Servo valve
AssigneeHamilton Sunstrand Corporation
InventorZbigniew Jaśkiewicz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A servo valve comprising first and second nozzles and first and second piezoelectric actuators arranged to control fluid flow through the first and second nozzles respectively. A first fluid flow path is defined between the first nozzle and the first piezoelectric actuator and a second fluid flow path is defined between the second nozzle and the second piezoelectric actuator. The first and second piezoelectric actuators are arranged such that applying a voltage to the first and second piezoelectric actuators causes a change in dimension thereof, which acts to open or restrict said first and second fluid flow paths respectively.
Claims13
A servo valve comprising:
- first and second nozzles;
- and
- first and second piezoelectric actuators arranged to control fluid flow through the first and second nozzles respectively, wherein:
- a first fluid flow path is defined between the first nozzle and the first piezoelectric actuator;
- a second fluid flow path is defined between the second nozzle and the second piezoelectric actuator;
- and
- the first and second piezoelectric actuators are arranged such that applying a voltage to the first and second piezoelectric actuators causes a change in dimension thereof, which acts to open or restrict said first and second fluid flow paths respectively;
- and
- the servo valve further comprising:
- a servo valve housing including a pair of nozzle cavities, each housing a respective nozzle and piezoelectric actuator, wherein the piezoelectric actuators are retained in the nozzle cavities by contact between a first axial end of each piezoelectric actuator opposite a second axial end facing the nozzle and a wall defined by the respective nozzle cavity, wherein the wall is a common wall shared by the first and second nozzle cavities and separating the first and second nozzle cavities.
A method of controlling a servo valve having first and second nozzles and first and second piezoelectric actuators, wherein a first fluid flow path is defined between the first nozzle and the first piezoelectric actuator and a second fluid flow path is defined between the second nozzle and the second piezoelectric actuator, the method comprising supplying a voltage to first and second piezoelectric actuators causing a change in dimension thereof which opens or restricts the first and second fluid flow paths defined between the first and second nozzles and first and second piezoelectric actuators respectively;
- and
- the servo valve also having:
- a servo valve housing including a pair of nozzle cavities, each housing a respective nozzle and piezoelectric actuator, wherein the piezoelectric actuators are retained in the nozzle cavities by contact between a first axial end of each piezoelectric actuator opposite a second axial end facing the nozzle and a wall defined by the respective nozzle cavity, wherein the wall is a common wall shared by the first and second nozzle cavities and separating the first and second nozzle cavities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.