Paraffin actuated diaphragm valve
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorVinay Kumar Srinivasa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A valve includes a valve housing defining a fluid flowpath therethrough, a valve element located in the valve housing and movable in the fluid flowpath to regulate a fluid flow therethrough, and a valve actuator operably connected to the valve element to urge movement of the valve element in the fluid flowpath. The valve actuator includes an actuator housing, a volume of paraffin located in the housing, and an actuator rod located in the actuator housing and operably connected to the valve element, such that phase change of the paraffin urges movement of the actuator rod between a first position and a second position, thereby moving the valve element between a retracted position and an extended position.
Claims20
A valve comprising:
- a valve housing defining a fluid flowpath therethrough;
- a valve element disposed in the valve housing and movable in the fluid flowpath to regulate a fluid flow therethrough;
- and
- a valve actuator operably connected to the valve element to urge movement of the valve element in the fluid flowpath, the valve actuator including:
- an actuator housing;
- a volume of paraffin disposed in the housing;
- and
- an actuator rod disposed in the actuator housing and operably connected to the valve element, such that phase change of the paraffin urges movement of the actuator rod between a first position and a second position, thereby moving the valve element between a retracted position and an extended position.
A method of regulating a flow along a fluid flowpath, comprising:
- changing a phase of a volume of paraffin disposed in an actuator housing;
- urging an actuator rod in operable communication with the volume of paraffin between a first position and a second position based on the phase change of the paraffin;
- and
- moving a valve element between a retracted position and an extended position by the movement of the actuator rod between the first position and the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.