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

[0001] This invention patent application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent application CN202380061636.4 (international application number PCT / US2023 / 030259) entitled "Flow control valve with roll-up diaphragm" filed on August 15, 2023. Technical Field

[0002] The invention described below relates to the field of pressure independent control valves. Background Technology

[0003] Current pressure-independent control valves used in HVAC systems are installed in high-flow applications and operate to maintain a constant differential pressure across the piping system regardless of fluctuations in fluid supply pressure. These valves use conventional valve discs and seats, and the 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. The applicant's previous U.S. Patent 10,323,768 discloses a pressure-independent control valve with an electronic control system and a compact design, in which the valve's main components, including the seat, shut-off element, and operating chamber, are contained within a compact disc-shaped valve body. This valve operates using a flat diaphragm directly attached to the shut-off element. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The apparatus described below provides for controlling flow through a piping system using a valve, which is operable as a pressure-independent or temperature-independent control valve. The control valve includes a main valve using a ball-shaped closing element operable to actuate and prevent contact with a seated element. The ball-shaped closing element is attached to a valve stem, which is directly or indirectly attached to a flip-over sleeve or diaphragm operable to force the ball-shaped closing element against the seat when pressure is applied to the flipped-over diaphragm on the side opposite to the ball-shaped closing element and seat. The control valve also includes a pilot valve for controlling the ball-shaped closing element of the main valve. The main valve is partially controlled using high-pressure fluid transmitted through the pilot valve from a high-pressure port on the upstream surface of the valve or the associated piping system. The pilot valve is controlled by a computer system in response to a pressure differential across the valve or across the associated piping system (in which case it may operate as a pressure-independent module or PIM, as the term is used in the art), or in response to a temperature difference sensed across the associated piping system (in which case it may operate as a temperature-independent module or TIM, as the term is used in the art).

[0005] The pilot valve is operable to transfer high-pressure fluid from the system to the chamber behind the diaphragm, forcing the diaphragm and ball-shaped closing 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 fluid in the chamber to drain and thus allowing the diaphragm to flip back to a spring-biased, unpressurized configuration configured to force the sleeve to flip back or roll the diaphragm back and pull the ball-shaped closing element away from the seat). In this way, the main valve is operable to throttle the flow through the valve in response to a pressure or temperature difference sensed by the control system. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 It is the cross-section of the flow control valve.

[0007] Figure 4 This is a cross-section of a flow control valve, showing a Venturi sensing element that can be used to control the valve.

[0008] Figure 5 This is a 3D diagram of the valve.

[0009] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the valves that can be used in piping systems (such as HVAC systems). Detailed Implementation

[0010] Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a cross-section of a flow control valve 1. The flow control valve is an assembly consisting of a main valve (including a 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 ring-shaped member 5, the valve ring or valve ring-shaped member including a seat region having an orifice 6 passing through the seat region 2S, and the main valve portion including an outlet 7 on the outlet side of the seat region 2S. The inlet side of the valve (item 8) includes the inlet of the ring and includes an inlet orifice 9. The orifice 6 extends through the 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 orifice) of the seat region 2S adjacent to the outlet, its dimensions designed 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 abut against and seal against the valve seat. As shown, the main valve closing element is preferably configured as a rounded or spherical surface, or perhaps hemispherical, that abuts against the valve seat.

[0011] The actuator section 2A is located downstream of the closing element 11 outside the valve seat section 2S and is not located within the hole 6 of the valve seat section 2S. The rolled-up diaphragm or reversing sleeve 12 located within the actuator section is operable to roll up into varying degrees of reversing configuration (i.e., folded back onto itself) and is fixed to the valve stem at the end opposite to the closing element. The diaphragm can be operated by the operation of the pilot valve and subsequent pressurization of the main valve operating chamber 13 to face the main valve inlet 4 within the hole 14 of the actuator 2A (e.g., ...). Figure 1 As shown, the valve element 11 longitudinally elastically recovers or "unfolds" to allow it to translate toward the valve seat 10 and the inlet orifice, thereby (partially or completely) blocking the orifice of the valve seat region 2S, thus controlling the flow rate through the valve seat region. After the diaphragm depressurizes, it flips back into a "roll-up" inward-outward configuration (as shown). Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, the upstream portion of the diaphragm is rolled up inside the downstream portion (or vice versa, if the flow through the valve is reversed relative to the description) and pulls the ball valve disc away from the valve seat to open or block fewer inlet orifices.

[0012] The pilot valve 3 illustrated in the accompanying drawings includes a shut-off element, such as a rotatable ceramic disc 15R fixed to a disc actuator 16, which is operable to rotate the rotatable disc relative to a fixed disc or a flat mounting surface 15F. Alternatively, the pilot valve may be a fast-acting plug valve, ball valve, needle valve, or other suitable valve. Figure 1 The valve depicted is a ceramic disc valve. Motor 17 is operable to rotate the disc so that one or more orifices 18A, 18B of the rotatable disc 15 enter and exit alignment with the pilot valve inlet 20 and outlet 21, allowing flow into the pilot valve's 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 seat section through the orifices of the disc to the pilot valve outlet port 21 and into the main valve operating chamber 13; (2) releasing pressure from the main valve operating chamber 13 through the working fluid conduit 23 and the relief port 22 to the outlet side 7 of the seat section 2S; or (3) simultaneously blocking the fluid path from the inlet side of the seat section through the pilot valve, the fluid path from the outlet side of the seat section through the pilot valve, or the fluid path from the main valve operating chamber 13 to the pilot valve outlet port 22 to the outlet side 7 of the seat section 2S. The pilot valve can operate in an on / off mode, as a shut-off valve, or as a throttling valve or mixing valve. Most conveniently, the valve can be a ceramic disc valve, which includes a fixed disc with a shut-off element in the form of a rotatable disc 15R. Figure 1(Item 15F in the document), the rotatable disc 15R has one or more orifices that can be positioned to communicate as needed via a working fluid conduit 23 with the operating chamber 13, the inlet port 20, or the vent port / pilot valve outlet port 21 of the outlet side 7 of the valve seat region 2S, to increase or maintain the pressure in the operating chamber or to release pressure from the operating chamber to the outlet side of the valve seat region (and, optionally, by using a mixing valve, to balance the forces on the surface of the diaphragm 12 to keep the disc in place relative to the valve seat to maintain the desired valve open, closed, or throttle position). Other pilot valves, such as needle valves, cylinders, or ball valves, can also be used, and these pilot valves can operate as shut-off valves or throttle valves.

[0013] In operation, the main valve operating chamber 13 receives pressurized fluid from the pilot valve 3 through the pilot valve output port 21 and releases pressurized fluid from the main valve operating chamber 13 through the pilot valve outlet port 22. Both fluid supply and discharge from the operating chamber 13 can be achieved 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 cause the shut-off element to translate in a first direction (closed in the example shown in the figures), and also serves as a path for the working fluid to drain from the operating chamber back to the pilot valve output port 21 and thus through the release port 22 to cause the shut-off element to translate in a second direction (opened in the example shown in the figures). The working fluid conduit 23 extends from its connection with the pilot valve near the valve seat area through an opening in the relevant piping system to the actuator area, and is preferably not enclosed in the valve body that encloses both the valve seat area and the actuator area (although the valve seat area and the actuator area may be enclosed in a housing or valve body assembled between the inlet pipe 41 and the outlet pipe 42).

[0014] Figure 1 A control valve configured in a fully closed position is shown, while Figure 2 A valve configured in a fully open position is shown. Figure 1 In the configuration shown, the pilot valve 3 is opened in the first position, allowing high-pressure fluid to be transmitted from the valve's inlet side through the pilot valve inlet port 20 on the valve's inlet side, through the pilot valve orifice 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 the fluid from the valve's inlet side, the diaphragm 12, on the entire area of ​​the surface exposed to the chamber pressure (which is larger than the area of ​​the closing element 11 facing the valve seat), is forced towards the outlet orifice and valve seat (despite the high pressure applied to the seat surface of the ball valve disc by the fluid flow) to partially or completely close the valve. Figure 2In the configuration shown, the pilot valve 3 is opened in the second position, positioned to block high-pressure fluid from reaching the main valve operating chamber 13 from the inlet side, while simultaneously opening the flow path from port 21 to the relief port 22, allowing fluid in the main valve operating chamber to drain through port 21, relief port 22, and through the working fluid conduit 23 to the valve outlet side, exiting from the operating chamber. When the main valve operating chamber is depressurized, the diaphragm 12 and the ball valve disc 11 are biased to the spring 24 (compression spring) of the extended configuration, pushing the piston 25 away from the inner wall of the upstream end 2U of the actuator housing and thus away from the valve seat area, thereby moving (pulling) the closing element away from the valve seat, while simultaneously causing the reversing sleeve to further revers, reversing back to its more fully rolled-up configuration, folding back onto itself, as in... Figure 2 As shown in the diagram. If the 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 fully open the valve. Alternatively, a tension spring fixed to the piston in actuator section 2A and downstream end 2D may be used instead of the compression spring shown.

[0015] Figure 3 The control valve is shown in a third intermediate configuration, partially closed or partially open, to throttle the fluid flow through the valve seat region 2S. Figure 3 In the configuration shown, 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 valve's inlet side cannot enter the operating chamber, and fluid in the operating chamber cannot escape to the valve's low-pressure side; the valve is hydraulically locked in the intermediate position. To achieve the intermediate position, the valve is operated according to its initial position by transferring high-pressure fluid to the operating chamber 13 to push the closing element 11 against the valve seat 2S. Figure 1 Alternatively, high-pressure fluid can be transferred from the operating chamber 13 to allow the spring to push (or pull) the shut-off element 11 away from the valve seat. Figure 2); and when reaching the desired intermediate position, the flow is blocked from entering or leaving the operating chamber 13. The diaphragm can be biased into a rollover configuration using a biasing element (such as 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 the center portion of the rollover sleeve and at a second (upstream) end to a shaft 26. The pressure in the operating chamber can cause the sleeve to roll over (upstream) and the piston, shaft, and closing element to translate toward the valve seat area, while the release of pressurized fluid in the operating chamber and the expansion force of the spring can cause the sleeve to roll over (downstream) and the piston, shaft, and closing element to translate away from the valve seat area. If the expected flow in the outlet pipe is strong enough to force the closing element away from the valve seat area at a speed sufficient for the particular application, the spring can be omitted. The preferred spring shown in the figures is a helical compression spring, wherein each turn of the helix is ​​fitted within the previous turn, such that if as Figure 1 If the spring is fully compressed, it will form a 2D helix (the projection of the spring onto the wall 2U will be a helix), and if... Figure 2 If the coil is not compressed, it will define a cone. The spring can be a helical coil spring (with coils of equal diameter, such that the coil will define a cylinder with a constant diameter, and the projection of the spring onto the wall 2U will be a circle).

[0016] The valve shown in the attached figure can be operated to achieve: (1) a first configuration of the valve, in which the pilot valve is configured to transfer high-pressure fluid from the pilot valve inlet port 20 to the main valve operating chamber 13 to cause the rolled-up diaphragm 12 to return to the unfolded configuration and thereby force the closing element 11 toward the valve seat region 2S, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 1 As shown in the diagram; 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 rolled-up diaphragm 12 to flip back into the rolled-up configuration and thereby force the closing element 11 away from the valve seat region 2S; or (3) a third configuration of the valve, in which the pilot valve is configured to block fluid inflow and outflow from the main valve operating chamber 13, prevent the diaphragm from flipping back or returning, and thereby hydraulically lock the main valve operating chamber 13 to hold the closing element in an intermediate position relative to the valve seat region, between the fully closed and fully open positions. Note that the terms flipping back and returning are selected in such a manner that one surface of the diaphragm (operating chamber side) is the inner surface and the other surface is the outer surface.

[0017] The diaphragm may include silicone rubber, EPDM rubber (preferably peroxide-cured), etc., and is preferably reinforced with fibers. The closing element may include a rigid, non-compliant material (metal or plastic) or an elastic material. The inlet orifice 9, seat element 10, closing element 11, orifice 6, diaphragm 12, and operating chamber 13 are preferably aligned along a common longitudinal axis L passing through the valve and substantially perpendicular to the plane P established by the disc. As shown in the figures, the common longitudinal axis L is preferably centered in the flow path of the surrounding conduit 41, such that each component is centered relative to the orifice 6 of the valve and aligned along the central longitudinal axis of the valve seat area. As shown in the figures, the diaphragm is configured to be flipped over or rolled up to an outward-folded configuration (similar to a rolled-up shirt sleeve), such as... Figure 2 As shown, and the configuration structure for restoring or unfolding to a non-flipped state, as... Figure 1 As shown in the image.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a cross-section of a flow control valve, showing the Venturi sensing element that can be used to control the valve. This view shows valve 1, where the main valve includes a seat region 2S, an actuator region 2A, an inlet orifice 9 on the inlet side (item 8) of the seat region 2S, a ball valve disc 9, a diaphragm 12, and a main valve operating chamber 13, as well as other components. The pilot valve is not visible in this cross-section.

[0019] Figure 4A pressure sensor, such as a differential pressure sensor 27, is shown. This pressure sensor is in fluid communication with a low-pressure sensing port 28, which is located downstream of the inlet orifice 9 in the inner wall of the orifice of the valve annulus 5, including the valve seat region. This sensing port is connected to the pressure sensor 27 via a low-pressure sensing line 28L. A high-pressure sensing port 29 on the valve inlet face is exposed to the inlet fluid pressure and is connected to the pressure sensor 27 via a high-pressure sensing line 29L. The bevel of the inlet orifice may be shaped to form a Venturi or orifice plate, by means of which the flow rate through the valve can be measured using the 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 orifice defines a central radial portion of the valve seat region, and the remainder of the valve seat region defines an outer radial portion of the valve seat section. The valve seat region is characterized by circumscribing the sidewalls of the valve seat region. The valve also includes a pressure sensor 27 disposed in the outer radial portion, and ports 28, 29, or other ports disposed on the valve seat region that are exposed to 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 orifice in the valve seat region, wherein a first pressure sensing port 28 opens to an inlet orifice and a first sensing line 28L extends through the valve seat region to the first pressure sensor 27L, and a second pressure sensing port 29 opens to the inlet side of the valve and a second sensing line 29L extends through the valve seat region to the second pressure sensor 27H.

[0020] Low-pressure sensing can be improved, especially for low-flow configurations of valves that cause high turbulence near the longitudinal center of the valve seat region or near the small-diameter region of the Venturi configuration. This is achieved by adding a radially extending conduit 30 through the valve orifice in the low-pressure region adapted to receive the low-pressure input for the Venturi pressure sensor, and the conduit is in fluid communication with the low-pressure region through one or more ports 31, which open the orifice of the valve seat region in the low-pressure region of the flow through the valve.

[0021] The valve, as shown, comprises a separate 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, with the actuator section located within the outlet section of the pipeline. The actuator section is axially aligned and secured to the seat section using one or more supports 32 or other convenient means. The seat section is configured such that, when installed in a piping system (also shown in the figures with the seat section between the inlet and outlet pipes), the longitudinal axis L of the orifice is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the surrounding piping system, and one or more supports are configured to secure the actuator section to the piping system spaced apart from the seat section, such that, with the actuator section suspended within the piping system, the inlet orifice, shut-off element, diaphragm, and operating chamber are aligned along the longitudinal axis L of the seat section. The working fluid conduit includes a pipe 23 providing a fluid path from the pilot valve outlet port to the main valve operating chamber within the actuator section. This pipe extends outward from the seat section to the main valve operating chamber. The valve seat area, actuator area, and pipe are not enclosed within separate valve bodies, and the pipe passes through the portion of the piping system outside the valve seat area and actuator area.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a flow control valve 1, which includes a valve seat region 2S, a valve actuator 2A, a support member 32 connecting the two, and a pilot valve 3. The view also shows the inlet side 8 of the valve seat region, the inlet orifice 9, and the pilot valve inlet port 20. A first sensing port 29 (for inlet pressure sensing) and a low-pressure sensing port 28 are also shown. Figure 5 As shown, the pilot valve 3 and pressure sensor assembly 27 can be conveniently mounted on the valve ring 5 (in the valve seat area 2S, between the inlet flange 33 and the outlet flange 34 for securing the valve to the relevant piping system). Control system 35 ( Figure 6 The control system is operatively connected to various inputs and sensors to receive signals corresponding to pressures sensed by the sensors, and is also operatively connected to motor 17 to operate the pilot valve. The control system can control the pilot valve and thus the main valve in response to flow through the valve determined by the control system based on sensed pressure from a port in Venturi or temperature at various points in the relevant piping system, or in response to other inputs from other sensors or manual input from the operator. The control system can be positioned between the valve flanges without protruding beyond the periphery of the flanges, or the control system can be remotely positioned. A pressure sensor is shown positioned within the peripheral area of ​​the valve, with a pressure sensor port communicating from the pressure sensor port. A temperature sensor can also be positioned within the peripheral area of ​​the valve, with a temperature sensor port communicating from the valve's inlet or outlet side (or other location) to the temperature sensor.

[0023] The valve can be used as a PIM (Pipeline Injection Mechanism), utilizing a pilot valve to control the flow through the valve to maintain a constant pressure drop across the valve itself, or to maintain a constant pressure drop across the 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, determine the pressure difference between the associated sensing ports 28 and 29, compare the determined pressure difference with a predetermined pressure difference, and then conditionally energize the pilot valve motor to open or close (or throttle) the pilot valve as needed to close or open the main valve to maintain a sensed pressure difference matching the predetermined pressure difference (within an acceptable range close to the predetermined pressure difference). The predetermined pressure difference can be preset during system manufacturing or input into the control system by installers or users.

[0024] To maintain a constant pressure drop across the valve itself, a control system and sensors built into the valve can be used. To maintain a constant pressure drop across the associated piping system, a pressure sensor located in the associated system can be used, with a high-pressure sensor included at the input of the associated piping system and a low-pressure sensor included at the output of the associated piping system. If the valve is installed downstream of the associated piping system, sensor 27, used to sense high pressure when the valve is used alone, can be used as a low-pressure sensor for the associated piping system. If the valve is installed upstream of the associated piping system, sensor 28, used to sense high pressure when the valve is used alone, can be used as a high-pressure sensor for the associated piping system, and the low-pressure sensor at the outlet of the associated piping system can be used as a low-pressure sensor by the control system.

[0025] The valve can be used as a temperature-independent control valve or a temperature-independent module (TIM), utilizing a pilot valve to control the flow through the valve to maintain a constant temperature drop across the relevant piping system. For operation as a temperature-independent control valve or temperature-independent module (TIM), Figure 6 The control system shown is programmed to receive signals from temperature sensors in the relevant piping system corresponding to the temperatures sensed by each sensor, determine the temperature difference between the relevant temperature sensors, compare the determined temperature difference with a predetermined temperature difference, and then conditionally energize a pilot valve motor to open or close (or throttle) the pilot valve as needed to close or open the main valve to maintain a sensed temperature difference matching the predetermined temperature difference (within an acceptable range close to the predetermined temperature difference). The predetermined temperature difference can be preset during system manufacturing or input into the control system by installers or users.

[0026] Figure 6 The diagram illustrates an overall piping system, which includes a valve 1 that controls the flow through a related piping system 40, such as an HVAC system. Figure 1The valve can be used. The valve is installed in the piping system, with the upstream inlet pipe 41 and downstream outlet pipe 42 establishing the corresponding upstream and downstream sides of the flow control valve. The system may include a supply line 43, any number of branch valves 44 in different branches for regulating the flow to different loads 45, and an outlet line 46 (which is the initial portion 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 HVAC systems, the branch valves can be inexpensive pressure-independent control valves (such as Griswold PIC-V). ® MVP ® (and PIM valves), manually operated ball valves or throttle valves or other valves, and the load can be a separate heat exchanger or room to be supplied with fluid through a main supply line, manifold or branch valve assembly. When used as a PIM to control flow through the relevant piping system, high-pressure input is obtained from pressure sensor 48 on supply line 43, and low-pressure input may be obtained from pressure sensor 49 located near the valve inlet or in the valve (which acts as a high-pressure sensor when the valve is used to control pressure drop across the valve itself), or from pressure sensor located in the return line of the relevant piping system.

[0027] 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 obtained from temperature sensor 50 on supply line 43, and the outlet temperature input can be obtained from temperature sensor 51 located at the outlet of the associated piping system or from a temperature sensor located in the return line of the associated piping system. (When used for cooling, temperature sensor 50 will act as a high-temperature sensor, and temperature sensor 51 will act as a low-temperature sensor.) The valve can also operate 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 difference across the system.

[0028] When used to control flow across a piping system, the control system is operable to control a pilot valve and to receive signals from a first and a second sensor relating to the fluid in the system controlled by the valve, and to control the pilot valve in turn to control the main valve, thereby controlling the flow through the valve in response to signals from the first and second sensors. When the load is between the inlet and outlet, the corresponding sensors may be located near the outlet (return line) and the inlet (supply line) of the piping system. Depending on the valve's location within the piping system, the sensor within the valve may function as either an input or output sensor.

[0029] Although preferred embodiments of these apparatuses and methods have been described with reference to the environment in which they were developed, these preferred embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Elements of different embodiments may also be incorporated into each of the other classes to obtain the benefits of combining these elements with such other classes, and different advantageous features may be used individually or in combination with each other in the embodiments. Other embodiments and configurations may be designed without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flow control valve, comprising: The main valve includes a valve seat region, the valve seat region comprising: An inlet orifice (9) and an outlet orifice (7) and a hole (6) extending from the inlet orifice to the outlet orifice (7), the outlet orifice (7) forming a valve seat (10); The shut-off element (11) and Actuator section (2A) is operable to move the closing element (11) into and out or toward and away from the blocking relationship with the valve seat (10); The actuator section (2A) includes a piston (25) disposed within the actuator section and fixed to a shut-off element (11). The piston is disposed close to a main valve operating chamber (13) within the actuator section (2A), which is operable to move the shut-off element (11) by pressurizing the main valve operating chamber (13). The actuator section (2A) is fixed to the valve seat section (2S) by one or more supports (32), thereby separating the actuator section (2A) from the valve seat section (2S); A pilot valve (3) is disposed within the valve seat region (2S). The pilot valve has a pilot valve inlet port (20) leading to the inlet side (8) of the valve seat region (2S). The pilot valve inlet port (20) is in fluid communication with the main valve operating chamber (13) via the pilot valve. The pilot valve is operable to control the fluid flow from the inlet side (8) of the valve seat region (2S) to the main valve operating chamber (13). The valve seat section (2S) is configured such that, when installed between the inlet and outlet pipes in the piping system (40), the longitudinal axis (1) of the orifice 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) separately from the valve seat section (2S) in the piping system (40), such that the inlet orifice (9), the shut-off element (11), and the main valve operating chamber (13) are aligned along the longitudinal axis of the valve seat section (2S); and also includes The tube (23) provides a fluid path from the pilot valve outlet port (21) to the main valve operating chamber (13) within the actuator section (2A), the tube extending outward 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 within the valve body.

2. The flow control valve according to claim 1, wherein: The pilot valve (3) also includes a ceramic disc valve, which includes a rotatable ceramic disc (15R) and a fixed disc or flat mounting surface (15F), and a motor (17) operable to rotate the rotatable disc so that the orifice of the rotatable disc 15 aligns with and separates from the orifice in the fixed disc.

3. The flow control valve according to claim 1, wherein the actuator region further comprises: A spring disposed between the piston and the end surface of the actuator housing, the spring being operable to bias the piston toward the end of the actuator housing.

4. The flow control valve according to claim 3, wherein: The spring is a compression spring disposed between the piston and the upstream end of the actuator housing, and the compression spring is operable to bias the piston and the closing element away from the valve seat area.

5. The flow control valve according to claim 4, wherein the compression spring is a helical compression spring.

6. The flow control valve according to claim 4, wherein the compression spring is a helical coil compression spring.

7. The flow control valve according to claim 3, wherein the spring is a tension spring disposed between the piston and the downstream end of the actuator housing.

8. The flow control valve according to claim 3, wherein: The spring is a tension spring disposed between the piston and the downstream end of the actuator housing, and the tension spring is operable to bias the piston and the closing element away from the valve seat area.

9. The flow control valve according to claim 4, wherein: The piston is connected to the closing element by a shaft, and the compression spring is arranged around the shaft.

10. The flow control valve according to 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). The relief port (22) is in fluid communication with the main valve operating chamber (13) through the pilot valve. The pilot valve is operable to control the fluid flow from the main valve operating chamber (13) to the outlet side (7) of the valve seat section.

11. The flow control valve according to claim 1, wherein: In the first configuration of the flow control valve, the pilot valve is configured to transfer high-pressure fluid from the pilot valve inlet port (20) to the main valve operating chamber (13) to cause the piston (25) to move within the actuator section and thereby force the closing element (11) toward the valve seat section (2S).

12. The flow control valve according to claim 10, wherein: In the first configuration of the flow control valve, the pilot valve is configured to transfer high-pressure fluid from the pilot valve inlet port (20) to the main valve operating chamber (13) to cause the piston (25) to move within the actuator section and thereby force the closing element (11) toward the valve seat section (2S).

13. The flow control valve according to claim 10, wherein: In the second configuration of the flow control valve, the pilot valve is configured to transfer fluid from the main valve operating chamber (13) to the relief port (22) to cause the piston (25) to move within the actuator region and thereby force the closing element (11) away from the valve seat region (2S).

14. The flow control valve according to claim 12, wherein: In the third configuration of the flow control valve, the pilot valve is configured to block fluid inflow and outflow from the main valve operating chamber (13), prevent the piston (25) from moving within the actuator housing, and thus hydraulically lock the main valve operating chamber (13) to hold the shut-off element in a mid-position relative to the valve seat area.

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