TH11477A - Fluid flow controller - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluid flow control has an outer housing containing a cylindrical chamber. A spherical component, slightly smaller in diameter than the chamber's diameter, can move within the chamber. In one configuration, bypass channels in the chamber extend around the sphere. Fluid flow in the inlet channel through a hole created between the sphere and the channel creates a pressure drop, causing the fluid on the inlet side of the sphere to have higher pressure than the fluid on the opposite side. This resulting pressure pushes the sphere against a spring. Fluid on the opposite side of the sphere exits the chamber through a radially oriented outlet channel positioned near the sphere. As the inlet pressure and flow increase, the sphere moves towards the outlet, covering a larger percentage of the inlet area, thus increasing the pressure drop into the outlet and compensating for the increased inlet pressure. A second longitudinal channel terminates on the flow end of the sphere. The inlet flow can use this second longitudinal channel to bypass the sphere, but movement... The sphere's opening can be opened or closed via a second longitudinal channel with varying degrees of control. This second longitudinal channel provides a way to change the control level of the flow controller. In another configuration, the fluid is directed to the opposite side of the sphere through two channels: a higher-pressure channel and a lower-pressure channel. One hole in the lower-pressure channel creates a pressure drop to reduce the pressure in the lower-pressure channel compared to the pressure in the higher-pressure channel. The increased flow increases the pressure on the higher-pressure side of the sphere, pushing it over most of the outlet channel.

Claims (26)

1. A fluid flow controller is designed to deliver fluid at a controlled rate from the downstream end to the controller, relative to the upstream fluid pressure. The controller consists of: a) an outer housing with an inlet for receiving the upstream fluid, a main chamber connected to the inlet, and an outlet connected to the main chamber for delivering the downstream fluid; b) a movable spherical component, supported within the main chamber near a partial closure of the outlet, with a diameter slightly smaller than the main chamber; c) a pressure divider for distributing the fluid to opposite sides of the movable component. This divider includes a pressure reducing device to reduce the pressure drop at the inlet to the main chamber. The pressure reducing device creates pressure unequalities on opposite sides of the movable component, resulting in a higher pressure side connected to the inlet and a lower pressure side connected to the outlet; and d) a bias (menas) device located in the outer housing and extending into the main chamber in contact with the movable component. To bias the movable spherical component against the higher pressure acting on it, the movable component can move in response to changes in upstream pressure. This causes a change in pressure drop by the pressure reducing device to alter the net force on the movable component. This movable component then moves in response to changes in the net force that alter the obstruction of the outlet channel. 2. The fluid flow control of claim 1, in which the main chamber has an outer wall containing a pressure divider consisting of a primary longitudinal slot in the outer wall, through which a movable spherical assembly passes from the higher pressure side to the lower pressure side. 3. The fluid flow control of claim 2, whereby the outlet device consists of an outlet radially perpendicular to the primary longitudinal channel. 4. The fluid flow control of claim 3 also consists of a secondary longitudinal slot in the main chamber, extending from the higher-pressure side of the movable spherical assembly and terminating at one end on the lower-pressure side of the movable spherical assembly, adjacent to the movable spherical assembly, to create a variable hole between the movable spherical assembly and the end of the secondary longitudinal slot on the lower-pressure side of the movable spherical assembly. The size of this variable hole depends on the position of the movable spherical assembly relative to the end of the secondary longitudinal slot. 5. The fluid flow control of claim 1, which also includes an adjustable port device between the movable spherical assembly and the main chamber for changing the pressure difference between the higher and lower pressure sides of the movable spherical assembly, while the position of the movable spherical assembly relative to the outlet device changes in response to changing pressure at the inlet device. 6. The fluid flow control of claim 1, which the pressure divider consists of at least a high-pressure chamber and a low-pressure chamber, both of which are in contact with the inlet device, has a pressure reducing device consisting of a hole in the low-pressure chamber to reduce the pressure in the low-pressure chamber to a level lower than the pressure in the high-pressure chamber. 7. The fluid flow control of claim 6, in which the low-pressure channel terminates on one side of the sphere and projects onto the sphere as area one; the high-pressure channel extends to the main chamber and projects onto the sphere as area two; the pressure from the fluid in the main chamber from the high-pressure channel acts on area two on the sphere; area two is larger than area one. 8. A fluid flow control mechanism under claim 7, which positions the movable spherical component to partially cover the outlet channel. 9. The fluid flow control of claim 8 also consists of a surface in the main chamber that will guide the movable spherical component to the outlet device as the movable spherical component moves toward that surface. 10. A fluid flow control device under claim 6 in which the damping device extends at least partially through a low-pressure channel to contact a moving spherical assembly. 11. The fluid flow control of claim 1, in which the pressure divider consists of a hole drilled through a movable spherical assembly. 12. The fluid flow control of claim 11, in which the pressure reducing device consists of one hole in a drilled hole. 13. A fluid flow control system consists of: a. An inlet connected to the upstream fluid source; b. An outlet connected to the inlet via the downstream end of the chamber; c. A movable component supported within the chamber, which moves to a position partially blocking the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet, dividing the chamber into a higher-pressure end and a lower-pressure end; d. A bypass device in contact with the movable component, pushing it away from the outlet; e. A bypass device extending from the inlet into the lower-pressure end of the chamber to create pressure there, which in turn pushes the movable component away from the outlet; and f. A pressure reducing device between the inlet and chamber to decrease the pressure at the lower-pressure end and increase the pressure at the higher-pressure end. The force at the higher-pressure end pushes the movable component towards the outlet, covering a portion of the outlet. 14. A fluid flow control device consists of: a. an outer housing containing a chamber. This chamber has an inlet that extends from the chamber to the outside of the outer housing, through which the fluid flows. b. a movable component, supported within the outer housing and with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the chamber. c. at least one primary longitudinal port extending along the inside of the primary chamber. This primary longitudinal port protrudes adjacent to the movable component to create a hole between the movable component and the primary chamber. d. an outlet port from the primary chamber, protruding adjacent to the movable component towards the outside of the outer housing. and e. a bias device within the outer housing, extending into the primary chamber to contact the movable component and bias it against the fluid flow through the inlet port. 15. The fluid flow control of claim 14, in which a movable assembly divides the main chamber between the upstream and downstream ends, by positioning an outlet at the downstream end of the main chamber adjacent to the movable assembly. 16. The fluid flow control of claim 14, whose outlet consists of a radial outlet perpendicular to the primary longitudinal channel. 17. The fluid flow control of claim 16 also consists of a secondary longitudinal channel in the main chamber, extending from the upstream end of the main chamber and terminating at the downstream end of the main chamber adjacent to the movable assembly, to create a hole between the downstream end of the secondary longitudinal channel and the movable assembly. 18. The fluid flow control of claim 14 also consists of a surface in the main chamber that guides the movable component toward the outlet as the movable component moves toward that surface. 19. The fluid flow control of claim 14, in which the pressure divider consists of a bore drilled through a movable assembly. 20. The fluid flow control of claim 19, in which the pressure reducing device consists of one hole in a drilled hole. 21. A fluid flow control device consists of: a. a chamber and an outlet protruding from the chamber; b. a movable component supported within the chamber and positioned to create a pressure drop for fluid flow from the chamber into the outlet; and c. an inlet and divider device protruding from the inlet, consisting of a high-pressure channel extending from the inlet into the chamber on one side of the movable component. The pressure from the fluid in the higher-pressure chamber pushes the movable component towards the outlet, increasing the pressure drop between the chamber and the outlet. The divider also consists of a lower-pressure channel extending into the chamber to create pressure on the opposite side of the movable component from the high-pressure channel. Fluid from the inlet flows through the lower-pressure channel adjacent to the outlet into the outlet. 22. A fluid flow control device consists of: a) an outer housing forming a chamber, an inlet protruding into the chamber, and an outlet protruding from the chamber; b) a movable component supported within the chamber between the inlet and outlet; this movable component at least partially covers the outlet; c) a bore protruding through the movable component to divide the chamber into higher and lower pressure ends; and d) a hole within the bore to create a pressure drop through the bore, resulting in a lower pressure at the lower-pressure end compared to the higher-pressure end. 23. The fluid flow control of claim 22, whose outlet consists of a pair of openings from the chamber through the outer housing. 24. A fluid flow control under claim 22 in which the movable element has a curved surface in the longitudinal direction. 25. The fluid flow control of claim 22, which is a chamber formed by bore holes in the outer housing, is generally cylindrical in shape from the inlet to the sphere. The bore holes of the outer housing have a curve on the side of the bore holes opposite the outlet. 26. A fluid flow control device consists of: a. An inlet connected to the upstream fluid source; b. An outlet connected to the inlet through the downstream end of the chamber from the inlet; c. A movable component supported inside the chamber, which can move to a position that partially blocks the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet. This movable component divides the chamber into a higher-pressure end and a lower-pressure end; d. A bias device that is in contact with the movable component and supports the movable component towards the higher-pressure end; e. A hole drilled through the movable component through which the fluid flows from the higher-pressure end to the lower-pressure end, creating a force that opposes the force from the higher-pressure end. This net force moves the movable component against the bias device; and f. A hole drilled to create a pressure drop between the higher-pressure and lower-pressure ends. (Clause 26, page, figure)