Contamination test rig

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11313753-B2
Application number	US-202017012416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2020
Priority date	Jul 29, 2020
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

System and methods are provided for a contamination test rig that includes a particle injection chamber including a pressure chamber, wherein a hopper, scale, and feeder are inside of the particle injection chamber, and wherein the test valve is disposed in a valve line that runs parallel to a by-pass line. A by-pass valve permits at least a portion of a mixture of air and contaminate particles to flow through the by-pass line instead of through the valve line when the by-pass valve is open, and prevents the mixture of air and contaminate particles from flowing through the by-pass line when closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contamination test rig for testing a test valve, the contamination test rig comprising:
a mix line;
an air source configured to provide a flow of air to the mix line;
a particle injection chamber downstream of the air source, wherein the particle injection chamber includes a pressure chamber, the particle injection chamber comprising
a draft tube having an opening, wherein the draft tube forms a portion of the mix line, wherein the draft tube is disposed in the particle injection chamber and is configured to guide the flow of air through the particle injection chamber and to receive a plurality of contaminate particles through the opening, and
a blade configured to push the contaminate particles through the opening of the mix line into the flow of air;

a valve line disposed downstream of the particle injection chamber, the valve line configured to receive a mixture of air and the contaminate particles from the particle injection chamber and to supply the mixture of air to the test valve if the test valve is coupled to the valve line;
a by-pass line arranged in parallel with the valve line; and
a by-pass valve configured to permit at least a portion of the mixture of air and contaminate particles to flow through the by-pass line instead of through the valve line when the by-pass valve is open, and to prevent the mixture of air and contaminate particles from flowing through the by-pass line when closed.

2. The contamination test rig of claim 1 , wherein the particle injection chamber further comprises a feeder, which includes the blade, and wherein the feeder is coupled to a hopper.

3. The contamination test rig of claim 2 , wherein the particle injection chamber further comprises a scale on which a base of the hopper rests, wherein the scale is located inside the particle injection chamber.

4. The contamination test rig of claim 1 , wherein the test valve includes a pneumatic accessory valve.

5. The contamination test rig of claim 1 , wherein the test valve includes an anti-ice valve.

6. The contamination test rig of claim 1 , wherein the opening in the draft tube is open to an interior of the particle injection chamber and, as a result, the opening is configured to permit air in the particle injection chamber to be at substantially the same pressure as air in the mix line.

7. The contamination test rig of claim 1 , wherein the flow of air provided by the air source is a first flow of air, wherein the air source is configured to provide a second flow of air to a heated air line, wherein the heated air line and the mix line merge at a junction downstream of the particle injection chamber.

8. A contamination test rig for testing a component that gas flows through, the contamination test rig comprising:
an air source, configured to supply a flow of air to a heated line and a flow of air to a mix line;
a particle injection chamber included in the mix line, wherein the particle injection chamber includes a pressure chamber, the particle injection chamber comprising
a draft tube, wherein the draft tube forms a portion of the mix line, the draft tube having an opening, the draft tube configured to guide the flow of air through the particle injection chamber and to receive a plurality of contaminate particles through the opening,
a hopper,
a blade, wherein the blade and the hopper are disposed within the particle injection chamber, and wherein the blade is configured to push contaminate particles through the opening of the draft tube into the flow of air in the mix line, and
a scale;

a junction disposed downstream of the particle injection chamber, wherein the heated line and the mix line merge at the junction;
a valve line disposed downstream of the junction, the valve line configured to receive a mixture of air and the contaminate particles from the particle injection chamber and to supply the mixture to the component if the component is coupled to the valve line;
a by-pass line arranged in parallel with the valve line; and
a by-pass valve configured to permit at least a portion of the mixture of air and contaminate particles to flow through the by-pass line instead of through the valve line when the by-pass valve is open, and to prevent the mixture of air and contaminate particles from flowing through the by-pass line when closed.

9. The contamination test rig of claim 8 , wherein the blade is included in an auger.

10. The contamination test rig of claim 8 , the contamination test rig further comprising a regulator valve included in the heated line and/or a regulator valve included in the mix line.

11. The contamination test rig of claim 8 , wherein a heater is disposed in the heated line upstream of the junction.

12. The contamination test rig of claim 8 further comprising a liquid injector pump disposed downstream of the junction and upstream of the valve line and the by-pass line.

13. The contamination test rig of claim 12 , wherein the liquid injector pump is configured to inject liquids downstream of the junction, wherein the liquids include oil, salt, and and/or water.

14. The contamination test rig of claim 8 further comprising an air dryer disposed downstream of the air source.

15. The contamination test rig of claim 8 further comprising a cyclone separator configured to release air into atmosphere, the cyclone separator disposed downstream of the valve line and the by-pass line.

16. A method for testing a test valve, the method comprising:
supplying a flow of air to a mix line of a contamination test rig from an air source;
supplying the flow of air to a particle injection chamber via the mix line, wherein the particle injection chamber includes a pressure chamber;
pushing contaminate particles through an opening of the mix line into the mix line, wherein the contaminate particles are pushed by a blade, wherein the opening of the mix line is inside of the particle injection chamber, wherein the mix line and the particle injection chamber are at substantially the same pressure;
supplying a mixture of air and the contaminate particles from the particle injection chamber to a valve line, wherein the mixture is supplied to a test valve if the test valve is coupled to the valve line;
permitting at least a portion of the mixture of air and contaminate particles to flow through a by-pass line arranged in parallel with the valve line by opening a by-pass valve; and
preventing the mixture of air and contaminate particles from flowing through the by-pass line by closing the by-pass valve.

17. The method of claim 16 , the method further comprising supplying a flow of air to a heated line of a contamination test rig, wherein the mix line and the heated line merge downstream of the particle injection chamber and upstream of the valve line and by-pass line.

18. The method of claim 17 , the method further comprising regulating the air in the mix line and/or the heated line via one or more air regulator valves, wherein the one or more air regulator valves control an amount of air in the mix line and/or the heated line.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the air in the mix line and the heated line are regulated based on at least one target of the contamination test rig, wherein the at least one target may comprise a required temperature, a required pressure, and/or a required air flow rate.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises regulating an amount of contaminate particles pushed into the mix line based on a required contaminate particle mass flow ra

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Holdmeyer Emily
• Crook Bruce

Classifications

• G01M13/003 Primary

  Machine valves (testing valves for fluid tightness G01M3/00) · CPC title

• G01M3/224 Primary

  for valves · CPC title