Hot gas valve construction for reducing thermal shock effects

Abstract

A system (and accompanying method) for reducing thermal shock in a physical device includes: a gas inlet portion; and an ablator material positioned in the gas inlet portion to reduce a temperature differential at a surface between the gas inlet portion and a gaseous material propelled through the gas inlet portion. The gas inlet portion can include: a first material; and a second material having a boundary with the first material, where the ablator material is positioned at the boundary. The first material is not sensitive to thermal shock, and the second material is sensitive to thermal shock. The ablator material can be housed in a recess at the boundary. The first material can be a manifold. The second material can be a portion of a control valve for controlling the direction and amount of a hot gas emitted therefrom. The manifold can include a bypass slot connecting a main inlet gas chamber of the manifold with a surface of the ablator material. A portion of the manifold between the bypass slot and the main inlet gas chamber can be diverted to block a portion of the volume of the main inlet gas chamber. A portion of the ablator material can protrude into the main inlet gas chamber. A portion of the manifold can protrude into the main inlet chamber to form an eddy gas current in contact with the ablator material and behind the manifold. A portion of the ablator material can also protrude into the main inlet gas chamber. The ablator material can be comprised of a material having little residue upon burning and which changes directly from a solid to a gaseous form without first changing to a liquid intermediate form.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.