Method and apparatus for damping an actuator on a fluid regulator
AssigneeEmerson Process Management Regulator Technologies, Inc.
InventorJason S. Mevius
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A damped actuator for a fluid regulator includes a diaphragm disposed in a housing, and a damper arranged to stabilize movement of the diaphragm in response to changes in pressure inside the housing. The damper includes a ball check valve arranged to allow air to exhaust out of the housing when above a preselected pressure. The damper may include interchangeable components so as to be modifiable to have different set point pressures to achieve different backpressures inside the housing.
Claims12
A method of modifying an actuator for a fluid regulator, the actuator comprising an actuator housing, a diaphragm, a linkage, and a vent opening formed in the actuator housing, the diaphragm disposed in the actuator housing and separating the actuator housing into a first chamber and a second chamber, the linkage operatively connected to the diaphragm and arranged to be operatively connected to a valve stem, the first chamber hydraulically connected to a fluid outlet of a regulator body to sense a fluid pressure at the fluid outlet, and the vent defining an air exhaust path out of the second chamber to surrounding ambient atmosphere, wherein the method comprises steps of:
- providing a damper comprising a ball check valve;
- and
- operatively installing the damper to the vent while the fluid regulator is in service to sense a fluid pressure at the fluid outlet without taking the fluid regulator out of service so as to control flow of air exhausted through the vent, wherein the ball check valve is arranged to allow air to exhaust from the second chamber through the vent when air pressure within the chamber exceeds a set point pressure and to prevent air from entering the second chamber through the vent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.