Fluid transportation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10704696-B2
Application number	US-201816172278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2018
Priority date	Oct 26, 2018
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for transporting fluid, including a first vessel and a second vessel, the system including: a split volume tank comprising a first volume and a second volume, wherein when one of the volumes expands the other volume collapses; and a four way valve fluidly connecting the first and second volumes and first vessel and the second vessel, the four way valve comprising a plurality of passages including a first passage and a second passage, the four way valve being controllable between a plurality of orientations including: a first orientation in which the first passage fluidly connects the first volume and the first vessel and the second passage fluidly connects the second volume and the second vessel; a second orientation in which the first passage fluidly connects the first volume and the second vessel and the second passage fluidly connects the second volume and the first vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for transporting fluid, including a first vessel and a second vessel, the system comprising:
a split volume tank comprising a first volume and a second volume, wherein when one of the volumes expands the other volume simultaneously collapses; and
a four way valve, the four way valve fluidly connecting the first and second volumes and first vessel and the second vessel, the four way valve comprising a plurality of passages including a first passage and a second passage, the four way valve being controllable between a plurality of orientations including:
a first orientation in which the first passage fluidly connects the first volume and the first vessel and the second passage fluidly connects the second volume and the vacuum;
a second orientation in which the first passage fluidly connects the first volume and the second vessel and the second passage fluidly connects the second volume and the first vessel.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first vessel is a pressured spacesuit and the second vessel is under vacuum pressure from outer-space, and the system includes a plurality of conduits including a first conduit connected between the four way valve and the spacesuit.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a first switch disposed in the first conduit that regulates flow through the first conduit.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first switch is a normally closed switch.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a flow meter in the first conduit for measuring a fluid flow between the first vessel and the four way valve.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first conduit includes a first shutoff valve.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a second conduit fluidly connecting the four way valve and the second vessel.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second conduit includes a second shutoff valve.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first and second conduits include connectors for fluidly connecting the first and second conduits to the first and second vessels, respectively.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a capacitance vessel fluidly connected between the first conduit and the first vessel.

11. A method of transporting fluid between a plurality of vessels including a first vessel and a second vessel, the method comprising:
fluidly connecting the plurality of vessels to a respective plurality of ports on a four way valve;
configuring the four way to a first orientation wherein the four way valve fluidly connects a first volume in a split volume tank to the first vessel and fluidly connects a second volume in the split volume tank to the second vessel;
simultaneously (i) draining fluid from the first vessel to the first volume, and (ii) draining fluid from the second volume to the second vessel;
configuring the four way valve to a second orientation wherein the four way valve fluidly connects the first volume to the second vessel and fluidly connects the second volume to the first vessel;
simultaneously (iii) draining fluid from the first vessel to the second volume, and (iv) draining fluid from the first volume to the second vessel.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising
fluidly connecting the four way valve and the first vessel with a first conduit,
wherein the first conduit includes a first switch, the first switch being a flow regulating switch.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising throttling flow through the first conduit with a first switch.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising releasing first the switch to terminate flow through the first conduit.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising measuring a flow rate in the first conduit with a flow meter.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising opening or closing a fluid connection between the four way valve and the first vessel with a first shutoff valve.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising connecting the four way valve to the second vessel with a second conduit, wherein the system includes a plurality of conduits including the first conduit and the second conduit.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising opening or closing a fluid connection between the four way valve and the second vessel with a second shutoff valve.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising fluidly connecting the plurality of conduits to the respective plurality of vessels with a respective plurality of connectors.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising buffering pressure of the first conduit from the first vessel with a capacitance vessel fluidly connected between the first connector and the first vessel.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
• Hamilton Sunstrand Corp

Inventors

• Kaufman Cory
• Anderson Samuel
• Spexarth Gary Robert
• Allen Cassandra

Classifications

• F17C2205/0323

  Valves · CPC title

• F17C13/008

  for use under microgravity conditions · CPC title

• B64G6/00 Primary

  Space suits · CPC title

• F17C2250/0443

  Flow or movement of content · CPC title

• F16K11/0853 Primary

  having all the connecting conduits situated in a single plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug · CPC title