Variable cylinder wall for seals on plug valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11560952-B2
Application number	US-202117141315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2021
Priority date	Sep 1, 2020
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

A rotary valve includes a rotary component configured to rotate about an axis of rotation thereof. The rotary component includes a plurality of fluid openings formed at an exterior surface thereof with each of the fluid openings forming a fluid inlet or a fluid outlet into one of a plurality of fluid passageways formed through the rotary component. The rotary component further comprises a valve body rotatably receiving the rotary component therein. The valve body includes a five fluid ports formed therethrough with each of the fluid ports configured to be selectively aligned with one of the fluid openings of the rotary component depending on a rotational position of the rotary component relative to the valve body to allow the rotary valve to operate as a five-way switching valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary valve comprising:
a rotary component configured to rotate about an axis of rotation thereof, the rotary component including a plurality of fluid openings formed at an exterior surface thereof with each of the fluid openings forming a fluid inlet or a fluid outlet into one of a plurality of fluid passageways formed through the rotary component;
a valve body rotatably receiving the rotary component therein, the valve body including a plurality of fluid ports formed therethrough with each of the fluid ports configured to be selectively aligned with one of the fluid openings of the rotary component depending on a rotational position of the rotary component relative to the valve body, wherein the plurality of the fluid openings includes a plurality of circumferential fluid openings formed through a circumferential wall of the rotary component, and wherein the plurality of the fluid ports includes a plurality of circumferential fluid ports formed through a circumferential wall of the valve body, wherein the circumferential fluid openings and the circumferential fluid ports are arranged in a first tier and a second tier, the first tier having a first plurality of the circumferential fluid openings and a first plurality of the circumferential fluid ports arranged on a first plane and the second tier having a second plurality of the circumferential fluid openings and a second plurality of the circumferential fluid ports arranged on a second plane, wherein the first plane and the second plane are each arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotary component, and wherein the first plane is spaced apart axially from the second plane with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotary component, wherein the circumferential wall of the rotary component is divided into five equal circumferential segments including a first circumferential segment, a second circumferential segment, a third circumferential segment, a fourth circumferential segment, and a fifth circumferential segment when progressing in a first circumferential direction, wherein the first plurality of the circumferential fluid openings includes a first circumferential fluid opening of the first tier formed within the first circumferential segment, a second circumferential fluid opening of the first tier formed within the second circumferential segment, and a third circumferential fluid opening of the first tier formed within the fourth circumferential segment, and wherein the second plurality of the circumferential fluid openings includes a first circumferential fluid opening of the second tier formed within the first circumferential segment, a second circumferential fluid opening of the second tier formed within the second circumferential segment, a third circumferential fluid opening of the second tier formed within the third circumferential segment, a fourth circumferential fluid opening of the second tier formed within the fourth circumferential segment, and a fifth circumferential fluid opening of the second tier formed within the fifth circumferential segment, and wherein the plurality of fluid passageways include a first fluid passageway fluidly coupled to each of the first circumferential fluid opening of the first tier and the first circumferential fluid opening of the second tier, a second fluid passageway fluidly coupled to each of the second circumferential fluid opening of the first tier, the third circumferential fluid opening of the first tier, the second circumferential fluid opening of the second tier, the third circumferential fluid opening of the second tier, and the fourth circumferential fluid opening of the second tier, and a third fluid passageway fluidly coupled to each of the fifth circumferential fluid opening of the second tier and an axial fluid opening of the plurality of the fluid openings formed through an axial end wall of the rotary component.

2. The rotary valve of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fluid passageways formed through the rotary component is in fluid communication with at least one of the circumferential fluid openings of the first tier and at least one of the circumferential fluid openings of the second tier.

3. The rotary valve of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the fluid passageways formed through the rotary component are in fluid communication with at least one of the circumferential fluid openings of the first tier and at least one of the circumferential fluid openings of the second tier.

4. The rotary valve of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of the circumferential fluid openings of the first tier includes three of the circumferential fluid openings spaced circumferentially about the circumferential wall of the rotary component and wherein the second plurality of the circumferential fluid openings of the second tier includes five of the circumferential fluid openings spaced circumferentially about the circumferential wall of the rotary component, and wherein the first plurality of the circumferential fluid ports of the first tier includes two of the circumferential fluid ports spaced circumferentially from each other about the circumferential wall of the valve body and the second plurality of the circumferential fluid ports of the second tier includes two of the circumferential fluid ports spaced circumferentially from each other about the circumferential wall of the valve body.

5. The rotary valve of claim 1 , wherein the circumferential wall of the valve body is divided into five equal circumferential segments, wherein the first plurality of the circumferential fluid ports includes a first circumferential fluid port of the first tier and a second circumferential fluid port of the first tier disposed within circumferentially adjacent circumferential segments of the circumferential wall of the valve body, and wherein the second plurality of the circumferential fluid ports includes a first circumferential fluid port of the second tier axially aligned with the first circumferential fluid port of the first tier and a second circumferential fluid port of the second tier axially aligned with the second circumferential fluid port of the first tier.

6. The rotary valve of claim 5 , wherein a first mode of operation of the rotary valve includes the first circumferential fluid port of the first tier fluidly coupled to the first circumferential fluid port of the second tier through the first fluid passageway and the second circumferential fluid port of the first tier fluidly coupled to the second circumferential fluid port of the second tier through the second fluid passageway, a second mode of operation of the rotary valve includes each of the first circumferential fluid port of the second tier and the second circumferential fluid port of the second tier fluidly coupled to the first circumferential fluid port of the first tier through the second fluid passageway, a third mode of operation of the rotary valve includes each of the first circumferential fluid port of the second tier and the second circumferential fluid port of the second tier fluidly coupled to the second circumferential fluid port of the first tier through the second fluid passageway, and a fourth mode of operation of the rotary valve includes the second circumferential fluid port of the first tier fluidly coupled to the second circumferential fluid port of the second tier through the first passageway and the first circumferential fluid port of the second tier fluidly coupled to an axial fluid port of the plurality of the fluid ports formed through an axial end wall of the valve body through the third fluid passageway.

7. The rotary valve of claim 1 , wherein all of the fluid passageways formed through the rotary component are fluidly separated from each other within the rotary component.

Assignees

• Hanon Systems

Inventors

• Graichen Brian
• Sanders Ed

Classifications

• F16K5/0257

  Packings · CPC title

• F16K11/085 Primary

  with cylindrical plug · CPC title

• Y10T137/87249

  Multiple inlet with multiple outlet · CPC title

• F16K5/18 Primary

  for plugs with cylindrical surfaces · CPC title

• F01P7/14

  the coolant being liquid · CPC title