Direct-acting valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10927963-B2
Application number	US-201615382444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

An anti-ice system includes a duct that extends from a hot air bleed source to an anti-ice manifold and a direct-acting valve coupled to the duct. The duct may be configured to route hot air from the hot air bleed source to the anti-ice manifold at a regulated pressure and the direct-acting valve may include an inlet portion, a reference chamber, a force-type torque motor, an outlet portion, and a modulating sleeve. The inlet portion may be configured to be in hot air receiving communication with hot air from the hot air bleed source, the reference chamber may be configured to be in hot air receiving communication with the inlet portion, the force-type torque motor may be configured to control a reference pressure of hot air in the reference chamber, and the outlet portion may be configured in hot air receiving communication with the inlet portion via the modulating sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An anti-ice system comprising:
a duct extending from a hot air bleed source to an anti-ice manifold, wherein the duct is configured to route hot air from the hot air bleed source to the anti-ice manifold at a regulated pressure; and
a direct-acting valve coupled to the duct, the direct-acting valve comprising:
a force-type torque motor;
a modulating sleeve;
an inlet portion configured to be in hot air receiving communication with the hot air from the hot air bleed source;
a reference chamber configured to be in hot air receiving communication with the inlet portion, wherein the reference chamber is configured to be exclusively supplied with the hot air via an orifice defined in a wall dividing the reference chamber from the inlet portion, wherein the hot air is configured to exit the reference chamber via a bleed conduit extending directly from the reference chamber, wherein a reference pressure of the hot air in the reference chamber is actively controlled exclusively by the force-type torque motor that controls a bleed rate of the hot air from the reference chamber through the bleed conduit wherein an orifice cross-sectional area of the orifice is less than a conduit cross-sectional area of the bleed conduit such that the orifice cross-sectional area is flow restricting; and
an outlet portion configured in hot air receiving communication with the inlet portion via the modulating sleeve, wherein the modulating sleeve is movably disposed between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, wherein the reference pressure in the reference chamber is configured to affect a position of the modulating sleeve, wherein the regulated pressure of the hot air in the outlet portion is dependent on the position of the modulating sleeve;

wherein in response to the reference pressure within the reference chamber increasing, the regulated pressure of the hot air in the outlet portion also increases;
wherein the direct-acting valve is configured such that the hot air exclusively flows in an inlet direction through the orifice from the inlet portion to the reference chamber; and
wherein the direct-acting valve is configured such that the hot air exclusively flows in an outlet direction through the bleed conduit from the reference chamber.

2. The anti-ice system of claim 1 , wherein the force-type torque motor comprises an electromagnetic stator and an armature, wherein the armature is configured to pivot about a flexure joint in response to electric current passing through the electromagnetic stator.

3. The anti-ice system of claim 2 , wherein the bleed conduit is configured to route the hot air from the reference chamber to an outlet of the bleed conduit to exert a pressure force on the armature of the force-type torque motor.

4. The anti-ice system of claim 3 , wherein the bleed rate of the hot air from the reference chamber via the bleed conduit is dependent on a gap between the outlet of the bleed conduit and the armature of the force-type torque motor.

5. The anti-ice system of claim 4 , wherein the armature of the force-type torque motor is configured to pivot about the flexure joint away from the outlet of the bleed conduit in response to an increase in the electric current passing through the electromagnetic stator.

6. The anti-ice system of claim 4 , wherein the armature of the force-type torque motor is configured to pivot about the flexure joint towards the outlet of the bleed conduit in response to an increase in the electric current passing through the electromagnetic stator.

7. The anti-ice system of claim 4 , wherein the electric current passing through the electromagnetic stator is configured to be scheduled as a function of at least one of hot air inlet temperature, hot air inlet pressure, altitude, ambient pressure, and ambient temperature.

8. The anti-ice system of claim 1 , wherein fluid communication between the inlet portion and the reference chamber is limited to the orifice, wherein the reference pressure is exclusively controlled by the force-type torque motor.

9. A direct-acting valve for controlling a regulated pressure of hot air, the direct-acting valve comprising:
a force-type torque motor;
a modulating sleeve;
an inlet portion configured to be in fluid receiving communication with the hot air from a hot air source;
a reference chamber configured to be in hot air receiving communication with the inlet portion via an orifice, wherein the reference chamber is configured to be exclusively supplied with the hot air via an orifice defined in a wall dividing the reference chamber from the inlet portion, wherein the hot air is configured to exit the reference chamber via a bleed conduit extending directly from the reference chamber; wherein a reference pressure of the hot air in the reference chamber is actively controlled exclusively by the force-type torque motor that controls a bleed rate of the hot air from the reference chamber through the bleed conduit, wherein an orifice cross-sectional area of the orifice is less than a conduit cross-sectional area of the bleed conduit such that the orifice cross-sectional area is flow restricting; and
an outlet portion configured to be in hot air receiving communication with the inlet portion via the modulating sleeve, wherein the modulating sleeve is movably disposed between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, wherein the reference pressure in the reference chamber is configured to affect a position of the modulating sleeve, wherein flow of the hot air from the inlet portion to the outlet portion and the regulated pressure of the hot air in the outlet portion is dependent on the position of the modulating sleeve;
wherein in response to the reference pressure within the reference chamber increasing, the regulated pressure of the hot air in the outlet portion also increases;
wherein the direct-acting valve is configured such that the hot air exclusively flows in an inlet direction through the orifice from the inlet portion to the reference chamber; and
wherein the direct-acting valve is configured such that the hot air exclusively flows in an outlet direction through the bleed conduit from the reference chamber.

10. The direct-acting valve of claim 9 , wherein the force-type torque motor comprises an electromagnetic stator and an armature, wherein the armature is configured to pivot about a flexure joint in response to electric current passing through the electromagnetic stator.

11. The direct-acting valve of claim 10 , wherein the bleed conduit is configured to route the hot air from the reference chamber to an outlet of the bleed conduit to exert a pressure force on the armature of the force-type torque motor.

12. The direct-acting valve of claim 11 , wherein the bleed rate of the hot air from the reference chamber via the bleed conduit is dependent on a gap between the outlet of the bleed conduit and the armature of the force-type torque motor.

13. The direct-acting valve of claim 12 , wherein the armature of the force-type torque motor is configured to pivot about the flexure joint away from outlet of the bleed conduit in response to an increase in the electric current passing through the electromagnetic stator.

14. The direct-acting valve of claim 12 , wherein the armature of the force-type torque motor is configured to pivot about the flexure joint towards the outlet of the bleed conduit in response to an increase in the electric current passing through the electromagnetic stator.

15. The direct-acting valve of claim 12 , wherein the electric current passing through the electromagnetic stator is configured to be scheduled as a fun

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Goodman Robert
• Zheng Zhijun
• Greenberg Michael D

Classifications

• F01D25/02

  De-icing means for engines having icing phenomena · CPC title

• F02C7/047

  Heating to prevent icing · CPC title

• F02C7/057

  Control or regulation (conjointly with fuel supply control F02C9/50, with nozzle area control F02K1/16) · CPC title

• F16K31/1245

  with more than one valve · CPC title

• G05D16/166

  using pistons within the main valve · CPC title