Patent ID: 11965608
Assignee: ARTISAN INDUSTRIES INC.
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC F  B | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A multi-position rotary valve for selectively fluidically interconnecting subsets of pipes terminating at the rotary valve, the rotary valve comprising:
a track plate that defines a plurality of apertures therethrough, one side of each aperture being configured to be fluidically connected to a respective one of the pipes;
a pressure-tight housing attached to the track plate to define a volume therebetween;
a rotor plate disposed in the volume, counterfacing the track plate, defining a plurality of apertures therethrough, and configured to rotate about an axis such that at respective rotational positions, respective sets of the apertures through the rotor plate fluidically align with respective sets of the apertures through the track plate;
a seal sheet disposed between the track plate and the rotor plate and configured to maintain fluid-tight contact therebetween;
a cross-over pipe disposed within the volume and attached to the rotor plate for rotation therewith, each end of the cross-over pipe being fluidically connected to one side of a respective aperture through the rotor plate, wherein the volume is sufficient for movement of the cross-over pipe as the rotor plate rotates 360 degrees;
a driver;
an elongated shaft having a first end coupled to the driver and a second end coupled to the rotor plate, wherein the driver is configured to index the rotor plate, via the shaft;
a fiducial mark, disposed within the pressure-tight housing, attached to the rotor plate and/or the cross-over pipe, and configured for rotation with the rotor plate;
a transparent port defined in the housing; and
a digital camera disposed outside the pressure-tight housing and configured to image the fiducial mark through the port at at least one rotational position of the rotor plate and, thereby, to detect rotational position of the rotor plate.