Pressure reducing and conditioning valves

Claim 1

A conditioning valve for simultaneously reducing the pressure and temperature of incoming steam comprising: a valve body divided into first and second chambers, said first chamber having an inlet port for introducing superheated steam under high pressure into said conditioning valve, said second chamber having an outlet port for expelling conditioned steam out of said conditioning valve; an annular seat affixed to the interior of said valve body between said first and second chambers; cylindrical valve means slidably matable with said annular seat and extending between said first and second chambers, said cylindrical valve means having a plurality of perforations over a portion of its body to permit the flow of steam between said first and second chambers when the cylindrical valve means is in a first position, said perforations being closed off from said flow of steam when said cylindrical valve means is in a second position, said cylindrical valve means having additional perforations to permit a controlled leakage of steam when said cylindrical valve means is in said second position; a water stem extending through said cylindrical valve means and terminating in said second chamber for transporting desuperheating water to said second chamber, said stem being coupled to said cylindrical valve means and slidably adjusting said cylindrical valve means between said first and second positions; and nozzle means located at the terminal end of said water stem for injecting desuperheating water into said second chamber to be mixed with steam entering said second chamber, said nozzle means comprising a plurality of tangentially extending conduits which generate a swirling vortex of water and a hollow cylindrical sleeve extending into said second chamber for transporting and accelerating said swirling vortex of water into said second chamber.