Natural gas pressure regulator having adjustable valve seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989978-B2
Application number	US-201615002684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2016
Priority date	Jan 21, 2016
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A gas pressure regulator includes a body having respective inlet and outlet ports and an interior chamber defining a gas flow path. A hollow piston is moved in relation to a valve seat to create a junction through which gas is directed along the flow path to the outlet port. The piston engages a valve seat, thereby defining relative open and closed positions based on the position of the piston and the pressure of the gas, the piston being axially biased by a spring. The valve seat is attached to an adjustment member having at least one externally accessible feature to enable the axial position of the valve seat to be varied relative to the spring biased piston. In one version, the gas pressure regulator can include a heater assembly extending into the flow path adjacent the outlet port, enabling ported gas to be heated before introduction, e.g., into an engine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas pressure regulator comprising:
a regulator body including an inlet port, an outlet port and an interior;
a piston supported for axial movement within the interior of the regulator body, the piston being hollow and including a first end that extends into a junction and a second end, the second end of the hollow piston being fluidically connected to the outlet port;
a spring configured for biasing the piston in a first position relative to the junction;
a set point adjustment member including a valve seat at one end, the set point adjustment member being axially disposed in relation to the first end of the piston wherein open and closed positions are defined in the junction through which gas can be ported along a defined flow path extending through the hollow piston and extending to the outlet port and wherein the set point adjustment member is disposed opposite the first end of the piston and defining a variable spacing therebetween to define the open and closed positions and in which the axial position of the set point adjustment member can be varied in order to adjust set point pressure of the pressure regulator, and
a heater assembly disposed adjacent the outlet port.

2. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the set point adjustment member includes a threaded portion that is engageable with a threaded port of the regulator body.

3. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 1 , in which the set point adjustment member includes at least one externally accessible engagement feature.

4. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater assembly includes a heating element retained within a housing and in which a portion of the housing, including the retained heating element, extends transversely relative to gas ported to the outlet port of the regulator.

5. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 4 , in which the heater assembly is defined by a set of external fins disposed on the housing portion retaining the heating element.

6. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one externally accessible engagement feature is configured to receive a tool to permit axial adjustment of the set point adjustment member.

7. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 5 , including a switch to control the operation of the heating assembly.

8. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 7 , wherein the switch is configured to automatically turn off the heating element when a preset temperature is reached.

9. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 1 , including fluid conduit means for conduiting fluid through the regulator body for heating the gas.

10. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the ported gas is liquefied natural gas.

11. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 10 , wherein the regulator is used in a natural gas vehicle.

12. A method for adjusting the set point pressure of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) pressure regulator, the method comprising:
porting LNG through an inlet port of the pressure regulator to a junction, the junction including a biased piston including a hollow piston stem and a valve seat; and
adjusting the axial position of a set point adjustment member having the valve seat.

13. The method according to claim 12 , in which the adjusting step includes the additional step of:
providing at least one externally accessible engagement feature on the set point pressure adjustment member.

14. The method according to claim 12 , including the step of heating the regulated gas prior to porting of the regulated gas from an outlet port of the pressure regulator.

15. The method according to claim 14 , including the step of disposing a portion of the heating assembly transversely into a gas flow path of the regulator adjacent an outlet port of the pressure regulator.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein an extending portion of the heater assembly includes a set of spaced fins on an exterior surface thereof.

17. The method according to claim 12 , including the step of circulating a heated fluid through a body of the regulator in order to heat the LNG.

18. The method according to claim 14 , including the step of providing a switch connected to the heating assembly, the switch being configured to deactivate a heating element when a preset temperature is reached.

19. A gas pressure regulator comprising:
a regulator body including an inlet port, an outlet port and an interior;
a piston supported for axial movement within the interior of the regulator body, the piston being hollow and including a first end that extends into a junction and a second end, the second end of the hollow piston being fluidically connected to the outlet port;
a spring configured for biasing the piston in a first position relative to the junction; and
a set point adjustment member including a valve seat at one end, the set point adjustment member being axially aligned with the first end of the piston wherein open and closed positions are defined between the valve seat of the set point adjustment member and the first end of the piston in the junction through which, in the open position, gas can be ported along a defined flow path extending through the hollow piston and extending to the outlet port and in which the valve seat engages the first end of the piston in the closed position to prevent the porting of gas and in which the axial position of the set point adjustment member can be varied to adjust the spacing between the valve seat and the end of the piston in the open position in order to adjust set point pressure of the pressure regulator.

20. The gas pressure regulator according to claim 19 , wherein the set point adjustment member includes at least one externally accessible engagement feature for varying the axial position of the set point adjustment member.

Assignees

• Itt Mfg Enterprises Llc

Inventors

• Graham Gary E
• Gotthelf Jeffrey B
• Wiley Darrell T

Classifications

• Y10T137/7808

  Apertured reactor surface surrounds flow line · CPC title

• G05D16/106 Primary

  Sleeve-like sensing elements; Sensing elements surrounded by the flow path · CPC title

• G05D16/103 Primary

  the sensing element placed between the inlet and outlet (multiple-way valve G05D16/101) · CPC title

• F02M21/0239 Primary

  Pressure or flow regulators therefor · CPC title

• F17C13/00

  Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels · CPC title