from the valve seat to provide pressure equalization.

2. The valve according to claim 1 wherein the shaft includes a widened portion positioned within the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, said spring being positioned between and in contact with the widened portion and the first sealing member in the valve chamber.

3. The valve according to claim 2 wherein a first inlet port extends through the widened portion of the shaft and a second inlet port is the shaft bore that extends through the shaft.

4. The valve according to claim 1 further comprising a filter mounted to the coil mounting structure opposite to the valve body for filtering a gas.

5. The valve according to claim 1 wherein the sealing member is a cylindrical sealing member.

6. The valve according to claim 1 wherein the valve is a shut-off valve for a compressed hydrogen tank.

7. The valve according to claim 6 wherein the valve is located inside of the compressed hydrogen tank.

8. The valve according to claim 7 wherein the valve body is mounted to an adapter within the compressed hydrogen tank.

9. A shut-off valve for a compressed hydrogen storage tank, said valve comprising:

a valve body defining a valve chamber therein, said valve body including an outlet port and a valve seat;

a coil mounting structure mounted to the valve body and including an internal bore extending completely therethrough;

an electromagnetic coil wound on the coil mounting structure;

a shaft extending into the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, said shaft including a widened portion positioned within the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, said shaft further including a shaft bore extending through the shaft and being in fluid communication with the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, said shaft further including a sealing member mounted to the shaft proximate to the valve seat;

a spring positioned between the widened portion and the sealing member, and applying a spring bias to the sealing member to cause the sealing member to seat against the valve seat; and

a bellows mounted to the shaft and to the valve body to form a bellows chamber within the valve chamber, wherein an end of the shaft opposite to the coil mounting structure is positioned within the bellows chamber, and wherein a pressure applied to the internal bore of the coil mounting structure applies a force against the sealing member in combination with the spring to force the sealing member against the valve seat and applies a pressure to the bellows chamber to force the sealing member away from the valve seat to provide pressure equalization.

10. The shut-off valve according to claim 9 wherein a first inlet port is provided through the widened portion and the shaft bore is a second inlet port.

11. The shut-off valve according to claim 9 further comprising a filter mounted to the coil mounting structure opposite to the valve body for filtering the hydrogen gas.

12. The shut-off valve according to claim 9 wherein the valve body is mounted to an adaptor in the compressed hydrogen tank.

13. A valve comprising:

a valve body defining a valve chamber therein, said valve body including a valve seat;

a shaft extending through the valve chamber, said shaft including a first port and a second port; and

a bellows mounted to the shaft and to the valve body to form a bellows chamber within the valve chamber, wherein the first port in the shaft is in fluid communication with the valve chamber on one side of the sealing member and the second port in the shaft is in fluid communication with the bellows chamber on an opposite side of the sealing member so as to provide pressure equalization on the sealing member when the same pressure is applied to the first port and the second port.

14. The valve according to claim 13 wherein the first port is a port through a side of the shaft and the second port is a bore extending through the shaft.

15. The valve according to claim 13 wherein the valve is a shut-off valve for a compressed hydrogen tank.

16. The valve according to claim 15 wherein the valve is located inside of the compressed hydrogen tank.