Shrouded valve assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10969028-B2
Application number	US-201715581672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Apr 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A shrouded valve assembly includes a valve with a valve pipe and a valve channel. A valve member in the valve channel can regulate flow of fluid through the valve channel. A valve shroud provides a valve shroud chamber. First and second shrouded pipe assemblies are on opposite sides of the valve, each including a pipe in fluid communication with a respective end of the valve channel, and a pipe shroud providing a pipe shroud chamber. Each pipe shroud chamber is in fluid communication with a respective end of the valve shroud chamber. The pipe assemblies are connected to the valve shroud by first and second connections and to the valve by third and fourth connections, the fourth connection more flexible than both the first connection and the second connection. Load passes between the pipe assemblies via the valve shroud rather than via the valve, protecting the valve from damage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shrouded valve assembly comprising:
a valve comprising a valve pipe with a valve channel, and a valve member in the valve channel which is operable to regulate a flow of fluid through the valve channel;
a valve shroud which shrouds the valve pipe and provides a valve shroud chamber between the valve pipe and the valve shroud; and
a first shrouded pipe assembly comprising an inlet pipe which is in fluid communication with an inlet end of the valve channel, and an inlet pipe shroud which shrouds the inlet pipe and provides an inlet pipe shroud chamber between the inlet pipe and the inlet pipe shroud, the inlet pipe shroud chamber being in fluid communication with an inlet end of the valve shroud chamber;
a second shrouded pipe assembly comprising an outlet pipe which is in fluid communication with an outlet end of the valve channel, and an outlet pipe shroud which shrouds the outlet pipe and provides an outlet pipe shroud chamber between the outlet pipe and the outlet pipe shroud, the outlet pipe shroud chamber being in fluid communication with an outlet end of the valve shroud chamber;
wherein the inlet pipe shroud is connected to the valve shroud by a first connection,
wherein the outlet pipe shroud is connected to the valve shroud by a second connection,
wherein the inlet pipe is connected to the valve pipe by a third connection,
wherein the outlet pipe is connected to the valve pipe by a fourth connection,
wherein the fourth connection is more flexible than both the first connection and the second connection,
wherein the fourth connection comprises a first floating connector, which comprises a first tube, and a second floating connector, which comprises at least a second tube,
wherein the first tube is within the second tube and separated therefrom by a resilient O-ring which forms a seal between the first tube and the second tube and permits the first tube and the second tube to move axially relative to each other,
wherein the second floating connector is configured to permit the second tube and the outlet pipe to move axially relative to each other, and
wherein the first tube is removably connected to the valve pipe and the resilient O-ring is disposed on an outer radial surface of the first tube.

2. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first connection comprises a first spacer arranged on an inlet side of the valve, the first spacer being configured to maintain a radial spacing between the valve and the valve shroud and comprising one or more holes to permit fluid to flow through the first spacer, between the valve shroud chamber and the inlet pipe shroud chamber.

3. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first spacer is in a form of a tubular body comprising a flange.

4. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inlet pipe shroud comprises an inlet shroud flange and/or the outlet pipe shroud comprises an outlet shroud flange, and wherein the first connection comprises a plurality of fasteners which connect the inlet shroud flange to the valve shroud and/or the second connection comprises a plurality of fasteners which connect the outlet shroud flange to the valve shroud.

5. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fourth connection is more flexible than the third connection.

6. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second tube is formed integrally with, or welded to, the second shrouded pipe assembly.

7. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second floating connector connects the outlet pipe to the valve pipe, wherein the second tube comprises a first tubular part, by which the second floating connector is connected, at the fourth connection, to the first tube, and a second tube flange is configured to connect the outlet pipe shroud to the valve shroud to form the second connection.

8. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the second tube comprises a second tubular part, wherein the second floating connector is connected to the outlet pipe by the second tubular part.

9. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein the second tubular part is separated from the outlet pipe by a resilient O-ring which forms a seal between the second tubular part and the outlet pipe and permits the second tubular part and the outlet pipe to move axially relative to each other.

10. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the assembly is connected to an aircraft structure.

11. A shrouded valve assembly comprising:
a valve comprising a valve pipe with a valve channel, and a valve member in the valve channel which is operable to regulate a flow of fluid through the valve channel;
a valve shroud which shrouds the valve pipe and provides a valve shroud chamber between the valve pipe and the valve shroud; and
a first shrouded pipe assembly comprising an outlet pipe which is in fluid communication with an outlet end of the valve channel, and an outlet pipe shroud which shrouds the outlet pipe and provides an outlet pipe shroud chamber between the outlet pipe and the outlet pipe shroud, the outlet pipe shroud chamber being in fluid communication with an outlet end of the valve shroud chamber;
a second shrouded pipe assembly comprising an inlet pipe which is in fluid communication with an inlet end of the valve channel, and an inlet pipe shroud which shrouds the inlet pipe and provides an inlet pipe shroud chamber between the inlet pipe and the inlet pipe shroud, the inlet pipe shroud chamber being in fluid communication with an inlet end of the valve shroud chamber;
wherein the outlet pipe shroud is connected to the valve shroud by a first connection,
wherein the inlet pipe shroud is connected to the valve shroud by a second connection,
wherein the outlet pipe is connected to the valve pipe by a third connection,
wherein the inlet pipe is connected to the valve pipe by a fourth connection,
wherein the fourth connection is more flexible than both the first connection and the second connection,
wherein the fourth connection comprises a first floating connector, which comprises a first tube, and a second floating connector, which comprises at least a second tube,
wherein the first tube is within the second tube and separated therefrom by a resilient O-ring which forms a seal between the first tube and the second tube and permits the first tube and the second tube to move axially relative to each other,
wherein the second floating connector is configured to permit the second tube and the inlet pipe to move axially relative to each other, and
wherein the first tube is removably connected to the valve pipe and the resilient O-ring is disposed on an outer radial surface of the first tube.

12. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first connection comprises a first spacer arranged on an outlet side of the valve, the first spacer being configured to maintain a radial spacing between the valve and the valve shroud and comprising one or more holes to permit fluid to flow through the first spacer, between the valve shroud chamber and the outlet pipe shroud chamber.

13. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first spacer is in a form of a tubular body comprising a flange.

14. The shrouded valve assembly of claim 11 , wherein the inlet pipe shroud comprises an inlet shroud flange and/or the outlet pipe shroud comprises an outlet shroud flange, and wherein the first connection comprises a plurality of fasteners which connect the outlet shroud flange to the valve shroud and/or the second connection comprises a plurality of fasteners which connect the inlet shroud flange to the valve shrou

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Haug Manfred
• Rappitsch Michael
• Rauch Konrad

Classifications

• F16L39/005 Primary

  for concentric pipes · CPC title

• F16L55/07

  Arrangement or mounting of devices, e.g. valves, for venting or aerating or draining (apparatus for draining F16T) · CPC title

• F16K1/22

  with axis of rotation crossing the valve member, e.g. butterfly valves · CPC title

• B64D37/005

  Accessories not provided for in the groups B64D37/02 - B64D37/28 · CPC title

• F16K27/0218 Primary

  Butterfly valves · CPC title