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US 11,994,227 B2Granted
Regulator with improved turndown
AssigneeEmerson Process Management Regulator Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJames Hawkins, Tony A. Durant, Chun Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A trim assembly for a regulator can include a cage and a plug assembly. The cage can include a peripheral wall defining an opening and a plurality of cage apertures formed in the peripheral wall. The plug assembly can include a plug and a sealing element and can be configured to be moveably received within the opening so that the sealing element contacts an inner surface of the cage to vary a flow area through the plurality of cage apertures depending on the position of the plug.
Claims20
A regulator comprising:
- a regulator body defining an inlet and an outlet;
- a seat disposed within the regulator body, along a flow path between the inlet and the outlet;
- a plug assembly that is moveable relative to the seat to regulate flow along the flow path, the plug assembly including a plug and a peripheral sealing element;
- and
- a cage having a peripheral wall that defines a central opening and includes a plurality of cage apertures that extend through the peripheral wall, the cage surrounding the flow path adjacent to the seat and being configured to moveably receive the plug within the central opening;
- wherein the peripheral sealing element is configured to contact an inner surface of the peripheral wall over a range of travel of the plug assembly to vary a magnitude of a flow area of the cage apertures that is included in the flow path depending on the position of the plug assembly along the range of travel, the inner surface defining a sealing portion, a clearance portion that is farther from the seat than is the sealing portion, and a tapered transition portion extending between the sealing portion and the clearance portion, the sealing portion being configured to provide a first radial clearance relative to the peripheral sealing element that is smaller in a radial direction than a second radial clearance provided by the clearance portion relative to the peripheral sealing element, and at least one of the plurality of cage apertures extending from the clearance portion through the tapered transition portion and into the sealing portion to permit flow through the cage at the sealing portion.
3 more elements
A regulator comprising:
- a regulator body defining an inlet and an outlet;
- a seat disposed within the regulator body, along a flow path between the inlet and the outlet;
- a plug moveable relative to the seat to regulate flow along the flow path, the plug defining a circumferential groove that retains a peripheral sealing element;
- and
- an annular cage disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the annular cage defining a central opening that moveably receives the plug so that the peripheral sealing element and a radially inner surface of the annular cage collectively define a flow characterization for flow along the flow path past the seat, the flow characterization varying based on a position of the plug relative to the seat,
- wherein the annular cage is configured to be selectively installed in the regulator body in either of a first orientation or a second orientation that is reversed relative to the first orientation;
- and
- wherein the flow characterization varies differently, based on the position of the plug relative to the seat, depending on whether the annular cage is installed in the first orientation or the second orientation.
5 more elements
A trim assembly for a regulator, the trim assembly comprising:
- a cage including a peripheral wall defining an opening and a plurality of cage apertures formed in the peripheral wall, the opening defining a radially inner surface including a sealing portion at a first end of the cage and having a first internal diameter, a clearance portion spaced from the sealing portion and having a second internal diameter larger than the first internal diameter, and a tapered transition portion extending between the sealing portion and the clearance portion, at least one of the plurality of cage apertures extending axially from the sealing portion to the clearance portion for flow through the peripheral wall of the cage;
- and
- a plug including a sealing element, the plug being configured to be moveably received within the opening to move along a range of travel so that the sealing element contacts a radially inner surface of the cage to vary an effective flow area through the plurality of cage apertures based on the position of the plug along the range of travel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.