Actuating dump valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260648-B2
Application number	US-201615141034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus that includes a housing with an input port and a first output port. A piston is disposed within a bore of the housing and includes a bypass via disposed transversely within the bore and a bypass tube disposed longitudinally within the bore. The bypass tube is configured to provide a flow path from the bypass via to a second output port on the bypass tube. The piston includes a sleeve disposed concentrically around the bypass tube. An interior chamber is defined by an exterior surface of the sleeve and an interior surface of the bore of the housing. The piston is configurable between a first configuration that provides a first flow path between the input port and the first output port via the interior chamber and a second configuration that provides a second flow path between the input port and the second output port via the bypass tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an actuator assembly comprising a first piston configurable between a first position and a second position; and
a dump valve operably coupled to the actuator assembly, and comprising:
a housing comprising:
an input port; and
a first output port; and

a second piston disposed within a bore of the housing and operably coupled to the first piston, and comprising:
a bypass via disposed transversely within the bore of the housing, wherein the bypass via comprises an opening that provides a flow path through the second piston across a diameter of the housing;
a bypass tube disposed longitudinally within the bore of the housing, and comprising a second output port, wherein the bypass tube provides a flow path from the bypass via to the second output port;
a sleeve disposed concentrically around the bypass tube within the bore of the housing, wherein:
an exterior surface of the sleeve and an interior surface of the bore of the housing defines an interior chamber;
the second piston is configurable between a first configuration when the first piston is in the first position and a second configuration when the first piston is in the second position, wherein:
 the first configuration provides a first flow path between the input port and the first output port via the interior chamber; and
 the second configuration provides a second flow path between the input port and the second output port via the bypass via and the bypass tube; and

an atmospheric gap defined by a space between an interior surface of the sleeve and an exterior surface of the bypass tube.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seal positioned between the bypass via and the atmospheric gap, wherein the seal allows a flow path from the bypass via to the atmospheric gap when the seal fails.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seal positioned between the interior chamber and the atmospheric gap, wherein the seal allows a flow path from the interior chamber to the atmospheric gap when the seal fails.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second piston is configured to:
move from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to a force applied by the first piston to the second piston in a first direction; and
move from the second configuration to the first configuration in response to a force applied by the first piston to the second piston in a second direction.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first piston is configured to:
apply a force to the second piston in a first direction using a spring operably coupled to the first piston; and
apply a force to the second piston in a second direction using an actuator operably coupled to the first piston.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the actuator assembly comprises a spring operably coupled to the first piston;
the spring is configured to apply a force to the first piston to transition the second piston to the second configuration in the event of a system failure.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a housing comprising:
an input port; and
a first output port; and

a piston disposed within a bore of the housing, and comprising:
a bypass via disposed transversely within the bore of the housing, wherein the bypass via comprises an opening that provides a flow path through the piston across a diameter of the housing;
a bypass tube disposed longitudinally within the bore of the housing, and comprising a second output port, wherein the bypass tube provides a flow path from the bypass via to the second output port; and
a sleeve disposed concentrically around the bypass tube within the bore of the housing, wherein:
an exterior surface of the sleeve and an interior surface of the bore of the housing defines an interior chamber, and
the piston is configurable between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:
the first configuration provides a first flow path between the input port and the first output port via the interior chamber; and
the second configuration provides a second flow path between the input port and the second output port via the bypass via and the bypass tube; and

an atmospheric gap defined by a space between an interior surface of the sleeve and an exterior surface of the bypass tube.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a seal positioned between the bypass via and the atmospheric gap, wherein the seal allows a flow path from the bypass via to the atmospheric gap when the seal fails.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a seal positioned between the interior chamber and the atmospheric gap, wherein the seal allows a flow path from the interior chamber to the atmospheric gap when the seal fails.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the piston is configured to:
move from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to a force applied to the piston in a first direction; and
move from the second configuration to the first configuration in response to a force applied to the piston in a second direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
the piston is coupled to an actuator piston; and
the actuator piston is configured to move the piston longitudinally within the bore of the housing.

12. A method comprising:
providing a flow-through flow path between an input port and a first output port via an interior chamber of a valve, wherein the interior chamber is defined by an exterior surface of a sleeve disposed concentrically within a bore of the valve and an interior surface of the bore of the valve;
actuating the valve to provide a dumping flow path between the input port and a second output port via a bypass tube and a bypass via of a piston disposed within the valve, wherein:
the bypass tube is disposed longitudinally within the bore of the valve;
the bypass via is disposed transversely within the bore of the valve, wherein the bypass via comprises an opening that provides a flow path through the piston across a diameter of a housing; and
actuating the valve obstructs the flow-through flow path; and

providing an atmospheric gap defined by a space between an interior surface of the sleeve and an exterior surface of the bypass tube.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein actuating the valve comprises applying a force to the piston to move the piston from a first position to a second position within the bore of the housing.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein actuating the valve comprises using an actuator piston to move the piston longitudinally within the bore of the housing.

15. A method comprising:
providing a dumping flow path between an input port and a second output port via a bypass via and a bypass tube of a piston disposed within a valve, wherein:
the bypass tube is disposed longitudinally within a bore of the valve; and
the bypass via is disposed transversely within the bore of the valves wherein the bypass via comprises an opening that provides a flow path through the piston across a diameter of a housing; and

actuating the valve to provide a flow-through flow path between the input port and a first output port via an interior chamber of the valve, wherein:
the interior chamber is defined by an exterior surface of a sleeve disposed concentrically within the bore of the valve and an interior surface of the bore of the valve; and
actuating the valve obstructs the dumping flow path; and

providing an atmospheric gap defined by a space between an interior surface of the sleeve and an exterior surface of the bypass tube.

16. The method of claim 15

Assignees

• Technologies Holdings Corp

Inventors

• Osterbrink Brian E
• Godfrey Robert J
• Zell Craig M

Classifications

• A01J5/04

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• A01J7/02

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• Y10T137/0424

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• F16K11/0716 Primary

  with fluid passages through the valve member (F16K11/0704, F16K11/0708, F16K11/0712 take precedence) · CPC title

• A01J5/044

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