Woodward, Inc.

Woodward Governor Company

Brian K Lawver

Mark Allen Spickard

Brian E Hoemke

Jordan Loren Loos

Daniel J McLevige

Brett Jay Snodgrass

Paul J Schaefer

Steve McLevige

Mike L Hahn

A stepper motor driven actuator system is provided. The system includes a stepper motor, a cam, and a gearbox system. The gearbox system operatively connects the stepper motor to the cam. The cam rotates in response to stepping of the stepper motor. The system also includes a valve having a control piston located therein. The control piston is configured to translate in response to rotation of the cam. The system further includes a rotary actuator. The rotary actuator is fluidly connected to the valve, and the rotary actuator is configured to rotate the cam in response to translation of the control piston.

Stepper motor driven proportional rotary actuator

A bypass flow valve is provided. The bypass flow valve includes a valve piston and a first annulus disposed on a first end of the valve piston. The first annulus has an inlet and an outlet and surrounds a first valve sleeve. The first valve sleeve contains an arrangement of a first plurality of ports providing fluid communication to the valve piston. The arrangement of the first plurality of ports includes a first region of the first valve sleeve in line with the inlet of the first annulus and a second region of the first valve sleeve in line with the outlet of the first annulus. The second region has fewer ports than the first region.

Velocity and pressure equalization ports

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes providing a fluid at a fluid inlet fluidically connected to an input fluid path, providing a fluid outlet fluidically connected to an outlet fluid path, fluidically connecting the inlet fluid path to the outlet fluid path through a valve, fluidically connecting the inlet fluid and the outlet fluid through a bypass fluid path in parallel with the valve, flowing the fluid from the inlet fluid path to the outlet fluid path through the valve and the bypass fluid path at a regulated fluid flow rate, restricting fluid flow in the bypass fluid path with a first orifice, restricting fluid flow in one of the fluid inlet path or the fluid outlet path with a second orifice, and providing the fluid at the fluid outlet at an outlet fluid flow rate.

Regulator flow damping

A method and apparatus to attenuate a flapper valve from oscillating is presented. An inertia tube is added to the flow path of the flapper valve nozzle, which effectively produces a stabilizing pressure force on the flapper at its natural frequency. The inertia tube has a length to area ratio of greater than approximately 1000 in/in . The addition of an inertia tube to the nozzle makes the fixed size orifice of the nozzle behave like an orifice having a size that is a function of flow frequency. The inertia tube may be a straight tube, a coiled tube, a thread passage and the like.

Growing community of inventors

Rockford, IL, United States of America

Brian K Lawver