7 243 679

7,243,679 Title:

Adsorbent fractionator directional flow control valve assembly apparatus and method

An adsorbent fractionator directional flow control valve assembly includes two inlet valves, two exhaust valves, and a valve body. The valve assembly controls the directional flow of an influent gas mixture into one of two vertical desiccant tanks of an adsorbent fractionator, or desiccant dryer, and an effluent gas flowing in reverse through the opposite desiccant tank. The valve body is a single unitary piece, which may be a casting, and couples the inlet valves and the exhaust valves, which may be four identical valve subassemblies, providing flow communication between these and an inlet port, two exit ports, and an exhaust port.

What is claimed is:

1. A directional flow control valve assembly for an adsorbent fractionator, comprising: a first inlet valve; a second inlet valve; a first exhaust valve; a second exhaustvalve; and a valve body, comprising: at least one inlet port pneumatically coupled to a first valve chamber and to a second valve chamber; a first exit port pneumatically coupled to the first valve chamber; a first mounting interface for coupling thefirst inlet valve to the valve body; a second exit port pneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber; a second mounting interface for coupling the second inlet valve to the valve body; at least one exhaust port pneumatically coupled to a thirdvalve chamber and to a fourth valve chamber; a third mounting interface for coupling the first exhaust valve to the valve body; a fourth mounting interface for coupling the second exhaust valve to the valve body; and a fifth mounting interface for aninlet manifold; wherein the third valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the first valve chamber, the fourth valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber, and the valve body comprises a single unitary piece.

2. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second inlet valves are substantially identical to each other.

3. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second exhaust valves are substantially identical to each other.

4. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second inlet valves and the first and second exhaust valves are substantially identical to each other.

5. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 1, wherein a portion of the first valve chamber wall constitutes a first valve seat for the first inlet valve, a portion of the second valve chamber wall constitutes a second valve seatfor the second inlet valve, a portion of the third valve chamber wall constitutes a third valve seat for the first exhaust valve, and a portion of the fourth valve chamber wall constitutes a fourth valve seat for the second exhaust valve.

6. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the second mounting interface faces opposite the first mounting interface.

7. A directional flow control valve assembly for an adsorbent fractionator, comprising: a first inlet valve; a second inlet valve; a first exhaust valve; a second exhaust valve; and a valve body, comprising: at least one inlet portpneumatically coupled to a first valve chamber and to a second valve chamber; a first exit port pneumatically coupled to the first valve chamber; a first mounting interface for coupling the first inlet valve to the valve body; a second exit portpneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber; a second mounting interface for coupling the second inlet valve to the valve body; at least one exhaust port pneumatically coupled to a third valve chamber and to a fourth valve chamber; a thirdmounting interface for coupling the first exhaust valve to the valve body; and a fourth mounting interface for coupling the second exhaust valve to the valve body; wherein the third valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the first valve chamber, thefourth valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber, the valve body comprises a single unitary piece, and the first and second inlet valves are actuated by a single valve actuator.

8. A directional flow control valve assembly for an adsorbent fractionator, comprising: a first inlet valve; a second inlet valve; a first exhaust valve; a second exhaust valve; and a valve body, comprising: at least one inlet portpneumatically coupled to a first valve chamber and to a second valve chamber; a first exit port pneumatically coupled to the first valve chamber; a first mounting interface for coupling the first inlet valve to the valve body; a second exit portpneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber; a second mounting interface for coupling the second inlet valve to the valve body; at least one exhaust port pneumatically coupled to a third valve chamber and to a fourth valve chamber; a thirdmounting interface for coupling the first exhaust valve to the valve body; and a fourth mounting interface for coupling the second exhaust valve to the valve body; wherein the third valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the first valve chamber, thefourth valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber, the valve body comprises a single unitary piece, and the third and fourth mounting interfaces are perpendicular to the first and second mounting interfaces, and the third andfourth mounting interfaces lie in a same plane.

9. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve body further comprises a single unitary casting.

10. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 1, wherein flow communication between the inlet port and the first valve chamber is provided by a first interconnecting passage, flow communication between the inlet port and the secondvalve chamber is provided by a second interconnecting passage, flow communication between the first exit port and the first valve chamber is provided by a third interconnecting passage, flow communication between the second exit port and the second valvechamber is provided by a fourth interconnecting passage, flow communication between the first valve chamber and the third valve chamber is provided by a fifth interconnecting passage, flow communication between the second valve chamber and the fourthvalve chamber is provided by a sixth interconnecting passage, flow communication between the exhaust port and the third valve chamber is provided by a seventh interconnecting passage, and flow communication between the exhaust port and the fourth valvechamber is provided by an eighth interconnecting passage.

11. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 10, wherein a portion of the first valve chamber wall at the periphery of the first interconnecting passage constitutes a first valve seat for the first inlet valve, a portion of thesecond valve chamber wall at the periphery of the second interconnecting passage constitutes a second valve seat for the second inlet valve, a portion of the third valve chamber wall at the periphery of the fifth interconnecting passage constitutes athird valve seat for the first exhaust valve, and a portion of the fourth valve chamber wall at the periphery of the sixth interconnecting passage constitutes a fourth valve seat for the second exhaust valve.

12. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 10, wherein the angled periphery of each of the intersections between the inlet port and the first and second interconnecting passages, between the first valve chamber and the thirdinterconnecting passage, between the third interconnecting passage and the first exit port, between the second valve chamber and the fourth interconnecting passage, between the fourth interconnecting passage and the second exit port, between the firstvalve chamber and the fifth interconnecting passage, between the fifth interconnecting passage and the third valve chamber, between the second valve chamber and the sixth interconnecting passage, between the sixth interconnecting passage and the fourthvalve chamber, and between the exhaust port and the seventh and eighth interconnecting passages is rounded to a radius greater than one-tenth of an inch.

13. The directional flow control valve assembly of claim 10, wherein the angles between the centerlines of all intersecting interconnecting passages are no less than 90 degrees.

14. A valve body for pneumatic directional flow control valves in an adsorbent fractionator, comprising: at least one inlet port pneumatically coupled to a first valve chamber and to a second valve chamber; a first exit port pneumaticallycoupled to the first valve chamber; a first mounting interface for coupling a first inlet valve to the valve body; a second exit port pneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber; a second mounting interface for coupling a second inlet valve tothe valve body; at least one exhaust port pneumatically coupled to a third valve chamber and to a fourth valve chamber; a third mounting interface for coupling a first exhaust valve to the valve body; a fourth mounting interface for coupling a secondexhaust valve to the valve body; a fifth mounting interface for an inlet manifold wherein the third valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the first valve chamber, the fourth valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber, and thevalve body comprises a single unitary piece.

15. The valve body of claim 14, wherein a portion of the first valve chamber wall constitutes a first valve seat for the first inlet valve, a portion of the second valve chamber wall constitutes a second valve seat for the second inlet valve, aportion of the third valve chamber wall constitutes a third valve seat for the first exhaust valve, and a portion of the fourth valve chamber wall constitutes a fourth valve seat for the second exhaust valve.

16. The valve body of claim 14, wherein each the first, second, third and fourth mounting interfaces is capable of accepting a substantially identical valve assembly.

17. A valve body for pneumatic directional flow control valves in an adsorbent fractionator, comprising: at least one inlet port pneumatically coupled to a first valve chamber and to a second valve chamber; a first exit port pneumaticallycoupled to the first valve chamber; a first mounting interface for coupling a first inlet valve to the valve body; a second exit port pneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber; a second mounting interface for coupling a second inlet valve tothe valve body; at least one exhaust port pneumatically coupled to a third valve chamber and to a fourth valve chamber; a third mounting interface for coupling a first exhaust valve to the valve body; and a fourth mounting interface for coupling asecond exhaust valve to the valve body; wherein the third valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the first valve chamber, the fourth valve chamber is pneumatically coupled to the second valve chamber, the valve body comprises a single unitary piecewherein the second mounting interface faces opposite the first mounting interface, and the third and fourth mounting interfaces are perpendicular to the first and second mounting interfaces, and the third and fourth mounting interfaces lie in a sameplane.

18. The valve body of claim 14, wherein the valve body further comprises a single unitary casting.

19. A valve body for pneumatic directional flow control valves in an adsorbent fractionator, comprising: means for pneumatically coupling at least one inlet port to a first valve chamber and to a second valve chamber; means for pneumaticallycoupling a first exit port to the first valve chamber; mounting interface means for coupling a first inlet valve to the valve body; means for pneumatically coupling a second exit port to the second valve chamber; mounting interface means for couplinga second inlet valve to the valve body; means for pneumatically coupling at least one exhaust port to a third valve chamber and to a fourth valve chamber; mounting interface means for coupling a first exhaust valve to the valve body; mountinginterface means for coupling a second exhaust valve to the valve body; means for pneumatically coupling the third valve chamber to the first valve chamber; and means for pneumatically coupling the fourth valve chamber to the second valve chamber; wherein the valve body comprises a single unitary piece and the first and second inlet valves are actuated by a single valve actuator.

20. The valve body of claim 19, further comprising: first valve chamber wall means for providing a first valve seat for the first inlet valve; second valve chamber wall means for providing a second valve seat for the second inlet valve; thirdvalve chamber wall means for providing a third valve seat for the first exhaust valve; and fourth valve chamber wall means for providing a fourth valve seat for the second exhaust valve.

21. The valve body of claim 19, wherein each of the mounting interface means is capable of accepting a substantially identical valve assembly.