US20140102559A1 - Pressure Regulator Having an Integral Pilot and Self-Relieving Machanism - Google Patents
Pressure Regulator Having an Integral Pilot and Self-Relieving Machanism Download PDFInfo
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- US20140102559A1 US20140102559A1 US14/138,595 US201314138595A US2014102559A1 US 20140102559 A1 US20140102559 A1 US 20140102559A1 US 201314138595 A US201314138595 A US 201314138595A US 2014102559 A1 US2014102559 A1 US 2014102559A1
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- Prior art keywords
- valve
- pressure
- diaphragm
- pressure regulating
- pilot
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- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G05D16/00—Control of fluid pressure
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G05D16/00—Control of fluid pressure
- G05D16/14—Control of fluid pressure with auxiliary non-electric power
- G05D16/16—Control of fluid pressure with auxiliary non-electric power derived from the controlled fluid
- G05D16/163—Control of fluid pressure with auxiliary non-electric power derived from the controlled fluid using membranes within the main valve
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
- Y10T137/7722—Line condition change responsive valves
- Y10T137/7758—Pilot or servo controlled
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
- Y10T137/7722—Line condition change responsive valves
- Y10T137/7758—Pilot or servo controlled
- Y10T137/7762—Fluid pressure type
- Y10T137/7764—Choked or throttled pressure type
- Y10T137/7766—Choked passage through main valve head
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
- Y10T137/7722—Line condition change responsive valves
- Y10T137/7781—With separate connected fluid reactor surface
- Y10T137/7793—With opening bias [e.g., pressure regulator]
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Control Of Fluid Pressure (AREA)
Abstract
A high flow pressure regulator valve is disclosed having an integral pilot valve. The disclosed valve includes a pressure regulating portion including inlet and outlet ports, a valve seat, valve disc and a spring for biasing the valve disc into engagement with the valve seat. The valve also includes a pilot valve portion positioned on the flow regulating portion. The pilot valve portion includes a pilot spring, a diaphragm and a pusher post. One end of the pusher post is positioned toward the diaphragm and a second end is disposed within an annulus region. The valve further includes a pressure path that enables selective fluid communication between the outlet port, the annulus, an inner chamber region disposed beneath the diaphragm, and an intermediate chamber disposed above the valve disc. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed
Description
- This is a divisional of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/940,314 filed on Nov. 5, 2010, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/258,766, filed on Nov. 6, 2009, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- Embodiments of the invention generally relate to the field of pressure regulating valves, and more particularly to pressure regulating valves that are capable of passing high flow rates with minimal droop with low pressure differential across the valve. In addition, embodiments of the invention relate to pressure regulating valves having an automatic downstream overpressure bleed mechanism.
- 2. Discussion of Related Art
- Further, current high flow rate regulating valves are often manufactured from separate diaphragm and pilot regulator valves that are piped or mounted together. A disadvantage of such an arrangement is that it requires the coupling of two separate valves, which increases the total number of components required, as well as the total number of joints and consequently potential leaks. Thus, it would also be desirable to provide a regulator design that incorporates a regulator and a pilot regulator in a single valve.
- Further, current high flow regulator valves often have a large main diaphragm to provide desired sensitivity to small pressure differentials and to accommodate a desired flow rate. The larger the diaphragm, the more sensitive the regulator is to small pressure differentials. Thus, in some valves, the main diaphragm may be multiple times greater than the seat diameter. It would be desirable to provide a regulator design that is sensitive to small pressure differentials, but does not require a large main diaphragm.
- Further, current pressure regulating valves often have less than desirable droop characteristics. Generally, droop is the deviation of pressure from the set value of a valve as the valve travels from a minimum flow position to a full flow position. It would be desirable to provide a regulator design capable of passing high flow rates with small droop characteristics.
- Further, pressure regulating valves are used in industrial applications to respond to various pressure changes within a system. Such valves are often isolated in a piping system by upstream and downstream isolation valves. During system startup, if the downstream side of a pressure regulator is deadheaded and the upstream isolation valve is opened to pressurize the regulator inlet, the regulator's pressure plate can quickly lift, providing a “burp” of high pressure air downstream. A similar “burp” of high pressure air can also be caused by rapid closing of the downstream isolation valve while flowing at high rates. This high pressure “burp” can provide a false sense of what pressure the valve is regulating. In such instances, readings taken from a downstream pressure gauge may give the appearance that the regulator is not set properly, even if no adjustment is actually required.
- To combat this problem in current valves, downstream pressure is manually bled off to reduce the outlet pressure to the actual set pressure of the regulator. This manual process, however, can be time consuming, and thus it would be desirable to provide an inexpensive method for automatically bleeding off downstream excess pressure in a regulator valve to avoid the aforementioned problems.
- Some embodiments of the disclosed device include a piston style main pressure regulator having a small integral pilot valve mechanism to deliver high flow rates with small droop characteristics. Such embodiments provide a less costly, highly reliable, valve as compared with conventional large diaphragm style regulators which required separately connected pilot regulators.
- Some embodiments of the disclosed device include a pressure regulator having a main piston comprising a main pressure plate. The main regulator may operate like a piston-style regulator, in which the piston is about the same size as the seat, while still providing a desired sensitivity to small pressure differentials. The disclosed design provides an advantage over current regulators that use large main diaphragms to provide high sensitivity to small differential pressures.
- The disclosed pressure regulator incorporates a self-relieving mechanism in a high flow pressure regulator valve. In some embodiments, the disclosed valve also addresses the need to bleed off downstream excess pressure automatically through a unique and inexpensive method.
- A pressure regulating valve is disclosed, comprising a pressure regulating portion including a body having inlet and outlet ports, a valve seat and a valve disc, and an intermediate chamber enclosing a first spring for biasing the valve disc into engagement with the valve seat. The valve may also include a pilot portion positioned on the pressure regulating portion. The pilot portion may comprise a pilot spring, a diaphragm, a pusher post axially fixed to a bleed-seat, and a sub-screw having an axial bore. The sub-screw may be axially fixed to the diaphragm. The pilot portion may further include a seal member disposed between the bleed-seat and the sub-screw. The body may further include a pressure path for fluid communication between the outlet port and an inner chamber region disposed beneath the diaphragm.
- A pressure regulating valve is disclosed, comprising a pressure regulating portion including inlet and outlet ports, a valve seat, a valve disc, and a top chamber enclosing a first spring for biasing the valve disc into engagement with the valve seat. The valve may also include a pilot control portion positioned on the flow regulating portion. The pilot control portion may comprise a pilot spring, a diaphragm and a pusher post. A first end of the pusher post may be positioned toward the diaphragm and a second end of the pusher post may be disposed within an annulus in the top chamber. The valve may further include a pressure path enabling selective fluid communication between the outlet port, the annulus, an inner chamber region disposed beneath the diaphragm, and an intermediate chamber disposed above the valve disc.
- The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed device so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:
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FIG. 1 is a perspective cutaway view of the disclosed valve; -
FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the valve ofFIG. 1 , taken alone line 2-2; and -
FIG. 3 is a detail view of the cross-section ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of an exemplary bleed/diaphragm sub screw for use in the valve ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of an exemplary bleed seat for use in the valve ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of an exemplary pusher post for use in the valve ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 7 is a cross section view of an exemplary seal arrangement for use in the valve ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 8 is a cross section view of the valve ofFIG. 1 , illustrating an exemplary flow path of the disclosed self-relief mechanism; -
FIG. 9 is a cross section view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosed valve; and -
FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the valve ofFIG. 9 , taken along line 10-10. - The following description is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, relative terms such as “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top,” “bottom,” “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downward,” “upward,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship in which structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , the disclosed regulating valve 1 generally comprises abody 2, atop chamber assembly 4, and a pilot spring chamber assembly 6. Thebody 2 generally comprises inlet andoutlet ports seat 12. Thetop chamber assembly 4 generally includes atop chamber 14, a mainpressure plate subassembly 16 and apressure spring 18, where thepressure spring 18 is positioned to bias thepressure plate subassembly 16 into engagement with theseat 12. The pilot spring chamber assembly 6 generally includes apilot spring chamber 20, apilot spring 22, asecond pressure plate 24, adiaphragm 26, and apusher post 28. Thepilot spring 22 is positioned to bias thesecond pressure plate 24 downward to maintain apusher post 28 in a desired position with respect to thetop chamber assembly 4. - The main
pressure plate subassembly 16 is vertically movable within thetop chamber 14 to enable adisc 44, positioned at one end of the subassembly, to move into and out of engagement with theseat 12 on thebody 2. Thedisc 44 is mounted to one end of themain pressure plate 50. Acone washer 52 may be provided at the same end of thepressure plate 50, and may be fixed to the pressure plate via acap screw 54. Thecap screw 54 may have anorifice 56 configured to enable controlled fluid communication between theinlet port 8 of thebody 2 and anintermediate chamber region 58 of thetop chamber assembly 4. - The
top chamber assembly 4 may include apressure path 62 that provides fluid communication between theoutlet port 10 of thebody 2 and aninner chamber region 64 of the pilot spring chamber assembly 6. A first end of thepressure path 62 may include asense port 66 that extends downward into thebody 2 adjacent to theoutlet port 10. A second end of thepressure path 62 terminates in anannulus 68 that surrounds a portion of thepusher post 28 which is disposed within thetop chamber 14. A third end of thepressure path 62 terminates in theinner chamber region 64 of the pilot spring chamber assembly 6. - Referring now to
FIG. 3 , the self-relief mechanism will be described in greater detail. As can be seen, afirst portion 74 of the pusher post 28 (seeFIG. 6 ) resides within theintermediate chamber region 58 of thetop chamber assembly 4. Anelastomeric ring 78 is positioned on ashoulder region 73 of thefirst portion 74 of thepusher post 28, to enable selective sealing of theannulus 68 and theintermediate chamber region 58. Asecond portion 76 of thepusher post 28 comprises arecess 77 which receives aprojection portion 80 of a bleed seat 82 (seeFIG. 5 ). In one embodiment corresponding threads in therecess 78 and on theprojection portion 80 cooperate to fix the two pieces axially with respect to each other. Thebleed seat 82 extends within theinner chamber region 64 of the spring chamber assembly 6, and comprises aflange portion 83 disposed on an end of the seat opposite theprojection portion 80. Abottom face 84 of theflange portion 83 engages asecond pilot spring 86 such that thespring 86 is captured between theflange portion 83 and abottom surface 88 of theinner chamber region 64. Theflange portion 83 further comprises acentral recess 90 configured to receive aseal member 92, which in the illustrated embodiment is an elastomeric ball (seeFIG. 7 ) captured in therecess 90 via plurality of burnishedtabs 91. Theseal member 92 may take any of a variety of other forms (e.g., conical, cylindrical, gasket or o-ring), and need not be a ball shape or an elastomer. Thus, in one embodiment, theseal member 92 may be a cylindrical element made of relatively soft polymer material (e.g., 95 durometer) that can be deformed to conform to the physical contours of the pieces being sealed. - As arranged, the
second pilot spring 86 acts to bias thebleed seat 80 upward toward thediaphragm 26. A bleed/diaphragm sub-screw 94 (seeFIG. 4 ) is positioned between thediaphragm 26 and thebleed screw 80, and may itself have aflange portion 96 arranged to engage a top surface of theseal member 92. On an end of the bleed/diaphragm sub-screw 94 opposite theflange portion 96, the sub-screw is fixed to thesecond pressure plate 24 via a threadednut 99. The bleed/diaphragm sub-screw 94 further has acentral bore 98 for providing fluid communication between theinner chamber region 64 of the pilot spring chamber assembly 6 and theinner volume 100 of thespring chamber 20 when theflange portion 96 and theseal member 92 are disengaged. - Thus arranged, the bleed/
diaphragm sub-screw 94 moves up and down with thepressure plate 24 anddiaphragm 26 as the pressure plate and diaphragm move up and down. Thebleed seat 80 and pusher post 28 are movable upward in response to the bias of thesecond pilot spring 86, and are movable downward in response to downward movement of the bleed/diaphragm sub-screw 94. As will be described in greater detail later, thebleed seat 80 and pusher post 28 are limited in their upward movement by engagement of the pusher postelastomeric ring 78 with an opposingsurface 79 of thetop chamber 14. Thus, thebleed seat 80 and pusher post 28 are separable from the bleed/diaphragm sub-screw 94 during certain operations of the valve 1. This separability provides for selective opening and closing of thecentral bore 98 to thereby open and close the fluid path between theinner chamber region 64 of the pilot spring chamber assembly 6 and theinner volume 100 of thechamber 20. - General operation of the valve 1 will now be described. A tension adjustment screw 85 (
FIG. 8 ) is adjusted to achieve a desired downstream pressure (the set point). Thepressure plate assembly 16 is initially driven open by the inlet pressure, which compresses thespring 18 and allows high capacity flow to pass from theinlet port 8, past theseat 12, and to theoutlet port 10 since thespring 18 and low pressure in theintermediate chamber region 58 offers little resistance to closing theseat 12. As the downstream pressure approaches the set pressure, thespring chamber assembly 20 senses the downstream pressure via thesense port 66 of thepressure path 62. Because thepressure path 62 is in fluid communication with theinner chamber region 64 of the spring chamber assembly 6 viapressure path 62, the downstream pressure is applied to the underside of thediaphragm 26. - When the pressure under the
diaphragm 26 reaches the valve's set point, thepilot spring 22 compresses and thediaphragm 26 rises, carrying with it thepusher post 28, thebleed seat 80 and the bleed/diaphragm sub-screw 94. Thepusher post seal 78 closes off the flow path of inlet pressure between theintermediate chamber region 58 and theannulus 68. Thereafter, theintermediate chamber region 58 fills with increased pressure via fluid flow through theorifice 56 in thepressure plate 50. This flow serves to equalize the pressure across thepressure plate 50 and allows thefirst pressure spring 18 to move thepressure plate 50 anddisc 44 toward theseat 12, reducing flow. In this way, the opening (defined between theseat 12 and the disc 44) between the inlet and outlet ports is throttled down, thus regulating pressure. - Referring to
FIG. 8 , operation of the self-relief mechanism will now be described in greater detail. Specifically,FIG. 8 shows the flow path (generally shown as arrow “A”) of relieving gas from the downstream (i.e., outlet) side of the valve. As previously described, this self-bleeding mechanism accomplishes bleeding off of excessive downstream pressures (i.e., pressures above the set pressure) by decoupling the pusher post 28 from the remainder of the pilot diaphragm sub assembly. - Inlet pressure is initially applied to the inlet port 8 (
FIG. 2 ) of the valve 1 (e.g., when the inlet isolation valve is opened to bring the valve 1 on line). This inlet pressure pushes up the pressure plate 16 (FIG. 2 ). Residual flow passes by thepusher post 28, which is in a downward position and so is not yet sealed to thetop chamber 14. This residual flow passes through theannulus 68 around thepusher post 28 and travels upward to feed flow to thecavity 64 under thediaphragm 26. Thepusher post 28, bleedseat 80 andseal member 92 travel upward due to the bias of thesecond pilot spring 86 until theelastomeric ring 78 seals against the opposingsurface 79 of the top chamber, and thepressure plate 16 shuts. At a pressure approximately equal to the pilot valve set point, the pusher post (and bleed seat) stop traveling up. At this point, thepusher post 28 and bleedseat 80 are at their highest position. - Also in this position, downstream pressure is applied below the
diaphragm 26 viapressure path 62. The application of this downstream pressure to theinner chamber region 64 of the spring chamber assembly 6 causes thediaphragm 26 and bleed/diaphragm sub-screw 94 to lift move upward (the position shown inFIG. 8 ), and lift off theseal member 92, which is captured by thebleed seat 80. Once the bleed/diaphragm sub-screw 94 andseal member 92 disengage, thecentral bore 98 of the sub-screw 94 is exposed to thechamber region 64 and pressure in thechamber region 64 is relieved through thecentral bore 98, which feeds flow into theinner volume 100 of thespring chamber 20 and out ahole 102 in the wall of thespring chamber 20. Once the pressure is relieved through thishole 102, thediaphragm 26 and bleed/diaphragm sub-screw 94 move back downward under pressure of thepilot spring 22 until the sub-screw 94 again engages theseal member 92, sealing thecentral bore 98 and blocking flow between thechamber region 64 and thespring chamber 22. - In one non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the
hole 102 in thespring chamber 20 is about 0.090 inches in diameter, thecentral bore 98 is about 0.090 inches in diameter, thepressure path 62 is about 0.090 inches in diameter, and the inner diameter of thesense tube 66 is about 0.076 inches. In an alternative embodiment, the inside diameter of each of these elements is about 0.159 inches. - Referring now to
FIG. 9 , an alternative embodiment of apressure regulating valve 200 is shown. The disclosedvalve 200 comprises abody 202, atop chamber assembly 204, and a pilotspring chamber assembly 206. Thebody 202 generally comprises inlet andoutlet ports seat 212. Thetop chamber assembly 204 generally comprises atop chamber 214, a mainpressure plate subassembly 216 and apressure spring 218, where thepressure spring 218 is positioned to bias thepressure plate subassembly 216 into engagement with theseat 212. The pilotspring chamber assembly 206 generally comprises apilot spring chamber 220, apilot spring 222, asecond pressure plate 224, adiaphragm 226, and apusher post 228. Thepilot spring 222 is positioned to bias thesecond pressure plate 224 anddiaphragm 226 against asupport region 230 located near the top of thetop chamber 214, and to maintain thepusher post 228 in a desired position with respect to the top chamber assembly. - The
body 202 may also include astrainer screen 232 to minimize the entry of foreign material near theseat 212. To allow easy removal and cleaning of thestrainer screen 232, aremovable plug 234 may be provided in the body directly beneath the strainer screen. Theplug 234 may be externally threaded to engage cooperating threads of thebody 202. Anelastomeric washer 236 may be provided at the connection between thescreen 232 and plug 234 to prevent the unwanted passage of fluid between the screen and plug. An elastomeric o-ring 238 provided between theplug 234 andbody 202 prevents leakage past the threads during operation. The inlet andoutlet ports body 202 may be configured as desired (e.g., threaded, brazed, welded) to enable sealed connection with associated piping system components. - The
top chamber assembly 204 is positioned on thebody 202, and is held in sealed engagement with the body via a plurality ofcap screws 240 and an o-ring 242. The mainpressure plate subassembly 216 is vertically movable within thetop chamber 214 to enable adisc 244, positioned at one end of the subassembly, to move into and out of engagement with theseat 12 on thebody 202. The mainpressure plate subassembly 216 may be sealed to aninner surface 246 of thetop chamber 214 via one or more o-rings 248 disposed within a circumferential groove in thepressure plate 250. As noted, adisc 244 is mounted to one end of thepressure plate 250. In addition, acone washer 252 may be provided at the same end of thepressure plate 250, and may be fixed to the pressure plate viacap screw 254. For reasons that will be explained further below, thecap screw 254 may have anorifice 256 configured to enable controlled fluid communication between theinlet port 208 of thebody 202 and anintermediate chamber 258 of thetop chamber assembly 204. Afilter element 260 may be provided in thecap screw 254 to prevent debris from clogging theorifice 256. Thecap screw 254 andfilter element 260 can be provided as separate pieces from theorifice 256 to enable easy cleaning in case of clogs, and also to enable the user to change orifice sizes as desired. - The
top chamber assembly 204 may further include apressure path 262 that provides fluid communication between theoutlet port 210 of thebody 202 and aninner chamber region 264 of the pilotspring chamber assembly 206. A first end of thepressure path 262 may include asense port 266 that extends downward into thebody 202 adjacent to theoutlet port 210. A second end of thepressure path 262 terminates in anannulus 268 that surrounds a portion of thepusher post 228 which is disposed within thetop chamber 214. Aplug 270 is threaded into a portion of thepressure path 262 to seal the path from the outside environment. - The pilot
spring chamber assembly 206 is positioned on thetop chamber assembly 204, and the two are held in engagement via a threadedconnection 272. As previously noted, thesecond pressure plate 224,diaphragm 226, and pusher post 228 are vertically movable within thespring chamber 220. Afirst portion 274 of thepusher post 228 resides within theintermediate chamber 258 of thetop chamber assembly 204, while asecond portion 276 resides within thespring chamber 220. Anelastomeric ring 278 is positioned on a shoulder region of thefirst portion 274 of thepusher post 228, to enable selective sealing of theannulus 268 and theintermediate chamber 258. Thesecond portion 276 is fixed to thesecond pressure plate 224 via a threadednut 280. Thus, as thepressure plate 224 anddiaphragm 226 move up and down, thepusher post 228 is moved into and out of sealed engagement with theannulus 268. - An
annular diaphragm stop 282 may be positioned above thediaphragm 226 to prevent over-extension of the diaphragm during operation. Thespring chamber assembly 206 may additionally include atension adjustment screw 284 threadably mounted to a top of thespring chamber 220. Thetension adjustment screw 284 engages thepilot spring 222 via aplate 286, enabling a user to adjust the amount of force required to compress thespring 222 in operation, which in turn, adjusts the pressure at which thepusher post 228 seals theannulus 268 from theintermediate chamber 258 of thetop chamber assembly 204. - In operation, the
tension adjustment screw 284 is adjusted to achieve a desired downstream pressure (i.e., set point). Thepressure plate assembly 216 is initially driven open by the inlet pressure, which compresses thespring 218 and allows high capacity flow to pass from theinlet port 208, through theseat 212, and to theoutlet port 210 as thespring 218 and low pressure in theintermediate chamber 258 offers little resistance to closing theseat 212. As the downstream pressure approaches the set pressure, thespring chamber assembly 220 senses the downstream pressure via thesense port 266 of thepressure path 262. Because thepressure path 262 is in fluid communication with theinner chamber region 264 of thespring chamber assembly 206 viapressure path 62, the downstream pressure is applied to the underside of thediaphragm 226. - When the pressure under the
diaphragm 226 reaches the set point, thepilot spring 222 compresses and thediaphragm 226 rises, carrying thepusher post 228 with it. Upward movement of thepusher post 228 seals off the flow path of inlet pressure between theintermediate chamber 258 and theannulus 268. Thereafter, theintermediate region 258 fills with increased pressure via fluid flow through theorifice 256 in thepressure plate 250. This flow serves to equalize the pressure across thepressure plate 250 and allows thefirst pressure spring 218 to move thepressure plate 250 anddisc 244 toward theseat 212, reducing flow. In this way, the opening (defined between theseat 212 and the disc 244) between the inlet and outlet ports is throttled down, regulating pressure. - It will be appreciated that the
knob 270,bottom plug 234 and strainer/screen 232 are optional, and are not critical to the operation of the disclosedvalve 200. Likewise, thecone washer 252, which is disposed beneath thedisc 244, may in some applications serve to reduce flow oscillations during throttling, thus resulting in smoother throttling. While an enhancement, thecone washer 252 also is not considered to be critical to the design. - Referring to
FIG. 10 , ableed screw assembly 288 is shown positioned within a wall of thebody 202 adjacent thedownstream port 210. Thebleed screw assembly 288 consists of aplug 290 having external threads for threading into a port in thebody 202, and internal threads for receiving a threadedbleed screw 292. As can be seen, thebleed screw 292 has aninternal passage 294 for allowing selective fluid communication between thedownstream port 210 of thebody 202 and the outside environment to bleed excess pressure above set to atmosphere. - The disclosed
valve 200 is expected to provide up to 2000 scfm flow for 2″ and 1 ½″ nominal connections requiring 2000 scfm, with approximately 20% droop with as little as 10 psi differential pressure across the valve. Other nominal sizes and flow rates are expected to be achievable via appropriate component scaling. Spring constants for thesprings orifice 256 in thecap screw 254 may have a diameter of about 0.022-inches. It will be appreciated, however, that other orifice sizes can be used as desired. - The individual components of the disclosed device may be constructed of any of a variety of materials appropriate for the intended application, taking into consideration the temperature and pressure ratings of the application, the flow rates desired, as well as the operating fluid. In an exemplary embodiment, the body, top chamber and spring chamber may be constructed of aluminum. The springs may be constructed of steel or stainless steel. Internal components may be constructed of stainless steel, bronze and/or brass. Sealing components such as o-rings, discs, the seal members and the diaphragm may be constructed of an appropriate polymeric and/or elastomeric material such as neoprene, nylon, viton, buna, or the like.
- While the present invention has been disclosed with reference to certain embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it has the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, and equivalents thereof.
Claims (10)
1. A pressure regulating valve, comprising:
a pressure regulating portion including inlet and outlet ports, a valve seat, a valve disc, and a top chamber enclosing a first spring for biasing the valve disc into engagement with the valve seat;
a pilot control portion positioned on the pressure regulating portion, the pilot control portion comprising a pilot spring, a diaphragm and a pusher post;
a first end of the pusher post positioned toward the diaphragm and a second end of the pusher post disposed within an annulus in the top chamber; and
a pressure path enabling selective fluid communication between the outlet port, the annulus, an inner chamber region disposed beneath the diaphragm, and an intermediate chamber disposed above the valve disc.
2. The regulator valve of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the pressure path is associated with a sense port that is in fluid communication with the outlet port, and a second end of the pressure path terminates in the annulus.
3. The pressure regulating valve of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the pressure path is formed in a body portion of the valve.
4. The pressure regulating valve of claim 3 , further comprising a bleed screw assembly comprising a plug having external threads for threading into a port in the body portion, the plug further including internal threads for receiving a threaded bleed screw therein.
5. The pressure regulating valve of claim 4 , wherein the bleed screw includes an internal passage for allowing selective fluid communication between the outlet port and the outside environment.
6. The pressure regulating valve of claim 1 , wherein the sense port extends into the outlet port.
7. The pressure regulating valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve disc includes an orifice enabling controlled fluid flow between the inlet port and the intermediate chamber.
8. The pressure regulating valve of claim 1 , wherein in a first position the pusher post enables flow between the outlet port, the annulus and the intermediate chamber, and in a second position the pusher post prevents flow between the outlet port and the intermediate chamber.
9. The pressure regulating valve of claim 1 , comprising an o-ring disposed about a shoulder region of the pusher post for selective sealing of the annulus and the intermediate chamber.
10. The pressure regulating valve of claim 1 , comprising a pressure plate disposed between the pilot spring and the diaphragm.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US14/138,595 US20140102559A1 (en) | 2009-11-06 | 2013-12-23 | Pressure Regulator Having an Integral Pilot and Self-Relieving Machanism |
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Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US25876609P | 2009-11-06 | 2009-11-06 | |
US12/940,314 US8627846B2 (en) | 2009-11-06 | 2010-11-05 | Pressure regulator having an integral pilot and self-relieving mechanism |
US14/138,595 US20140102559A1 (en) | 2009-11-06 | 2013-12-23 | Pressure Regulator Having an Integral Pilot and Self-Relieving Machanism |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US12/940,314 Division US8627846B2 (en) | 2009-11-06 | 2010-11-05 | Pressure regulator having an integral pilot and self-relieving mechanism |
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US20140102559A1 true US20140102559A1 (en) | 2014-04-17 |
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US12/940,314 Active 2032-03-02 US8627846B2 (en) | 2009-11-06 | 2010-11-05 | Pressure regulator having an integral pilot and self-relieving mechanism |
US14/138,595 Abandoned US20140102559A1 (en) | 2009-11-06 | 2013-12-23 | Pressure Regulator Having an Integral Pilot and Self-Relieving Machanism |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US12/940,314 Active 2032-03-02 US8627846B2 (en) | 2009-11-06 | 2010-11-05 | Pressure regulator having an integral pilot and self-relieving mechanism |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (2) | US8627846B2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2011057165A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9678513B2 (en) * | 2015-04-06 | 2017-06-13 | Tescom Corporation | Fluid regulating unit |
US11435003B2 (en) * | 2019-05-08 | 2022-09-06 | Pittway Sarl | Pressure reducer |
WO2022218605A1 (en) * | 2021-04-14 | 2022-10-20 | Memjet Technology Limited | Pressure-regulating valve with dual valve members |
Families Citing this family (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8627846B2 (en) * | 2009-11-06 | 2014-01-14 | Pentair Valves & Controls US LP | Pressure regulator having an integral pilot and self-relieving mechanism |
US8733729B2 (en) | 2011-10-10 | 2014-05-27 | Liebert Corporation | Back pressure capable solenoid operated diaphragm pilot valve |
ES2625346T3 (en) * | 2014-03-13 | 2017-07-19 | Imi Hydronic Engineering International Sa | Pilot valve arrangement |
PL2918881T3 (en) * | 2014-03-13 | 2018-10-31 | Imi Hydronic Engineering International Sa | Pilot valve |
US20160334809A1 (en) * | 2015-05-13 | 2016-11-17 | Itron France | Water pressure reducer |
DE102016111937A1 (en) * | 2016-06-29 | 2018-01-04 | Kendrion (Villingen) Gmbh | Valve for closing and opening a pipe system |
JP6864533B2 (en) * | 2017-04-18 | 2021-04-28 | アズビル株式会社 | Pneumatic controller and control valve |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8627846B2 (en) * | 2009-11-06 | 2014-01-14 | Pentair Valves & Controls US LP | Pressure regulator having an integral pilot and self-relieving mechanism |
Family Cites Families (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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GB903922A (en) * | 1961-03-06 | 1962-08-22 | Robert Sylvester Willis | Improvements in or relating to a "pig ball" recovery device |
US3265303A (en) * | 1964-04-14 | 1966-08-09 | Honeywell Inc | Temperature regulating valve |
GB2099112B (en) * | 1981-04-15 | 1986-01-29 | Dereve Flow Controls Ltd | Fluid pressure governor |
US4730638A (en) * | 1987-02-17 | 1988-03-15 | Carl Hazelton | Combination automatic and manual bleed valve |
JP3704223B2 (en) * | 1997-03-26 | 2005-10-12 | Smc株式会社 | Pressure reducing valve |
US5931182A (en) | 1998-07-16 | 1999-08-03 | Vektek, Inc. | Pressure reducing valve |
DE10002752C1 (en) | 2000-01-22 | 2001-06-21 | Festo Ag & Co | Pressure regulating valve with secondary venting provided via venting opening in movable setting element communicating directly with secondary channel for regulated secondary pressure |
US7134447B2 (en) | 2002-11-22 | 2006-11-14 | Victor Equipment Company | Gas pressure regulator |
US7017605B2 (en) | 2003-06-06 | 2006-03-28 | Trw Automotive U.S. Llc | Valve assembly |
-
2010
- 2010-11-05 US US12/940,314 patent/US8627846B2/en active Active
- 2010-11-06 WO PCT/US2010/055753 patent/WO2011057165A1/en active Application Filing
-
2013
- 2013-12-23 US US14/138,595 patent/US20140102559A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8627846B2 (en) * | 2009-11-06 | 2014-01-14 | Pentair Valves & Controls US LP | Pressure regulator having an integral pilot and self-relieving mechanism |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9678513B2 (en) * | 2015-04-06 | 2017-06-13 | Tescom Corporation | Fluid regulating unit |
US11435003B2 (en) * | 2019-05-08 | 2022-09-06 | Pittway Sarl | Pressure reducer |
WO2022218605A1 (en) * | 2021-04-14 | 2022-10-20 | Memjet Technology Limited | Pressure-regulating valve with dual valve members |
US11940820B2 (en) | 2021-04-14 | 2024-03-26 | Memjet Technology Limited | Pressure-regulating valve with non-linear flow regulator |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2011057165A1 (en) | 2011-05-12 |
US20110108137A1 (en) | 2011-05-12 |
US8627846B2 (en) | 2014-01-14 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |