Flow control valve with turnup diaphragm

Abstract

A flow control valve includes a main valve and a pilot valve for controlling a piston of the main valve. The valve may be controlled by a control system based on a pressure or temperature measured in a system supplied or controlled by the valve. The valve is operable as a pressure independent control valve utilizing pressure measurements from the supply and discharge or return lines of the fluid circulating HVAC system as inputs to a control system operable to maintain a constant pressure drop across the system, or the valve is operable as a temperature independent control valve utilizing pressure measurements from the supply and discharge or return lines of the fluid circulating HVAC system as inputs to the control system operable to maintain a constant pressure drop across the system. Temperature measurements from the supply and discharge or return lines of the fluid circulating HVAC system are utilized as inputs to a control system that is operable to maintain a constant temperature drop across the system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention described below relates to the field of pressure independent control valves. Background Art

[0002] Current pressure independent control valves used in HVAC systems are installed in high flow applications and operate to maintain a constant pressure differential across the piping system regardless of fluctuations in the fluid supply pressure. These valves use a conventional valve disc and valve seat, and the valve disc position is changed by the fluid pressure of the fluid flowing through the valve and acting on a diaphragm fixed to the valve stem. Applicant's previous U.S. Patent No. 10,323,768 discloses a pressure independent control valve with an electronic control system having a compact design in which the main components of the valve, including the valve seat, closing element and operating chamber, are contained in a compact disc-shaped valve body. The valve operates using a flush diaphragm directly attached to the closing element. Summary of the invention

[0003] The device described below provides for controlling flow through a pipeline system using a valve, which is operable as a pressure-independent control valve or a temperature-independent control valve. The control valve includes a main valve using a ball closing element, which is operable to be converted to prevent contact against a seating element. The ball closing element is fixed to a valve stem, which is directly or indirectly fixed to a roll-over sleeve or diaphragm, which is operable to force the ball closing element against the seat when pressure is applied to the roll-over diaphragm on the side of the diaphragm opposite the ball closing element and the seat. The control valve also includes a pilot valve, which is used to control the ball closing element of the main valve. The main valve is controlled in part by a high-pressure fluid transmitted through the pilot valve from a high-pressure port in the upstream surface of the valve or an associated pipeline system. The pilot valve is controlled by a computer system in response to a pressure differential across the valve or across an associated piping system (in which case it may operate as a pressure independent module or PIM, as that term is used in the art), or in response to a temperature differential sensed across an associated piping system (in which case it may operate as a temperature independent module or TIM, as that term is used in the art).

[0004] The pilot valve is operable to transfer high pressure fluid in the system to the chamber behind the diaphragm to force the diaphragm and ball closure element toward the seat, or to isolate the chamber from the high pressure and connect the chamber fluid to a low pressure area in the system (allowing the fluid in the chamber to drain and thereby allowing the diaphragm to flip back to a non-pressurized configuration biased by a spring configured to force a flip sleeve or roll-up diaphragm to flip back and pull the ball closure element away from the seat. In this way, the main valve is operable to throttle flow through the valve in response to a pressure or temperature differential sensed by the control system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 is the cross section of the flow control valve.

[0006] Figure 4 is a cross section of a flow control valve showing a Venturi sensing element that may be used in the control valve.

[0007] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the valve.

[0008] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a piping system (such as an HVAC system) in which the valve can be used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 A cross section of a flow control valve 1 is illustrated. The flow control valve is an assembly consisting of a main valve (including a valve seat region 2S and an actuator region 2A) and a pilot valve 3. The main valve portion includes a main valve inlet 4 formed in a valve ring or valve annulus 5, the valve ring or valve annulus including a valve seat region, having a hole 6 passing through the seat region 2S, and the main valve portion includes an outlet 7 on the outlet side of the valve seat region 2S. The inlet side of the valve (item 8) includes the inlet of the ring and includes an inlet orifice 9. The hole 6 extends through the valve seat region 2S and includes an angled or flared opening into the outlet 7, thereby providing a seating element in the form of a valve seat 10. The valve seat includes an inner wall (surface of the hole) of the valve seat region 2S adjacent to the outlet, which is sized to match the shape of a closing element 11. The closing element is a valve disc or plunger having an outer surface (facing the valve seat) configured to seat and seal against the valve seat. As shown, the main valve closing element is preferably configured to seat against a rounded or spherical surface, perhaps hemispherical.

[0010] The actuator section 2A is disposed downstream of the closure element 11 outside the valve seat section 2S and not disposed within the bore 6 of the valve seat section 2S. A roll-up diaphragm or inverted sleeve 12 disposed within the actuator section is operable to roll up into inverted configurations (i.e., folded back on itself) to varying degrees and is secured to the valve stem at the end of the valve stem opposite the closure element. The diaphragm is operable to roll up into the bore 14 of the actuator 2A toward the main valve inlet 4 (e.g., toward the valve stem) by operation of the pilot valve and subsequent pressurization of the main valve operating chamber 13. Figure 1 ) longitudinally elastically recovers or "expands" to allow the closing element 11 to translate toward the valve seat 10 and the inlet orifice to (partially or completely) block the holes of the valve seat section 2S, thereby controlling the flow rate through the valve seat section, and after the diaphragm is decompressed, it turns back to a "roll-up" inside-out configuration structure (as shown in Figure 2), where the upstream portion of the diaphragm is rolled over within the downstream portion (or vice versa if flow through the valve is reversed relative to the depiction) and pulls the spherical valve disc away from the valve seat to open or block fewer inlet orifices.

[0011] The pilot valve 3 shown in the drawings comprises a closing element, such as a rotatable ceramic disc 15R fixed to a disc drive 16, which is operable to rotate the rotatable disc relative to a fixed disc or flat seating surface 15F. The pilot valve may alternatively be a fast acting plug valve, ball valve, needle valve or other suitable valve. Figure 1 The valve depicted in FIG. 1 is a ceramic disc valve. A motor 17 is operable to rotate the disc so that the orifice(s) 18A, 18B of the rotatable disc 15 move into and out of alignment with the pilot valve inlet 20 and outlet 21 to allow flow into the pilot valve flow path 19. The pilot valve and its flow path are configured to provide a fluid passage for: (1) pressurized fluid from the pilot valve inlet port 20 on the inlet face 8 of the valve seat section through the aperture of the disc to the pilot valve outlet port 21 and into the main valve operating chamber 13; (2) relieving pressure from the main valve operating chamber 13 through the relief port 22 to the outlet side 7 of the valve seat section 2S; or (3) simultaneously blocking a fluid path from the inlet side of the valve seat section through the pilot valve, a fluid path from the outlet side of the valve seat section through the pilot valve, or a fluid path from the main valve operating chamber 13 to the pilot valve outlet port 22 to the outlet side 7 of the valve seat section 2S. The pilot valve can be operated in an on / off mode, as a shut-off valve, or as a throttle valve or a mixing valve. Most conveniently, the valve can be a ceramic disc valve comprising a fixed disc ( Figure 1 Item 15F in the figure), the fixed disk has one or more orifices which can be positioned to be fluidly connected to the operating chamber 13, the inlet port 20 or the relief port / pilot valve outlet port 21 to the outlet side 7 of the valve seat section 2S through the working fluid conduit 23 as required to increase or maintain the pressure in the operating chamber or to release the pressure from the operating chamber to the outlet side of the valve seat section (and, optionally, through the use of a mixing valve, the forces on the face of the diaphragm 12 are balanced to maintain the disk in place relative to the valve seat to maintain the desired open position, closed position or throttle position of the valve). Other pilot valves, such as needle valves, cylinder or ball valves, can also be used and these pilot valves can be operated as stop valves or throttle valves.

[0012] In operation, the main valve operating chamber 13 receives pressurized fluid from the pilot valve 3 through the pilot valve output port 21, and discharges pressurized fluid from the main valve operating chamber 13 through the pilot valve outlet port 22, and both fluid supply and discharge from the operating chamber 13 can be through a single working fluid conduit 23. The working fluid conduit 23 serves as a path for the working fluid to flow from the pilot valve output port 21 to the operating chamber to translate the closing element in the first direction (closing in the example shown in the drawings), and serves as a path for the working fluid to be discharged from the operating chamber back to the pilot valve output port 21 and thus discharged through the discharge port 22 to translate the closing element in the second direction (opening in the example shown in the drawings). The working fluid conduit 23 extends from its connection with the pilot valve near the valve seat section through a hole in an opening of the associated piping system to the actuator section, and is preferably not enclosed in a valve body that encloses both the valve seat section and the actuator section (although the valve seat section and the actuator section may be enclosed in a housing or valve body assembled between the inlet pipe 41 and the outlet pipe 42).

[0013] Figure 1 The control valve is shown in a fully closed configuration, while Figure 2 The valve is shown in a fully open configuration. Figure 1 In the configuration structure shown in , the pilot valve 3 is open in a first position, allowing high-pressure fluid to be transmitted from the inlet side of the valve through the pilot valve inlet port 20 on the inlet side of the valve and through the pilot valve hole 19, through the pilot valve outlet port 21, through the working fluid conduit 23, and into the main valve operating chamber 13. When the main valve operating chamber is pressurized by fluid from the inlet side of the valve, over the entire area of ​​the face of the diaphragm 12 exposed to the chamber pressure, which is larger than the area of ​​the closing element 11 facing the valve seat, the diaphragm and the spherical valve disc 11 are forced toward the outlet orifice and the valve seat (despite the high pressure applied to the seating surface of the spherical valve disc by the fluid flow) to partially or completely close the valve. Figure 2 In the configuration structure shown in , the pilot valve 3 is opened in the second position, positioned to block the high-pressure fluid from reaching the main valve operating chamber 13 from the inlet side, and at the same time, the flow path from the port 21 to the relief port 22 is opened, so that the fluid in the main valve operating chamber is discharged to the outlet side of the valve through the port 21, the relief port 22 and the working fluid conduit 23, and is discharged from the operating chamber. When the main valve operating chamber is depressurized, the diaphragm 12 and the spherical valve disc 11 are biased to the extension configuration structure The force of the spring 24 (compression spring) pushes the piston 25 away from the inner wall of the upstream end 2U of the actuator housing and thus pushes it away from the valve seat area, and thereby moves (pulls) the closing element away from the valve seat, while causing the reversing sleeve to further reversal, reversing back to its more fully rolled configuration structure, folding back on itself, as shown in Figure 2If a spring is not provided, the pressure of the inlet fluid on the inlet side of the valve) may be sufficient to push the closing element 11 away from the outlet orifice and the valve seat (depending on the residual pressure behind the diaphragm) to partially or completely open the valve. An extension spring fixed to the piston and downstream end 2D of the actuator section 2A may also be used instead of the compression spring shown.

[0014] Figure 3 The control valve is shown in a third intermediate configuration, partially closed or partially open to throttle fluid flow through the valve seat area 2S. Figure 3 In the configuration shown in the figure, the pilot valve is in the third position "closed", closing both the flow path from the pilot valve inlet port 20 and the flow path to the relief port 22. Therefore, high-pressure fluid from the inlet side of the valve cannot enter the operating chamber, and the fluid in the operating chamber cannot escape to the low-pressure side of the valve, and the valve is hydraulically locked in the intermediate position. To achieve the intermediate position, the valve is operated according to its initial position by transmitting high-pressure fluid into the operating chamber 13 to push the closing element 11 toward the valve seat 2S ( Figure 1 ), or transmit the high pressure fluid from the operating chamber 13 to allow the spring to push (or pull) the closing element 11 away from the valve seat ( Figure 2 ); and blocks flow into or out of the operating chamber 13 upon reaching the desired intermediate position. The diaphragm may be biased into the roll-over configuration by a biasing element, such as a spring 24, acting on the upstream surface 2U of the actuator cylinder to bias the diaphragm, preferably by acting on a piston 25 fixed at a first (downstream) end to a central portion of the roll-over sleeve and at a second (upstream) end to a shaft 26. Pressure in the operating chamber may cause the sleeve to roll-over (in an upstream direction) and the piston, shaft and closure element to translate toward the valve seat region, while the release of pressurized fluid in the operating chamber and the expansion force of the spring may cause the sleeve to roll-over (in a downstream direction) and the piston, shaft and closure element to translate away from the valve seat region. The spring may be omitted if the expected flow in the expected outlet pipe is sufficiently strong to force the closure element away from the valve seat region at a speed sufficient for a particular application. The preferred spring shown in the drawings is a helical compression spring in which each turn of the helix fits within the previous turn so that if Figure 1 If the spring is fully compressed in the center, it will form a 2D spiral (the projection of the spring on the wall 2U will be a spiral), while if Figure 2 If the spring is not compressed, the coil will define a cone. The spring may be a helical coil spring (of equal diameter between the turns, so that the coil will define a cylinder of constant diameter and the projection of the spring on the wall 2U will be a circle).

[0015] The valve shown in the drawings can be operated to achieve: (1) a first configuration of the valve, in which the pilot valve is configured to transmit high pressure fluid from the pilot valve inlet port 20 to the main valve operating chamber 13 to cause the roll-up diaphragm 12 to return to the deployed configuration and thereby force the closing element 11 toward the valve seat area 2S, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 or (2) a second configuration of the valve, in which the pilot valve is configured to transfer fluid from the main valve operating chamber 13 to the relief port 22 to cause the roll-up diaphragm 12 to flip back to the roll-up configuration and thereby force the closing element 11 away from the valve seat portion 2S; or (3) a third configuration of the valve, in which the pilot valve is configured to block fluid from flowing into and out of the main valve operating chamber 13, prevent the diaphragm from flipping back or recovering, and thereby hydraulically lock the main valve operating chamber 13 to maintain the closing element in an intermediate position between the fully closed position and the fully open position relative to the valve seat portion. Note that the terms flip-back and recovering are selected in a manner assuming that one surface of the diaphragm (operating chamber side) is the inside surface and the other surface is the outside surface.

[0016] The diaphragm may comprise silicone rubber, EPDM rubber (preferably peroxide cured), or the like, preferably reinforced with fibers. The closing element may comprise a hard, non-compliant material (metal or plastic) or an elastomeric material. The inlet orifice 9, seating element 10, closing element 11, hole 6, diaphragm 12 and operating chamber 13 are preferably aligned along a common longitudinal axis L passing through the valve that is generally perpendicular to the plane P established by the disk. As shown in the accompanying drawings, the common longitudinal axis L is preferably centered in the flow path of the surrounding conduit 41 so that each component is centered relative to the hole 6 of the valve and aligned along the central longitudinal axis of the valve seat area. As shown in the accompanying drawings, the diaphragm is configured to be inverted or rolled up into an inside-out configuration (similar to a rolled-up shirt sleeve), as shown in the drawings. Figure 2 , and restored or unfolded to a non-inverted configuration, such as Figure 1 as shown in .

[0017] Figure 4 is a cross section of a flow control valve showing a Venturi sensing element that may be used to control the valve. This view shows a valve 1 wherein the main valve of the valve comprises a valve seat section 2S, an actuator section 2A, an inlet orifice 9 on the inlet side (item 8) of the valve seat section 2S, a spherical valve disc 9, a diaphragm 12 and a main valve operating chamber 13, among other components. The pilot valve is not visible in this cross section.

[0018] Figure 4A pressure sensor, such as a differential pressure sensor 27, is shown in fluid communication with a low pressure sensing port 28 disposed in the inlet orifice inner wall of the bore of the valve annulus 5 including the valve seat area downstream of the inlet orifice 9. The sensing port is connected to the pressure sensor 27 through a low pressure sensing line 28L. A high pressure sensing port 29 on the inlet face of the valve is exposed to the inlet fluid pressure and is connected to the pressure sensor 27 through a high pressure sensing line 29L. The slope of the inlet orifice may be shaped so that the inlet orifice forms a Venturi or orifice plate by which the flow rate through the valve may be measured using input from the pressure sensor 27, which senses (1) the inlet pressure through the inlet pressure sensing port 29 as a high pressure input and (2) the pressure from the low pressure sensing port 28 as a low pressure input for calculating the flow rate through the valve. The hole defines a central radial portion of the valve seat segment, and the remainder of the valve seat segment defines an outer radial portion of the valve seat segment, and the valve seat segment is characterized by a side wall circumscribing the valve seat segment, and the valve further includes a pressure sensor 27 disposed in the outer radial portion, and ports 28, 29 or other ports disposed on the valve seat segment exposed to the fluid flow and in fluid communication with the sensor. The pressure sensor may be configured in a sensor assembly including a separate high pressure sensor 27H and a low pressure sensor 27L, and may be inserted into a radially oriented hole in the valve seat segment, wherein a first pressure sensing port 28 opens to an inlet orifice and a first sensing line 28L extends through the valve seat segment to the first pressure sensor 27L, and a second pressure sensing port 29 opens to an inlet side of the valve and a second sensing line 29L extends through the valve seat segment to the second pressure sensor 27H.

[0019] Low pressure sensing can be improved, particularly for small flow configurations of the valve that cause high turbulence near the longitudinal center of the valve seat section or near a small diameter region of the Venturi configuration, by adding a conduit 30 extending radially through the valve orifice in a low pressure region suitable for receiving a low pressure input for a Venturi pressure sensor, and the conduit is connected to the fluid in the low pressure region through one or more ports 31 in the conduit, the one or more ports opening the orifice of the valve seat section in the low pressure region of the flow through the valve.

[0020] The valve as shown includes a separate valve seat section and a separate actuator section without a valve body or housing through which fluid flows. The valve can be installed in a pipeline, and the actuator section is arranged in the outlet section of the pipeline. The actuator section is arranged and fixed in axial alignment with the valve seat section using one or more supports 32 or other convenient devices. The valve seat section is configured so that, when installed in a pipeline system (in a manner where the valve seat section is between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, also shown in the drawings), the longitudinal axis L of the hole is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the surrounding adjacent pipeline system, and the one or more supports are configured to fix the actuator section in the pipeline system in a manner separated from the valve seat section so that, when the actuator section is suspended in the pipeline system, the inlet orifice, the closing element, the diaphragm and the operating chamber are aligned along the longitudinal axis L of the valve seat section. The working fluid conduit includes a tube 23 that provides a fluid path from the pilot valve outlet port to the main valve operating chamber in the actuator section. The tube extends outward from the valve seat section to the main valve operating chamber. The valve seat section, the actuator section and the tube are not enclosed in a separate valve body, and the tube passes through a portion of the piping system outside the valve seat section and the actuator section.

[0021] Figure 5 1 is a perspective view of a flow control valve 1, which includes a valve seat section 2S, a valve actuator 2A and a support 32 connecting the two, and a pilot valve 3. This view also shows the inlet side 8 of the valve seat section, the inlet orifice 9 and the pilot valve inlet port 20. The first sensing port 29 (for inlet pressure sensing) and the low pressure sensing port 28. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 2 , the pilot valve 3 and the pressure sensor assembly 27 can be conveniently arranged on the valve ring 5 (in the valve seat area 2S, between the inlet side flange 33 and the outlet side flange 34 for fixing the valve to the relevant pipeline system). Figure 6 ) is operably connected to various inputs and sensors for receiving signals corresponding to the pressures sensed by the sensors, and the control system is also operably connected to the motor 17 to operate the pilot valve. The control system can control the pilot valve and thereby the main valve in response to the flow through the valve determined by the control system based on the sensed pressure from the port of Venturi or the temperature at various points in the associated piping system, or in response to other inputs from additional sensors, or in response to manual input from an operator. The control system can be disposed between the flanges of the valve without protruding beyond the periphery of the flanges, or the control system can also be remotely located. The pressure sensor is shown as being disposed in the peripheral area of ​​the valve, with the pressure sensor port communicating from the pressure sensor port. A temperature sensor can also be disposed in the peripheral area of ​​the valve, with the temperature sensor port communicating from the inlet or outlet side (or other location) of the valve to the temperature sensor.

[0022] The valve can be used as a PIM, utilizing a pilot valve to control flow through the valve to maintain a constant pressure drop across the valve itself, or to maintain a constant pressure drop across an associated piping system. The control system is schematically shown in Figure 6 The control system is programmed to receive signals from the low pressure sensor 27L and the high pressure sensor 27H corresponding to the pressure sensed by each sensor and determine the pressure differential between the associated sensing ports 28 and 29 and compare the determined pressure differential with the predetermined pressure differential, and then conditionally cause the pilot valve motor to energize to open or close (or throttle) the pilot valve as needed to close or open the main valve to maintain a sensed pressure differential that matches the predetermined pressure differential (within an acceptable band close to the predetermined pressure differential). The predetermined pressure differential may be preset when the system is manufactured, or input into the control system by an installer or user.

[0023] In order to maintain a constant pressure drop across the valve itself, a control system and sensors built into the valve may be used. In order to maintain a constant pressure drop across the associated piping system, pressure sensors provided in the associated system may be used, and may include a high pressure sensor at the input of the associated piping system and a low pressure sensor at the output of the associated piping system. If the valve is installed downstream of the associated piping system, the sensor 27 for sensing high pressure when the valve is used alone may be used as a low pressure sensor for the associated piping system. If the valve is installed upstream of the associated piping system, the sensor 28 for sensing high pressure when the valve is used alone may be used as a high pressure sensor for the associated piping system, and a low pressure sensor at the outlet of the associated piping system may be used by the control system as a low pressure sensor.

[0024] The valve can be used as a temperature independent control valve or temperature independent module (TIM), utilizing a pilot valve to control the flow through the valve to maintain a constant temperature drop across the associated piping system. To operate as a temperature independent control valve or temperature independent module (TIM), Figure 6 The control system shown in is programmed to receive signals corresponding to the temperatures sensed by the respective sensors from the temperature sensors in the associated piping system and determine the temperature difference between the associated temperature sensors, and compare the determined temperature difference with the predetermined temperature difference, and then conditionally cause the pilot valve motor to energize to open or close (or throttle) the pilot valve as needed to close or open the main valve to maintain a sensed temperature difference that matches the predetermined temperature difference (within an acceptable band close to the predetermined temperature difference). The predetermined temperature difference may be preset when the system is manufactured, or input into the control system by an installer or user.

[0025] Figure 6 An overall piping system is illustrated having a valve 1 controlling flow through an associated piping system 40, such as an HVAC system, wherein Figure 1A valve may be used. The valve is installed in a piping system with an upstream inlet pipe 41 and a downstream outlet pipe 42 establishing respective upstream and downstream sides of the flow control valve. The system may include a supply line 43, any number of branch valves 44 for regulating flow to different loads 45 in different branches, and an outlet line 46 (which is the initial part of the return line). The control valve 1 is installed in the return line, which includes the outlet line 46, the upstream pipe 41 and the downstream pipe 42 and the remainder of the return line (item 47). In an HVAC system, the branch valve may be an inexpensive pressure-independent control valve (such as a Griswold and PIM valves), manually operated ball valves or throttling valves or other valves, and the load may be a separate heat exchanger or room to be supplied with fluid through a main supply pipe, a manifold or a branch valve group. When used as a PIM to control flow through an associated piping system, the high pressure input is obtained from a pressure sensor 48 on the supply line 43, and the low pressure input may be obtained from a pressure sensor 49 disposed near the inlet of the valve or in the valve (which is used as a high pressure sensor when the valve is used to control the pressure drop across the valve itself), or from a pressure sensor disposed in the return line of the associated piping system.

[0026] When used as a temperature independent control valve or temperature independent module (TIM) to control flow through an associated piping system (in this case an HVAC cooling system), the inlet temperature input is taken from a temperature sensor 50 on the supply line 43, and the outlet temperature input may be taken from a temperature sensor 51 disposed on the outlet of the associated piping system or from a temperature sensor disposed in the return line of the associated piping system. (When used for cooling, temperature sensor 50 would be used as a high temperature sensor and temperature sensor 51 would be used as a low temperature sensor.) The valve may be operated in another mode in which the valve is throttled as needed to maintain the temperature at the outlet of the associated piping system, regardless of the temperature differential across the system.

[0027] When used to control flow across a piping system, the control system is operable to control a pilot valve, and the control system is operable to receive signals from a first sensor and a second sensor related to a fluid in a system controlled by the valve, and to control the pilot valve to in turn control the main valve to in turn control the flow through the valve in response to the signals from the first sensor and the second sensor. Where the load is between the inlet and the outlet, the respective sensors may be disposed near the outlet (return line) of the piping system and the inlet (supply line) of the piping system. Depending on the location of the valve within the piping system, the sensor within the valve may be used as an input sensor or an output sensor.

[0028] Although the preferred embodiments of these devices and methods have been described with reference to the environment in which they are developed, these preferred embodiments are only used to illustrate the principles of the present invention. The elements of different embodiments may also be incorporated into each other species to obtain the benefits of combining these elements with such other species, and different beneficial features may be used in the embodiments alone or in combination with each other. Other embodiments and configurations may also be designed without departing from the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flow control valve, comprising: A main valve, the main valve comprising a valve seat area (2S), the valve seat area comprising: an inlet orifice (9) and an outlet orifice (7) and a hole (6) extending from the inlet orifice to the outlet orifice (9), the outlet orifice (7) forming a valve seat (10); a closing element (11), and an actuator section (2A) operable to move the closure element (11) into and out of or towards and away from a blocking relationship with the valve seat (10); The actuator section (2A) comprises a roll-up diaphragm (12) fixed to the closing element (11), the roll-up diaphragm (12) forming a main valve operating chamber (13) in the actuator section (2A), the main valve operating chamber being operable to translate the closing element (11) by pressurizing the main valve operating chamber (13), wherein the roll-up diaphragm (12) is arranged in the actuator section (2A); The actuator section (2A) is fixed to the valve seat section (2S) by one or more supports (30), so that the actuator section (2A) is arranged downstream of the valve seat section (2S) and separated from the valve seat section (2S); A pilot valve (3) is arranged in the valve seat area (2S), the pilot valve having a pilot valve inlet port (20) leading to the inlet side (8) of the valve seat area (2S), the pilot valve inlet port (20) is fluidically connected to the operating chamber (13) through the pilot valve, and the pilot valve is operable to control the flow of fluid from the inlet side (8) of the valve seat area (2S) to the operating chamber (13); wherein The valve seat section (2S) is configured so that, when installed between the inlet pipe (41) and the outlet pipe (42) in the piping system (40), the longitudinal axis (L) of the hole is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the piping system, and the one or more supports (32) are configured to fix the actuator section (2A) and the valve seat section (2S) in the piping system (40) separately so that the inlet orifice (9), the closing element (11), the diaphragm (12) and the operating chamber (13) are aligned along the longitudinal axis of the valve seat section (2S); and also includes A tube (23) providing a fluid path from the pilot valve outlet port (21) to the main valve operating chamber (13) within the actuator section (2S), the tube extending outwardly from the valve seat section (2S) to the main valve operating chamber (13), wherein the valve seat section, the actuator section and the tube are not enclosed in the valve body.

2. The flow control valve of claim 1, wherein: The pilot valve (3) also includes a pilot valve outlet port (21), which leads to a relief port (22) on the outlet side (7) of the valve seat section (2S), and the relief port (22) is connected to the operating chamber fluid through the pilot valve. The pilot valve is capable of operating to control the fluid flow from the operating chamber (13) to the outlet side (7) of the valve seat section.

3. The flow control valve of claim 1, wherein: In a first configuration of the valve, the pilot valve is configured to transmit high pressure fluid from the pilot valve inlet port (20) to the main valve operating chamber (13) to cause the roll-up diaphragm (12) to flip back and thereby force the closing element (11) toward the valve seat area (2S).

4. A flow control valve as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: In a first configuration of the valve, the pilot valve is configured to transmit high pressure fluid from the pilot valve inlet port (20) to the main valve operating chamber (13) to cause the roll-up diaphragm (12) to flip back and thereby force the closing element (11) toward the valve seat area (2S).

5. The flow control valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the second configuration of the valve, the pilot valve is configured to transmit fluid from the main valve operating chamber (13) to the relief port (22) to cause the roll-up diaphragm (12) to reverse and thereby force the distal valve seat portion (2S) of the closing element (11).

6. The flow control valve of claim 5, wherein: In a third configuration of the valve, the pilot valve is configured to block fluid flow into and out of the main valve operating chamber (13), prevent the diaphragm from flipping over and thereby hydraulically lock the main valve operating chamber (13) to maintain the closing element in an intermediate position relative to the valve seat area.

7. The valve according to claim 1, wherein: The longitudinal axis is the central longitudinal axis of the valve seat section.

8. The valve according to claim 1, wherein: The hole defines a central radial portion of the valve seat portion, and the remainder of the valve seat portion defines an outer radial portion of the valve seat portion, and the valve seat portion is further characterized by a side wall that circumscribes the valve seat portion, and the valve further comprises: a sensor disposed in the outer radial portion; and A port is disposed on the valve seat portion, exposed to the fluid flow and in fluid communication with the sensor.

9. The valve according to claim 1, wherein: The inlet orifice comprises an opening in an inlet side of the valve, the inlet orifice being characterized by an inner wall limiting the orifice and proximate to the inlet, and the valve further comprising: Pressure sensor (27); a first pressure sensing port (28) disposed in the inner wall of the inlet aperture and in fluid communication with the pressure sensor (27); a second pressure sensing port (27) disposed on the inlet side of the disk and in fluid communication with a pressure sensor (27); Thereby, the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor (27) through the first pressure sensing port (28) and through the second pressure sensing port (27) can be used to measure the flow through the valve.

10. The valve according to claim 1, wherein: The closure element is a spherical disc that is sized and dimensioned to seat against the valve seat and control flow through the valve seat area.

11. The valve of claim 1 , further comprising: a first pressure sensing port (28) leading to the inlet orifice, and a first sensing line (28L) extending through the valve seat region to a first pressure sensor (27); and A second pressure sensing port (29) leads to the inlet side of the valve, and a second sensing line (29L) extends through the valve seat area to a second pressure sensor.

12. The valve according to claim 11, wherein A first pressure sensor (26S) is disposed in a radially oriented hole extending parallel to a plane defined by the disk in a peripheral region of the valve, and a second pressure sensor is disposed in a radially oriented hole extending parallel to a plane defined by the disk in a peripheral region of the valve.

13. The valve of claim 9, further comprising: A first temperature sensor is disposed in a peripheral area of ​​the valve, and a temperature sensor port communicates from an inlet or outlet side of the valve to the temperature sensor.

14. A valve and control system assembly comprising: The flow control valve according to claim 1; a first sensor and a second sensor; as well as A control system operable to control a pilot valve, the control system operable to receive signals from first and second sensors related to fluid in a system controlled by the valve, and to control the pilot valve to in turn control the main valve to in turn control flow through the valve in response to the signals from the first and second sensors.

15. A HVAC system and flow control valve comprising: The flow control valve according to claim 1; a first sensor and a second sensor; a control system operable to control the pilot valve, the control system operable to receive signals from first and second sensors relating to fluid in a system controlled by the valve and to control the pilot valve to in turn control the main valve to in turn control flow through the valve in response to the signals from the first and second sensors; as well as a piping system comprising a supply line, a return line, and at least one load between the supply line and the return line; in: The first sensor is a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the supply line; The second sensor is a pressure sensor in the return line; The valve is disposed in a supply line or a return line in the piping system; and The control system is programmed to control flow through the valve to maintain a predetermined pressure differential between the first and second sensors.

16. A HVAC system and flow control valve comprising: The flow control valve according to claim 1; a first sensor and a second sensor; a control system operable to control the pilot valve, the control system operable to receive signals from first and second sensors relating to fluid in a system controlled by the valve and to control the pilot valve to in turn control the main valve to in turn control flow through the valve in response to the signals from the first and second sensors; and a piping system comprising a supply line, a return line, and at least one load between the supply line and the return line; in: The first sensor is a temperature sensor operable to sense the temperature of the fluid in the supply line; the second sensor being a temperature sensor operable to sense the temperature of the fluid in the return line; The valve is disposed in a supply line or a return line in the piping system; and The control system is programmed to control flow through the valve to maintain a predetermined temperature differential between the first and second sensors.

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