Pressure regulator for inflation systems
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorsMateusz Pawlucki, Mateusz Molfa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pressure regulator comprises a primary fluid inlet for connection to a source of high pressure fluid, a fluid outlet for connection to a space to receive the high pressure fluid, a convergent-divergent nozzle having an upstream convergent section, a throat and a downstream divergent section, the primary fluid inlet being in fluid communication with the convergent section of the nozzle; and an outlet pipe having an upstream end arranged around but radially spaced from the outlet of the divergent section of the nozzle, the outlet pipe arranged to receive fluid flow from the outlet of the divergent section of the nozzle and conduct the fluid flowing from the nozzle to the fluid outlet.
Claims14
A pressure regulator comprising:
- a primary fluid inlet for connection to a source of high pressure fluid
- a fluid outlet for connection to a space to receive the high pressure fluid;
- a convergent-divergent nozzle having an upstream convergent section, a throat and a downstream divergent section, the primary fluid inlet being in fluid communication with the convergent section of the nozzle;
- and
- an outlet pipe having an upstream end arranged around but radially spaced from the outlet of the divergent section of the nozzle, the outlet pipe arranged to receive fluid flow from the outlet of the divergent section of the nozzle and conduct the fluid flowing from the nozzle to the fluid outlet;
- wherein the radial spacing between the upstream end of the outlet pipe and the outlet of the divergent section of the nozzle form a secondary fluid inlet for introduction of a fluid into the outlet pipe from outside the nozzle at a location adjacent the outlet of the divergent section of the nozzle, and the outlet pipe comprises a radially expanding section at its upstream end adjacent the nozzle, and the radially expanding section expands from a smaller to larger dimension in a downstream direction;
- and
- a flow recirculation conduit for connection at a first end to the secondary fluid inlet and at a second end to the space.
A method of regulating the pressure of a fluid supplied to a space from a high pressure fluid source, the method comprising:
- supplying fluid from the high pressure fluid source to an inlet of a convergent divergent nozzle, the pressure of the fluid source being such that the nozzle operates in an underexpanded condition, thereby producing a supersonic flow at an outlet of the nozzle;
- supplying the underexpanded flow from the outlet of the nozzle to an outlet pipe having an upstream end arranged around but radially spaced from the outlet of the nozzle and the outlet pipe comprises a radially expanding section at its upstream end adjacent the nozzle, and the radially expanding section expands from a smaller to larger dimension in a downstream direction;
- expanding the fluid flow in the outlet pipe and conducting the fluid flow from the nozzle to the fluid outlet along the outlet pipe;
- and
- introducing a secondary fluid supplied from the space into the outlet pipe at a location adjacent the outlet of the nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.