Abstract:
A valve includes a housing. A sleeve at least partially surrounded by the housing. The sleeve slidable relative to the housing and a travel stop that is engageable with the sleeve to limit travel of the sleeve.

Description:
The present disclosure claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Disclosure Ser. No. 61/730,468 filed Nov. 27, 2012. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to a valve, and, more particularly, to embodiments of adjustable sleeve valves for use in aerospace applications. 
     Valves for aerospace vehicles are commonly deployed to regulate fluid flow. Traditionally, fluid mixture ratio adjustments have been effected through the change-out of trim orifice plates adjacent to a main propellant valve in various open loop controlled systems, e.g., mixture ratio optimization of propellants in liquid propulsion rocket engines. This process is iterative, relatively time consuming and may require subsequent purge and leakage verification when associated with propellant feed lines. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the disclosed non-limiting embodiments. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: 
         FIG. 1  is a general schematic sectional view of a sleeve valve according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment; and 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a travel stop according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment for use with the valve of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a valve  20  that is essentially tubular in construction, although other shapes, such as rectilinear, will also benefit herefrom. Sleeve valves may be employed to control the flow rate and head pressure of fluids in propellant flow control valves for monopropellant and bipropellant thrusters to provide reliability and performance in, for example, shut-off valves for LOX and LH2 propellants in spacecraft propulsion systems. It should be appreciated that sleeve valves are readily applicable to industrial piping systems, hydro-power facilities, agricultural facilities, water distribution systems, medical, and other such systems as sleeve valves are often utilized for their ability to operate with actuation forces virtually independent of line pressure. 
     The valve  20  generally includes a housing  22 , a flow diverter  24 , a sleeve  26 , a spring  28 , a travel stop  30  and a travel stop lock  32  according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment. The housing  22  defines a bore  34  along an axis A directed to the downstream located flow diverter  24 . The flow diverter  24  may be at least partially conical to direct a flow from the inlet  34  radially outwardly through a multiple of outlet passages  36  arranged parallel to and around axis A. 
     The sleeve  26  is located within the bore  34  and includes a radial outward directed flange  38 . The flange  38  separates an annular actuation inlet  40  which selectively receives fluid pressure through a first port  42  and/or a second port  44  located in communication with the annular actuation inlet  40  on either side of the flange  38 . It should be appreciated that interfaces  46  between the housing  22 , the flow diverter  24 , the sleeve  26 , the flange  38 , the bore  34  and the annular actuation inlet  40  may be sealed against flow of gas or outside fluid by seals such as O-rings, seal rings, channel seals, etc. 
     The spring  28  may be located within the annular actuation inlet  40  such that, for example, fluid pressure applied into the first port  42  overcomes the spring bias to drives the sleeve  26  away form the flow diverter  24  to open the valve  20 . In this example, the second port  44  may operate as a vent. Alternatively, the second port  44  may be in communication with a fluid pressure source to provide two-way active actuation either in addition to the spring  28  or in the alternative thereto. 
     The travel stop  30  may include an interrupted thread  50  that is threaded into an internal thread  52  of the annular actuation inlet  40  to provide an adjustable mechanical stop to set the stroke travel limit of the sleeve  26 . The interrupted thread  50  includes a multiple of linear slots  54  transverse to the threads  56  ( FIG. 2 ) within which the travel stop lock  32  is received to rotationally—and thereby axially—lock the travel stop  30 . Axial adjustment of the travel stop  30  facilitates precise flow resistance adjustment within a single valve. It should be appreciated that predetermined circumferential distances between the liner slots  54  provide predetermined adjustment capability and reduced variation in cycle to cycle flow resistance. 
     The travel stop lock  32  generally includes a threaded mount  60  that is threaded into a threaded opening  62  in the housing  22  to support and retain a key  58  that engages one of the multiple of linear slots  54 . The key  58  is axially restrained by the threaded mount  60  in response to the threaded mount  60  being threaded into the housing  22 . That is, the threaded mount  60  rotates while the key  58 , supported in one of the multiple of linear slots  54 , does not rotate. 
     Furthermore, through removal of the threaded mount  60  from the opening  62 , the travel stop  30  may be externally adjusted through engagement with the linear slots  52 . That is, the threaded mount  60  and the threaded opening  62  may be relatively large and transverse to the axis A to facilitate rotational access to the travel stop  40  therein and there by provide precise adjustment of the valve  20 . 
     The valve  20  thereby permits fluid mixture ratio adjustments in various open loop controlled systems such as liquid propulsion rocket engines without the need to break into propellant lines. 
     It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. It should also be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed in the illustrated embodiment, other arrangements will benefit herefrom. 
     Although the different non-limiting embodiments have specific illustrated components, the embodiments of this invention are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments. 
     The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar references in the context of description (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or specifically contradicted by context. The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity). All ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. 
     Although particular step sequences are shown, described, and claimed, it should be understood that steps may be performed in any order, separated or combined unless otherwise indicated and will still benefit from the present disclosure. 
     The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by the limitations within. Various non-limiting embodiments are disclosed herein, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that various modifications and variations in light of the above teachings will fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the disclosure may be practiced other than as specifically described. For that reason the appended claims should be studied to determine true scope and content.