Positioning valve control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12092236-B2
Application number	US-202217716584-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2022
Priority date	Apr 8, 2022
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A valving system has an actuator member connected to move with an actuator piston and change the position of a valve member. There is a smaller face fluid chamber acting on a small area piston face, and a larger face fluid chamber acting on a larger face of the actuator piston. The torque motor has an armature and a flapper caused to move by current received at the armature. The flapper moves between two fluid ports to control the pressure in the larger face chamber. The flapper further has a positioning extension engaging a first feedback spring operable between it and a forward face of the actuator piston and providing a spring force in combination with a spring force from the positioning extension. A control is operable to provide current to the armature to control the fluid received in the larger face chamber. The controller is programmed to associate the current supplied to the armature to an actual position of the valve member. A method is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valving system comprising:
a valve member received within a fluid duct to control the flow of fluid between a duct inlet to a duct outlet;
an actuator member connected to move with an actuator piston and change the position of the valve member, said actuator piston moving within a housing, said housing defining a smaller face fluid chamber acting on a small area piston face, and there being a larger face fluid chamber, acting on a larger face of the actuator piston, said larger face being on a remote side of said piston from said small face of said piston;
a torque motor comprising an armature and a flapper caused to move by current received at the armature from a control, said flapper moving between two fluid ports to control the opening of the two fluid ports and control the pressure in the larger face chamber, said flapper further having a positioning extension, and said positioning extension engaging a first feedback spring operable between it and a forward face of said actuator piston providing a spring force in combination with a spring force from the positioning extension; and
said control being operable to provide current to said armature to control the fluid received in said larger face chamber from said first and second fluid ports, said control being programmed to associate the current supplied to the armature to an actual position of the valve member.

2. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a second feedback spring is positioned on a remote side of the positioning extension from the first feedback spring and resists the combined spring forces from the positioning extension and first feedback spring.

3. The valving system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said spring force from said first feedback spring combined with said positioning extension spring force and the spring force from said second feedback spring balance to reach an equilibrium position for said actuator piston.

4. The valving system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said valve member is a butterfly valve.

5. The valving system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein one of said first and second ports communicates with pressure on a downstream side of the valve member and a second of the ports communicates with an ambient pressure, such that at a closed position the flapper closes said one port and opens said second port, and at a closed position the flapper closes said second port and opens said first port such that the pressure downstream of the valve member can move into said larger face chamber.

6. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a cylindrical member associated with the forward face of the actuator piston guides said first feedback spring, and a second cylindrical member associated with said positioning extension guides said second feedback spring.

7. The valving system as set forth in claim 6 , wherein one of said first and second ports communicates with pressure on a downstream side of the valve member and a second of the ports communicates with an ambient pressure, such that at a closed position the flapper closes said one port and opens said second port, and at a closed position the flapper closes said second port and opens said first port such that the pressure downstream of the valve member can move into said larger face chamber.

8. The valving system as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said spring force from said first feedback spring combined with said positioning extension spring force and the spring force from said second feedback spring balance to reach an equilibrium position for said actuator piston.

9. The valving system as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said valve member is a butterfly valve.

10. The valving system as set forth in claim 8 , wherein one of said first and second ports communicates with pressure on a downstream side of the valve member and a second of the ports communicates with an ambient pressure, such that at a closed position the flapper closes said one port and opens said second port, and at a closed position the flapper closes said second port and opens said first port such that the pressure downstream of the valve member can move into said larger face chamber.

11. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the valving system operates as a positioning valve.

12. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said valving system is utilized as a surge bleed valve for selectively opening a surge bleed line on a gas turbine engine compressor section.

13. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said control is associated with a manual control that controls the current to said valving system.

14. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein there are two of said valving system for selectively providing control for two supplies of fluid leading to a single downstream use.

15. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the valving system is associated with a bowed rotor modulation functions for a starter for a gas turbine engine.

16. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the valving system is utilized to provide a desired pressure and sensing a pressure of fluid in the duct, and comparing that sensed pressure to a desired pressure, and adjusting current from the control to the valving system to move the pressure in the duct to approach the desired pressure.

17. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the valving system is utilized as a variable temperature control, and a temperature is sensed of fluid in the duct and compared to a desired temperature, and the controller then adjusting the current sent to said valving system based upon the comparison of temperatures.

18. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of said first and second ports communicates with pressure on a downstream side of the valve member and a second of the ports communicates with an ambient pressure, such that at a closed position the flapper closes said one port and opens said second port, and at a closed position the flapper closes said second port and opens said first port such that the pressure downstream of the valve member can move into said larger face chamber.

19. The valving system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a first cylindrical member associated with a forward face of the actuator piston guides said first feedback spring, and a second cylindrical member associated with said positioning extension also guides said first feedback spring.

20. A method of operating a valving system comprising the steps of:
1) providing a valve member within a fluid duct to control the flow of fluid between a duct inlet and a duct outlet, providing an actuator member connected to move with an actuator piston and change the position of the valve member, providing a torque motor comprising an armature and a flapper caused to move by current received at the armature from a control, the flapper moving between first and second fluid ports to control the opening of the fluid ports, and the flapper further having a positioning extension and providing a feedback spring engaging the positioning extension between it and a forward face of the actuator position; and
2) programming said control to provide current to said armature to control fluid received in an actuator chamber between the first and second fluid ports to control a position of said valve member, and the positioning extension a applying an extension spring force in combination to a spring force from the first feedback spring on the valve member, said control programmed

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Zawilinski David J
• Simpson Scott W
• Goodman Robert B

Classifications

• F16K31/046

  with electric means, e.g. electric switches, to control the motor or to control a clutch between the valve and the motor (F16K31/041 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F15B2211/305

  characterised by the type of valves · CPC title

• F15B21/042

  Controlling the temperature of the fluid · CPC title

• F15B11/028

  for controlling the actuating force (F15B11/024 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05D16/2097

  using pistons within the main valve · CPC title