US 12,455,018 B2
Valve arrangement, actuator arrangement and methods of detecting a first position therein
Jens Folkmar Andersen, Fredericia (DK)
Assigned to ALFA LAVAL CORPORATE AB, Lund (SE)
Appl. No. 18/568,674
Filed by ALFA LAVAL CORPORATE AB, Lund (SE)
PCT Filed Jun. 9, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/065753
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 8, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/263295, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 22, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 21179465 (EP), filed on Jun. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0209957 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
Int. Cl. F16K 37/00 (2006.01); F16K 11/044 (2006.01); F16K 31/122 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 37/0033 (2013.01) [F16K 11/044 (2013.01); F16K 37/0008 (2013.01); F16K 31/122 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A valve arrangement comprising
a control unit,
an actuator arrangement, and
a flow control arrangement,
the actuator arrangement being controlled by the control unit and being configured to control the flow control arrangement,
the actuator arrangement comprising:
a first valve stem extending along a longitudinal direction towards the flow control arrangement and being configured to be connected to and control movement of a first valve member of the flow control arrangement,
a second valve stem extending along the longitudinal direction and being configured to be connected to and control movement of a second valve member of the flow control arrangement, wherein the first valve stem is hollow and the second valve stem extends inside the first valve stem, and wherein the second valve stem extends through the actuator arrangement and into the control unit such that the control unit is capable of detecting the position of the second valve stem along the longitudinal direction,
wherein the flow control arrangement comprises a first and a second conduit section each being configured to allow a respective flow of a fluid and being arranged beside each other as seen along the longitudinal direction, wherein the two conduit sections are fluidly interconnected by a mixing opening being selectively closable and openable by a double valve formed by the first and second valve members, wherein in a closed state of the double valve, the first and second valve members are sealingly engaging a first and a second valve seat, respectively, each valve seat extending around the mixing opening, wherein the first and second valve members are movable relative to each other to allow selective cleaning of: i) the first conduit section, the first valve member, and the first valve seat: and ii) the second conduit section, the second valve member, and the second valve seat,
wherein when moving from the closed state to a first cleaning position, in which the first conduit, the first valve member and first valve seat are to be cleaned, the first valve stem is configured to provide a movement of the first valve member into the first conduit thereby exposing the first valve seat,
wherein when moving from the closed state to the first cleaning position, the actuator arrangement is configured to mechanically transfer at least a portion of the movement of, or provided to, the first valve stem into a first movement of the second valve stem, such that the second valve member is moved towards the first conduit while the second valve member still sealingly engages the second valve seat, the control unit being configured to detect the movement of the first valve member by the control unit detecting the first movement of the second valve stem in a direction which extends opposite to the longitudinal direction and thereby extends towards the control unit.