Pressure regulating valve
AssigneeFlexcon Industries
InventorsGerard Duggan, Robert Lombari, David van Houten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure maintenance assembly for a domestic water well system. The assembly includes a pressure maintenance valve having an inlet side and an outlet side, a pressure tank in fluidic communication with the outlet side, and a calibrated bypass. When the valve is closed, the calibrated bypass provides fluidic communication between the inlet side and the outlet side. The size of the calibrated bypass and the pressure tank are adapted and constructed to permit a flow rate between the inlet side and the outlet side that will fill the pressure tank in a time interval at least as great as but less than twice the time required to pump a volume of water that will dissipate heat generated by the pump when it is turned on.
Claims30
Domestic water well pressure maintenance assembly, comprising:
- a pressure maintenance valve having an inlet side and an outlet side;
- a pressure tank in fluidic communication with the outlet side;
- a pump in fluidic communication with the inlet side;
- a pressure switch, wherein the pressure switch turns the pump on when a pressure in the outlet side is at a cut-in pressure and off when the pressure is at a cut-out pressure;
- and
- a calibrated bypass, wherein, when the valve is closed, fluidic communication between the inlet side and the outlet side is provided solely by the calibrated bypass,
- wherein the size of the calibrated bypass is selected with respect to the size of the pressure tank and the capacity of the pump such that, when the valve is closed, a flow rate between the inlet side and the outlet side supplies sufficient water to fill the pressure tank in a time interval at least as great as but less than twice the time required to pump a volume of water that will dissipate heat generated by the pump when it is turned on.
A method of configuring a water well pressure maintenance assembly, comprising:
- selecting a desired maximum flow rate through a plumbing system in fluidic communication with the assembly;
- selecting a pump having sufficient capacity to deliver the maximum flow rate;
- and
- selecting a valve for the assembly that has a predetermined pressure drop at the maximum flow rate, wherein the valve comprises an inlet side to which water is provided by the pump, an outlet side from which water is delivered to a pressure tank and a user, and a calibrated bypass, wherein the size of the calibrated bypass is selected with respect to the size of the pressure tank and the capacity of the pump such that it provides fluidic communication between the inlet side and the outlet side when the valve is closed, wherein the time required to fill the pressure tank when the valve is closed is at least as great as but less than twice that required to flow sufficient water over the pump to dissipate heat generated by the pump when it is started.
A method of optimizing a pressure maintenance assembly comprising a valve having an outlet side and an inlet side in fluidic communication with a pump, a pressure tank in fluidic communication with the outlet side, a pressure switch that turns the pump on and off in response to a pressure in the outlet side, and a calibrated bypass that provides fluidic communication between the inlet side and the outlet side when the valve is closed, comprising selecting a size for the calibrated bypass with respect to the size of the pressure tank and the capacity of the pump, wherein a time interval required for the pump to fill the tank when the valve is closed is between one time and twice as long as required to dissipate heat generated by the pump when it is turned on.
A pressure maintenance valve, comprising:
- an inlet side and an outlet side in fluidic communication;
- a moveable member interposed between the inlet side and the outlet side, wherein a pressure drop between the inlet side and the outlet side is moderated by an amount of displacement of the moveable member with respect to a first position;
- a diaphragm;
- an adjustable spring, wherein a tension in the spring enables the diaphragm to displace the moveable member with respect to the first position against a pressure imparted by a fluid in the outlet side;
- a communication port providing fluidic communication between the outlet side and the diaphragm, wherein the pressure is imparted on the diaphragm via the communication port;
- first and second outlets in fluidic communication with the outlet side, wherein the second outlet is adapted and constructed to receive a pressure;
- and
- a calibrated bypass, wherein, when the moveable member is in the first position, fluidic communication between the inlet side and the outlet side is provided solely by the calibrated bypass,
- wherein, when installed in a system having a pressure tank and a pump, the calibrated bypass balances pressure between the inlet side and the outlet side,
- wherein the size of the calibrated bypass is selected with respect to the size of the pressure tank and the capacity of the pump such that, when the valve is closed, a flow rate between the inlet side and the outlet side supplies sufficient water to fill the pressure tank in a time interval at least as great as but less than twice the time required to pump a volume of water that will dissipate heat generated by the pump when it is turned on.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.