Gas flow control device

Claim 2

A gas flow control device comprising: a housing, having a hollow interior and defining an input port through which gas may enter into said housing at a first housing end, an output port at substantially a second housing end, opposite said first end, and an exit port; mandrel means fixedly supported in said housing and having an exposed end of a preselected shape pointing toward said input port; a probe defining a cavity port which has a surface, corresponding to the preselected shape of the outer surface of said mandrel means, and an outer surface exposed to the gas entering said housing through said input port for forming a shockwave of the gas entering said housing; and means for supporting said probe about said mandrel means and moving said probe toward and away from said mandrel to control the percentage of gas entering said housing which passes to said output port through the space between the inner surface of the probe cavity and the outer surface of said mandrel means.

Claim 3

The arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein said housing at the input port includes an edge surface with a configuration to convert subsonic gas flow to supersonic flow entering said housing.

Claim 4

The arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein the exposed end of said mandrel means is in the shape of a truncated cone and the shape of the cavity port surface is a truncated cone, whereby gas enters said cavity through the truncated top of said cone.

Claim 5

The arrangement as recited in claim 3 wherein saId housing at the input port includes an edge surface with a configuration to convert subsonic gas flow to supersonic flow entering said housing.

Claim 6

A fluid flow control device comprising: a housing having a hollow interior and defining an input port through which fluid enters said housing said port being aligned with a longitudinal axis of said housing and at a first end thereof; elongated mandrel means in said housing along said longitudinal axis with a first end of said mandrel means fixedly connected to a second end of said housing, opposite said housing first end, and extending to a mandrel means second end pointing toward said input port, said mandrel means second end being in the shape of a truncated cone; a probe in said housing, the probe defining a longitudinal cavity extending from a first probe end through which said mandrel means extends into said cavity to a second probe end which is directed toward said input port and which has a conical surface to form a shockwave of the gas entering said housing, the cavity of said probe near its second end having a conical surface corresponding to the conical surface of the truncated cone of said mandrel means; seal means between said probe and the interior surface of said housing for inhibiting gas flow in the space between said housing and said probe, said seal means dividing said housing into first and second separate chambers and said housing further defining first and second output ports in said first and second chambers respectively; and means for controlling the relative position of said probe to control the spacing between the conical surfaces of said mandrel means and said cavity, and thereby control the division of the gas which exits through said first and second output ports.

Claim 7

A fluid flow control device comprising: a housing having a hollow interior and defining an input port through which fluid enters said housing said port being aligned with a longitudinal axis of said housing and at a first end thereof; elongated mandrel means in said housing along said longitudinal axis with a first end of said mandrel means fixedly connected to a second end of said housing, opposite said housing first end, and extending to a mandrel means second end pointing toward said input port, said mandrel means second end being in the shape of a truncated cone; a probe in said housing, the probe defining a longitudinal cavity extending from a first probe end through which said mandrel means extends into said cavity to a second probe end which is directed toward said input port and which has a conical surface to form a shockwave of the gas entering said housing, the cavity of said probe near its second end having a conical surface corresponding to the conical surface of the truncated cone of said mandrel means; seal means between said probe and the interior surface of said housing for inhibiting gas flow in the space between said housing and said probe, said seal means dividing said housing into first and second separate chambers and said housing further defining first and second output ports in said first and second chambers respectively; and means for controlling the relative position of said probe to control the spacing between the conical surfaces of said mandrel means and said cavity, and thereby control the division of the gas which exits through said first and second output ports.

Claim 8

The arrangement as recited in claim 5 wherein the opening of said cavity at the second end of said probe has a configuration corresponding to the top of the truncated cone of said mandrel means, whereby when said probe is at a position in which the conical surface of the mandrel means abuts the conical surface of said cavity the top of the mandrel means closes the opening of the cavity at the second end of said probe.

Claim 9

The arrangement as recited in claim 5 wherein said housing at the input port includes an edge surface with a configuration to convert subsonic gas flow to supersonic flow entering said housing.

Claim 10

The arrangement as recited in claim 7 wherein the opening of said cavity at the second end of said probe has a configuration corresponding to the top of the truncated cone of said mandrel means, whereby when said probe is at a position in which the conical surface of the mandrel means abuts the conical surface of said cavity the top of the mandrel means closes the opening of the cavity at the second end of said probe.