Variable fluid flow apparatus with integrated filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856836-B2
Application number	US-201514750708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a fluid flow trim apparatus includes an outer housing defining a cavity having an interior surface and an end wall having an orifice therethrough, a valve body comprising a first valve portion disposed at least partly within the cavity, the first valve portion and the interior surface defining a first fluid flow path, a second valve portion in contact with the interior surface and defining a second fluid flow path. A third valve portion is disposed at least partly within the cavity between the first and second valve portions. The second fluid flow path fluidically connects the third valve portion to a trim cavity. A filter media extends from the first valve portion to the second valve portion and divides a third fluid flow path fluidically connecting the first and seconds fluid flow paths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid flow trim apparatus comprising:
an outer housing having an elongate body extending from a first end to a second end opposite the first end and defining a cavity comprising an interior surface with a first cross-sectional area and an end wall at the second end, the end wall having an orifice therethrough with a second cross-sectional area less than the first cross-sectional area;
a valve body having an elongate body and comprising:
a first valve portion disposed at least partly within the cavity and having a third cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area, the first valve portion and the interior surface defining a first fluid flow path;
a second valve portion in contact with the interior surface and having a channel formed therethrough defining a second fluid flow path, the second valve portion, the interior surface, and the end wall defining a trim cavity; and
a third valve portion disposed at least partly within the cavity between the first valve portion and the second valve portion and having a fourth cross-sectional area smaller than the second cross-sectional area, the second fluid flow path fluidically connecting the third valve portion to the trim cavity; and

a filter media extending from the first valve portion to the second valve portion and dividing a third fluid flow path fluidically connecting the first fluid flow path to the second fluid flow path; wherein the valve body is adjustably positionable within the cavity to a selected position to modify a fifth cross-sectional area of a fourth fluid flow path fluidly connecting the channel to the orifice through the trim cavity when a fluid is not flowing through the fluid flow trim apparatus, and the valve body is not adjustably positionable within the second cavity portion when the fluid is flowing through the fluid flow trim apparatus.

2. The fluid flow trim apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve body is adjustably positionable such that the fifth cross-sectional area has a flowable area equal to or less than a flowable area of the orifice.

3. The fluid flow trim apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve body is adjustably positionable to block the fourth fluid flow path.

4. The fluid flow trim apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve body is held in the selected position by frictional contact of the valve body with the interior surface.

5. The fluid flow trim apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve body is held in the selected position by a collection of threads formed on an outer surface of the valve body in mating contact a collection of threads formed on the interior surface.

6. The fluid flow trim apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the filter media provides a flowable area substantially greater than a flowable area of the channel.

7. The fluid flow trim apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third fluid flow path is substantially not parallel to the first fluid flow path.

8. The fluid flow trim apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cavity further comprises a first interior surface portion extending from the first end and partly into the cavity, and a second interior surface portion extending from the first cavity portion to the second end, the second interior surface portion having a sixth cross-sectional area less than the first cross-sectional area, and wherein the second valve portion is in contact with the second interior surface portion.

9. A method of trimming a fluid flow, comprising:
providing a fluid flow trim apparatus having an elongate body extending from a first end to a second end opposite the first end and defining a cavity comprising an interior surface with a first cross-sectional area and an end wall at the second end, and a valve body disposed at least partly within the cavity and having a first valve portion having a second cross-sectional area less than the first cross-sectional area, a second valve portion having a third cross-sectional area less than the second cross-sectional area, and a third valve portion in sealing contact with the interior wall;
providing a fluid at the first end;
flowing the fluid along a first fluid path through a first cavity portion defined by the interior wall and the first valve portion and extending from the first end partly into the elongate body;
flowing the fluid along a second fluid path across a filter media in a second cavity portion defined by the interior wall and the second valve portion and extending from the first valve portion to the third valve portion;
flowing the fluid along a third fluid flow path in a channel in a third valve portion to a trim cavity defined by the third valve portion, the interior surface, and the end wall; and
flowing the fluid through the trim cavity along a fourth fluid path to an orifice in the end wall, the orifice having a fourth cross-sectional area less than the first cross-sectional area; further comprising adjustably positioning, while the fluid is not flowing, the valve body to a selected position within the cavity to modify a flowable area of the fourth fluid flow path, the valve member maintaining the selected position while the fluid is flowing through the fluid flow trim apparatus.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the valve body is adjustably positionable such that the flowable area of the fourth fluid flow path is equal to or less than a flowable area of the orifice.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the valve body is adjustably positionable to block the fourth fluid flow path.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the valve body is held in the selected position by frictional contact of the valve body with the interior surface.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein adjustably positioning the valve body to a selected position further comprises threadedly mating a collection of threads formed on an outer surface of the valve body with a collection of threads formed on the interior surface.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the filter media provides a flowable area substantially greater than a flowable area of the channel.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second fluid flow path is substantially not parallel to the first fluid flow path.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cavity further comprises a first interior surface portion extending from the first end and partly into the cavity, and a second interior surface portion extending from the first cavity portion to the second end, the second interior surface portion having a sixth cross-sectional area less than the first cross-sectional area, and wherein the second valve portion is in contact with the second interior surface portion.

17. An internal combustion engine comprising:
an engine housing having a combustion chamber formed therein;
a fuel supply line; and
a fluid flow trim apparatus fluidically connecting the fuel supply line to the cylinder, the fluid flow trim apparatus comprising:
an outer housing having an elongate body extending from a first end to a second end opposite the first end and defining a cavity comprising an interior surface with a first cross-sectional area and an end wall at the second end, the end wall having an orifice therethrough with a second cross-sectional area less than the first cross-sectional area;
a valve body having an elongate body and comprising:
a first valve portion disposed at least partly within the cavity and having a third cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area, the first valve portion and the interior surface defining a first fluid flow path;
a second valve portion in contact with the interior surface and having a channel forme

Assignees

• Woodward Inc

Inventors

• Pyle Deke
• Niemeyer Sander
• Vandort Jason

Classifications

• F23R3/46

  Combustion chambers comprising an annular arrangement of {several essentially tubular} flame tubes within a common annular casing or within individual casings · CPC title

• F23R3/286

  having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F23K2300/202

  Filtering · CPC title

• F17D3/16

  for eliminating particles in suspension (from liquids by sedimentation B01D21/00; separation by filtration or otherwise B01D24/00 - B01D51/00; centrifugal apparatus B04) · CPC title

• F23D11/26

  with provision for varying the rate at which the fuel is sprayed · CPC title