Bi-directional rotary valve
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation
InventorsJon M. Lenhert, Aaron V. Gordon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bi-directional cryogenic rotary valve having a housing defining a fluid passageway, a control member rotatably disposed within the fluid passageway, and a seal assembly positioned along an inner surface of the housing to provide a bubble tight seal between the housing and the control member. The rotary valve adapted to operate at or near cryogenic temperatures (i.e., at −160° C.) while maintaining an affective seal in both the forward and reverse directions. The rotary valve being capable of retrofitting against wear and operational stress sustained from repeated use and operation.
Claims20
A bi-directional cryogenic rotary valve seal assembly comprising:
- an annular body having a sealing surface defining an aperture;
- and
- an annular member radially disposed around at least a portion of the body, the annular member comprising a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of at least 30 m/m/° C.
A bi-directional valve comprising:
- a housing having an inner surface defining a fluid passageway;
- a disc member rotatably disposed within the fluid passageway, the disc member adapted to impede fluid flow through the fluid passageway;
- and
- a seal assembly positioned along the inner surface of the housing, the seal assembly comprising:
- an annular body having a sealing surface defining an aperture;
- and
- an annular member radially disposed around at least a portion of the body, the annular member comprising a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of at least 30 m/m/° C.
A bi-directional valve comprising:
- a housing having an inner surface defining a fluid passageway;
- a disc member rotatably disposed within the fluid passageway, the disc member adapted to impede fluid flow through the fluid passageway when positioned in a first orientation, and adapted to permit fluid flow through the fluid passageway when positioned in a second orientation, the second orientation being rotationally transposed from the first orientation by between 1 degrees and 90 degrees;
- and
- a seal assembly positioned along the inner surface of the housing adapted to form a fluid tight seal between the inner surface of the housing and a radially outer surface of the disc member, the seal assembly comprising:
- an annular body having a sealing surface defining an aperture, the sealing surface having a plurality of lobes projecting therefrom, each of the plurality of lobes extending radially around the sealing surface;
- an annular member radially disposed around at least a portion of the annular body, the annular member comprising a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of at least 30 m/m/° C.;
- and
- an annular intermediary member positioned between the annular body and the annular member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.