Fluid powered apparatus for operating a mechanism during an emergency

An apparatus for operating a mechanism in an emergency, said apparatus comprising:

• a reservoir of a pressurized fluid;
• a supply conduit;
• release actuator that releases the pressurized fluid from the reservoir into the supply conduit during an emergency;
• a fluid powered actuator having a first port and an second port;
• a volumetric flow regulator having bore with a control piston slidably received therein and forming an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber within the bore, the inlet chamber being connected to the supply conduit, and the outlet chamber being connected to the first port of the fluid powered actuator;
• and
• a sensing orifice coupled between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber of the volumetric flow regulator, wherein the control piston varies flow of fluid between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber in response to a pressure differential across the sensing orifice.

An apparatus for operating a mechanism in an emergency, said apparatus comprising:

• a source of pressurized fluid;
• a fluid powered actuator connected to the mechanism and having a first port and a second port;
• and
• a volumetric flow regulator having a bore with an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber defined therein, the inlet chamber being coupled to the source and the outlet chamber being coupled to the first port of the fluid powered actuator, an intermediate chamber defined in the volumetric flow regulator and a sensing orifice through which fluid flows between the intermediate chamber and the outlet chamber, and having a valve element which varies flow of fluid through the outlet chamber in response to a pressure differential across the sensing orifice.

An apparatus for operating a mechanism in an emergency, said apparatus comprising:

• a sealed reservoir containing a fluid under pressure;
• a supply conduit coupled to the reservoir;
• a fluid powered actuator connected to operate the mechanism and having a port operably coupled to receive fluid from the supply conduit;
• a sensing orifice through which fluid flows to the port of the fluid powered actuator, thereby creating a pressure differential across the sensing orifice;
• and
• a volumetric flow regulator having bore with a valve element defining an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber within the bore, the inlet chamber communicating with one side of the sensing orifice and the outlet chamber communicating with another side of the sensing orifice, wherein the valve element varies flow of fluid between the inlet and outlet chambers in response to the pressure differential across the sensing orifice;
• and
• a release actuator to break the reservoir and release the fluid into the supply conduit.

An apparatus for operating a mechanism in an emergency, said apparatus comprising:

• a sealed reservoir containing a fluid under pressure and having an integral nozzle;
• a tracer gas within the reservoir;
• a leak detector that senses leakage of the tracer gas from the reservoir;
• a supply conduit coupled to the reservoir;
• a fluid powered actuator connected to operate the mechanism and having a port operably coupled to receive fluid from the supply conduit;
• and
• release actuator having an explosive charge which when activated breaks the integral nozzle of the reservoir, thereby releasing the fluid into the supply conduit during an emergency.