Aerodynamic noise reduction cage
A control valve has a body having an inlet and outlet, a valve seat between the inlet and outlet, a valve plug, and a cage adjacent the valve seat to provide guidance for the valve plug. The valve plug is movable between a closed position, where the valve plug sealingly engages the valve seat, and an open position, where the valve plug is spaced away from the valve seat. The cage has a solid, unitary circumferential wall having inner and outer surfaces and a plurality of passages formed through the wall. Each passage extends between the inner and outer surfaces and follows an arcuate, non-linear path from the inner surface to the outer surface.
1. A control valve, comprising:
a body having an inlet and an outlet;
a valve seat positioned in a passageway of the body between the inlet and the outlet;
a valve plug positioned within the body and movable between a closed position, in which the valve plug sealingly engages the valve seat, and an open position, in which the valve plug is spaced away from the valve seat; and
a cage disposed within the body adjacent the valve seat and proximate the valve plug to provide guidance for the valve plug, the cage comprising:
a solid, unitary circumferential wall having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a sealed cavity formed in the wall of the cage; and
a plurality of passages formed through the wall and extending between the inner surface and the outer surface; wherein
each of the passages follows an arcuate, non-linear path from the inner surface to the outer surface.
2. The control valve of claim 1 , wherein the arcuate, non-linear path is helical.
3. The control valve of claim 1 , wherein the arcuate, non-linear path is spiral.
4. The control valve of claim 1 , wherein each of the passages comprises a non-circular cross-sectional area.
5. The control valve of claim 4 , wherein the cross-sectional area is one of a square, a rectangle, a triangle, an oval, a stars, a polygon, and an irregular shape.
6. The control valve of claim 1 , wherein:
the wall has a first end and a second end; and
the sealed cavity is spaced apart from the inner surface, the outer surface, the first end, and the second end of the wall.
7. The control valve of claim 1 , wherein each of the passages comprises a cross-sectional area that varies from the inner surface to the outer surface.
8. A cage for a control valve, the cage comprising:
a solid, unitary circumferential wall having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a sealed cavity formed in the wall of the cage; and
a plurality of passages formed through the wall and extending between the inner surface and the outer surface; wherein
each of the passages follows an arcuate, non-linear path from the inner surface to the outer surface.
9. The cage of claim 8 , wherein the non-linear path is helical.
10. The cage of claim 8 , wherein the non-linear path is spiral.
11. The cage of claim 8 , wherein each of the passages comprises a non-circular cross-sectional area.
12. The cage of claim 11 , wherein the cross-sectional area is one of a square, a rectangle, a triangle, an oval, a stars, a polygon, and an irregular shape.
13. The cage of claim 8 , wherein:
the wall has a first end and a second end; and
the sealed cavity is spaced apart from the inner surface, the outer surface, the first end, and the second end of the wall.
14. The cage of claim 8 , wherein each of the passages comprises a cross-sectional area that varies from the inner surface to the outer surface.