High pressure relief valve closure

A closure sleeve for a valve comprising:

• a sleeve body surrounding a center axis and defined by an overall length extending from an upstream end to a downstream end, wherein the sleeve body comprises a single-piece component,
• wherein the sleeve body has an internal cavity that is enclosed at the downstream end and open at the upstream end, wherein the internal cavity is defined in part by a piston contact surface that is defined by a piston interface length and an inner diameter, wherein the piston contact surface is configured to slide against a piston to be received within the internal cavity,
• wherein the sleeve body includes a plurality of windows circumferentially spaced apart from each other adjacent to the upstream end, each window being defined by a window diameter, and wherein the plurality of windows are configured to be in fluid communication with a first external chamber, and
• wherein the sleeve body includes a damping orifice extending outwardly from the piston contact surface to an outer surface of the sleeve body, the damping orifice being defined by an orifice diameter, and wherein a ratio of the orifice diameter to the window diameter is between 0.075 and 0.100, and wherein the damping orifice is configured to be in fluid communication with a second external chamber that is separate from the first external chamber.

A high pressure relief valve comprising:

• a valve housing defining an internal bore and having a valve inlet configured to be in fluid communication with a pump outlet;
• a closure sleeve at least partially received within the internal bore, the closure sleeve comprising a sleeve body surrounding a center axis and defined by an overall length extending from an upstream end to a downstream end, wherein the sleeve body has an internal cavity that is enclosed at the downstream end and open at the upstream end;
• a piston received within the internal cavity, wherein the internal cavity of the sleeve is defined in part by a piston contact surface that is defined by a piston interface length and an inner diameter, wherein the piston contact surface slides against an outer surface of the piston;
• a nozzle received within the internal bore of the valve housing and including a nozzle bore having a nozzle inlet in fluid communication with the valve inlet and a nozzle outlet, and wherein a nozzle bore diameter at the nozzle inlet is greater than a nozzle bore diameter at the nozzle outlet;
• a spring assembly that biases the piston to close the nozzle outlet, and wherein when a system pressure at the nozzle outlet exceeds a predetermined pressure level, a spring biasing load is overcome to open the nozzle outlet to fluidly connect the nozzle to the internal cavity of the closure sleeve;
• and
• wherein the high pressure relief valve includes one or more of the following valve characteristics
• wherein a ratio of the piston interface length to the inner diameter of the sleeve is between 1.0 and 1.5,
• wherein the sleeve body includes at least one slot formed within the upstream end, the slot being defined by a slot width that extends circumferentially about the axis and a slot length that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the axis, and wherein a ratio of the slot width to the slot length is between 1.0 and 2.0,
• wherein the sleeve body includes a plurality of windows circumferentially spaced apart from each other adjacent to the upstream end, each window being defined by a window diameter, and wherein the sleeve body includes an inner diameter, and wherein a ratio of the inner diameter to the window diameter is between 2.5 and 3.9, or
• wherein a length from a center of the plurality of windows to a slot depth end face is between 0.1 inches and 0.4 inches.

A fuel supply system incorporating:

• a fuel pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, the pump inlet being in fluid communication with a fuel supply;
• a metering valve receiving fuel from the fuel pump and directing the fuel to a gas turbine engine;
• and
• a high pressure relief valve upstream of the metering valve and downstream of the pump outlet, the high pressure relief valve being configured to move to an open position once system pressure downstream of the pump outlet exceeds a predetermined pressure level such the fuel can be returned to the pump inlet via the high pressure relief valve, and wherein the high pressure relief valve comprises
• a valve housing defining an internal bore and having a valve inlet configured to be in fluid communication with the pump outlet;
• a closure sleeve at least partially received within the internal bore, the closure sleeve comprising a sleeve body surrounding a center axis and defined by an overall length extending from an upstream end to a downstream end, wherein the sleeve body has an internal cavity that is enclosed at the downstream end and open at the upstream end;
• a piston received within the internal cavity, wherein the internal cavity is defined in part by a piston contact surface that is defined by a piston interface length and an inner diameter, wherein the piston contact surface slides against an outer surface of the piston;
• a nozzle received within the internal bore of the valve housing and including a nozzle bore having a nozzle inlet in fluid communication with the valve inlet and a nozzle outlet;
• a spring assembly that biases the piston to close the nozzle outlet, and wherein when a system pressure at the nozzle outlet exceeds a predetermined pressure level, a spring biasing load is overcome to open the nozzle outlet to fluidly connect the nozzle to the internal cavity of the closure sleeve;
• and
• wherein the high pressure relief valve includes one or more of the following valve characteristics
• wherein a ratio of the piston interface length to the inner diameter of the sleeve is between 1.0 and 1.5,
• wherein the sleeve body includes at least one slot formed within the upstream end, the slot being defined by a slot width that extends circumferentially about the axis and a slot length that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the axis, and wherein a ratio of the slot width to the slot length is between 1.0 and 2.5,
• wherein the sleeve body includes a plurality of windows circumferentially spaced apart from each other adjacent to the upstream end, each window being defined by a window diameter, and wherein the sleeve body includes an inner diameter, and wherein a ratio of the inner diameter to the window diameter is between 2.5 and 3.9, or
• wherein a length from a center of the plurality of windows to a slot depth end face is between 0.1 inches and 0.4 inches.

A method of replacing a component in a high pressure relief valve including the steps of:

• removing at least one of a closure sleeve or a piston from a valve housing and replacing the removed one of the closure sleeve or piston with a replaced closure sleeve or piston, wherein the valve housing defines an internal bore and has a valve inlet configured to be in fluid communication with a pump outlet, and wherein the closure sleeve is at least partially received within the internal bore, the closure sleeve comprising a sleeve body surrounding a center axis and defined by an overall length extending from an upstream end to a downstream end, wherein the sleeve body has an internal cavity that is enclosed at the downstream end and open at the upstream end, and wherein a piston is received within the internal cavity, wherein the internal cavity is defined in part by a piston contact surface that is defined by a piston interface length and an inner diameter, wherein the piston contact surface slides against an outer surface of the piston, and wherein a nozzle is received within the internal bore of the valve housing wherein the nozzle includes a nozzle bore having a nozzle inlet in fluid communication with the valve inlet and a nozzle outlet, and wherein a nozzle bore diameter at the nozzle inlet is greater than a nozzle bore diameter at the nozzle outlet, and
• wherein if the piston is removed and replaced, the replaced piston has the outer surface of the piston being defined by a piston outer diameter that contacts the piston contact surface of the sleeve body in a sliding relationship, and wherein a ratio of the window diameter of the sleeve body to the piston outer diameter of the piston is between 0.3 and 0.5, and
• wherein if the closure sleeve is removed and replaced, the replaced closure sleeve has one or more of the following valve characteristics
• wherein a ratio of the piston interface length to the inner diameter is between 1.0 and 1.5,
• wherein the sleeve body includes at least one slot formed within the upstream end, the slot being defined by a slot width that extends circumferentially about the axis and a slot length that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the axis, and wherein a ratio of the slot width to the slot length is between 1.0 and 2.5,
• wherein the sleeve body includes a plurality of windows circumferentially spaced apart from each other adjacent to the upstream end, each window being defined by a window diameter, and wherein the sleeve body includes an inner diameter, and wherein a ratio of the inner diameter to the window diameter is between 2.5 and 3.9, or
• wherein a length from a center of the plurality of windows to a slot depth end face is between 0.1 inches and 0.4 inches.