Abstract:
A system for testing fluid flow includes a first tube, a first flange disposed on an end of the first tube, a second tube, and a second flange disposed on an end of the second tube. The second flange is adjacent the first flange. A flow restricting sleeve surrounds the first flange and the second flange. The flow restricting sleeve has an inner surface and an outer surface, with a web extending from the inner surface and defining an orifice. The web extends between the first flange and the second flange. A coupler assembly surrounds the flow restricting sleeve.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to PCT/US2013/044297, filed Jun. 5, 2013 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/655,988, filed Jun. 5, 2012, both entitled Interchangeable Flow Restricting Orifice for Claimshell Coupler. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a system for restricting fluid flow along a fluid path. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system of interchangeable orifices for restricting fluid flow along a fluid path. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Flow restriction is used to tune a flow of fluid conveyed in systems where full flow capacity is not desired to balance conveyance systems. Examples of where such flow restriction is desirable includes fuel lines for aircraft or land or sea vehicles. In designing a fluid flow system, temporary methods of creating flow restriction may be used to tune the system to determine a proper restriction orifice size. Once the proper restriction orifice size is determined, a flange containing a permanent flow restriction orifice is designed and used where the flow restriction is required in the system. In some known instances, the temporary components are not qualified for permanent use. For example, in aircraft fuel lines, the temporary components may not be flight qualified. 
         [0004]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a cross-section and a cut-away perspective view, respectively, of a prior art tube assembly  100 . The assembly  100  includes a first tube T 1  having a first flange F 1  adjacent a second tube T 2  having a second flange F 2 . The flanges are surrounded by a sleeve S, and o-rings O or other seals are placed between the first and second flanges F 1 , F 2  and the sleeve S to prevent fluid from leaking, and to lock the joint together. A coupler assembly C captures the sleeve and secures the first and second flanges F 1 , F 2  together. In one embodiment, the coupler assembly C is a clamshell design, having a first and second semi-circular component hingedly connected and configured to be locked in a closed position. 
         [0005]    In the illustrated prior art embodiment, the second flange F 2  is configured to receive a removable orifice plate  110  having an orifice with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first and second tubes T 1 , T 2 , thereby restricting flow of fluid. Although the orifice plate  110  is shown as having a single orifice that is substantially circular, it should be understood that a plurality of orifices of different shapes may be employed. 
         [0006]    The second flange F 2  has a groove and shoulder on the inner diameter to receive the removable orifice plate  110 . The tube assembly  100  may be disassembled to allow an operator to remove the orifice plate  110  and replace it with another removable orifice plate having an orifice of a different size. By removing and replacing orifice plates, an operator may test different sized orifices to arrive at a desirable fluid flow, thereby tuning the system. 
         [0007]    In the illustrated embodiment, the removable orifice plate  110  contains accommodations for hardware that secures it to the second flange F 2 . A seal  120  is disposed between the second flange F 2  and the removable orifice plate  110  (illustrated here as an o-ring) to prevent flow around the removable orifice plate  110 . Additionally, a retaining wire  130  is employed to hold the removable orifice plate  110  in place. 
         [0008]    After an operator determines a desirable orifice size, the operator may remove the second flange F 2  and the removable orifice plate  110  and replace it with a unitary flange and orifice plate.  FIG. 3  is a cross-section of an exemplary final tube assembly  200  having a restrictive flange  210 . In one embodiment, the restrictive flange  210  is custom-made. When used in an aircraft application, the restrictive flange may be a flight-qualified component. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    A system for testing fluid flow includes a first tube, a first flange disposed on an end of the first tube, a second tube, and a second flange disposed on an end of the second tube. The second flange is adjacent the first flange. A flow restricting sleeve surrounds the first flange and the second flange. The flow restricting sleeve has an inner surface and an outer surface, with a web extending from the inner surface and defining an orifice. The web extends between the first flange and the second flange. A coupler assembly surrounds the flow restricting sleeve. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example systems and components that illustrate various example embodiments of aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. An element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. The drawings may not be to scale and the proportion of certain elements may be exaggerated for the purpose of illustration. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a cross-section of a prior art tube assembly  100 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a cut-away perspective view of the prior art tube assembly  100 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a cross-section of an exemplary final tube assembly  200 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a prior art sleeve S for a tube assembly; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a flow restricting sleeve  300  for a tube assembly; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a cross-section of one embodiment of a tube assembly  400  having the flow restricting sleeve  300 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a cut-away perspective view of the tube assembly  400 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the prior art final tube assembly  200 ; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a front view of the tube assembly  400 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a prior art sleeve S for a tube assembly. The prior art sleeve S has an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and a plurality of ribs R on an outer surface configured to receive the coupler assembly. In alternative embodiments, ribs may be configured differently or omitted entirely. In another alternative embodiment, the prior art sleeve may have different surface finishes. 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a flow restricting sleeve  300  for a tube assembly. The flow restricting sleeve  300  has substantially the same outer diameter and inner diameter of the sleeve S of an existing tube assembly. The flow restricting sleeve  300  further includes ribs R that are substantially the same as the ribs R of the sleeve S of an existing tube assembly. Therefore, the flow restricting sleeve  300  may be employed in place of the sleeve S of an existing tube assembly. It should be understood that additional features or finishes may be employed on the inner or outer surface of the flow restricting sleeve  300  to match such features on an existing sleeve S. In other words, the flow restricting sleeve  300  may be configured for any tube assembly. By having the same shape and finish, the flow restricting sleeve  300  can be captured by a coupler assembly C in the same manner as a flight-qualified sleeve, and provide the same seal across the sleeves. 
         [0022]    The flow restricting sleeve  300  further includes a web  310  having an orifice  320 . In the illustrated embodiment, the web  310  is positioned halfway along the axis of the sleeve  300 . In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the web may be off-center. 
         [0023]    In the illustrated embodiment, the orifice  320  is substantially circular. In alternative embodiments (not shown), the orifice may be oval, square, triangular, or any geometric shape. In other alternative embodiments (not shown), the web may include two or more orifices. 
         [0024]    In one known embodiment, the orifice  320  is machined. A plurality of flow restricting sleeves  300  may be provided, wherein each flow restricting sleeve has an orifice of a different size. In one known embodiment, at least one flow restricting sleeve is provided without an orifice. Such a sleeve would allow an operator to create an orifice of any desired size, such as by drilling or punching the web. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate a cross-section and a cutaway perspective view, respectively, of one embodiment of a tube assembly  400  including the flow restricting sleeve  300 . The assembly  400  includes a first tube T 1  having a first flange  410  adjacent a second tube T 2  having a second flange  420 . The first flange  410  is substantially the same as the second flange  420 . The first flange  410  is spaced from the second flange  420  by a gap having a length l. 
         [0026]    The flanges  410 ,  420  are surrounded by the sleeve  300 , such that the web  310  extends through the gap between the first flange  410  and the second flange  420 . Accordingly, the web  310  has a thickness of less than 1. O-rings O or other seals are placed between the first and second flanges  410 ,  420  and the sleeve S to prevent fluid from leaking, and to lock the joint together. A coupler assembly C captures the sleeve and secures the first and second flanges  410 ,  420  together. In one embodiment, the coupler assembly C is a clamshell design, having first and second semi-circular components that are hingedly connected and configured to be locked in a closed position. 
         [0027]    During testing, an operator may test different flow restricting sleeves, with each flow restricting sleeve having a different orifice configuration. To swap one flow restricting sleeve  300  with another during flow testing, the coupler assembly C is removed, and the flow restricting sleeve  300  containing one specific size of orifice is removed. A flow restricting sleeve containing a different size of orifice is then put in place, and the coupler assembly C is reassembled over the sleeve and flanges  410 ,  420 . This process may be repeated multiple times until the operator achieves a desired fluid flow. 
         [0028]    After an operator determines a desirable orifice size, the operator may remove the flow restricting sleeve  300  in the manner described above. The operator may then remove one of the flanges  410 ,  420  and replace it with a unitary flange and orifice plate having an orifice with the desired dimensions, such as in the exemplary final tube assembly  200  illustrated in  FIG. 3 . When used in an aircraft application, the unitary flange and orifice plate may be a flight-qualified component. 
         [0029]    In one embodiment, the restricting sleeve  300  may be constructed of a material having a color different from that of a flight-qualified component. In one particular embodiment, the flow restricting sleeve  300  is colored red via a dyed aluminum anodizing process during manufacture. The color red is used to indicate components that are not to be used for flight. In alternative embodiments (not shown), the flow restricting sleeve  300  may use other colors, or other visual indicia to indicate that the sleeve is not a flight-qualified component. 
         [0030]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the prior art final tube assembly  200 . For comparison,  FIG. 9  is a front view of the tube assembly  400 . In both assemblies, the coupler assembly C that captures the sleeve contains inspection holes H in its perimeter that are used to visually verify that a sleeve is installed. In the final tube assembly  200 , an inspector can see through the inspection holes H that the sleeve S is a flight-qualified component having a first color. Should a flow restricting sleeve  300  be inadvertently left in a tube assembly, an inspector can see the second color through the inspection holes H, indicating that a non-flight component is present. 
         [0031]    To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “or” is employed (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “A or B or both.” When the applicants intend to indicate “only A or B but not both” then the term “only A or B but not both” will be employed. Thus, use of the term “or” herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. See, Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624 (2d. Ed. 1995). Also, to the extent that the terms “in” or “into” are used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to additionally mean “on” or “onto.” Furthermore, to the extent the term “connect” is used in the specification or claims, it is intended to mean not only “directly connected to,” but also “indirectly connected to” such as connected through another component or components. 
         [0032]    While the present application has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the application, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.