SLEEVE-TYPE FLUID FLOW DIVERTER

摘要

SLEEVE-TYPE FLUID FLOW DIVERTER A fluid flow diverter includes a housing and a rotatable sleeve mounted for rotation on an axle and spaced inwardly from the housing walls . The sleeve and housing include ports which are selectively positioned in registered or unregistered relationship, depending upon which of two operative positions the sleeve assumes. The sleeve forms a single internal chamber through which fluid always flows in the same direction in both operative positions of the sleeve. The space between the sleeve and housing also forms a single chamber through which fluid always flows in the same direction in both operative positions of the sleeve. The unidirectional fluid flow through the sleeve itself is opposite to the unidirectional fluid flow through the external chamber between the housing and sleeve. The supporting connection between the cylindrical sleeve and housing walls occurs adjacent the registered sleeve and housing ports by means of mating peripheral supporting surfaces . In either position of the sleeve, the unused or unregistered sleeve ports face the interior wall of the housing with their supporting surfaces spaced therefrom. A filler member is mounted to the housing interior wall adjacent the position of each unregistered sleeve supporting surface. In actual use of a diverter in connection with a tube type heat exchanger or similar process device, there will be a fluid pressure differential between the supply and return sides within the diverter itself, due to the pressure drop caused by the tube restrictions. The supply side will have a higher pressure than the return side. The result is that water from the supply side will tend to flow through the narrow gaps between the sleeve supporting surfaces and the housing supporting surfaces and/or the filler members in a direction from the supply or high pressure side toward the return or low pressure side. The direction of flow through the gaps will be the same for both rotary positions of the sleeve, due to the aforementioned unidirectional fluid flow. Any loose particles or corrosion products which may appear at the various gap interfaces will tend to be washed through to the outer side and not get stuck.