Co-axial control valve

A precision co-axial control valve for in-line flow control of fluid, comprising

• a housing including an inlet side housing half having a fluid inlet at one fitting end and an outlet side housing half having a fluid outlet at the other fitting end, the housing defining a central axis extending between the fitting ends of the housing,
• a control body supported within the housing coaxial with the central axis by a support structure bridging between the control body and the housing,
• the support structure securing the control body in communication with the fluid having an inlet facing surface, an outlet facing surface, and an inner peripheral surface radially outward from the control body radially surrounding the control body,
• the housing halves, the support structure and control body together defining a flow passage communicating with the fluid inlet and outlet for flow of fluid through the valve from the inlet to the outlet wherein the flow passage defines flow paths in mutually symmetric relationship and extending around the control body,
• the support structure being configured so as not to interfere substantially with said flow of fluid along the flow paths,
• the control body having upstream and downstream ends coaxial with the central axis, the upstream end being proximate the inlet and the downstream end being proximate the outlet,
• the housing and the upstream end of the control body extending to the downstream end define a flow passage cross sectional area kAi, relating to an effective inlet cross sectional area Ai and wherein k is a constant from about 1.1 to about 1.2,
• the fluid outlet defining a valve seat, the valve seat being concentric with the central axis,
• the control body having a support member extending along the central axis toward the downstream end to carry a valve member in an orientation for being shifted by driven movement along the central axis relatively toward and away from the valve seat for achieving control of fluid passing the valve seat,
• each housing half having a control body facing surface and a fitting end facing surface, operable to pass fluid selectively from the inlet side to the outlet side,
• the support structure disposed between the inlet side housing half and the outlet side housing half further having opposing raised lip regions extending from the inner peripheral surface toward each fitting end, deformably interfacing with corresponding recesses formed in an inner periphery of the control body facing surface of each housing half to effect a metal-to metal seal,
• a plurality of fastening devices outside the peripheral surface of the support structure to secure the support structure to the housing halves, the fastening devices tightened to a desired torque to allow flexure of the housing halves and the support structure to help dampen fluid flow surges,
• an actuator within the control body for driving the valve member along the central axis,
• at least one port extending through the support structure for communicating with the actuator, and
• a control apparatus externally of the valve in communication with a fluid source, the control apparatus being in communication with the valve through the port, the control apparatus directing fluid under pressure to the valve to effect closing of the valve, the control apparatus also having selective communication with a vent for removing an amount of fluid being communicated to the valve thereby reducing the pressure being communicated to the valve, to effect opening of the valve,
• an electrical controlling device in communication with the control apparatus, the electrical controlling device correlating a pressure level to a voltage level having an adjustment means, wherein adjustment of the electrical controlling device resulting in an increased voltage level and correspondingly increased pressure level, causing the control apparatus to direct fluid under pressure to the valve to effect closing of the valve, and adjustment of the electrical controlling device resulting in a decreased voltage level and correspondingly decreased pressure level, causing the control apparatus to vent an amount of fluid being communicated to the valve thereby reducing the pressure being communicated to the valve, to effect opening of the valve.

A fluid control valve of coaxial configuration comprising

• a valve housing having joined housing portions including an upstream housing portion having a fluid inlet and a downstream housing portion having a fluid outlet, the valve housing defining a longitudinal axis,
• a control body located within the valve housing coaxially relative to the longitudinal axis,
• a support structure securing the control body to the valve housing with the control body in communication with the fluid such that fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet passes around the control body wholly within the valve housing,
• the housing portions, the support structure and the control body together defining a flow passage communicating with the fluid inlet and outlet for coaxial flow of fluid through the valve from the inlet to the outlet coaxially relative to the longitudinal axis,
• the housing halves, the support structure, and a leading end of the control body extending to a rearward end of the control body defining for the flow passage a flow passage cross sectional area kAi, relating to an effective inlet cross sectional area Ai and wherein k is a constant from about 1.1 to about 1.2,
• the support structure being configured so as not substantially to interfere with said flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet by permitting smooth flow of fluid within the flow passage,
• the control body having upstream and downstream ends respectively withing the upstream and downstream housing portions,
• one of said housing portions having a control valve facing portion,
• a valve-carrying member extending from the control body toward the control valve facing portion,
• at least one valve member carried by the valve carrying member in an orientation for being shifted by driven movement along a control axis, relatively toward and away from the control valve facing portion for flow control of fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet,
• a fluid-driven valve actuator within the control body for driving the valve member along the control axis,
• the valve member including a valving element having a control body-facing surface and an opposing outer facing surface,
• the outer facing surface of the valving element forming a reaction surface against which fluid flowing about the control body in the flow passage will react for urging the valve member in a direction opposite to the direction of fluid flow in the flow passage, a ratio of the reaction surface area to a surface area of control body-facing surface being between about 2:1 and about 5:1,
• at least one control port extending through the support structure for communicating with the valve actuator,
• a fluid control external of the housing for controllably providing a control fluid to the valve actuator under pressure through the control port for causing the valve member to be controllably driven by the valve actuator along the control axis for precise control of fluid though the valve.

A coaxial control valve for precisely controlling fluid flow, comprising:

• a housing having a fluid inlet at one fitting end and fluid outlet at another fitting end, the housing having a support structure for securing a control body coaxially within the housing relative to a longitudinal axis of the valve,
• the control body and support structure therefor being streamlined so as not to interfere substantially with said flow of fluid along the flow paths,
• the housing and control body defining a coaxial flow passage communicating with the inlet and the outlet for flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet, the flow passage directing the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet wherein the flow passage defines flow paths symmetrically extending about the control body,
• cross-sectional area of the flow passage cross sectional area defined by the housing being larger than cross-sectional area of the inlet at an upstream end of the control body and then incrementally reduced to a substantially constant value along the flow path in a direction over a portion of the control body toward a downstream rearward end of the control body,
• whereby fluid flowing in the flow passage is subjected to a wedge effect to maintain fluid in the flow passage in a focused flow stream as it flows around the control body,
• at least one valve member having a fitting end facing surface and a control body facing surface carried by the control body in an orientation for being shifted by driven movement along the axis relatively toward and away from the fitting end for control of fluid passing through the fitting end,
• an actuator within the control body for driving the valve member along the axis,
• means communicating with the actuator through said support structure for providing control power for the actuator,
• control means externally of the housing for selectively and controllably providing said control power to the actuator through the port for controllably driving the valve member to precisely control fluid flow through the valve.

A precision co-axial control valve for in-line flow control of fluid, comprising:

• a housing including an inlet housing upstream portion having a fluid inlet at an upstream end and an outlet housing downstream portion having a fluid outlet at a downstream end, the housing defining a longitudinal axis of the valve extending from the inlet to the outlet,
• a control body supported within the housing coaxially relative to the longitudinal axis by support structure bridging between the control body and the housing,
• the support structure securing the control body in communication with the fluid such that the control body has an inlet facing surface, an outlet facing surface, and a peripheral surface radially outward from the control body radially surrounding the control body,
• the housing upstream and downstream portion, the support structure and control body together defining a flow passage communicating with the fluid inlet and outlet for flow of fluid through the valve from the inlet to the outlet wherein the flow passage defines flow paths in mutually symmetric relationship and extending around the control body,
• the support structure being streamline configured so as not to interfere substantially with said flow of fluid along the flow paths,
• the control body having upstream and downstream ends coaxial with the central axis, the upstream end being proximate the inlet and the downstream end being proximate the outlet,
• the housing and the upstream end of the control body extending to the downstream end define a flow passage cross sectional area kAi relating to an effective inlet cross sectional area Ai and wherein k is a constant from about 1.1 to about 1.2,
• the fluid outlet defining a valve seat, the valve seat being concentric with the central axis,
• the control body having a support member extending along the central axis toward the downstream end to carry a valve member in an orientation for being shifted by driven movement along the central axis relatively toward and away from the valve seat for achieving control of fluid passing the valve seat,
• each housing half having a control body facing surface and a fitting end facing surface, operable to pass fluid selectively from the inlet to the outlet,
• the support structure disposed between the inlet housing half and the outlet housing half further having opposing raised lip regions extending from the inner peripheral surface toward each fitting end, deformably interfacing with corresponding recesses formed in an inner periphery of the control body facing surface of each housing half to effect a metal-to metal seal,
• a plurality of fastening devices outside the peripheral surface of the support structure to secure the support structure to the housing halves, the fastening devices tightened to a desired torque to allow flexure of the housing halves and the support structure to help dampen fluid flow surges,
• an actuator within the control body for driving the valve member along the central axis,
• at least one communication provided through the support structure for control communication with the actuator, and
• control means externally of the housing for selectively and controllably delivering a control source to the actuator by means of the communication for controllably driving the valve member to precisely control fluid flow through the valve.

A precision flow control valve comprising

• a valve body housing having upstream and downstream ends including a fluid inlet at an upstream end and a fluid outlet at a downstream end,
• a control body supported within the valve body housing by support structure bridging between the control body and the valve body housing,
• the valve body housing and control body together defining a flow passage communicating with the fluid inlet and outlet for flow of fluid through the valve from the inlet to the outlet in a direction of flow along fluid paths symmetric with respect to at least one axis of the control body,
• the control body and support structure being streamlined so as not to interfere substantially with said flow of fluid along the flow paths,
• the valve body housing and a leading end of the control body extending to a rearward end define a flow passage cross sectional area kAi relating to an effective inlet cross sectional area Ai and wherein k is a constant from about 1.1 to about 1.2,
• the flow paths being symmetric about at least one axis perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow through the valve,
• at least one valve member having a downstream end facing surface and an upstream facing surface carried by the control body in an orientation downstream of the control body for being shifted by driven movement along said axis relatively toward and away from the exit outlet for control of fluid passing along said flow paths through the valve,
• a valve actuator located entirely within the control body for driving the valve member along said axis,
• at least one port extending through the support structure for communicating with the actuator and providing for control of the actuator.

A precision co-axial control valve for in-line flow control, comprising

• a valve body housing having upstream and downstream ends including a fluid inlet at an upstream end and a fluid outlet at a downstream end, the valve body housing defining a central longitudinal axis extending between the upstream and downstream ends of the valve body housing,
• a control body supported within the valve body housing coaxial with the central longitudinal axis by a support structure bridging between the control body and the valve body housing,
• the valve body housing and control body together defining a flow passage communicating with the fluid inlet and outlet for flow of fluid through the valve from the inlet to the outlet wherein the flow passage defines flow paths in mutually symmetric relationship extending around the control body,
• the support structure being configured so as not to interfere substantially with said flow of fluid along the flow paths,
• the control body having upstream and downstream ends coaxial with the central longitudinal axis, the upstream end of the control body being proximate the inlet and the downstream end being proximate the outlet,
• a valve seat proximate one end of the control body, the valve seat being concentric with the central longitudinal axis,
• at least one valve member carried by the control body in an orientation for being shifted by driven movement along the central longitudinal axis relatively toward and away from the valve seat for varying the flow of fluid passing the valve seat,
• an actuator within the control body for driving the valve member along the central longitudinal axis,
• at least one port extending through the support structure for control fluid communication with the actuator, and
• a fluid control externally of the valve body housing for controllably providing control fluid to the actuator through the port under pressure from the fluid control to cause the valve member to be controllably driven to position the valve member for precisely controlling the flow of fluid through the valve.