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A metering valve includes a valve body, a flow tube, an orifice plate, a central flow body, and a mover. The valve body has an inlet and an outlet. The flow tube is carried for axial movement in slidable and sealing engagement with the valve body at an inlet end and an outlet end. The orifice plate

A metering valve includes a valve body, a flow tube, an orifice plate, a central flow body, and a mover. The valve body has an inlet and an outlet. The flow tube is carried for axial movement in slidable and sealing engagement with the valve body at an inlet end and an outlet end. The orifice plate has an outlet. The central flow body is provided on an upstream end of the orifice plate and has an annular seal configured to seat into engagement with the outlet end of the flow tube when the flow tube is moved to a downstream position. The central flow body also includes a central, protruding flow diverter upstream and central of the annular seal. The mover is provided in the valve body and is configured to carry the flow tube for displacement of the output end toward and away from the central flow body.

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1. A gas metering valve, comprising: an electronics enclosure assembly having a cover affixed atop an electronics housing to house electronics;a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and an explosion-proof housing, wherein said electronics housing at least partially surrounds said explosion-proof h

1. A gas metering valve, comprising: an electronics enclosure assembly having a cover affixed atop an electronics housing to house electronics;a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and an explosion-proof housing, wherein said electronics housing at least partially surrounds said explosion-proof housing;an axial flow tube carried for axial movement in sliding and sealing engagement at an inlet end with the valve body inlet and at an outlet end with the valve body outlet,a central flow body having a circumferential seal configured to seat in engagement with the outlet end of the axial flow tube;a proportional electromechanical mover provided in the valve body, control electronics for the mover isolated from the valve body by the explosion-proof housing, and configured to carry the axial flow tube for proportional axial movement to position the outlet end toward and away from the central flow body to adjust flow capacity through the valve body;an axial displacement sensor configured to detect axial positioning of the axial flow tube relative to the central flow body;a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a fluid communicated through the valve body;a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of the fluid; andat least one of the axial displacement sensor, the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor are supported by an inlet end plate of the valve body. 2. The valve of claim 1 wherein the central flow body comprises an orifice plate, the flow tube is a cylindrical tube, and the flow body extends in an upstream direction from the orifice plate in axial alignment with the flow tube to mate and demate with the output end of the flow tube as the flow tube is moved in upstream and downstream directions, respectively. 3. The valve of claim 1 wherein the central flow body cooperates with the output end of the flow tube, when in spaced-apart relation, to provide a flow passage therebetween, wherein volumetric flow capacity of the valve is adjusted by moving the flow tube to a desired position relative to the flow body to impart a corresponding volumetric flow capacity therebetween. 4. The valve of claim 1 wherein the displacement sensor comprises a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT). 5. The valve of claim 4 wherein the linear variable differential transformer is affixed at a first end to the valve body and is affixed at a second end to the flow tube. 6. The valve of claim 1 wherein the central flow body is removably secured in the valve body at the body outlet. 7. The valve of claim 1 further comprising a spring interposed between the valve body and the flow tube to bias the flow tube at the downstream end for engagement with the flow body. 8. The valve of claim 7 wherein the mover comprises a linear motor with an armature affixed to the flow tube, a pole piece, and wire windings. 9. The valve of claim 8 wherein the wire windings are energized to generate magnetic forces that attract the armature to move the flow tube upstream and compress the spring. 10. The valve of claim 9 further comprising processing circuitry configured to control energizing of the wire windings to realize a desired upstream positioning of the flow tube relative to the central flow body to achieve a desired flow rate through the valve body. 11. A metering valve comprising: an electronics enclosure assembly having an electronics housing that includes a cavity that is configured to receive at least one electronics package;a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and an explosion-proof housing;a flow tube carried for axial movement in slideable and sealing engagement with the valve body at an inlet end and an outlet end;an orifice plate having an outlet;a central flow body provided on an upstream end of the orifice plate having an annular seal configured to seat into engagement with the outlet end of the flow tube when the flow tube is moved to a downstream position and a central, protruding flow diverter upstream and central of the annular seal comprising a convex, leading end protuberance and a concave lip extending circumferentially about the convex protuberance;an electromechanical mover electrically connected to the at least one electronics package by at least one solenoid wire and configured to carry the flow tube for displacement of the output end toward and away from the central flow body; andat least two of an axial displacement sensor, a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor secured to an inlet end plate of the valve body. 12. The valve of claim 11 wherein the flow diverter comprises a central flow diverter with a hemispherical head provided by the convex, leading end protuberance. 13. The valve of claim 12 wherein the orifice plate comprises an outer mounting ring, the flow body, and a spider carrying the flow body coaxially within the mounting ring. 14. The valve of claim 13 wherein the orifice plate further comprises a circumferential array of flow apertures provided between adjacent arms of the spider and about the circumferential seal. 15. The valve of claim 11 wherein the flow diverter comprises a Rankine half-body of revolution. 16. The valve of claim 15 wherein the flow diverter is removably mounted to the upstream end of the orifice plate with a fastener. 17. A gas metering valve, comprising: electronics enclosure assembly having a cover affixed atop an electronics housing to house electronics;a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and an explosion-proof housing, wherein said electronics housing at least partially surrounds said explosion-proof housing;an axial flow tube carried for axial movement in sliding and sealing engagement at an inlet end with the valve body inlet and at an outlet end with the valve body outlet;a central flow body having a circumferential seal configured to seat in engagement with outlet end of the axial flow tube;a proportional electromechanical mover provided in the valve body, control electronics for the mover isolated from the valve body by the explosion-proof housing and configured to carry the axial flow tube for proportional axial movement to position the outlet end toward and away from the central flow body to adjust flow capacity through the valve body;an axial displacement sensor configured to detect axial positioning of the axial flow tube relative to the central flow body;a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a fluid communicated through the valve body;a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of the fluid; andwiring that extends between the axial displacement sensor and the electronics, the wiring routed through a hollow bolt.