Debris tolerant valve

Patent · 18 January 2022

OSTI ID:1892538

Richard, James A.; Griffith, Christopher T.

A valve includes a valve body, a sleeve within the valve body and a rotatable valve element that has one portion within the sleeve to control flow of media through the valve and another portion extending from the valve body and coupled to an actuator that rotates the valve element. The valve element is rotatable to a first position to flow media to one port and to a second position to flow media to another port. The sleeve has a pair of side openings. Each side opening has an angled perimetrical edge and is aligned with a corresponding port member. A half dovetail shaped groove is formed by the angled perimetrical edge of each side opening, the corresponding port and the valve body. A seal is lodged within each groove to form a seal that exhibits reduced unswept volume and which wipes debris off the valve element as it rotates.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Washington, DC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the NASA (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): 11,226,045
• Application Number: 16/692,857
• OSTI ID: 1892538
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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