Powell Industries, Inc.

Harry Friedland

Addison W Langill, Jr

In a digital fluid flow control system having a source of fluid at a first pressure and a fluid receiver at a second pressure lower than the first pressure, individually actuatable, digital valve elements interconnect the source to the receiver. In the flow passage of each valve element, there is an isolating orifice at which the pressure is independent of variations in the second pressure, by virtue of the difference between the first and second pressures. The isolating orifice of each valve element is preferably the throat of a converging-diverging nozzle that feeds into the receiver. In one implementation, spaced axially aligned upstream and downstream conduits are formed in a valve body; radial passages in which digital valve elements are located interconnect the conduits.

Digital fluid flow control system

A core removably fits into an open cavity with an outer casing. The walls of the cavity and the core define an upstream manifold, a downstream manifold, and a planar manifold separating partition that lies at an acute angle to a flow plane aligned with the inlet to the upstream manifold and the outlet from the downstream manifold. A plurality of individually actuatable bistable valve elements are individually mounted onto the core without threaded bore connections in a parallel arrangement to connect the upstream and downstream manifolds across the partition. Preferably, the bistable valve elements each have a double cage between which a plug is guided from an open position to a closed position.

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Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

Harry Friedland