Thermally activatable valve
A valve includes a valve body that defines a flow passage, a valve seat in the flow passage, a valve element that is initially in a closed position with respect to the valve seat to block flow through the flow passage, a bonding material that secures the valve element in the closed position, and at least one heater adjacent the valve seat and operable to heat the bonding material at least to a temperature at which the bonding material releases the valve element to move to an open position with respect to the valve seat to open flow through the flow passage.
1 . A valve comprising:
a valve body defining a flow passage;
a valve seat in the flow passage;
a valve element that is initially in a closed position with respect to the valve seat to block flow through the flow passage;
a bonding material metallurgically bonded with the valve element and the valve seat and thereby securing the valve element in the closed position; and
at least one heater adjacent the valve seat and operable to heat the bonding material at least to a temperature at which the bonding material releases the valve element to move to an open position with respect to the valve seat to open flow through the flow passage.
2 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bonding material is an alloy that includes tin and indium, and the temperature is a melting temperature of the alloy.
3 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bonding material is an alloy that has a composition of a first weight percentage of tin and a second weight percentage of indium, and the second weight percentage is greater than the first weight percentage.
4 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one heater circumscribes the valve seat.
5 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the valve seat defines a valve seat plane, and the at least one heater is located on an exterior of the valve body such that the valve seat plane intersects the at least one heater.
6 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the valve element carries the at least one heater.
7 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one heater includes a first heater on an exterior of the valve body and a second heater in an interior of the valve body.
8 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one heater includes first and second heaters on an exterior of the valve body.
9 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a diamond-containing thermal-conduction element between the at least one heater and the valve seat.
10 . A method comprising:
providing a valve that includes a valve body that defines a flow passage, a valve seat in the flow passage, a valve element that is initially in a closed position with respect to the valve seat to block flow through the flow passage, a bonding material that secures the valve element in the closed position, and at least one heater adjacent the valve seat, the at least one heater includes a first heater on an exterior of the valve body and a second heater in an interior of the valve body; and
activating the at least one heater to heat the bonding material at least to a temperature at which the bonding material releases the valve element to move to an open position with respect to the valve seat to open flow through the flow passage.
11 . The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the bonding material is an alloy that includes tin and indium, and the temperature is a melting temperature of the alloy.
12 . The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising causing heat from the at least one heater to be conducted to the bonding material through a diamond-containing thermal-conduction element.
13 . The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the activating includes activating only one of first heater or the second heater.
14 . A valve comprising:
a valve body defining a flow passage;
a valve seat in the flow passage;
a valve element that is initially in a closed position with respect to the valve seat to block flow through the flow passage;
a bonding material securing the valve element in the closed position; and
at least one heater adjacent the valve seat and carried by the valve element, the at least one heater operable to heat the bonding material at least to a temperature at which the bonding material releases the valve element to move to an open position with respect to the valve seat to open flow through the flow passage.
15 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the temperature is a melting temperature of the bonding material.
16 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the temperature is near a melting temperature of the bonding material at which the bonding material softens and loses strength to secure the valve element in the closed position.