Fluid Regulator With Integrated Rapid Pressurization Bypass Valve

摘要

A fluid flow control device includes a regulator for operating at high pressures and an integral bypass valve. The regulator and the bypass valve each include a control assembly that is movable between an open position and a closed position. The regulator and bypass valves are biased into the open positions and adapted to move into the closed positions when an operating pressure rises to above respective regulator and bypass set-point pressures. The bypass set-point pressure is lower than the regulator set-point pressure such that when the operating pressure rises above the bypass set-point pressure, the bypass valve automatically closes and allows the regulator to perform under normal operating conditions. So configured, the bypass valve is arranged to accommodate at least some of the fluid flow through the system until the operating pressure reaches the normal operating pressure, which is somewhere between the bypass and regulator set-point pressures.

主权项

1. A fluid flow control device, comprising:
a valve body defining an inlet, an outlet, a gallery disposed between the inlet and the outlet, a regulator cavity disposed between the gallery and the outlet, and a bypass cavity disposed between the gallery and the outlet; a regulator flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet of the valve body via the gallery and the regulator cavity, the regulator flow path having a first effective cross-sectional area; a bypass flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet of the valve body via the gallery and the bypass cavity, the bypass flow path having a second effective cross-sectional area that is greater than the first effective cross-sectional area; a bypass valve connected to the valve body and including a bypass control assembly, the bypass control assembly including a bypass control element and a bypass biasing device, the bypass control element being movable relative to the bypass cavity of the valve body between an open position allowing fluid flow through the bypass flow path and a closed position preventing fluid flow through the bypass flow path, the bypass biasing device urging the bypass control element toward the open position such that the bypass control element only occupies the closed position when a fluid pressure in the bypass cavity is equal to or greater than a bypass set-point pressure; and a regulator connected to the valve body and including a regulator control assembly, the regulator control assembly including a regulator control element and a regulator biasing device, the regulator control element being movable relative to the regulator cavity of the valve body between an open position, which does not prevent fluid from flowing through the regulator flow path, and a closed position, which does prevent fluid from flowing through the regulator flow path, the regulator biasing device urging the regulator control element toward the open position such that the regulator control element occupies the open position until a fluid pressure in the regulator cavity of the valve body is equal to or greater than a regulator set-point pressure, wherein the regulator set-point pressure is greater than the bypass set-point pressure.