Flow control apparatus

Flow control apparatus adapted for controlling a flow of fluid in a conduit, comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet, an outlet and a flow passage communicating said inlet and outlet, each of said inlet and said outlet having means for connecting with said conduit to form a portion of the conduit, said valve body forming a longitudinal axis with said inlet and said outlet disposed on said longitudinal axis to form a substantially straight portion of the conduit;
• a cylindrical seat member fixedly secured in said valve body for directing flow through said flow passage of said valve body, said cylindrical seat member closed at a first end to form a central flow cavity communicating with said outlet, said cylindrical seat member having a plurality of radially opposed ports formed in said cylindrical seat member at a location spaced from said first end to direct the flow from said inlet radially inwardly through said opposed ports into said central flow cavity to impinge upon the opposed flow to minimize flow erosion of said cylindrical seat member;
• a movable flow control sleeve concentrically disposed about said cylindrical seat member and movable longitudinally relative to said seat member to and from a closed position for blocking radially inwardly flow of fluid through said ports and an open position for enabling flow of fluid radially inwardly through said ports;
• means for moving said flow control sleeve in said flow passage to and from the flow enabling and the flow blocking positions to regulate the fluid flowing through said flow passage;
• sensor means mounted with said valve body for providing an output signal in response to the rate of flow through said flow passage, the signal usable by a flow rate determining system to measure the flow through said flow passage;
• said movable flow control sleeve having a plurality of angular bypass openings radially disposed in said sleeve to communicate flow from said inlet to said flow passage adjacent said ports in said cylindrical seat member;
• an annular shoulder formed on said sleeve for engaging with said cylindrical seat member to form a second annular seal when said sleeve is moved to the closed position for blocking flow of fluids through said ports, said second seal disposed between said ports and a second end of said cylindrical seat member.