Patent Application
20080202604
This disclosure relates generally to fluid flow regulators and, more particularly, to apparatus to regulate high pressure fluid flow which includes a valve member deformable to distribute forces to a valve seat.
Industrial processing plants use regulator valves in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, controlling the flow of a gas or fluid in a processing operation. The regulation of the flow of gas requires that a regulator valve accommodate a high flow rate of gas at high pressures and maintain the purity of the gas. Thus, a manufacturer of such regulator valves may certify that the valves are free from contamination by particles created or left behind during the manufacture of the valves. However, despite rigorous manufacturing processes to ensure the absence of particle contamination such as, for example, metal filings, regulator valves may experience contamination in the form of particles introduced into the regulator valve during or after manufacture. The presence of contaminants may result in damage to parts of a main orifice (e.g., a seat) of the regulator valve and cause a significant leak to occur.
An apparatus to regulate fluid flow comprises a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve seat at a valve passage wherein the valve seat defines a first diameter surface extending to a larger diameter second surface, and a valve member is movable to engage the valve seat. The valve member has a deformable member to engage the first diameter surface of the valve seat and deformable to engage the second surface.
In general, the example apparatus described herein may be utilized for regulating fluid flow in various types of fluid flow processes. Additionally, while the examples described herein are described in connection with the control of product flow for the industrial processing industry, the examples described herein may be more generally applicable to a variety of process control operations for different purposes.
Referring to
The load spring 128 is received within the sensor 190 to urge the sensor 190 and the valve stem 162 downwardly toward the lower housing 114. The adjustment screw 120 may be rotated to adjust the force of the load spring 128 upon the sensor 190 and the valve stem 162.
In operation, the example fluid flow regulator valve 100 receives high pressure fluid or gas such as, for example, hydrogen chloride, at the inlet 130. Initially, the fluid flow regulator valve 100 is closed because the adjuster screw 120 is retracted upwardly such that the load spring 128 permits the valve spring 155 to displace the valve stem 162 upwardly. The deformable valve member 164 engages the valve seat 166 (see
The example fluid flow regulator valve 100 accomplishes the regulated flow of a fluid or gas at a desired pressure. If a greater than desired pressure of gas flows through the main valve 160, the downstream pressure of the gas (e.g., at the outlet 140) will increase and produce an increase in the gas pressure exerted upon the sensor 190. The increased gas pressure causes the sensor 190 and the attached valve stem 162 to move upwardly so that the deformable valve member 164 moves into engagement with the valve seat 166 and closes the main valve 160. More particularly, the sensor 190 and the attached valve stem 162 are urged upwardly by the increased pressure and cause the deformable valve member 164 to engage the first diameter surface 166A of the valve seat 166 (see
However, in the event that particles such as, for example, metal filings, are introduced into the example fluid flow regulator valve 100 during or after manufacture of the valve 100, such particles may prevent the full closure of the passage 167. The presence of contaminants such as, for example, metal filings can result in the gas continuing to flow through the passage 167 and result in a continued increase in the downstream gas pressure. The continued increase in the downstream gas pressure results in increased the gas pressure against the sensor 190. As the sensor 190 is forced upwardly by the increased gas pressure, the valve member 164 engages the first diameter surface 166A with force greater than that which normally occurs during the operation of the example fluid flow regulator valve 100. The valve seat 166 can accommodate such greater engagement force of the deformable valve member 164 with the first diameter surface 166A. As the deformable valve member 164 moves upwardly against the first diameter surface 166A, the deformable member 164 deforms to receive therein the first diameter surface 166A until the flat angled surface 164B engages simultaneously the larger diameter second surface 166B. The flat angled surface 164B and the larger diameter second surface 166B are generally parallel to one another and, thus, their engagement results in a substantially uniform distribution of the forces exerted by the flat angled surface 164B upon the larger diameter second surface 166B. The substantially uniform distribution of the forces prevents the deformable valve member 164 from being damaged such that the valve member 164 could not close the passage 167. If the valve member 164 was damaged to the extent that the gas were to continue to flow through the passage 167, the example fluid flow regulator valve 100 could produce significant shifts of downstream pressure in the gas flow. Thus, the simultaneous engagement of the flat angled surface 164B with the first diameter surface 166A and the larger diameter second surface 166B prevents damage to the valve member 164 and the resulting undesirable flow of fluid or gas through the example fluid flow regulator valve 100.
If other conditions were to exist that could result in damage to the main valve 160 of the example regulator valve 100, such as, for example, the fluid pressure communicated to the inlet 130 being greater than that which is normally received by the example fluid flow regulator valve 100, or the main valve 160 being subjected to excessive cycling, the deformable valve member 164 can deform as described above to prevent such damage.
Although certain example apparatus have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
