Rotary Valve for Industrial Fluid Flow Control

A cylindrical rotary valve comprising

• (a) a valve body defining at least one input port and at least one output port, each port providing a separate fluid communication path between an outer surface of the valve body and a first cylindrical bore extending along a longitudinal axis defined by the valve body,
• (b) a cylindrical valve shaft coaxially positioned within the first cylindrical bore,
• (c) the valve shaft being operable at a predetermined frequency, and
• (d) one or more first fluid conduits defined by an outer surface of the valve shaft and an inner surface of the first cylinder bore;
• the one or more first fluid conduits extending transversely about the longitudinal axis,
• the one or more first fluid conduits each defining a first opening for fluid communication between the at least one input port and the at least one output port, the size of the first opening varying during rotation of the valve shaft, such that as the valve shaft rotates the one or more first fluid conduits sequentially bring the at least one input port and the at least one output port through a fluid communication cycle consisting of:
• (i) a state of an increasing fluid flow;
• (ii) a state of maximum fluid flow;
• (iii) a state of decreasing fluid flow, and (iv) a state of minimum fluid flow.

A cylindrical rotary valve comprising:

• (a) a valve body defining at least one input port and at least one output port, each port providing a separate fluid communication path between an outer surface of the valve body and a first cylindrical bore extending along a longitudinal axis defined by the valve body,
• (b) a cylindrical valve shaft coaxially positioned within the first cylindrical bore, an outer surface of the valve shaft defining a first fluid conduit,
• (c) the valve shaft rotating within a range of open positions such that the first fluid conduit connects the at least one input port and the at least one output port for fluid communication;
• (d) said range comprising:
• a partially open position wherein the at least one output port is partially exposed to the conduit, a fully open position wherein the at least one input port and the at least one output port are fully exposed to the conduit, and a partially closed position wherein the at least one input port is partially exposed to the conduit;
• and
• (e) the first fluid conduit defining a topography comprising a first convex endwall connecting the outer surface with a concave conduit face, the concave conduit face connecting smoothly to a second convex endwall, the first convex endwall and the second convex endwall are contoured to control shear in a controlled fluid, and the concave conduit face defines a cross sectional area profile with the first cylindrical bore chosen to minimize pressure loss of the controlled fluid within the valve.

A cylindrical rotary valve comprising

• (a) A valve body defining an input port, a first output port and a second output port, each port providing a separate fluid communication path between an outer surface of the valve body and a first cylindrical bore extending along a longitudinal axis defined by the valve body,
• (b) a cylindrical valve shaft coaxially positioned within the first cylindrical bore,
• (c) an outer surface of the valve shaft defining a first fluid conduit,
• (d) the first fluid conduit being contoured such that the valve shaft rotates between:
• (i) a first open position providing fluid communication between the input port and the first output port, (ii) a second open position providing fluid communication between the input port and the second output port, and (iii) a closed position restricting fluid communication between the input port and both of the two output ports.

A cylindrical rotary valve comprising

• (a) A valve body defining a first input port, a second input port and an output port, each port providing a separate fluid communication path between an outer surface of the valve body and a first cylindrical bore extending along a longitudinal axis defined by the valve body,
• (b) a cylindrical valve shaft coaxially positioned within the first cylindrical bore,
• (c) an outer surface of the valve shaft defining a first fluid conduit,
• (d) the first fluid conduit contoured such that the valve shaft rotates between:
• (i) a closed position for restricting fluid communication between the output port and both of the two input ports, (ii) a range of positions for mixing various proportions of fluid streams communicating via the first and second input ports, for fluid communication with the output port, and (iii) a first fully biased position for fluid communication between the output port and the first input port, and a second fully biased position for fluid communication between the output port and the second input port.