Three-way direct pilot valve

A pilot valve, comprising:

• a body having an inlet port, a device port, and an outlet port formed in the body to establish one or more flow paths;
• a solenoid base subassembly;
• a solenoid assembly disposed around at least a portion of the solenoid base subassembly, the solenoid assembly having a toroidal coil adapted to be energized to create a magnetic field longitudinally through the solenoid base subassembly;
• a core assembly slidably coupled to the solenoid base subassembly, the core assembly having a core stroke;
• a poppet slidably disposed in the valve body, the poppet having a poppet stroke;
• wherein the core assembly can move independently in the same or different direction as the poppet to operate the valve between an energized state and a de-energized state.

A pilot valve, comprising:

• a body having an inlet port, a device port, and an outlet port formed in the body to establish one or more flow paths, the body further having a main flow opening having a first seat distal from the inlet port;
• a solenoid base subassembly coupled to the body comprising:
• a stopper having a pilot exhaust port formed longitudinally through the stopper;
• a bonnet coupled to the stopper having a first opening formed longitudinally in the bonnet and aligned with the pilot exhaust port;
• and
• a core assembly slidably coupled to the solenoid base subassembly in at least the first opening, the core assembly having a first end and a second end and a sealing surface disposed on each end;
• a solenoid assembly disposed around at least a portion of the solenoid base subassembly, the solenoid assembly having a coil adapted to be energized to create a magnetic field longitudinally through the solenoid base subassembly;
• a poppet slidably disposed in the second opening of the bonnet and the main flow opening of the body and aligned with the main flow opening, the poppet having:
• a poppet piston slidably disposed at least partially in the bonnet, the poppet piston having a pilot port in communication between the inlet port and the core assembly, the port being aligned with a least one of the sealing surfaces of the core assembly for sealing engagement;
• and
• a seat seal coupled to the poppet distal from the bonnet and adapted to sealably engage the first seat of the main flow opening distal from the poppet piston;
• and
• a second seat coupled to the body distal from the poppet piston and the first seat and adapted to be engaged by the seat seal distal from the first seat, the poppet having a stroke between the first seat and the second seat.

A method of operating a pilot valve having an inlet port, a device port, and a outlet port defining at least two flow paths, comprising:

• pressurizing an inlet port of a de-energized valve;
• energizing a coil of a solenoid assembly coupled to a portion of the valve and surrounding a movable core assembly of the valve to pull the core assembly toward a stationary stopper having a pilot exhaust port distal from the inlet port;
• sealing the pilot exhaust port with a seal coupled to the core assembly;
• flowing pressurized fluid from the inlet port through a pilot port in a piston of a slidable poppet to create a first force on a portion of the poppet piston distal from the inlet port;
• and
• forcing with the first force the poppet piston, axially aligned with the poppet, toward a main flow opening in the valve and away from the core assembly, to move a biased seat seal axially coupled with the poppet from a first main seat to a second main seat to open a flow path between the inlet port and the device port.