Variable speed control of fluid driven motors
AssigneeIngersoll-Rand Company
InventorSanjeev Kumar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed that includes a fluid inlet in fluid communication with a valve assembly, the valve assembly structured to selectively permit the flow of a motive fluid from the fluid inlet to a fluid driven motor, wherein the valve assembly further includes a first plunger including a plurality of axially extending fluid channels, wherein the plunger is selectively movable by an actuator in a manner such that as the plunger is displaced farther away from a closed position, the number of axially extending fluid channels placed in fluid communication with the fluid inlet increases, and wherein the axially extending fluid channels permit the flow of the motive fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid driven motor.
Claims15
A system, comprising:
- a fluid driven motor structured to be driven in a drive direction at variable speeds through action of a motive fluid;
- and
- a valve assembly having a plurality of fluid channels selectively uncovered from a cover surface of a cover member through movement of a first plunger such that the motive fluid is permitted to flow to the fluid driven motor, the first plunger having a range of positions in which to sequentially uncover the plurality of fluid channels to carry the motive fluid and provide a variable flow rate of the motive fluid through the valve assembly as a consequence of uncovering the fluid channels from the cover surface of the cover member, the variable flow rate of the motive fluid providing a variable speed output of the fluid driven motor.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a fluid driven motor structured to be driven with a motive fluid;
- and
- a valve assembly having a first plunger disposed within a housing such that cooperative engagement of the first plunger and housing form a plurality of fluid channels therebetween that can be sequentially uncovered by relative movement of the first plunger and housing, the first plunger having a first position corresponding to closure of at least one of the plurality of fluid channels such that motive fluid is discouraged from traversing the at least one of the plurality of fluid channels to flow to the fluid driven motor and a second position corresponding to an exposure of two or more of the plurality of fluid channels such that motive fluid is capable of traversing the two or more of the plurality of fluid channels to flow to the fluid driven motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.