The present invention deals generally with flow control devices and more particularly with improvements in multi-functional flow control device optimized for maintaining a substantially specific flow rate of fluid in hydronic systems.
Hydronic systems include fluid (e.g., water) based apparatus like boilers, air handling units, cooling chillers, Fan coil units, chilled water pumps, circulating pumps, heating water pumps, cooling towers and other apparatus. In order to connect, operate, maintain and control a specific flow rate of fluid into these hydronic systems, a set of valves and accessories are used in applications for homes, commercial spaces, or any building and/or construction facility.
However, due to the application of bulk size of valves used in domestic and industrial applications, there is considerable consumption of space and thereby increasing installation costs. Further, to maintain the required flow rate of water using huge valves and sophisticated controls during the pressure variation may be costly, requires considerable space and installation time.
Over the past decades, in conventional systems, it is a normal practice to have the following requirements for the hook-up of hydronic systems 30 of each of the units mentioned as shown in the prior art figure.
The following graph illustrates a possible example of how this water hook-up system can look like.
It is clear that this system require huge space, labor works, and long time for installation, commissioning, testing and set to work. Further, it requires a lot of on-site installation works since practically there is no one single product that can provide all of these required functions together. Also, concatenating all the individual set of valves and accessories is cumbersome and arrangement of all the internal components to do multi-functional operations has been a challenge.
Further, there is a need to have an easy-to-handle, multi-functional flow control valve which is designed to perform all the required operations as mentioned earlier. The multi-functional flow control valve can be an all-in-one product, factory assembled and factory pressure tested which can be easily connected to the hydronic systems 30 without a need to do many on-site installation works. Also, the multi-functional flow control valve has to be designed, optimized and tested to operate efficiently consuming minimal space, with less weight, easy to handle, maintain and installed in multiple hydronic systems and other applications.
An optimized multi-functional flow control device for maintaining a substantially specific flow rate of fluid in hydronic systems is disclosed.
In one aspect, a multi-functional flow control device optimized for maintaining a substantially specific flow rate of fluid with the requirements to properly connect, commission, set-to-work, maintain, repair, and/or replace hydronic system. The device includes two valve housings hydraulically communicating with each other, one is fixed to the supply line and the other is connected to the return line connection point of the hydronic system. The supply line is configured to a first valve housing having a primary inlet port for inflow of fluid and primary outlet port for outflow of fluid fixedly connected to an opening end of a hydronic system, and the return line is configured to a second valve housing having a primary inlet port for inflow of fluid and primary outlet port for outflow of fluid fixedly connected to a closing end of a hydronic system. The two valve housings are configured with one or more cylinders having openings in the form of perforations strategically located when aligned along the length of each of the housing by providing pre-determined angles of rotation to perform multiple fluid flow function operations.
In another aspect, each of the two valve housings have a primary inlet port and a primary outlet port, secondary inlet ports and secondary outlet ports, multiple cylinders with strategically positioned peripheral openings. A first valve housing includes a first hollow cylinder, a mesh strainer, a drain valve, a cover plate, a handle and stem mechanism with a stem dial. A second valve housing includes a second hollow cylinder, a nested cylinder, a venturi tube, a cover plate, a motor, a handle and stem mechanism. Also, any other internal component can be added inside the first hollow cylinder to provide certain functions e.g., non-return valve.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments that proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, exemplary constructions of the invention are shown in the drawings. The invention is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed however. Moreover, those in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Where possible, like elements are indicated by identical numbers. The following configuration is one example of how this invention can be applied, however it is not limited to this configuration and any other configuration can be used.
a) depicts tabulation of multiple modes of operation with predetermined angles of rotation of the first hollow cylinder having the primary inlet port and the primary outlet port in the first valve housing.
b) depicts table showing the opening and closing of the perforations with predetermined angles of rotation in the upper portion and the lower portion of the first hollow cylinder along with the drain valve.
c) illustrates perspective views of the first hollow cylinder having multiple peripheral openings in the form of perforations in the first valve housing.
d)
a) and
c) illustrates the schematic view of the first valve housing and the direction of fluid flow configured in the hydronic system.
a),
e) illustrates the schematic view of the first valve housing and the direction of fluid flow configured in the hydronic system.
a) and
c) illustrates the exploded view of the first valve housing.
d) illustrates the schematic view of the first valve housing with the absence of fluid flow in the hydronic system for maintenance and cleaning
a) and
c) illustrates the schematic view of the first valve housing and the direction of fluid flow configured in the hydronic system.
a) and
c) illustrates the schematic view of the first valve housing and the direction of fluid flow configured with the second valve housing in the hydronic system.
The description below illustrates embodiments of the claimed invention to those of skill in the art. This description illustrates aspects of the invention but does not define or limit the invention, such definition and limitation being contained solely in the claims appended hereto. Those of skill in the art will understand that the invention can be implemented in a number of ways different from those set out here, in conjunction with other present or future technologies.
The first hollow cylinder 108 provides isolation between the primary inlet port 102 and the primary outlet port 104 by the pre-determined angles of rotation The different pre-determined angles of rotation includes 0°, 120°, 150°, 210° and 270° rotation angles indicated by the stem dial 122. The handle 118 and stem 120 mechanisms are connected to first hollow cylinder 108 configured for the required operation mode. The first hollow cylinder 108 has two spray nozzles 106a and 106b as shown in
Further, as shown in
a) depicts tabulation of multiple modes of operation with predetermined angles of rotation of the first hollow cylinder having the primary inlet port and the primary outlet port in the first valve housing.
As shown in the
b) depicts table showing the opening and closing of the perforations with the predetermined angles of rotation in the upper portion and the lower portion of the first hollow cylinder along with the drain valve.
c) illustrates perspective views of the first hollow cylinder having multiple peripheral openings in the form of perforations in the first valve housing. There are six perforations provided in the first hollow cylinder 108 are shown in the
d)
a) and
The perforations 204(a) and 204 (b), and 206(a) and 206 (b) are closed in the first hollow cylinder 108. The perforations 202(a) and 202 (b) in the first hollow cylinder 108 coincide with the openings of the primary inlet port 102 and the primary outlet port 104. Also, the drain valve 112 remains closed in the normal operation.
c) illustrates the schematic view of the first valve housing and direction of fluid flow configured in the hydronic system. As shown in
a),
As shown in the
e) illustrates the schematic view of the first valve housing and the direction of fluid flow configured in the hydronic system 1000.
Further,
d) illustrates the schematic view of the first valve housing 100 with the absence of fluid flow in the hydronic system 1000 for maintenance and cleaning of one or more internal components such as the mesh strainer 110.
As shown in the
As shown in the
As shown in the
c) illustrates the schematic view of the first valve housing and the direction of fluid flow configured with the second valve housing in the hydronic system 1000.
Source 802 is the point where heat is added to (heating) or removed from (cooling) the system. Ideally, the amount of energy entering or leaving the source equals the amount entering or leaving through the load. Any device that can be used to heat or cool water under controlled conditions can be used as a source device. The most common source devices for heating include hot water generator or boiler, steam-to-water heat exchanger, solar heating panels, exhaust gas heat exchanger, incinerator heat exchanger, heat pump condenser, air-to-water heat exchanger. And, cooling source devices include electric compression chiller, thermal absorption chiller, heat pump evaporator, air-to-water heat exchanger, water-to-water heat exchanger and others.
The load 804 is the device that causes heat to flow out of or into the hydronic system 1000. Outward heat flow characterizes a heating system, and inward heat flow characterizes a cooling system. For example, heating load devices include preheat coils in central units, heating coils in central units, zone or central reheat coils, finned-tube radiators, fan-coil units and others. While, the cooling load devices, for example, include coils in central units, fan-coil units, induction unit coils, radiant cooling panels, water-to-water heat exchangers and others.
The expansion chamber 806 serves both a thermal function and hydraulic function. In its thermal function the tank provides a space into which the non compressible liquid can expand or from which it can contract as the liquid undergoes volumetric changes with changes in temperature. To allow for this expansion or contraction, the expansion tank provides an interface point between the system fluid and a compressible gas.
The centrifugal pumps are the most commonly type of pumps 808 used in hydronic systems. Circulating pumps used in water systems can vary in size from small in-line circulators delivering 5 gpm at 6 or 7 ft head to base-mounted or vertical pumps handling hundreds or thousands of gallons per minute, with pressures limited only by the characteristics of the system. The distribution system 810 is the piping connecting the various other components of the system. The primary considerations in designing this system are (1) sizing the piping to handle the heating or cooling capacity required and (2) arranging the piping to ensure flow in the quantities required at design conditions and at all other loads.
The second hollow cylinder 908 is configured within the second valve housing 900 to isolate the primary inlet port 902 and the primary outlet port 904. The isolation provides the operation for multiple internal fluid flow flushing. The nested cylinder 910 is configured for fluid flow control and self balancing. Further, the venturi tube 912 is characterized by a constricted flow passage for measuring the fluid flow. The venturi tube 912 is at least proximally located at the primary inlet port 902 of the second valve housing 900.
The cover plate 914 seals the base of the second valve housing 900. The motor 926 is a hydraulic control actuator provided in the second valve housing 900. The motor 926 can be controlled either electrically or pneumatically. The handle 918 and stem 920 mechanisms are provided for the rotation of the second hollow cylinder 908 to provide fluid flow in the second valve housing 900. The handle 918 and stem 920 mechanisms can be any suitable shape and be used as a substitute for the cylindrical rod which is used in the flow control device, for achieving the purpose of the invention. Further, the cylindrical rod has a sufficient strength to bear the load of the other devices mounted over it, without undergoing any deflections or getting deformed. The handle 918 and stem 920 mechanisms is positioned adjacently along the length of the second valve housing 900. The second valve housing 900 also includes at least one of predetermined pressure port and predetermined temperature port (not shown in the figure).
The optimized flow control device of the claimed invention can be used in many applications where a demand for a specific flow rate of a fluid exists. For example, many hydronic systems including water-cooled chillers and other cooling units use water as an active heat transfer medium and the device would find its application in controlling flow through the water piping networks through such systems, wherever required. Also, the configuration of both the first valve housing 100 and the second valve housing 900 may be used in multiple positions of an example closed hydronic system 1000 in
Further, in the example configuration can be used to connect Air handling units, chillers, boilers, cooling towers of heat exchangers to the hydronic circuits.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable details with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are also possible.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/830,069, filed Jun. 1, 2013, entitled “OPTIMIZED MULTI-FUNCTIONAL FLOW CONTROL DEVICE.”
Number | Date | Country | |
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61830069 | Jun 2013 | US |