WO2012063223A1

WO2012063223A1 - Valve body for a valve assembly and valve assembly including said valve body

Info

Publication number: WO2012063223A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/055027
Authority: WO
Inventors: Riccardo Ferrero
Original assignee: Riccardo Ferrero
Priority date: 2010-11-12
Filing date: 2011-11-10
Publication date: 2012-05-18
Also published as: ITTO20100903A1; IT1402993B1; CN103228966A; EP2638312A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a valve body (10) comprising: an inlet duct (12) having an inlet opening (18) capable of receiving a flow of fluid, and a housing portion (20) for a valve (22); an intermediate duct (14) connected downstream from the inlet duct (12) has a housing portion (24) for a filter element (26). The outlet duct (16) is connected downstream of the intermediate duct (14) and has an outlet opening (28) capable of delivering the flow of fluid to the exterior, and a housing portion (30) for an outlet valve (32). The inlet valve (12) also extends along an inlet axis (X-X), while the outlet duct (16) extends along an outlet axis (Y-Y) which is different from the inlet axis (X-X) and the intermediate duct (14) extends along an intermediate axis (Z-Z) which is transverse to the inlet axis (X-X) and the outlet axis (Y-Y).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Title of the invention Valve body for a valve assembly and valve assembly including said valve body Technical sector

This invention relates to a valve body. More specifically the invention relates to a valve body according to the precharacterising clause of appended claim 1.

Furthermore this invention relates to a valve assembly including such valve body and also a "heat transfer control station" which includes such valve assembly. Known art

The use of valve bodies according to the precharacterising clause of claim 1 and valve assemblies provided with the aforesaid valve bodies is known in the art. Figure 1 illustrates an example of the aforesaid type of valve body and a valve assembly provided with such valve body. This example has been developed by the Applicant.

The valve body, indicated by 10' and included in valve assembly 100', includes an inlet duct 12' having

an inlet opening 18' to receive a flow of fluid originating from an external fluid source, and

an inlet housing portion 20' located downstream from inlet opening 18' and intended to receive an inlet valve 22',

an intermediate duct 14' hydraulically connected downstream from inlet duct 12' and having an intermediate housing portion 24' intended to receive a filter element 26', and - an outlet duct 16' hydraulically connected downstream of intermediate duct 14', and having

an outlet opening 28' capable of delivering at least part of the flow of fluid to an external fluid user, and an outlet housing portion 30' intended to receive an outlet valve 32'.

In particular, in valve body 10' inlet duct 12', intermediate duct 14' and outlet duct 16' are elements which are separate from each other and are connected in series in such a way that they are aligned with each other on the same longitudinal axis X'-X'.

Furthermore intermediate duct 14' has an extension 15' transverse to longitudinal axis X'-X' in which there lies intermediate housing portion 24' intended to receive filter 15'. Extension 15' ends in a closure plug 36'.

The nature of valve body 10' described above has proved to be advantageous and efficient in respect of its performance and use. However it does suffer from some disadvantages.

One disadvantage arises from the fact that valve body 10' occupies a significant amount of space in the longitudinal direction, so it is not optimised for use in valve assemblies which require compact dimensions in normal use.

Another disadvantage lies in the fact that valve body 10' is suitable for operation in a substantially horizontal orientation, but not in a substantially vertical or oblique orientation. In fact when valve assembly 100' incorporating valve body 10' is arranged horizontally, filter element 26' succeeds in trapping the particles which have to be filtered out, which fall into extension 15' by gravity and may be removed by removing plug 36'. When valve assembly 100', however, is arranged in a substantially vertical or oblique position, for example with the direction of fluid flow upwards, the particles which have to be filtered out tend to fall back into valve body 10' upstream of filter 26, with significant risk of causing malfunctioning of valve assembly 100' (in particular inlet valve 22').

As will be clear from the remainder of this description, the abovementioned disadvantages are particularly apparent in valve assemblies intended for inclusion in heat transfer control stations for the control of fluids. Summary of the invention

One object of this invention is to provide a valve body capable of overcoming these and other disadvantages of the known art, which can at the same time be produced simply and economically.

According to this invention this and other objects are accomplished through a valve body of the type specified above and defined in the characterising part of appended claim 1. Thanks to the characteristics in claim 1 the valve body according to the invention is of small size and at the same time is suitable for use in either a horizontal or vertical position.

These advantages are particularly appreciated in the context of what are known as "heating boxes" or "heat transfer control stations".

In this description and the appended claims the term "heat transfer control station" generically refers to a pre-assembled device, preferably in a containing cabinet of, for example, thermoplastic or thermo -hardening material (such as polyurethane), intended for the control of heat transfer from one or more heat sources to one or more users of heat.

Generally heat transfer control stations are electrically connected to an external control system intended for the automatic control of their operation. Also such heat transfer control stations can be hydraulically connected with at least one source of fluid as an input, and as an output with at least one heat transfer control station intended to receive at least part of the fluid originating from the fluid source.

In this way heat transfer control stations can be fitted by an engineer who only has to be concerned with the connections to the external components, bringing about an appreciable reduction in the time and cost of installation.

In order to ensure adequate convenience in housing and energy saving there is a need for automated (electronic, mechanical and fluidic) management of heat distribution, and possibly the cooling of environments. For these reasons heat transfer control stations are gradually becoming increasingly more widespread in domestic applications and are usefully incorporated into technical solutions in the home automation field. In this way heat transfer control stations allow users to control and manage their own energy consumption directly according to their own requirements, reducing their energy expenditure as much as possible.

In the light of the above, there is an increasingly frequent need for heat transfer control stations to be installed within even small flats. Because of this the dimensions of heat transfer control stations have to be reduced as much as possible, and this is achieved by reducing the dimensions of the internal components and optimising their arrangement. As a consequence of the reduction in the dimensions of the valve body achieved according to this invention there is a corresponding resulting reduction in the dimensions of the valve assemblies in which they are incorporated - and therefore in the effective dimensions of the heat transfer control stations.

Also, in blocks of flats the pipes carrying heating fluid generally reach individual flats as columns in a vertical direction and with an upward flow. In other situations these pipes have a horizontal orientation. Thus in heat transfer control stations it is desirable to install valve assemblies which can operate when positioned in a vertical orientation or a horizontal orientation.

It is to be understood that the appended claims constitute an integral part of the technical teaching provided here in this description relating to this invention Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, provided purely by way of example and without limitation, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a lateral exploded view of the longitudinal cross-section of a valve assembly according to the known art;

- Figure 2 is a lateral view in elevation of an example embodiment of a valve assembly according to this invention; - Figure 3 is a view in posterior elevation of the valve assembly shown in Figure 2;

- Figure 4 is a magnified view similar to that shown in Figure 2, but which illustrates the valve assembly sectioned along a longitudinal plane; and

- Figure 5 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 4, but which illustrates a valve assembly according to a further embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of some example embodiments of the invention

With reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4 in particular, 10 indicates as a whole an example embodiment of a valve body according to this invention. This valve body is fitted in the first embodiment of a valve assembly 100 which is particularly but not exclusively suitable for use in heat transfer control stations.

Valve body 10 is internally hollow and includes an inlet duct or section 12, an intermediate duct or section 14 hydraulically connected downstream of inlet duct 12, and an outlet duct or section 16 hydraulically connected downstream of intermediate duct 14. As can be seen in Figure 4, inlet duct 12 has within it an inlet space 13, intermediate duct 14 has within it an intermediate space 15 and outlet duct 16 has within it an outlet space 17. As will be made clear in greater detail below, inlet space 13, intermediate space 15 and outlet space 17 are consecutive to each other and define a route for the flow of fluid.

With reference to Figure 4 in particular, inlet duct 12 has an inlet opening 18 capable of receiving a flow of fluid originating from an external fluid source. Also inlet duct 12 has within it an inlet housing portion 20 located downstream of inlet opening 18 intended to receive an inlet valve indicated as a whole by 22.

With reference to Figure 4 in particular, intermediate duct 14 is hydraulically connected downstream of inlet duct 12 and has an intermediate housing portion 24 intended to receive a filter element indicated as a whole by 26.

With reference to Figure 4 in particular, outlet duct 16 is hydraulically connected downstream of intermediate duct 14 and has an outlet opening 28 which is capable of delivering the abovementioned flow of fluid (or at least part thereof) to an external heat transfer control station. Furthermore outlet duct 16 has within it an outlet housing portion 30 intended to receive an outlet valve indicated as a whole by 32.

According to this invention inlet duct 12 extends along an inlet axis X-X, while outlet duct 16 extends along an outlet axis Y-Y which is not the same as inlet axis X-X. Furthermore, again according to this invention, intermediate duct 14 extends along an intermediate axis Z-Z which is transverse to inlet axis X-X and outlet axis Y-Y. As a result of this, characteristic valve body 10 defining a substantially zig-zag route has particularly compact longitudinal dimensions and can also be used in valve assembly 100 either vertically or horizontally without having any adverse effect on the filtering performance and functioning of valve assembly 100.

In fact the particles which have to be filtered out fall into filter element 26 by gravity when valve body 10 is used in both the vertical and in the horizontal, and remain trapped within it.

Preferably valve body 10 is made of a single piece. For example, valve body 10 may be made of brass, bronze, light alloys, steel, stainless steel and high-strength plastics materials. Again by way of example, valve body 10 may be produced by means of a hot or cold moulding process or by casting.

Preferably inlet axis X-X is parallel to and at a distance from the outlet axis. More preferably intermediate axis Z-Z forms an acute inlet angle (for example approximately 45°) and an acute outlet angle respectively (preferably approximately 45°) with inlet axis X-X and outlet axis Y-Y. As a result of these arrangements the dimensions of valve body 10 are further reduced.

Preferably inlet axis X-X, intermediate axis Z-Z and outlet axis Y-Y lie in substantially the same plane.

Preferably intermediate duct 14 has an inspection aperture 34 (see Figure 4) which can be closed off by means of a plug or cover 36. Through inspection aperture 34 access may be gained to intermediate housing portion 24, for example to remove particles which have to be filtered out that are trapped on filter element 26. More preferably, inspection aperture 34 is substantially coaxial with intermediate axis Z-Z. For example, this inspection aperture is located close to the intersection between intermediate axis Z-Z and outlet axis Y-Y. Preferably intermediate duct 14 has a pair of intermediate connections 38 and 39 intended to be connected to a discharge plug 40 and a pressure sensor device 41 respectively. More preferably intermediate connections 38 and 39 are transverse with respect to intermediate axis Z-Z. For example, intermediate connections 38 and 39 are located on opposite sides with respect to intermediate axis Z-Z, and preferably perpendicular to the plane formed between intermediate axis Z-Z and inlet axis X-X or that formed by intermediate axis Z-Z and outlet axis Y-Y. However these intermediate connections 38 and 39 may also be intended to be connected to further hydraulic components, such as for example a discharge tap and a temperature sensor device. In further variant embodiments intermediate duct 14 may possibly also include only one intermediate connection.

Preferably outlet duct 16 has an outlet connection 42 intended to be connected to a discharge plug 44. More preferably outlet connection 42 is transverse with respect to intermediate axis Z-Z. For example outlet connection 42 is located perpendicularly with respect to the plane defined by inlet axis X-X and intermediate axis Y-Y. However this outlet connection 42 is also intended to be connected to further hydraulic elements, such as for example a discharge tap, a temperature sensor device and a pressure sensor device. In other variant embodiments outlet duct 16 may include two or more outlet connections, located for example on opposite sides with respect to the Y-Y outlet axis. Preferably at least one of intermediate connections 38, 39 has an internal female thread or an external male thread for connection to other hydraulic components. More preferably at least one of the two intermediate connections 38, 39 has both an internal thread and an external thread. Preferably outlet connection 42 has an internal female thread or an external male thread for the connection of other hydraulic components. More preferably outlet connection 42 has both an internal thread and an external thread. Preferably at least one of intermediate connections 38, 39 is located upstream of intermediate housing portion 24. In a likewise preferred way, outlet connection 42 is located upstream of outlet housing portion 30. Preferably at least one of inlet ducts 12, intermediate duct 14 and outlet duct 16 has an elongated hollow shape, for example substantially tubular, and optionally having a cavity of circular transverse cross-section.

In this description and the appended claims by the term "substantially tubular" is meant the characteristics of a structure which is substantially hollow, of predominantly longitudinal extent and possibly having slight variations in its internal transverse extent (for example, tapering or "stepped" variations in its internal diameter).

Preferably inlet opening 18 is substantially coaxial with inlet axis X-X. In a likewise preferred way outlet opening 28 is substantially coaxial with outlet axis Y-Y.

Preferably inlet housing portion 20 is a shoulder region made in inlet duct 12 against which inlet valve 22 is intended to bear. In this likewise preferred way intermediate housing portion 24 is a shoulder region made in intermediate duct 14 against which filter element 26 is intended to bear. In a likewise preferred way outlet housing portion 30 is a shoulder region made in outlet duct 16 on which outlet valve 32 is intended to bear.

Preferably inlet duct 12 can be connected to an inlet connection member 46 to connect valve body 10 to the external source of fluid. More preferably, at inlet opening 18 inlet duct 12 has an internal female thread intended to engage a corresponding external male thread on inlet connection member 46. Alternatively, in order to make the connection between inlet duct 12 and inlet connection member 46 the external lateral surface of inlet duct 12 may be provided with an external male thread intended to engage a corresponding internal female thread on inlet connection member 46. Advantageously but not necessarily, inlet duct 12 may have both the abovementioned threads at the same time to provide further options and possibilities of connection to different types of inlet connection members 46. Preferably outlet duct 18 can be connected to an outlet connection member 48 to allow valve body 10 to be connected to the external heat transfer control station. As far as outlet duct 18 is concerned the same considerations as stated above for the connection of inlet connection member 46 to inlet duct 12 apply.

Some advantageous characteristics of the first example embodiment of valve assembly 100 incorporating valve body 10 will be described below.

Valve assembly 100 includes valve body 10, inlet valve 22 fitted in inlet housing portion 20, filter element 26 fitted in intermediate housing portion 24, and outlet valve 32 fitted in outlet housing portion 30. Preferably the inlet valve is a ball valve 22. In a likewise preferred way the outlet valve is a non-return valve 32.

Preferably valve assembly 100 also comprises an intermediate valve, for example a choke or flow regulator valve 49, located in intermediate duct 14. More preferably intermediate valve 49 is surrounded by filter element 26.

Preferably valve assembly 100 also comprises inlet connection member 46 connected to inlet duct 12 at inlet opening 18. In a likewise preferred way valve assembly 100 also comprises outlet connection member 48 connected to outlet duct 16 at outlet opening 28.

Preferably inlet connection member 46 has a substantially tubular shape and has a through inlet axial cavity 50 which opens at inlet opening 18. In a likewise preferred way outlet connection member 48 is of substantially tubular shape and has a through outlet axial cavity 52, which opens at outlet opening 28. Of course inlet connection 46 and outlet connection 48 illustrated in the embodiment are only indicative and may be replaced by other types of connecting members. In fact connecting members for pipes of various kinds (for example smooth pipes without thread) may also be used, in addition to connecting members with a loose nut.

Preferably inlet valve 22 is connected to and bears against inlet duct 12 through a first shoulder surface 20 provided by the inlet housing portion and a second shoulder surface 54 provided by inlet connection member 46, for example by the internal walls of the latter. More preferably second shoulder surface 50 is provided by a radial flange within inlet connection 46.

Preferably inlet connection member 46 has an internal female thread made in axial inlet cavity 50 and is suitable to allow inlet duct 12 to be connected to the external source of fluid. As an alternative, in order to provide the abovementioned connection the outer lateral surface of inlet connection member 46 may have an external male thread. Advantageously but not necessarily, inlet connection member 46 may have both the abovementioned threads at the same time to allow more options and possibilities for connection to the external source of fluid. As far as the means of connection of outlet connection member 48 to the external heat transfer control station are concerned, the same considerations as stated above for the connection of inlet connection member 46 to the external source of fluid apply.

Preferably inlet valve 22 is attached to and bears against inlet duct 12 through a first shoulder surface 20 provided by the inlet housing portion and a second shoulder surface 54 provided by inlet connection member 46, for example by the internal walls of the latter. More preferably first shoulder surface 20 is made by a reduction in the internal width (or internal diameter) of inlet duct 14. Likewise more preferably second shoulder surface 50 is provided by an internal radial flange of inlet connection 46.

Preferably outlet valve 32 is connected to and bears against outlet duct 16 through a first bearing surface 30 provided by the outlet housing portion and a second bearing surface 56 provided by outlet connection member 48. More preferably first bearing surface 30 is provided by a reduction in the internal width (or internal diameter) of outlet duct 14. Likewise more preferably the second bearing surface is provided by the axial extremity 56 of outlet connection 48.

Preferably valve assembly 100 comprises a control member 58, for example a rotatable handle, fitted on inlet duct 14 and operatively connected to the plug of inlet valve 22. More preferably control member 58 is connected to the plug of the inlet valve through a rod 60 which is inserted in a leaktight way, for example through seals and/or a gland, through inlet duct 14. Even more preferably control member 58 is located on the opposite side of intermediate duct 14 with respect to inlet axis X-X. Preferably choke or flow regulator valve 49 comprises a support structure 64 that can be attached to inspection aperture 34, for example by means of threaded connection, through which is fitted a movable plug 66 whose position can be adjusted with respect to support structure 64. In the example illustrated the support structure is a generic plug screw 64 described in the jargon as a "viton". In this embodiment the threaded connection is provided through an internal female thread provided in the intermediate duct at inspection aperture 34, and a corresponding external male thread on the lateral external surface of support structure 64.

Preferably support structure 64 is located between plug or cover 36 and inspection aperture 34.

Preferably the position of movable plug 66 can be adjusted in support structure 64 through a threaded connection, in which movable plug 66 can be moved through support structure 64 in a guided way as a result of supplementary threads. For example, movable plug 66 may have a hollow head 68 which can be engaged with a screwdriver, an Allen key or the like. Advantageously, movable plug 66 may be used to adjust the flow through valve body 10 when it functions within a system.

Preferably movable plug 66 ends in an end member or plate 70 which is operatively located between the bottom extremity of support structure 64 and shoulder 24. End member 70 acts as a plug member, in that it is intended to act together with shoulder 24 which in turn acts as a valve seat to control the loss of head which has to be provided between inlet duct 12 and outlet duct 16.

Preferably movable plug 66 is surrounded by filter element 26. More preferably filter element 26 also surrounds the end extremity of support structure 64. Preferably filter element 26 is fitted in intermediate housing portion 24 in such a way that it is intended to receive the flow of fluid from inlet duct 12 in a substantially axial direction and allow passage of the flow of fluid to outlet duct 16 through its side walls in a substantially transverse direction. In this way the particles which have to be filtered out remain trapped within filter element 26 even when valve body 10 is used in the vertical and do not tend to fall into inlet valve 22 upstream of filter 26.

Preferably filter element 26 is connected to and supported on intermediate duct 14 between a first support surface 24 provided by the intermediate housing portion and a second support surface 72 provided by intermediate valve 49. More preferably first support surface 24 is provided by a reduction in the internal width (or internal diameter) of intermediate duct 14. Likewise more preferably the second support surface is provided by an enlarged portion 72 of support structure 64 for intermediate valve 49. In the embodiment illustrated, enlarged portion 72 is connected in a threaded manner to inspection aperture 34. As an alternative second support surface 72 may instead be borne by plug 36, especially but not necessarily in the case where no intermediate valve 49 is provided for in valve assembly 100 (for example see the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, in which the plug is indicated by 236, while the second support surface is indicated by reference 272).

Preferably valve assembly 100 includes a discharge plug 40 and a temperature sensor device 41 connected to intermediate connections 38 and 39. However, as will be clear to a person skilled in the art, in the light of this description and the appended drawings, valve assembly 100 may comprise a variety of different hydraulic components connected to intermediate connections 38 and 39, such as for example discharge taps and pressure sensor devices, in addition to the discharge plug and the temperature sensor device already mentioned. The connection between these hydraulic components and corresponding intermediate connections 38 and 39 is preferably provided through a threaded connection. Preferably valve assembly 100 includes another discharge plug 44 connected to outlet connection 42. However, as will be clear to a person skilled in the art, in the light of this description and the appended drawings, valve assembly 100 may comprise a variety of different hydraulic components connected to outlet connection 42, such as for example, apart from the discharge plug already mentioned, discharge taps, pressure sensor devices and temperature sensor devices. The connections between these hydraulic components and outlet connection 42 are preferably by means of threaded coupling. Of course, whenever outlet duct 16 includes only one pair of outlet connections, valve assembly 100 will comprise a pair of hydraulic components associated with those connections. Clearly the connections which are not used will be suitably blanked off.

In a further embodiment, valve assembly 100 comprises a pressure difference sensor, for example a differential pressure gauge, located and fluidly connected to intermediate connection 38 and outlet connection 42 to measure the loss of head effectively produced between inlet duct 12 and outlet duct 16.

With reference to Figure 5, 200 indicates a second embodiment of a valve assembly according to this invention.

Valve assembly 200 comprises a valve body 10 similar to that illustrated in connection with the first embodiment of the valve assembly indicated by 100 in Figures 2 to 4. Thus the same alphanumeric references are associated with similar details and elements - or ones having a similar function - to those in the embodiment previously illustrated. For reasons of conciseness a description of these items and elements will not be repeated again below, but reference will be made to what has already been stated in the description for the first embodiment. Conversely, with regard to items or members which are new or different with respect to the first embodiment, the reference numbers associated with these correspond to a continuation of the numbering used for the first embodiment with the addition of the value 200.

In the second embodiment of valve assembly 200, inlet valve 22 has been illustrated in an operating condition (closed condition) which differs from that (open condition) illustrated in Figure 4 and with respect to the first embodiment of valve assembly 100.

Also valve assembly 200 has no intermediate valve 49 and the single closure plug 36 is connected to inspection aperture 34. Unlike the first embodiment in which second support surface 72 is provided by intermediate valve 49, closure plug 236 itself provides a second support surface 272. Preferably the second support surface comprises the enlarged extremity 272 of plug 236. More preferably enlarged extremity 272 has an external male thread which engages the corresponding internal female thread in inspection aperture 34.

Of course, without altering the principle of the invention, the embodiments and details of embodiments may be extensively varied from what has been described and illustrated purely by way of a non-limiting example, without thereby going beyond the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Valve body (10) for a valve assembly, comprising:

an inlet duct (12) having

an inlet aperture (18) arranged for receiving a fluid flow coming from an external fluid source, and

an inlet housing portion (20) located downstream of said inlet opening (18) and intended to receive an inlet valve (22);

an intermediate duct (14) hydraulically connected downstream of said inlet duct (12) and having an intermediate housing portion (24) intended to receive a filter element (26); and

an outlet duct (16) hydraulically connected downstream of said intermediate duct (14), and having

an outlet opening (28) arranged for supplying at least one part of said fluid flow to an external fluid user, and

an outlet housing portion (30) intended to receive an outlet valve (32);

characterised in that

said inlet duct (12) extends along an inlet axis (X-X);

said outlet duct (16) extends along an outlet axis (Y-Y) which is different from the inlet axis (X-X); and

said intermediate duct (14) extends along an intermediate axis (Z-Z) which is transverse to said inlet axis (X-X) and to said outlet axis (Y-Y).

2. Valve body according to claim 1, wherein said inlet axis (X-X) is parallel to and spaced from said outlet axis (Y-Y).

3. Valve body according to claim 2, wherein said intermediate axis (Z-Z) and said inlet axis (X-X) form an inlet acute angle, and said intermediate axis (Z-Z) and said outlet axis (Y-Y) form an outlet acute angle.

4. Valve body according to claim 3, wherein said inlet acute angle is of about 45- degree, and said outlet acute angle is of about 45-degree.

5. Valve body according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said inlet axis (X-X), said intermediate axis (Z-Z) and said outlet axis (Y-Y) lie substantially in the same plane.

6. Valve body according to any of the preceding claims, which is made in a single piece.

7. Valve body according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said intermediate duct (14) has an inspection aperture (34) which is arranged for being reclosable by means of a plug or cover (36), and through which said intermediate housing portion (24) can be accessed.

8. Valve body according to claim 7, wherein said inspection aperture (34) is substantially coaxial with said intermediate axis (Z-Z).

9. Valve body according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said intermediate duct (14) has at least an intermediate connection (38, 39) arranged for being connected to further hydraulic parts (40, 41).

10. Valve body according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said outlet duct (16) has at least one outlet connection (42) arranged for being connected to further hydraulic components (44).

11. Valve assembly (100) for a heat transfer control station comprising:

a valve body (10) according to any of the preceding claims;

an inlet valve (22) mounted in said inlet housing portion (20);

- a filter element (26) mounted in said intermediate housing portion (24); and

an outlet valve mounted in said outlet housing portion (30).

12. Valve assembly according to claim 11, wherein said inlet valve is a ball valve (22).

13. Valve assembly according to claim 11, wherein said outlet valve is a non-return valve (32).

Valve assembly (100) according to any of claims 11 to 13, further comprising intermediate flow regulator valve (49), located in said intermediate duct

(14).

15. Valve assembly (100) according to claim 14, wherein said intermediate flow regulator valve (49) is a choke valve.

16. Valve assembly according to claims 14 or 15, wherein said intermediate flow regulator valve (49) is surrounded by said filter element (26).

17. Heat transfer control station including a valve assembly according to any of claims 11 to 16.