IP Library Granted Patent US 10,458,554
Granted Patent B2
US 10,458,554 · App. 14/765,178 · Granted Oct 29, 2019

Adjustment valve with energy recovery

Inventors: Claudio Angelo Gattavari (Bagnacavallo, IT); Lorenzo Ferioli (Imola, IT)
Assignee: LOCLAIN S.R.L.
F16K3/08F03B11/004F03B13/00F03B15/04F16K47/08F16K47/12H02K7/1823F05B2220/20F05B2220/602Y02B10/50Y02E10/226Y02E10/28Y10T137/8376
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,458,554
App. No.
14/765,178
Granted
Oct 29, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control valve ( 1 ) comprising a valve body ( 2 ) having an inlet opening ( 3 ) and an outlet opening ( 4 ) for a fluid; a obturator ( 6 ) placed within the valve body ( 2 ) between the inlet and outlet openings ( 3, 4 ); recovery means ( 5 ) configured to transfer kinetic energy and/or potential energy extracted from the fluid out of the valve body ( 2 ), the recovery means ( 5 ) comprising a rotating element ( 7 ) placed within the valve body ( 2 ) downstream of the obturator ( 6 ) and configured to be put in rotation by the fluid.

Claims (11)

1. A control valve ( 1 ) comprising: a valve body ( 2 ) which has an inlet opening ( 3 ) and an outlet opening ( 4 ) for a fluid; recovery means ( 5 ) configured to transfer the kinetic and/or potential energy extracted from said fluid out of said valve body ( 2 ); a obturator ( 6 ) placed within said valve body ( 2 ) between said inlet and outlet openings ( 3 , 4 ), said obturator ( 6 ) being configured to direct the fluid towards the recovery means ( 5 ) and to assume a closing configuration of the valve ( 1 ); wherein said recovery means ( 5 ) comprise a rotating element ( 7 ) placed within said valve body ( 2 ) downstream of the obturator ( 6 ) and configured to be put into rotation by said fluid; the inlet opening ( 3 ) defining a first fluid flow direction, the outlet opening ( 4 ) defining a second fluid flow direction, the first fluid flow direction being (a) in the same direction as, and (b) parallel to, the second fluid flow direction; wherein said obturator ( 6 ) comprises at least a first plate ( 10 ) and a second plate ( 11 ) placed transversally with respect to the axis of rotation (A) of the rotating element ( 7 ); said first plate ( 10 ) and second plate ( 11 ) each having at least one passage opening ( 12 ); said first plate ( 10 ) and said second plate ( 11 ) being mobile with respect to each other to pass reversibly from a closing configuration wherein said passage openings ( 12 ) are completely disaligned with respect to each other to prevent the passage of the fluid to at least an opening configuration wherein said passage openings ( 12 ) are at least partially overlapping to permit the passage of the fluid, each of said first and second plates ( 10 , 11 ) having a central portion, the first plate central portion being unconstrained with respect to the second plate central portion.

2. The valve ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised in that said recovery means ( 5 ) comprise a stator associated with the valve body ( 2 ) and placed at said rotating element ( 7 ); said rotating element defining a rotor electromagnetically coupled with said stator.

3. The valve ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised in that said rotating element ( 7 ) is provided with at least one blade ( 8 ) or another element adapted to interact with the fluid and to allow the development of aero/hydrodynamic forces able to put the rotating element ( 7 ) in rotation.

4. The valve ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , comprising a deflector ( 31 ), interposed between the obturator ( 6 ) and the recovery means ( 15 ), structured to align the liquid flow parallel to a prefixed direction (F), wherein the deflector ( 31 ) comprises one or more blades ( 32 ) of constant thickness that extend at least partially in a radial direction with respect to the prefixed direction (F).

5. The valve according to claim 4 , wherein the deflector ( 31 ) has one or more annular segments ( 33 ) of constant thickness that are concentric between each other.

6. The valve ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the obturator ( 6 ) comprises a first plate ( 10 ) and a second plate ( 11 ), the valve ( 1 ) defining a fluid flow channel between the obturator ( 6 ) and the rotating element ( 7 ), the fluid flow channel defining a third fluid flow direction, the third fluid flow direction being (a) in the same direction as, and (b) parallel to, the first fluid flow direction, the first plate ( 10 ) and the second plate ( 11 ) being placed transversally with respect to the third fluid flow direction.

7. The valve ( 1 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the first plate ( 10 ) and the second plate ( 11 ) are placed transversally with respect to the third fluid flow direction immediately downstream of the obturator ( 6 ).

8. The valve ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first plate ( 10 ) and/or the second plate ( 11 ) comprises a grille ( 13 ), the grille ( 13 ) being a plurality of grille openings which are in addition to the at least one passage opening ( 12 ), each grille opening being smaller than the at least one passage opening ( 12 ).

9. The valve ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the grille ( 13 ) contributes to (a) prevention of cavitation of the fluid within the valve ( 1 ) and (b) reduction in noise caused by passage of fluid within the valve ( 1 ).

10. The valve ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second plates ( 10 , 11 ) has a perimeter, the perimeter of the first plate ( 10 ) or the perimeter of the second plate ( 11 ) being located within and rotatable within a groove in a housing around said first and second plates ( 10 , 11 ).

11. The valve ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the first plate ( 10 ) and the second plate ( 11 ) comprises a grille ( 13 ), each of the first and second plates ( 10 , 11 ) having only two passage openings ( 12 ), each said grille ( 13 ) being (a) located immediately adjacent a respective passage opening ( 12 ) and (b) occupying a space substantially the same size and shape of said grille's respective passage opening ( 12 ).

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT EXECUTED APRIL 20, 2021, EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2021 Recorded Jul 20, 2022
From: VALPRES S.R.L. (TAX CODE 00551900178)
To: VALPRES S.R.L. (TAX CODE 04234740985)
Reel/Frame 060754/0355 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jul 19, 2022
From: LOCLAIN SRL IN LIQUIDATION
To: VALPRES S.R.L. (TAX CODE 00551900178)
Reel/Frame 060542/0888 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 18, 2022
From: LOCLAIN S.R.L.
To: LOCLAIN SRL IN LIQUIDATION
Reel/Frame 060681/0785 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2015
From: GATTAVARI, CLAUDIO ANGELO; FERIOLI, LORENZO
To: LOCLAIN S.R.L.
Reel/Frame 036237/0425 →
Priority Claims (1)
IT MO2013A0051 · Feb 27, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150369375A1 · Dec 24, 2015
Cited By (1)
US 12,496,665