초록 ▼

A rotary valve is disclosed having a rotor and stator that utilizes at least one compression spring to provide contact between the rotor and stator. The spring(s) is configured to oppose the pressure forces that urge the rotors and stators apart and reduce the amount of torque necessary to turn the

A rotary valve is disclosed having a rotor and stator that utilizes at least one compression spring to provide contact between the rotor and stator. The spring(s) is configured to oppose the pressure forces that urge the rotors and stators apart and reduce the amount of torque necessary to turn the rotors in the valve while preventing leakage from between the rotor and stator. The spring(s) may be positioned within the valve by a spring locating features.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A rotary valve for performing cyclic process operations, comprising: a feed stator comprising a feed stator mating surface, a feed stator rear surface, and a plurality of ports connecting between the feed stator mating surface and the feed stator rear surface; a feed ro

The invention claimed is: 1. A rotary valve for performing cyclic process operations, comprising: a feed stator comprising a feed stator mating surface, a feed stator rear surface, and a plurality of ports connecting between the feed stator mating surface and the feed stator rear surface; a feed rotor adjacent to the feed stator comprising a feed rotor mating surface, a feed rotor rear surface, and a plurality of ports disposed upon the feed rotor mating surface to direct fluid flow between the plurality of stator ports of the feed stator, the feed rotor rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the feed rotor surface; a product rotor engaged with the feed rotor and comprising a product rotor mating surface, a product rotor rear surface, a product outlet, and a plurality of ports disposed upon the mating surface to direct fluid flow between the plurality of ports of the product stator, the product rotor rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the product rotor face; a product stator adjacent to the product rotor comprising a product stator mating face, a product stator rear face, and a plurality of ports connecting between the product stator mating face and the product stator rear face; and at least one compression spring disposed between the feed rotor and the product rotor configured to apply a spring force with a center of force on the feed rotor rear face and the product rotor rear face, wherein the spring force center of force is located at a predetermined distance greater than zero from the axis of rotation such that the spring force is configured to reduce torque required to turn the feed rotor and the product rotor when the valve is operational. 2. The rotary valve of claim 1, wherein the feed rotor and the product rotor are configured to rotate about a center axis of rotation. 3. The rotary valve of claim 1, wherein the spring force is configured to minimize torque required to turn the feed rotor and the product rotor when the valve is operational. 4. The rotary valve of claim 1, further comprising at least one spring locating feature positioned on the feed rotor rear face opposite at least one spring locating feature located on the product rotor rear face configured to secure and position the at least one compression spring between the feed rotor and the product rotor at a fixed position. 5. The rotary valve of claim 1, wherein two or more spring locating features are located symmetric with respect to a plane passing through the axis of rotation on the feed rotor rear face opposite two or more spring locating features similarly configured on the product rotor rear face to secure and position two or more compression springs between the feed rotor and the product rotor at a fixed position. 6. A rotary valve for performing cyclic process operations, comprising: a stator housing having ports; a rotor comprising ports and a rear surface, the rotor in rotatable contact about a center axis of rotation with the stator housing at an interface; at least one compression spring having a spring force center of force disposed between the rotor rear surface and a thrust runner; a thrust bearing disposed between the thrust runner and the stator housing; the at least one compression spring configured to apply a spring force having a center of force on the rotor rear surface and the spring force center of force is located at a predetermined distance greater than zero from the axis of rotation which results in reduced torque required to turn the rotor for the given spring force when the valve is operational. 7. The rotary valve of claim 6, wherein the spring force center of force results in minimum torque required to turn the rotor for the given spring force when the valve is operational. 8. The rotary valve of claim 6, further comprising at least one spring locating feature on the rotor rear surface. 9. The rotary valve of claim 6, wherein at least one mirrored pair of spring locating features are located on the rotor rear surface symmetrically with a plane passing through the axis of rotation. 10. A pressure swing adsorption system comprising: a plurality of absorption beds; and a rotary valve having one or more rotors, the rotary valve connected to the plurality of absorption beds and configured to direct flows to the plurality of absorption beds during the pressure swing absorption process; wherein the rotary valve comprises: one or more rotors configured to rotate about an axis of rotation; and at least one compression spring having a spring force with a center of force configured to apply a spring force to the one or more rotors wherein the spring force center of force is located at a predetermined distance greater than zero from the center axis of rotation in order to reduce the amount of torque required to turn the one or more rotors for the spring force. 11. The pressure swing adsorption system of claim 10, the rotary valve further comprising: a feed stator comprising: a feed stator mating surface; a feed stator rear surface; and a plurality of feed stator ports connecting between the feed stator mating surface and the feed stator rear surface; the one or more rotors comprising: a feed rotor engaged with a product rotor; wherein the feed rotor comprises a feed rotor mating surface, a feed rotor rear surface, and a plurality of feed rotor ports disposed upon the feed rotor mating surface to direct fluid flow between the plurality of feed stator ports, the feed rotor configured to rotate about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the feed rotor surface; and wherein the product rotor comprises a product rotor mating surface, a product rotor rear surface, a product outlet, and a plurality of product rotor ports disposed upon the mating surface to direct fluid flow between the plurality of product stator ports, the product rotor configured to rotate about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the product rotor face; a product stator comprising: a product stator mating face, a product stator rear face, and a plurality of ports connecting between the product stator mating face and the product stator rear face in rotatable contact with the product rotor; and wherein the at least one compression spring is disposed between the feed rotor and the product rotor. 12. The pressure swing adsorption system of claim 11, further comprising at least one spring locating feature positioned on the feed rotor rear face opposite at least one spring locating feature positioned on the product rotor rear face, the spring locating features configured to secure the compression springs between the feed rotor and the product rotor at a fixed position. 13. The pressure swing adsorption system of claim 10, wherein the rotary valve comprises a stator housing having ports; a rotor comprising ports and a rear surface, the rotor in rotatable contact with the stator housing at an interface about a center axis of rotation; a thrust bearing in contact with the stator housing; a thrust runner in contact with the thrust bearing; and at least one compression spring disposed between the rotor rear surface and the thrust runner. 14. The pressure swing adsorption system of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of spring locating features positioned on the rotor rear face aligned with a plurality of spring locating features positioned on the thrust runner configured to secure the compression springs between the rotor and the thrust runner. 15. The pressure swing adsorption system of claim 10, wherein the spring force center of force minimizes the amount of torque required to turn the one or more rotors for the applied spring force.