Fluid flow control valve equipped with an electric actuator and system including such a valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143326-B2
Application number	US-201916666406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A fluid flow control valve includes a valve body, a closing member arranged in the valve body and configured so that it can have at least one first position, called the open position, in which it allows the flow of fluid to flow freely in the valve body, and at least one second position, called the closed position, in which it prevents the fluid flow from flowing in the valve body between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, an electric actuator of the closing member that is suitable for being able to control the position of the closing member in the valve body, characterized in that the electric actuator is arranged in the valve body so that it can be cooled by the flow of fluid flowing in the valve body.

First claim

Having thus described the invention of the present application in detail and by reference to embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims as follows:

1. A fluid flow control comprising:
a valve body comprising a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a fluid flow duct extending in a longitudinal direction between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet,
a closing member arranged in said fluid flow duct and configured so as to be able to have an open position, in which it allows the fluid flow to flow freely in said flow duct, and a closed position, in which it prevents, at least partially, the flow of fluid in said flow duct between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet,
an electric actuator of said closing member that is suitable for being able to control the position of said closing member in said fluid flow duct,
characterized in that said electric actuator is arranged at least partially in said fluid flow duct such that it can be cooled by said fluid flowing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of said valve body and in that said closing member comprises two conjugate concentric elements:
a fixed element relative to said valve body and
a valve core comprising a rotary element relative to said fixed element and which is controlled by said electric actuator.

2. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said conjugate concentric elements each comprises a wall provided with at least one fluid passage aperture arranged such that the flow of fluid is constrained to flow through said apertures when said electric actuator controls the rotation of said rotary element such that said apertures in the conjugate elements are opposite each other and correspond to said open position of said closing member, and that said flow is blocked or constrained when said electric actuator controls the rotation of said rotary element such that the fluid passage apertures in the conjugate elements are respectively opposite the wall of the conjugate element, and correspond to said closed position of said closing member.

3. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein each concentric element comprises an odd number of fluid passage apertures evenly distributed on its wall.

4. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said conjugate concentric elements forming said closing member are cylindrical.

5. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said valve core of said closing member defines a central duct comprising a sealed transverse wall.

6. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said fluid flow duct has at least one axis of symmetry extending along the longitudinal direction and said electric actuator is arranged on this at least one axis of symmetry.

7. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said electric actuator is arranged upstream of the closing member.

8. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said flow of fluid flowing in said valve body is an air flow.

9. A ventilation system for an aircraft engine comprising:
one or more air control valves, each of said valves comprising:
a valve body comprising a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a fluid flow duct extending in a longitudinal direction between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet,
a closing member arranged in said fluid flow duct and configured so as to be able to have an open position, in which it allows the fluid flow to flow freely in said flow duct, and a closed position, in which it prevents, at least partially, the flow of fluid in said flow duct between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet,
an electric actuator of said closing member that is suitable for being able to control the position of said closing member in said fluid flow duct,
characterized in that said electric actuator is arranged at least partially in said fluid flow duct such that it can be cooled by said fluid flowing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of said valve body and in that said closing member comprises two conjugate concentric elements:
a fixed element relative to said valve body and
a valve core comprising a rotary element relative to said fixed element and which is controlled by said electric actuator.

10. An air or rail transport vehicle comprising:
at least one propulsion engine,
a cabin and
at least one air-conditioning system for said cabin, wherein the air-conditioning system for the cabin is the air-conditioning system comprising at least one valve, said valve comprising a valve body comprising:
a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a fluid flow duct extending in a longitudinal direction between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet,
a closing member arranged in said fluid flow duct and configured so as to be able to have an open position, in which it allows the fluid flow to flow freely in said flow duct, and a closed position, in which it prevents, at least partially, the flow of fluid in said flow duct between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet,
an electric actuator of said closing member that is suitable for being able to control the position of said closing member in said fluid flow duct,
characterized in that said electric actuator is arranged at least partially in said fluid flow duct such that it can be cooled by said fluid flowing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of said valve body and in that said closing member comprises two conjugate concentric elements:
a fixed element relative to said valve body and
a valve core comprising a rotary element relative to said fixed element and which is controlled by said electric actuator.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein said air control valve of said cabin air-conditioning system is housed in the engine environment of said at least one propulsion engine of said vehicle.

Assignees

• Liebherr Aerospace Toulouse Sas

Inventors

• Bristiel Frédéric
• Vilamot Raphaël
• Lafond Eric
• Fauque Stéphane

Classifications

• F16K5/0421

  Fixed plug and turning sleeve · CPC title

• F16K31/0668 Primary

  Sliding valves · CPC title

• B64D2013/0625

  comprising means for distribution effusion of conditioned air in the cabin · CPC title

• F16K3/26 Primary

  with fluid passages in the valve member · CPC title

• F16K31/041

  for rotating valves (F16K31/055 takes precedence) · CPC title