Flow control nozzle
AssigneeClaverham Limited
InventorsPaul Brewer, Reg Raval, Suat Bekircan
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Abstract
There is disclosed a flow control nozzle for controlling the flow of an incompressible fluid, the flow control nozzle having a flow area and comprising a deformable element comprising a shaped memory alloy (SMA) material wherein within a range of operating temperatures the SMA material is configured to reduce the flow area of the flow control nozzle as the operating temperature increases. The flow control nozzle is thus able to dynamically compensate for changes in operating temperature in order to maintain a constant flow.
Claims11
A flow control nozzle for controlling the flow of an incompressible fluid, the flow control nozzle having a flow area and comprising a deformable element comprising a shaped memory alloy (SMA) material wherein within a range of operating temperatures the SMA material is configured to reduce the flow area of the flow control nozzle as the operating temperature increases;
- wherein the SMA material is configured to reduce the flow area of the flow control nozzle according to a predetermined relationship for laminar flow conditions to maintain a substantially constant laminar flow over the range of operating temperatures;
- and
- wherein the SMA material is configured to reduce a diameter of flow control nozzle according to the relationship
- d
- 2
- =
- d
- 1
-
- (
- v
- 2
- v
- 1
- )
- 0.25
- where:
- d2=compensated nozzle diameter for operating temperature;
- d1=nozzle diameter at reference temperature;
- v2=viscosity at operating temperature;
- and
- v1=viscosity at reference temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.