The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 30, 2004
Filed:
Dec. 30, 2002
Michael A. Maloney, Woodinville, WA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A valve for reducing fluid pressure in a fluid distribution network uses the energy released from the fluid to generate power. The valve includes a housing, a turbine disposed within the housing, a fluid reservoir, and a flow control device operable to generate a turbine inlet flow having a flow velocity from an inlet flow having a fluid pressure. The turbine receives the turbine inlet flow, which rotates the turbine to generate power. The fluid reservoir collects the flow of fluid discharged from the turbine and generates a valve discharge flow having a desired fluid pressure that is less than the fluid pressure of the inlet fluid. Thus, the energy from the inlet flow is used to generate power. Furthermore, the power generated by the turbine can be independent of the fluid pressure of the valve discharge flow. Consequently, the valve can provide a consistent reduction in fluid pressure and/or flow rate in a distribution network while the turbine generates power.