Back to results
US 11,608,840 B2Granted
Piezoelectric ring bender servo valve assembly for aircraft flight control actuation and fuel control systems
OwnerMichael Yuaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method of adjusting the pressure balance or a control device, in particular of a servo valve, the requisite adjusting movement being applied by a disc translator.
Claims14
A piezoelectric ring bender servo valve assembly, the assembly comprising:
- a valve housing, the valve housing being defined by a passageway, the passageway being operable to carry a fluid;
- a pair of nozzles, the nozzles being in communication with the fluid, the nozzles terminating at a pair of orifices;
- a pair of piezoelectric bendable members disposed adjacent to the nozzles, the piezoelectric bendable members being operable to bend to an open position away from the nozzles to enable flowage of the fluid through the nozzles, the piezoelectric bendable members being operable to return to a closed position towards the nozzles to at least partially restrict flow through the nozzles;
- a spool valve operationally connected to the piezoelectric bendable members, the spool valve being disposed in at least one spool position to regulate flow of the fluid through the passageway, the piezoelectric bendable members directly controlling operation of the spool position;
- a linear position sensing device operationally connected to the spool valve, the linear positioning device determining the spool position of the spool valve, the linear positioning device providing feedback about the spool position;
- a valve controller operationally connected to the linear position sensing device and the spool valve, the valve controller receiving the feedback from the linear position sensing device, whereby based on the feedback the valve controller transmitting an electrical command signal commanding the spool valve to move until the spool position achieves a command position and a force on the spool valve is in equilibrium with the pressure difference across the spool valve;
- a piezo driver generating voltage proportional to the electrical command signal from the valve controller to control bending of the piezoelectric bendable members, wherein the piezo driver is electrically connected with a first piezoelectric bendable member of the piezoelectric bendable members through a first electrical connection, wherein the piezo driver is electrically connected with a second piezoelectric bendable member of the piezoelectric bendable members through a second electrical connection separate from the first electrical connection, wherein the piezo drive is configured to deliver a first electrical signal to the first piezoelectric bendable member and a second electrical signal to the second piezoelectric bendable member to bend the first piezoelectric bendable member independently from the second piezoelectric bendable member;
- wherein the pair of nozzles and the pair of piezoelectric bendable members together constituting a pair of variable restrictors, and the variable restrictors generating a pressure difference across the spool valve when two curtain-areas between the piezoelectric bendable member and the nozzle are unequal;
- wherein the assembly does not rely on feedback spring to control the spool valve, and replaces the feedback spring that regulates the spool valve with the linear position sensing device;
- a pair of flow restricting orifices connected with a fluid power supply inlet port, wherein each of the flow restricting orifices is arranged in the valve housing upstream of a respective pilot chamber of the spool valve and in parallel to a respective fluid power supply channel;
- and
- wherein the spool valve controls flow through each of the fluid power supply channels.
9 more elements
A piezoelectric ring bender servo valve assembly, the assembly comprising:
- a valve housing, the valve housing being defined by a passageway, the passageway being operable to carry a fluid;
- a pair of nozzles, the nozzles being in communication with the fluid, the nozzles terminating at a pair of orifices;
- a pair of piezoelectric bendable members disposed adjacent to the nozzles, the piezoelectric bendable members being operable to bend to an open position away from the nozzles to enable flowage of the fluid through the nozzles, the piezoelectric bendable members being operable to return to a closed position towards the nozzles to at least partially restrict flow through the nozzles;
- a spool valve operationally connected to the piezoelectric bendable members, the spool valve being disposed in at least one spool position to regulate flow of the fluid through the passageway, the piezoelectric bendable members directly controlling operation of the spool position;
- a linear position sensing device operationally connected to the spool valve, the linear positioning device determining the spool position of the spool valve, the linear positioning device providing feedback about the spool position;
- a valve controller operationally connected to the linear position sensing device and the spool valve, the valve controller receiving the feedback from the linear position sensing device, whereby based on the feedback the valve controller transmitting an electrical command signal commanding the spool valve to move until the spool position achieves a command position and a force on the spool valve is in equilibrium with the pressure difference across the spool valve;
- a piezo driver generating voltage proportional to the electrical command signal from the valve controller to control bending of the piezoelectric bendable members;
- wherein the pair of nozzles and the pair of piezoelectric bendable members together constituting a pair of variable restrictors, and the variable restrictors generating a pressure difference across the spool valve when two curtain-areas between the piezoelectric bendable member and the nozzle are unequal;
- wherein the assembly does not rely on feedback spring to control the spool valve, and replaces the feedback spring that regulates the spool valve with the linear position sensing device;
- a pair of flow restricting orifices connected with a fluid power supply inlet port, wherein each of the flow restricting orifices is arranged in the valve housing upstream of a respective pilot chamber of the spool valve and in parallel to a respective fluid power supply channel;
- and
- wherein the spool valve controls flow through each of the fluid power supply channels.
9 more elements
A piezoelectric ring bender servo valve assembly, the assembly comprising:
- a valve housing, the valve housing being defined by a passageway, the passageway being operable to carry a fluid;
- a pair of nozzles, the nozzles being in communication with the fluid, the nozzles terminating at a pair of orifices;
- a pair of piezoelectric bendable members disposed adjacent to the nozzles, wherein each of the piezoelectric bendable members defines a round shape, the piezoelectric bendable members being operable to bend to an open position away from the nozzles to enable flowage of the fluid through the nozzles, the piezoelectric bendable members being operable to return to a closed position towards the nozzles to at least partially restrict flow through the nozzles;
- a spool valve operationally connected to the piezoelectric bendable members, the spool valve being disposed in at least one spool position to regulate flow of the fluid through the passageway, the piezoelectric bendable members directly controlling operation of the spool position;
- a linear position sensing device operationally connected to the spool valve, the linear positioning device determining the spool position of the spool valve, the linear positioning device providing feedback about the spool position;
- a valve controller operationally connected to the linear position sensing device and the spool valve, the valve controller receiving the feedback from the linear position sensing device, whereby based on the feedback the valve controller transmitting an electrical command signal commanding the spool valve to move until the spool position achieves a command position and a force on the spool valve is in equilibrium with the pressure difference across the spool valve;
- a piezo driver generating voltage proportional to the electrical command signal from the valve controller to control bending of the piezoelectric bendable members;
- wherein the pair of nozzles and the pair of piezoelectric bendable members together constituting a pair of variable restrictors, and the variable restrictors generating a pressure difference across the spool valve when two curtain-areas between the piezoelectric bendable member and the nozzle are unequal;
- wherein the assembly does not rely on feedback spring to control the spool valve, and replaces the feedback spring that regulates the spool valve with the linear position sensing device;
- a pair of flow restricting orifices connected with a fluid power supply inlet port, wherein each of the flow restricting orifices is arranged in the valve housing upstream of a respective pilot chamber of the spool valve and in parallel to a respective fluid power supply channel;
- and
- wherein the spool valve controls flow through each of the fluid power supply channels.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.