Shut-off valve having two seats providing pressure equalization
A shut-off valve that has particular application for opening and closing a compressed hydrogen storage tank. In one embodiment, the valve includes two valve sealing members where one side of one valve sealing member is on the high pressure side of the valve and an opposing side of the other valve sealing member is on the high pressure side of the valve. Therefore, the pressure applied to the two valve sealing members offset each other so that less force is required to open the valve against the high pressure.
1 . A valve comprising:
a valve body defining a valve chamber therein, said valve body including a first inlet port, a second inlet port and an outlet port, said valve body further defining a first valve seat and a second valve seat;
a coil mounting structure mounted to the valve body and including an internal bore;
an electromagnetic coil wound on the coil mounting structure;
a shaft extending from the internal bore of the coil mounting structure into the valve chamber, said shaft including a first sealing member mounted to the shaft proximate to the first valve seat and a second sealing member mounted to the shaft proximate the second valve seat; and
a spring positioned applying a spring bias to the shaft to cause the first sealing member to seat against the first valve seat and the second sealing member to seat against the second valve seat, wherein input pressure applied to the first and second inlet ports causes the first sealing member to seat against the first valve seat and the second sealing member to be forced away from the second valve seat to provide pressure equalization.
2 . The valve according to claim 1 wherein the valve is a shut-off valve for a compressed hydrogen tank.
3 . The valve according to claim 2 wherein the valve is positioned within the compressed hydrogen tank.
4 . The valve according to claim 3 wherein the valve body is mounted to an adaptor within the compressed hydrogen tank.
5 . The valve according to claim 1 wherein the shaft includes a widened portion positioned within the internal bore of the coil mounting structure.
6 . The valve according to claim 5 wherein the spring is positioned within a bore in the widened portion of the shaft.
7 . The valve according to claim 5 wherein the spring is positioned around the shaft between the widened portion of the shaft and the first sealing member in the valve chamber.
8 . The valve according to claim 1 wherein the first and second inlet ports extend through the valve body.
9 . The valve according to claim 1 wherein the first inlet port extends through a widened portion of the shaft positioned within the coil mounting structure and a second inlet port is a shaft bore that extends through the shaft.
10 . The valve according to claim 1 wherein the first and second sealing members are cylindrical sealing members.
11 . A valve comprising:
a valve body defining a valve chamber therein, said valve body including an outlet port, said valve body further including a first valve seat and a second valve seat;
a coil mounting structure mounted to the valve body and including an internal bore extending completely therethrough;
an electromagnetic coil wound on the coil mounting structure;
a shaft extending into the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, said shaft including a shaft bore extending therethrough and being in fluid communication with the internal bore of the coil mounting structure at one end and the valve chamber at an opposite end, said shaft including a first sealing member mounted to the shaft proximate to the first valve seat and a second sealing member mounted to the shaft proximate the second valve seat; and
a spring applying a spring bias to the first sealing member to cause the first sealing member to seat against the first valve seat, said shaft including a shaft port in fluid communication with the valve chamber on one side of the first sealing member, wherein the end of the shaft bore in fluid communication with the valve chamber is in fluid communication with the valve chamber on an opposite side of the second sealing member, and wherein input pressure applied to the end of the internal bore of the coil mounting structure opposite to the valve body causes the first sealing member to seat against the first valve seat and the second sealing member to be forced away from the second valve seat to provide pressure equalization.
12 . The valve according to claim 11 wherein the shaft includes a widened portion positioned within the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, said spring being positioned in the valve chamber between and in contact with the widened portion and the first sealing member.
13 . The valve according to claim 12 wherein the shaft port is a first inlet port that extends through the widened portion of the shaft positioned within the coil mounting structure and a second inlet port is the shaft bore that extends through the shaft.
14 . The valve according to claim 11 further comprising a filter mounted to the coil mounting structure opposite to the valve body for filtering a gas.
15 . The according to claim 1 1 wherein the valve is a shut-off valve for a compressed hydrogen tank.
16 . The valve according to claim 15 wherein the valve is located inside of the compressed hydrogen tank.
17 . The valve according to claim 16 wherein the valve body is mounted to an adapter within the compressed hydrogen tank.
18 . A shut-off valve for a compressed hydrogen storage tank, said valve comprising:
a valve body defining a valve chamber therein, said valve body including an outlet port, said valve body further including a first valve seat and a second valve seat;
a coil mounting structure mounted to the valve body and including an internal bore extending completely therethrough;
an electromagnetic coil wound on the coil mounting structure;
a shaft extending into the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, said shaft including a widened portion positioned within the internal bore of the coil mounting structure, where a first inlet port extends through the widened portion, said shaft further including a shaft bore extending through the shaft and being in fluid communication with the internal bore of the coil mounting structure at one end and the valve chamber at an opposite end, said shaft bore being a second inlet port, said shaft further including a first sealing member mounted to the shaft proximate to the first valve seat and a second sealing member mounted to the shaft proximate the second valve seat; and
a spring positioned between the widened portion and the first sealing member, and applying a spring bias to the first sealing member to cause the first sealing member to seat against the first valve seat, wherein the first inlet port is in fluid communication with the valve chamber on one side of the first sealing member and the shaft bore is in fluid communication with the valve chamber on an opposite side of the second sealing member, and wherein an input pressure applied to the first port and the second port causes the first sealing member to seat against the first valve seat and the second sealing member to be forced away from the second valve seat to provide pressure equalization.
19 . The valve according to claim 18 further comprising a filter mounted to the coil mounting structure opposite to the valve body for filtering the hydrogen gas.
19 . The valve according to claim 18 further comprising a filter mounted to the coil mounting structure opposite to the valve body for filtering the hydrogen gas.
20 . The valve according to claim 18 wherein the valve body is mounted to an adaptor within the compressed hydrogen storage tank.