A thermally actuated flow control valve comprises a wax filled actuator assembly including a guide, a piston, a cup and a diaphragm. The cup is disposed at the guide first end and defines a cavity that receives a thermally activated pellet. The thermally activated pellet, diaphragm and piston act in
A thermally actuated flow control valve comprises a wax filled actuator assembly including a guide, a piston, a cup and a diaphragm. The cup is disposed at the guide first end and defines a cavity that receives a thermally activated pellet. The thermally activated pellet, diaphragm and piston act in concert to exert a variable actuating force as a temperature of a fluid increases between a first temperature T1 and a second temperature T2. The valve is arranged so that the cup and wax are directly exposed to fluid flowing through the valve and a peripheral shoulder of the cup acts as a valve member to control flow through the valve. One end of the guide also acts as a valve member to control flow between an inlet and outlet of a return flow pathway.
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1. A thermally actuated flow control valve for use in a manifold situated between a heat generating device and a heat radiating device, the manifold defining a fluid outlet flow path for fluid from the heat generating device and a fluid inlet flow path for fluid from the heat radiating device, said
1. A thermally actuated flow control valve for use in a manifold situated between a heat generating device and a heat radiating device, the manifold defining a fluid outlet flow path for fluid from the heat generating device and a fluid inlet flow path for fluid from the heat radiating device, said fluid outlet flow path and fluid inlet flow path connected by a bypass flow path including an annular valve seat, said thermally actuated flow control valve comprising: an actuator assembly in said bypass flow path, said actuator assembly comprising:a cup filled with thermally expandable material,a guide having a first end secured to said cup and an annular shoulder extending radially from the junction of said cup and said guide, said guide defining a stepped bore having a first diameter adjacent said cup and a second, smaller diameter adjacent a second end of said guide, said first diameter of said stepped bore filled with an incompressible fluid exposed to expansion of said expandable material;a piston situated for axial reciprocation in said second diameter of said stepped bore, said piston having a first end and a second end protruding from said second end of said guide, said first end of said piston exposed to force exerted on said incompressible fluid by expansion of said expandable material;a base secured to the manifold and in contact with said second end of said piston,wherein said expandable material expands in response to an increase in a temperature of the fluid from a first temperature T1 to a second temperature T2, said piston projects from said guide in response to expansion of said expandable material to move said cup and guide from a first position at fluid temperatures below T1 in which said guide closes the fluid inlet flow path and said radially projecting annular shoulder is spaced from the annular valve seat permitting fluid flow through the bypass flow path, to a second position at temperatures above T2 in which the fluid inlet flow path is open and said radially projecting annular shoulder is against the annular valve seat, preventing fluid flow through said bypass flow path. 2. The thermally actuated flow control valve of claim 1, wherein a volume of fluid flow through said fluid inlet flow path is inverse to a volume of fluid flow through said bypass flow path. 3. The thermally actuated flow control valve of claim 1, wherein said cup is continuously exposed to said fluid outlet flow path when said cup and guide are in said second position. 4. The thermally actuated flow control valve of claim 1, wherein said guide has a collar portion at said first end of said guide which is folded over said radially projecting annular shoulder such that said collar forms a valve surface configured to mate with said annular valve seat when said temperature of said fluid reaches T2. 5. The thermally actuated flow control valve of claim 1, wherein said guide has a flange extending radially away from said guide intermediate said first and second ends of said guide. 6. The thermally actuated flow control valve of claim 1, wherein a seal member is received at said second end of said guide, and configured radially outwardly of and concentric with said piston, wherein said seal member prevents said incompressible fluid from leaking from said first diameter of said guide bore. 7. The thermally actuated flow control valve of claim 1, wherein a concave retaining member receives said base and first and second bias members bias said base against an annular stop defined at one end of a housing configured to receive said second end of said guide, wherein said first and second bias members act in concert to allow said actuator assembly to extend beyond a second length L2 at fluid temperatures above T2, said first and second bias members compressing such that said concave retaining member receives a part of said second end of said guide. 8. The thermally actuated flow control valve of claim 1, comprising a housing defining a bore sized to receive said second end of said guide, said housing including a fluid flow passage transversely intersecting said bore and configured in fluid communication with an said fluid inlet flow path, said fluid flow passage blocked by said second end of said guide at temperatures below T1. 9. The thermally actuated flow control valve of claim 1, wherein said first diameter of said guide bore is sized to receive an o-ring and said second diameter of said guide bore is sized to receive a washer, said first diameter being smaller than said second diameter and said o-ring and said washer cooperatively sealing said first diameter of said guide bore against leakage of said incompressible fluid. 10. A method of controlling fluid flow through a manifold in response to a temperature of a fluid, said manifold arranged between a heat generating device and a fluid cooler, said manifold defining a fluid outlet flow path for fluid from the heat generating device, a fluid return flow path for fluid from an outlet of the fluid cooler to an inlet of the heat generating device, and a bypass flow path connecting said fluid outlet flow path and said fluid return flow path, said method comprising: providing an actuator comprising an actuator body including a guide at an actuator body first end and a cup at an actuator body second end, said guide having a first end joined with said cup and a radially projecting annular shoulder from the first end of said guide to surround a volume of thermally expandable material, and a piston projecting from a second end of said guide in response to a force generated by expansion of said thermally expandable material;mounting said actuator in said bypass flow path wherein projection of said piston moves said actuator body from a first position at a temperature of said fluid below a first temperature T1 in which said actuator body first end closes said fluid return flow path and said bypass flow path is open, allowing fluid to flow around said actuator body from said fluid outlet flow path to said fluid inlet flow path, to a second position at a temperature of said fluid above a second temperature T2 in which said actuator body second end closes said bypass flow path, said fluid return flow path is open, and said cup is exposed to fluid flowing in said fluid outlet flow path,wherein said fluid outlet flow path remains open, a volume of fluid flow in the bypass flow path increases or decreases as a volume of fluid flow from the outlet of the fluid cooler decreases or increases, and said cup is continuously and directly exposed to fluid flowing through the manifold from said fluid outlet flow path. 11. The method of controlling fluid flow through said manifold of claim 10, wherein said step of mounting said actuator in said bypass flow path includes said guide having a collar portion at said first end of said guide which is folded over said radially projecting annular shoulder such that said collar forms a valve surface configured to mate with an annular valve seat of said bypass flow path when said temperature of said fluid reaches T2. 12. The method of controlling fluid flow through said manifold of claim 10, wherein said step of providing an actuator comprising said actuator body includes said guide having a flange extending radially away from said guide intermediate said first and second ends of said guide. 13. The method of controlling fluid flow through said manifold of claim 10, wherein said step of mounting said actuator in said bypass flow path includes providing a concave retaining member that receives a base and first and second bias members bias said base against an annular stop defined at one end of a housing configured to receive said second end of said guide, wherein said first and second bias members act in concert to allow said actuator assembly to extend beyond a second length L2 at fluid temperatures above T2, said first and second bias members compressing such that said concave retaining member receives a part of said second end of said guide. 14. The method of controlling fluid flow through said manifold of claim 10, wherein said step of mounting said actuator in said bypass flow path includes providing a housing defining a bore sized to receive said second end of said guide, said housing including a fluid flow passage transversely intersecting said bore and configured in fluid communication with an said fluid inlet flow path, said fluid flow passage blocked by said second end of said guide at temperatures below T1.
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Huang Tien-Tsai,TWX, Apparatus for controlling fluid temperature.
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