Digital rotary control valve

A valve for controlling flow of coolant through a coolant system in a vehicle, the valve comprising:

• a body having a side wall with a substantially cylindrical inner surface defining an interior, a front end, a back end, an inlet passageway formed in one of either the front end, the back end or the side wall, and at least two discharge passageways formed in one of either the front end, the back end or the side wall;
• a flow diverter having a side wall with a substantially cylindrical outer surface, the flow diverter disposed within the interior of the body between the inlet passageway and the discharge passageways and positioned such that the outer surface of the flow diverter side wall is adjacent to the cylindrical surface of the body side wall, the flow diverter having a hollow interior, an inlet formed in the flow diverter and adapted to receive a flow of a fluid from the inlet passageway in an inlet direction, and at least one discharge opening formed in the flow diverter and adapted to discharge at least a portion of the flow of the fluid into one of the discharge passageways in a discharge direction that is different from the inlet direction,
• the flow diverter being rotatable with respect to the body about an axis of rotation to vary the discharge direction of at least a portion of the flow of the fluid, the flow diverter having at least one discharge opening that is substantially noncircular;
• the valve including a fluid bearing defined by and located between the flow diverter and the body to facilitate rotation of the flow diverter with respect to the body, the fluid bearing including grooves formed on an inner surface of the body or an outer surface of the flow diverter the grooves adapted to receive a fluid to create the fluid bearing between the body and the flow diverter.

A valve for controlling flow of coolant through a coolant system in a vehicle, the valve comprising:

• a body having a side wall with a substantially cylindrical inner surface defining an interior, a front end, a back end, at least on inlet passageway formed in one of either the front end, the back end or the side wall, and at, least one discharge passageway formed in one of either the front end, the back end or the side wall;
• and
• a flow-controlling diverter having a side wall with a substantially cylindrical outer surface, the flow diverter being rotatably disposed within the interior of the body between the at least one inlet passageway and the at least one discharge passageway and positioned such that the outer surface of the flow diverter side wall is adjacent to the cylindrical surface of the body side wall, the diverter including a hollow interior, an inlet formed in the flow diverter and adapted to receive a flow of a fluid from the at least one inlet passageway in an inlet direction and at least one discharge opening formed in the flow diverter and adapted to discharge at least a portion of the flow of the fluid into the at least one of the discharge passageway in a discharge direction that is substantially perpendicular to the inlet direction;
• the valve including a fluid bearing defined by and located between the flow-controlling diverter and the body to facilitate rotation of the flow-controlling diverter with respect to the body, the fluid bearing including a plurality of grooves formed on an inner surface of the body or an outer surface of the flow-controlling diverter, the grooves adapted to receive a fluid to create the fluid bearing between the body and the flow diverter.