Fluid valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10465675-B2
Application number	US-201414573035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A fluid valve is described to help reduce oil sump pressures of a variable speed compressor and a fixed speed compressor working in parallel in a HVAC system. The fluid valve can be a ball valve. Openings of a variable flow through structure of the ball can be configured to elongate along an equator the ball. When the ball rotates along a rotation axis, a size of a variable fluid path formed between the openings can be varied, resulting in a variable pressure drop across the ball. In operation, when the variable speed compressor is operated at different operation speeds, the ball can be rotated to different positions relative to the rotation axis, which may help reduce the pressure differential between the sumps of the variable speed compressor and the fixed speed compressor.

First claim

What claimed is:

1. A ball valve, comprising:
a flow passage having a first diameter; and
a ball disposed in the flow passage, wherein the ball includes a variable flow through structure, the variable flow through structure includes a first opening and a second opening on a surface of the ball, the first opening includes a first end and a second end along an equator of the ball, surface contours connecting the first end and the second end diverge apart along the equator, the second opening includes a first end and a second end along the equator of the ball, surface contours connecting the first end and the second end diverge apart along the equator, the surface of the ball between the first opening and the second opening along the equator of the ball being closed, the variable flow through structure forms a rounded fluid path having a second diameter along at least a portion of the rounded fluid path that is the same as the first diameter when the ball valve is in a maximum opening position,
wherein the first opening has:
a width corresponding to a line across a widest portion of the first opening in a direction of a rotation axis, and
a length corresponding to a line across a longest portion of the first opening connecting the first end and the second end of the first opening,
the width being shorter than the length, and

wherein the first end of the second opening is closer to the second end of the first opening than to the first end of the first opening along the equator of the ball.

2. The ball valve of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the first opening has a shorter arc length than the second end of the second opening.

3. The ball valve of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the second opening has a shorter arc length than the second end of the first opening.

4. The ball valve of claim 1 , wherein the portion being throughout the rounded fluid path.

5. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a first compressor having a first oil sump;
a second compressor having a second oil sump, the first and second compressors forming fluid communication when the HVAC system is in operation; and
a ball valve positioned in a suction line to the first oil sump, wherein the ball valve includes a flow passage and a ball disposed in the flow passage, the flow passage having a first diameter,
the ball includes a variable flow through structure, the variable flow through structure forms a rounded fluid path having a second diameter along at least a portion of the rounded fluid path that is the same as the first diameter when the ball valve is in a maximum opening position,
the variable flow through structure includes a first opening and a second opening on a surface of the ball, the first opening includes a first end and a second end along an equator of the ball, surface contours connecting the first end and the second end diverge apart along the equator, the second opening includes a first end and a second end along the equator of the ball, surface contours connecting the first end and the second end diverge apart along the equator, the surface of the ball between the first opening and the second opening along the equator of the ball being closed,
wherein the first opening has:
a width corresponding to a line across a widest portion of the first opening in a direction of a rotation axis, and
a length corresponding to a line across a longest portion of the first opening connecting the first end and the second end of the first opening,
the width being shorter than the length, and

wherein the first end of the second opening is closer to the second end of the first opening than to the first end of the first opening along the equator of the ball.

6. The HVAC system of claim 5 , wherein the first compressor is a variable speed compressor and the second compressor is a fixed speed compressor.

7. The HVAC system of claim 5 , wherein the portion being throughout the rounded fluid path.

8. A method of managing a pressure differential between a first oil sump of a first compressor and a second oil sump of a second compressor in a HVAC system, comprising:
obtaining an operation speed of the first compressor, wherein the first compressor is a variable speed compressor; and
operating a fluid valve positioned in a suction line of the first compressor so that a pressure in the first oil sump is about the same as the pressure in the second oil sump, wherein the fluid valve is positioned to provide a pressure drop across the fluid valve depending on a degree of rotation of a ball of the fluid valve, the fluid valve including a flow passage having a first diameter,
wherein the ball includes a variable flow through structure, the variable flow through structure includes a first opening and a second opening on a surface of the ball, the first opening includes a first end and a second end along an equator of the ball, surface contours connecting the first end and the second end diverge apart along the equator, the second opening includes a first end and a second end along the equator of the ball, surface contours connecting the first end and the second end diverge apart along the equator, the surface of the ball between the first opening and the second opening along the equator of the ball being closed, the variable flow through structure forms a rounded fluid path having a second diameter along at least a portion of the rounded fluid path that is the same as the first diameter when the ball valve is in a maximum opening position,
wherein the first opening has:
a width corresponding to a line across a widest portion of the first opening in a direction of a rotation axis, and
a length corresponding to a line across a longest portion of the first opening connecting the first end and the second end of the first opening,
the width being shorter than the length, and

wherein the first end of the second opening is closer to the second end of the first opening than to the first end of the first opening along the equator of the ball.

Assignees

• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Crolius James Philip
• Benedict Thomas J

Classifications

• F16K5/12

  Arrangements for modifying the way in which the rate of flow varies during the actuation of the valve · CPC title

• F04B49/007 Primary

  Installations or systems with two or more pumps or pump cylinders, wherein the flow-path through the stages can be changed, e.g. from series to parallel (centrifugal pumps F04D15/0072) · CPC title

• F16K5/0605

  with particular plug arrangements, e.g. particular shape or built-in means · CPC title

• F04B53/1002

  Ball valves · CPC title

• F04B49/22 Primary

  by means of valves (F04B49/03 takes precedence) · CPC title