A valve developed by NASA Stennis Space Center consists of a solid piston floating in a medium to control the flow stream. The piston is designed to be axially and radially balanced within the flow stream whether the valve is in the open or closed position. The only force imparted onto the piston is that which the operator chooses to input on to it.
This valve has many unique features and design advantages over conventional valve concepts.
The advantages to its design are (1) the elimination of a conventional actuator, which is replaced by one or two simple solenoid valves; (2) elimination of valve actuator adjustments; (3) consistent seating force regardless of the pressure drop across the valve; (4) elimination of the valve stem and stem seals; and (5) elimination of most flow induced thrust forces.
Additionally, the valve consists of only five parts with a few simple seals incorporated into a well-protected design. The simple design allows for use in nominal or extremely high pressures and for the use of soft or hard metal seats. It also reduces downtime and maintenance costs, while increasing valve reliability and seat life.
The valve design is applicable for pressures ranging from 15-15,000+ psi, and incorporates a floating piston design, used for controlling a flow of a pressurized working fluid. The balanced, floating piston valve design has a wide range of potential applications in all sizes and pressure ranges.
The valve concept works with soft or hard metal seats, and the closing force is easily adjustable so that any closing force desired can be created. The fact that no adjustment is required in the design, ensures valve performance throughout valve life and operation. The extremely simple design and few parts make the design inherently reliable, simple to manufacture, and easy to maintain.
This valve has potential applications in power plants, Petrochemical plants, chemical industry, refineries, pressurized storage tanks, cryogenic fluid systems, pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, and fast actuation applications.
NASA is actively seeking licensees to commercialize this technology. Please contact NASA’s Licensing Concierge at
