Pneumatic surge suppressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11499543-B2
Application number	US-201917057481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2019
Priority date	May 25, 2018
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A surge suppressor includes a boost mechanism configured to balance pressures between a working fluid and a process fluid. The boost mechanism includes a boost member that is acted on by a charge pressure of the working fluid. A shaft extends from the boost member to a pressure control member bounding the process fluid and acting on the process fluid. The boost member can have a larger effective area than the pressure control member to provide a pressure multiplication between the charge pressure and the process fluid pressure. In addition, pressure control valves are mounted to an air housing and actuated open by the boost mechanism. Actuating one of the pressure control valves open increases the charge pressure. Actuating the other pressure control valve open decreases the charge pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surge suppressor comprising:
a pressure control member;
a boost member disposed within an air housing and connected to the pressure control member to move with the pressure control member;
a first pressure control valve mounted to the air housing and disposed on a first side of the boost member;
a second pressure control valve mounted to the air housing and disposed on a second side of the boost member;
wherein the boost member at least partially defines a first chamber within the air housing and a second chamber within the air housing, the first chamber configured to be pressurized with a working fluid to bias the pressure control member, via the boost member, in a first direction and into a process fluid chamber, the process fluid chamber on an opposite side of the pressure control member from the boost member;
wherein the first chamber is disposed on the first side of the boost member and the second chamber is disposed on the second side of the boost member opposite the first side and the boost member interfaces with the air housing to fluidly isolate the first chamber and the second chamber;
wherein the first pressure control valve is configured to be actuated by the boost member between:
an open state, in which a first fluid path through the first pressure control valve is open, the first fluid path fluidly connecting the first chamber and a working fluid source, and the first fluid path is disposed downstream of the working fluid source and upstream of the first chamber, and
a closed state, in which the first fluid path of the first pressure control valve is closed to fluidly isolate the first chamber and the working fluid source; and

wherein the second pressure control valve is configured to be actuated by the boost member between:
an open state, in which a second fluid path through the second pressure control valve is open to vent working fluid from the first chamber through the second pressure control valve, the second fluid path is disposed downstream of the first chamber, and
a closed state, in which the second fluid path of the second pressure control valve is closed.

2. The surge suppressor of claim 1 , wherein the boost member is a piston.

3. The surge suppressor of claim 2 , wherein the piston has a first effective area and the pressure control member has a second effective area, and wherein the first effective area is larger than the second effective area.

4. The surge suppressor of claim 1 , wherein:
the air housing includes a chamber wall at least partially defining the second chamber;
the chamber wall has a first end having a first diameter and a second end having a second diameter; and
a piston seal extends about the piston and engages the chamber wall.

5. The surge suppressor of claim 4 , wherein:
the second diameter is larger than the first diameter; and
the first end is disposed between the second end and the first chamber.

6. The surge suppressor of claim 1 , wherein the pressure control member includes a diaphragm, wherein the diaphragm at least partially defines a process fluid chamber on a first side of the diaphragm and at least partially defines an air chamber on a second side of the diaphragm.

7. The surge suppressor of claim 1 , wherein:
a shaft extends between the boost member and the pressure control member to connect the boost member and the pressure control member; and
the shaft extends through the second chamber, through a wall disposed between and dividing the second chamber and an air chamber at least partially defined by the pressure control member, and through the air chamber.

8. The surge suppressor of claim 7 , further comprising:
a check valve fluidly connected to the air chamber, the check valve configured to allow air to vent from the air chamber and to prevent liquid from venting from the air chamber.

9. The surge suppressor of claim 1 , wherein:
the air housing includes an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing at least partially defining the first chamber;
the second chamber is at least partially defined by the boost member and the lower housing;
the first pressure control valve is mounted in the upper housing; and
the second pressure control valve is mounted in the lower housing.

10. The surge suppressor of claim 9 , wherein the second pressure control valve is configured to vent the working fluid to the second chamber, and wherein the second chamber is fluidly connected to atmosphere to vent the working fluid to atmosphere.

11. The surge suppressor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seal disposed around the shaft, wherein the seal prevents fluid from flowing around the shaft between a lower chamber of the air housing and an air chamber at least partially defined by the pressure control member.

12. A fluid system comprising:
a suppressor housing having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a process fluid chamber;
an air housing mounted to the suppressor housing;
a suppressor mechanism extending between the air housing and the suppressor housing, the suppressor mechanism comprising:
a boost member disposed within the air housing and dividing the air housing into a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the boost member is a piston;
a pressure control member secured between the air housing and the suppressor housing, the pressure control member fluidly separating an air chamber and the process fluid chamber;
wherein the boost member and the pressure control member are connected in order to move together;
wherein a first wall is disposed between the air chamber and the second chamber;
wherein a chamber wall of the air housing at least partially defines the second chamber, the chamber wall having a first end having a first diameter and a second end having a second diameter;
wherein the boost member engages the chamber wall such that an effective area of the boost member varies as the boost member shifts within the air housing relative to the chamber wall between the first end and the second end;

a first pressure control valve mounted to the air housing and at least partially extending into the first chamber;
a second pressure control valve mounted to the air housing and at least partially extending into the second chamber;
a working fluid source connected to the air housing and configured to provide working fluid to the first chamber in the air housing to pressurize the first chamber;
wherein the working fluid is configured to bias the pressure control member towards the process fluid chamber by the boost member
wherein the first pressure control valve is actuatable between an open state, in which a first fluid path through the first pressure control valve is opened such that the working fluid source and the first chamber are fluidly connected by the first fluid path, and a closed state, in which the first fluid path is closed to fluidly isolate the first chamber from the working fluid source; and
wherein the second pressure control valve is actuatable between an open state, in which a second fluid path through the second pressure control valve is opened such that the first chamber and the second chamber are fluidly connected through the second fluid path, and a closed state, in which the second fluid path is closed to fluidly isolate the second chamber from the first chamber.

13. The fluid system of claim 12 , wherein the pressure control member includes a diaphragm.

14. The fluid system of claim 12 , wherein the boost member has a first effective area and the pressure control member has a second effective area, and wherein the first effective area is larger than the second effective ar

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Roman Timothy S

Classifications

• F04B11/0008

  using accumulators · CPC title

• F04B53/129

  Poppet valves · CPC title

• F04B2205/03

  Pressure in the compression chamber · CPC title

• F04B45/0536

  the actuating fluid being controlled by one or more valves · CPC title

• F04B2205/05

  Pressure after the pump outlet · CPC title