Patent Publication Number: US-2017356553-A1

Title: Adjustable orifice valve

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/348,422, filed Jun. 10, 2016, entitled “ADJUSTABLE ORIFICE VALVE,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Various entities utilize fluid transport systems to transport fluids such as liquids or gases (e.g., natural gas, biogas, etc.). For example, energy developers, petroleum companies, coal mines, landfills, and various other entities may utilize fluid transport systems. It may be desirable to control the flow rate of a fluid through a fluid flow pipe or other component of a fluid transport system. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling fluid flow rate, and more specifically to adjustable valves for use in fluid transport systems. 
     The systems and methods of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope as expressed by the claims that follow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. 
     In a first embodiment, a flow control valve is described. The flow control valve includes an intake socket, an outlet socket, an iris valve configured for positioning between the intake socket and the outlet socket, and a slide valve configured for positioning between the intake socket and the outlet socket. The iris valve includes adjustable orifice plates with planes substantially perpendicular to a flow axis of the flow control valve such that the adjustable orifice plates define an aperture. The slide valve is configured to slide in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow axis of the flow control valve. A gear wheel mechanism engages the iris valve to adjust the size of the aperture through rotational motion. The gear wheel mechanism engages the slide valve for sliding motion. 
     The gear wheel mechanism can be configured to engage the slide valve for sliding motion when the iris valve is in a minimally open configuration. The gear wheel mechanism can be configured to engage the iris valve to adjust the size of the aperture when the slide valve is in an open position. 
     The flow control valve can further include a housing at least partially enclosing the gear wheel mechanism, and a handle coupled through the housing to actuate the gear wheel mechanism. The housing can include an exterior surface having one or more markings configured to visually indicate, based on a position of the handle, one or more of a size of the aperture, an open or closed position, or a fluid flow rate. A continuous motion of the handle can consecutively induce a sliding motion of the slide valve and an aperture size adjustment of the iris valve. The flow control valve can further include a motor coupled to the gear wheel mechanism, wherein the motor is configured to actuate the gear wheel mechanism. 
     The flow control valve can further include a valve position sensor configured to produce an output indicative of a size of the aperture. The flow control valve can further include a pressure sensor configured to produce an output indicative of a fluid pressure within an interior space of the flow control valve. The flow control valve can further include processing circuitry configured to calculate a rate of fluid flow through the flow control valve based at least in part on the output of the pressure sensor. 
     In a second embodiment, a fluid flow control device is described. The fluid flow control device includes a housing generally defining a fluid space, the housing comprising a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet spaced from the fluid inlet along a fluid flow axis. The fluid flow control device further includes coarse adjustment means for coarsely adjusting a flow rate along the fluid flow axis, and fine adjustment means for finely adjusting the flow rate along the fluid flow axis, wherein the coarse adjustment means and the fine adjustment means are at least partially disposed within the housing along the fluid flow axis. 
     The coarse adjustment means can be configured to substantially prevent fluid flow through the fluid flow control device when in a closed position. The fine adjustment means can include one or more structures defining an aperture and means for adjusting a diameter of the aperture. The coarse adjustment means can be configured to transition between a closed position and a fully open position when the fine adjustment means is in a minimally open position. The fine adjustment means can be configured to transition between a fully open position and a minimally open position when the coarse adjustment means is in a fully open position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned aspects, as well as other features, aspects, and advantages of the present technology will now be described in connection with various implementations, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The illustrated implementations are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Throughout the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  are perspective views of embodiments of an adjustable orifice valve system in accordance with exemplary embodiments. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  are partially exploded views of embodiments of the adjustable orifice valve systems of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , respectively. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are exploded views of the example adjustable orifice valve systems of  FIGS. 1A and 2A , and  FIGS. 1B and 2B , respectively. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are cutaway views of the example adjustable orifice valve system of  FIGS. 1A, 2A, and 3A ; and  FIGS. 1B, 2B, and 3B , respectively, illustrating components of gear wheel systems of the adjustable orifice valve systems. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are cross sectional views of the adjustable orifice valve systems of  FIGS. 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A ; and  FIGS. 1B, 2B, 3B, and 4B , respectively. 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are cross sectional views of the adjustable orifice valve systems of  FIGS. 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, and 5A ; and  FIGS. 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B, and 5B , respectively, taken perpendicular to the cross sectional views of  FIGS. 5A and 5B , respectively. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary adjustable orifice plate and adjustment mechanism for adjusting the orifice plate. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates components of the adjustable orifice plate of  FIG. 7  in a fully open configuration. 
         FIGS. 9A-9C  illustrate an exemplary process of adjusting the size of an orifice using the adjustable orifice plate of  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is directed to certain implementations for the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of this disclosure. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a multitude of different ways. The described implementations may be implemented in any gas detection and/or analysis system. 
     Generally described, aspects of the present disclosure relate to an adjustable orifice valve that may include an iris-type valve for fine adjustments of flow rate and/or a slide valve for more coarse adjustments of the flow rate and/or complete restriction of fluid flow. In some aspects, a coarse fluid flow rate adjustment valve, such as a slide valve or the like, may be poorly suited to accurately provide fine-scale flow rate adjustment. A fine fluid flow rate adjustment valve, such as an iris valve, may be poorly suited for providing coarse flow rate adjustment and/or for completely shutting off flow of fluid, for example, to prevent leaks when no fluid flow is desired. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a fluid flow control valve capable of accurate fine-scale adjustment of fluid flow and capable of effectively preventing leakage when in a closed position. 
     For purposes of illustration, an example adjustable orifice valve is discussed herein as including an iris valve and a slide valve. However, other adjustable orifice valves may not include all of the components or features discussed in the examples herein, such as the slide valve. 
     In some embodiments, the adjustable orifice valve (also referred to herein as the “flow valve system”) can be useful to entities transporting fluid (including gas such as natural gas, biogas, etc.) to control flow rate through the system. Such entities include energy developers, petroleum companies, coal mines, landfills, just to give a few examples. The valve system can support flow rate control of fluids at various pressures, e.g., within ±10 psi relative to standard pressure. The adjustable orifice valve may be used in any other fluid transport system. 
     The above-mentioned aspects, as well as other features, aspects, and advantages of the present technology will now be described in connection with various embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The illustrated embodiments, however, are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the present disclosure. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated and form part of this disclosure. For example, a system or device may be implemented or a method may be practiced using any number of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, such a system or device may be implemented or such a method may be practiced using other structure, functionality, or structure and functionality in addition to or other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein. Alterations in further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention. 
     Descriptions of the necessary parts or elements may be omitted for clarity and conciseness, and like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. In the drawings, the size and thickness of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience. 
     An Exemplary Adjustable Orifice Valve System 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of an adjustable orifice valve system  100 . The exemplary system comprises an intake socket  108  and an outlet socket  112  sized for coupling with external fluid flow pipes. The inner circumferences of the intake and outlet sockets can be, but need not be, of the same size. For example, the socket connected to the source of fluid (e.g., the intake socket  108 ) can have a larger inner circumference than the socket connected to the destination of the fluid (e.g., the outlet socket  112 ). The intake and outlet sockets can mate with pipes (e.g., with or without connectors/adapters) to incorporate the valve system  100  to provide flow control within any fluid flow system. Such pipes can be substantially cylindrical in shape. The valve system can support pipes of different sizes, for example, pipes with an interior or exterior diameter within the range of 0.5 inches to 6 inches, 1 inch to 3 inches, or other suitable range. 
     The valve system  100  includes an upper flange  104  disposed near or adjacent to the intake socket  108 . The upper flange  104  comprises an upper piece  104   a  and a lower piece  104   b . As will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 3-5 , the upper piece  104   a  and lower piece  104   b  may be shaped to define an interior space such that a generally planar slide valve can be placed between the upper piece  104   a  and the lower piece  104   b  of the upper flange. A lower flange  116  is disposed near or adjacent to the upper flange  104  and can provide structural support for the outlet socket  112 . The lower flange comprises an upper piece  116   a  and a lower piece  116   b . In some aspects, the upper piece  116   a  can be formed as a single piece with the lower piece  104   b  of the upper flange, such as by plastic molding. One or more openings  128  for fasteners, e.g., screws or bolts, may be placed around the perimeters of the upper flange to securely join the upper and lower pieces of the upper flange together with fasteners. Similarly, one or more openings  132  may be placed around the perimeters of the lower flange to securely join the upper and lower pieces of the lower flange together with fasteners. In some embodiments, the upper and/or lower flange may have o-ring seals or gaskets close to their/its perimeters. Various embodiments may have more or fewer openings for fasteners than the exemplary valve system  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1A . Various embodiments may place the openings at different locations than illustrated in  FIG. 1A , e.g., within the perimeters of the upper flange. 
     The exemplary valve system  100  shown in  FIG. 1A  further includes a gear/motor protection cover  124  for housing and/or protecting a gear/motor box. On the outside of the gear/motor box is a handle/indicator  120 . The handle/indicator  120  can be used to adjust the size the opening of an iris valve and the position of the slide valve, as will be described below in connection with  FIG. 4A . 
       FIG. 1B  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of an adjustable orifice valve system  100 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1B , the iris valve and slide valve are independently operable by two handles  120 . Accordingly, the orifice valve system  100  as depicted in  FIG. 1B  has two openings  224  to accommodate the handles  120  through the housing  124 . Additionally, the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1B  includes sample port holes  225  passing through the housing  124  to allow for sampling of the fluid within the valve. The upper flange  104  and lower flange  116  of  FIG. 1B  are of substantially similar size and shape, such that a single set of joining openings  128  are provided for securing the pieces  104   a  and  104   b  of the upper flange  104  to the lower flange  116 . In some embodiments, one or more motors for controlling the valves within the valve system  100  may extend beyond boundaries of the housing  124 . Accordingly, motor covers  125  at least partially surround and protect the motors. 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates a partially exploded view of the embodiment of the valve system  100  of  FIG. 1A . As described above with reference to  FIG. 1A , the valve system  100  includes an upper flange  104 , intake socket  108 , outlet socket  112 , lower flange  116 , handle/indicator  120 , gear/motor protective cover  124 , and openings  128  and  132 . The cover  124  includes an opening  224  through which a crank cylinder  220  connects the handle/indicator  120  with a main control gear wheel  204 , such that the main gear control wheel  204  can remain within the protective cover  124  while being connected to the handle/indicator  120  external to the protective cover  124 . In this embodiment, the longitudinal axis of the crank cylinder is aligned with the center of the substantially circular main control gear wheel. Rotating the handle  120  in a circular motion causes the crank cylinder  220  and the main control gear wheel  204  to spin around the central longitudinal axis of the crank cylinder  220 . 
     The main control gear wheel  204  has cogs around its outer circumference. An external adjustable orifice gear wheel  208  is substantially circular in shape and has matching cogs around its outer circumference. When assembled in an operational configuration (e.g., a portion of the gears of the wheels  204  and  208  are engaged), the main control gear wheel and the external adjustable orifice gear wheel interface such that rotational motion of the main control gear wheel causes the external adjustable orifice gear wheel to rotate around its central axis, thus translating motion about the central longitudinal axis of the crank cylinder to motion about an axis substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the crank cylinder. 
     As an alternative, or addition, to the hand crank, in some embodiments, a motor gear wheel  212  and a motor  216  can be used to control the valve system  100 . This will be described below in connection with  FIG. 4A . 
     Although sockets  108  and  112  are referred to as the intake and outlet socket, respectively, the system  100  can also be operable if the direction of fluid flow is the opposite, e.g., if  108  functions as an outlet socket and  112  functions as an intake socket. 
       FIG. 2B  depicts a partially exploded view of the embodiment of the valve system  100  of  FIG. 1B . As described above with reference to  FIG. 1B , the system  100  includes two handles  120  and corresponding openings  224  in the housing  124 . As shown in the partially exploded view of  FIG. 2B , motors within motor covers  125  can be supported within the system  100  by a motor support plate  126 . The motor support plate  126  includes holes  129  to accommodate fasteners for fastening the motor support plate  126  to the housing  124 . Holes  127  are provided to accommodate wiring or other circuitry associated with the motors within motor covers  125 . A slide valve rod  324  couples one of the handles  120  and one of the motors in a motor housing  125  to actuate the slide valve, and an iris valve rod  325  couples the other of the handles  120  and motors in a motor housing  125  to actuate the iris valve. 
     Referring now to the exploded view of  FIG. 3A , an iris valve  300  in the adjustable orifice valve system  100  can be used to control the rate of fluid flow through the valve system  100  within a range of flow rates, for example, through the size of an opening  336  of the iris valve  300 . In some embodiments, the opening  336  of the iris valve  300  is positioned in-line with the flow axis  380  of the system  100 , the flow axis  380  (also referred to herein as a fluid transport path) extending through a central axis of the intake socket  108  and through a central axis of the outlet socket  112 . In some embodiments, a slide plate  304  including an opening can be moved to align its opening  344  with the flow axis  380  to permit fluid flow through the system  100 . The opening  344  of the slide plate  304  can also be moved away from the flow axis  380  to prevent fluid flow and/or leaks through the system  100 . 
     The exploded view of  FIG. 3B  further illustrates components of the embodiment of the valve system  100  depicted in  FIGS. 1B and 2B . In the exploded view of  FIG. 3B , a gear cover  213  is included to support and partially surround gear  212 , which adjusts the iris valve  300 . The slide valve rod  324  passes through the lower flange  116  at hole  227  to connect to gear  320 . A seal  226  (e.g., a plug, o-ring, or the like) prevents leakage around the slide valve rod  324  at the hole  227 . Relative to the embodiment of  FIG. 3A , the embodiment of  FIG. 3B  is simplified to exclude gear wheels  204 ,  208 ,  332 , and  328 . 
     Internal Slide Valve 
     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3A , the intake socket  108  and the upper piece  104   a  of the upper flange are formed as a single piece. The lower piece  104   b  of the upper flange and the upper piece  116   a  of the lower flange are similarly formed as a single piece. The upper piece  104   a  and the lower piece  104   b  of the upper flange define an interior space such that a substantially planar slide valve can be placed between the upper and lower pieces of the upper flange  104 . The slide valve has a substantially circular opening  344 , but in other embodiments may be shaped differently. For example, a rectangular, or circular on one end and rectangular on the other, slide valves may provide quicker blockage of flow through the system than a circular opening. To allow fluid flow through the system, the slide valve can be positioned such that the opening  344  is aligned with the flow axis  380  (a flow position). To stop fluid flow through the system, the slide valve can be positioned such that the aperture enclosed by an o-ring seal  348  does not overlap with the opening  344  (a no-flow position). 
     The slide valve has cogs  316  on a portion of its perimeter. The cogs  316  and a substantially circular gear  320  are positioned to engage to form a rack and pinion gear system. The slide valve can be moved between flow/no-flow positions through a chain reaction involving handle/indicator  120 , main control gear wheel  204 , a first external slide valve gear wheel  328 , a second external slide valve gear wheel  332 , a slide valve Rod  324 , and the gear  320 . In some embodiments, these gears can be arranged so that the internal slide valve remains in the flow position throughout most or all of the iris valve&#39;s changes between its maximally open and minimally open (or closed) positions, only beginning to move toward the no-flow position when the iris valve reaches its minimally open (or closed) position (or approaches the minimally open (or closed) position). This interaction of the slide valve and iris valve will be described further below in connection with  FIG. 4A . 
     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3B , the slide plate  304  is mounted to move in a pivoting motion about a support pin  305 , rather than in a linear motion as in the embodiment of  FIG. 3A . 
     Iris Valve 
     In this embodiment shown in  FIG. 3A , the iris valve  300  includes a substantially cylindrical iris valve housing  312  having an opening  336 . An adjustable orifice plate comprising a plurality of fingers (not visible in  FIG. 3A ) resides within the housing  312 . The upper piece of the lower flange  116   a  has a substantially circular male protrusion encircled by an o-ring seal  352 . This male protrusion and the opening  336  are sized to form a fluid-tight seal with the aid of o-ring seal  352 . The housing  312  and the opening  340  are sized to form a fluid-tight seal with the aid of o-ring seals  356  and  360 . In this example embodiment, apertures of intake socket  108 , opening  344  of the slide valve, opening enclosed by o-rings  348  and  352 , opening  336  of housing  312 , opening  340 , and outlet socket  112  are concentric around the flow axis  380 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3A , the housing  312  comprises an internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308 . The cogs of this gear form a ring on the outer circumference of the housing  312  between the o-rings  356  and  360 . When assembled in an operational configuration, an external adjustable orifice gear wheel  208  engages with both the internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308  and the main control gear wheel  204  such that rotational motion of the main control gear wheel  204  causes the internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308  to rotate around the flow axis  380 . The rotation of the internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308  enlarges or reduces an aperture of the iris valve  300  as described in connection with  FIG. 9  below. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3B , the housing  312  of the iris valve  300  further includes a slot  309  located so as to permit access via the sample ports  225 . 
     Gear Wheel System 
       FIG. 4A  illustrates a cutaway view of the exemplary embodiment of the valve system  100 . In this exemplary implementation, the handle/indicator  120  is connected to a crank cylinder  220  such that the crank cylinder rotates around its longitudinal axis when the handle/indicator  120  is rotated. The crank cylinder  220  is connected to a main control gear wheel  204  such that the longitudinal axis of the crank cylinder  220  and the central axis of the main control gear wheel  204  are in-line. The main control gear wheel  204  interfaces with an external adjustable orifice gear wheel  208  in a crossed orientation, e.g., the shafts of the two gear wheels are substantially perpendicular in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 4A . The external adjustable orifice gear wheel  208  interfaces with the internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308  in a parallel configuration, e.g., the shafts of the two gear wheels are substantially parallel. Rotation of the main control gear wheel  204  causes rotation of the external adjustable orifice gear wheel  208 , which in turn causes rotation of the internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308 . The rotation of the internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308  with respect to the housing  312  of the iris valve  300  causes movement of the adjustable orifice plate  404  and an increase or decrease in size of the aperture of the iris valve  300 . Flow rates of fluid through the valve system  100  can be controlled through the size of the iris valve aperture. 
     The main control gear wheel  204  also interfaces with a second external slide valve gear wheel  332  in a crossed orientation. The second external slide valve gear wheel interfaces with a first external slide valve gear wheel  328  also in a crossed orientation. The two crossed orientations are such that the shaft of the first external slide valve gear wheel  328  is substantially parallel to the shaft of the external adjustable orifice gear wheel  208 . A substantially cylindrical slide valve rod  324  is connected to the external slide valve gear wheel  328 , with the longitudinal axis of the valve rod in-line with the central axis of the first external slide valve gear  328 . The opposite end of the slide valve rod  324  is connected to another gear  320 . This multi-gear train as described transfers rotational motion of the handle/indicator  120  to rotational motion of the gear  320 . Lastly, the gear  320  and cogs  316  on the internal slide valve form a rack and pinion system. Rotation of the gear  320  causes the internal slide valve to slide in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the slide valve rod  324 . The opening  344  of the internal slide valve can be moved to allow or to stop fluid flow through sliding the internal slide valve to different positions. 
     An embodiment of the gear wheel system can be configured such that the opening  344  of the internal slide valve is aligned with the flow axis  380  when the iris valve  300  is not fully closed. To stop the flow of fluid through the system, the gear wheel system first engages to decrease the aperture size of the iris valve  300  to a minimum (e.g. zero or close to zero), then engages to move the internal slide valve to fully and securely block the fluid transport path. To resume the flow of fluid through the system, the gear wheel system can function in the reverse order, e.g., this gear wheel system first engages to move the internal slide valve to align its opening  344  with the flow axis  380 , then engages to increase the aperture size of the iris valve  300  from the minimum. A user can turn the handle/indicator  120  by a first amount to control the aperture size (e.g., turning the handle  120  clockwise by 90° (or some other amount, e.g., 75° or 105°) can cause the iris valve  300  to change from a maximally open configuration to a minimally open (or closed) configuration). If engagement of the slide valve is desired, the user can turn the handle/indicator  120  further by a second amount, e.g., 80° clockwise (or some other amount, e.g., 70° or 90°) to move the opening  344  away from the flow axis  380 . 
     The size of the aperture of the iris valve  300  and/or the position of the internal slide valve can be determined from the position of the handle/indicator  120 . This determination can be done via calculations using known gear ratios in the system. Thus the handle  120  can serve as a flow rate indicator (hence the name handle/indicator). An implementation can provide further visual indications to a user, e.g., by indicating by markings on the gear/motor protective cover  124  the positions of the handle/indicator  120  corresponding to a fully open configuration (e.g., the opening  344  is aligned with the flow axis  380  and the iris valve has a maximum aperture size), a minimally open configuration (e.g., the opening  344  is aligned with the flow axis  380  and the iris valve has a minimum aperture size), and a fully closed configuration (e.g., the opening  344  is away the flow axis  380  and the iris valve has a minimum aperture size). 
     The embodiment depicted in  FIG. 4B  contains generally the same components as the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 4A . However, the gear wheel system of the embodiment of  FIG. 4B  contains fewer gears. More specifically, gears  204 ,  208 , and  332  of  FIG. 4A  are not present in the embodiment of  FIG. 4B . Seal  350  is provided to prevent leakage around the slide valve rod  324 . In addition, the slot  309  for sample port access is visible in the iris valve housing  312 . 
       FIG. 5A  illustrates a cross sectional view of the embodiment of the valve system  100  shown in  FIGS. 3A and 4A . As illustrated in  FIGS. 3A, 4A, and 5A , the gears  208 ,  212 ,  320 ,  328 , and  332  are spur type gears; gears  204  is a crown gear. However, the illustrations are not limiting. For example, the external slide valve gear wheels  328  and  332  can be implemented as a worm gear, with gear wheel  328  and slide valve Rod  324  being the worm and gear wheel  332  being the worm wheel. 
       FIG. 5B  illustrates a cross sectional view of the embodiment of the valve system  100  shown in  FIGS. 3B and 4B . As illustrated in  FIG. 5B , the system  100  further includes an additional seal  349  (e.g., an o-ring or the like) around the iris valve rod  325 . The seal  349  is disposed within the gear cover  213  to prevent leakage from the valve around the iris valve rod  325 . In addition, 
     Motor and Sensing 
     Referring generally to  FIGS. 3A-5B , a valve system  100  can rotate the iris valve  300  and/or slide valve via manual rotation of the handle/indicator  120  and/or via rotation driven by a motor  216 , e.g., an electric motor. For example, the motor  216  can be oriented so that its shaft is substantially parallel with the slide valve rod  324  and connects with the motor gear wheel  212 . When the motor is actuated, its shaft rotates and the motor gear wheel also rotates around its central axis. When assembled in an operational configuration (e.g., the motor gear wheel  212  interfaces with the main control gear wheel  204 ), the rotation of the motor gear wheel causes the main control gear wheel to rotate. Through the chain reaction described above, the motor  216  can cause movements of the iris valve and of the slide valve. In various embodiments, the motor  216  can be controlled locally, such as by one or more buttons, touch screens, or other input device located on or near the valve system  100 . In some embodiments, the motor  216  can be controlled remotely in addition to or instead of local control, for example, the motor can be controlled by an automated valve monitoring system and/or by user input at a computing device at a location away from the valve system  100  (e.g., by wireless communication). 
     A valve system can also provide sensing capability to determine status of the valve system. For example, with information of the initial relative positions of the internal slide valve and a gear wheel (e.g.,  320 ,  328 ,  332 , or  204 ) as well as the relative gear ratios of the various gears in the chain, the position of the internal slide valve can be determined from the position and count of the number of rotations of the gear wheel (e.g.,  320 ,  328 ,  332 , or  204 ). With information of the initial positions of the adjustable orifice plate  404  and of a gear wheel (e.g.,  308 ,  208 , or  204 ), initial position of the housing  312  relative to the internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308 , as well as the relative gear ratios of the various gears in the chain, the position of the adjustable orifice plate  404  can be determined from the position and count of the number rotations of the gear wheel (e.g.,  308 ,  208 , or  204 ). With such sensing capability, the positions of the internal slide valve and of the adjustable orifice plate and the flow rate can be provided to a remote user through a communication channel; a user does not need to visually observe the position of the handle/indicator  120  to determine a present flow rate. 
     An embodiment can include a pressure transducer in the outlet socket  112  and enable calculation of flow rate from the size of the orifice and the measured pressure. The valve system can advantageously support both flow control and flow rate determination. The pressure measurement can be provided to a remote user through the communication channel. An embodiment can have the pressure measurement and/or the sensing capability. 
     Seals 
       FIG. 6A  illustrates another cross sectional view of the embodiment of the valve system  100 . Gas flow (or fluid flow) is illustrated as proceeding from intake socket  108  to outlet socket  112  through the opening  344  of a slide valve and an iris valve comprising adjustable orifice plate  404 . An o-ring seal  504  is positioned around an intake socket aperture on the upper part  104   a  of the upper flange. Another o-ring seal  348  is positioned around the aperture on the lower part  104   b  of the upper flange. These two o-rings create a seal between the internal slide valve and the upper flange  104 . A third O-ring seal  352  is placed around the outer circumference of the substantially circular male protrusion of the lower flange. This third o-ring provides a seal between the male protrusion and the opening  336  of housing  312 . Two more o-ring seals  356  and  360  are placed on the outer circumference of the housing  312  to create a seal between the housing  312  and the side of the substantially cylindrical opening  340 . The o-rings help prevent fluid from leaking out of their respective enclosures, especially when the internal slide valve is sliding or when the internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308  is rotating. It can be desirable to prevent the fluid from leaking, for example, either out of the valve system  100  or into the gear/motor housing, with or without passing through a filter. 
     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 6B , corresponding to the embodiments depicted in  FIGS. 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B, and 5B , the design is simplified such that certain seals depicted in  FIG. 6A  are not present. More specifically, o-ring seals  352  and  360  shown in  FIG. 6A  are not present in the embodiment of  FIG. 6B . 
     Adjustable Orifice Plate 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the adjustable orifice plate  404  and an adjustment mechanism. In the embodiment depicted, the adjustable orifice plate  404  comprises a plurality (e.g. between 6 and 12, or a larger or smaller number) of finger-shaped plates (fingers). Each finger has a substantially planar shape with two pins  704   a ,  704   b  protruding from each side of the plane. The pins  704   a  are substantially cylindrical in shape and are located close to the two ends of the fingers. The adjustment mechanism comprises the housing  312  and a rotator ring  712 . The housing  312  and the rotator ring  712  are both substantially cylindrical in shape and are positioned concentrically in an operational configuration. The rotator ring is sized such that it can be placed within the interior circular wall of housing  312 . The rotator ring  712  has a plurality of substantially cylindrical openings  716 . The longitudinal axes of openings  716  are substantially parallel to the central axis of the rotator ring. The housing  312  has a plurality of slotted openings  720  on an inner planar surface  724 . The slotted openings  720  extend radially from the central axis to the outer circumference of housing  312 . The portion of the pins  704   a ,  704   b  to be mated with openings  716  in rotator ring  712  is designated  704   a . The portion of the pins  704   a ,  704   b  to be mated with openings  720  in housing  312  is designated  704   b . When assembled in an operational configuration, a pin  704   a  is inserted into an opening  716 . Pin  704   a  fits snugly within opening  716  and can rotate around the longitudinal axis within the opening. A pin  704   b  is inserted to a slotted opening  720  such that when pin  704   a  rotates within an opening  716 , the pin  704   b  slides through the slotted opening  720 . The fingers are held in position between the rotator ring  712  and the inner planar surface  724  of housing  312  through pins  704   a  and  704   b  and openings  716  and  720 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the adjustable orifice plate  404  in a fully open configuration. In this configuration of an embodiment, a finger overlaps with the adjacent fingers within the width of the fingers. The plurality of fingers forms a ring with a substantially circular aperture. The pins  704   b  are located toward the end of slotted openings  720  close to the outer circumference of housing  312 . 
       FIGS. 9A-9C  illustrate opening and closing of the adjustable orifice plate  404 .  FIG. 9A  shows the adjustable orifice plate  404  in a fully open configuration. Relative rotational motion between rotator ring  712  and housing  312  (e.g., turning the rotator ring counterclockwise relative to the housing) causes pins  704   a  to rotate within openings  716  (not visible) and pins  704   b  to slide toward the central axis of housing  312 . As a result, the fingers move in such a way that the aperture within the adjustable orifice plate  404  decreases in size. Rotation of the internal adjustable orifice gear wheel  308  can cause relative rotational motion between rotator ring  712  and housing  312 .  FIG. 9B  shows the adjustable orifice plate  404  in a partially open configuration. In this embodiment, the plurality of fingers forms a ring with a substantially circular aperture in a partially open configuration. Further relative rotational motion between rotator ring  712  and housing  312  in the same direction causes pins  704   a  to further rotate within openings  716  and pins  704   b  to further slide toward the central axis of housing  312 .  FIG. 9C  shows the adjustable orifice plate  404  in a fully closed configuration. Range of rotational motion between rotator ring  712  and housing  312  can be limited by the radial length of the slotted openings  720  or by the edge of a finger coming into contact with pins of an adjacent finger. 
     The size of the aperture in the fully open configuration can vary depending on the application. For example, a valve system may have an aperture with a maximum size ranging from 25% to 75% of the pipe opening. As another example, in a fluid delivery system with oversized pipes, a valve system may have an aperture with a maximum sizes ranging from 25% to 45% of the pipe opening. 
     The embodiments described above are examples of the system and method. The following claims define the scope of the invention and include the full range of equivalents to which the recited elements of the claims are entitled. 
     The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the devices and methods can be practiced in many ways. As is also stated above, it should be noted that the use of particular terminology when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to including any specific characteristics of the features or aspects of the technology with which that terminology is associated. The scope of the disclosure should therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims and any equivalents thereof. 
     With respect to the use of any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity. 
     In general, the microprocessors and/or computing discussed herein may each include on or more “components” or “modules,” wherein generally refer to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, possibly having entry and exit points, written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java, Lua, C or C++. A software module can be compiled and linked into an executable program, installed in a dynamic link library, or can be written in an interpreted programming language such as, for example, BASIC, Perl, or Python. It will be appreciated that software modules can be callable from other modules or from themselves, and/or can be invoked in response to detected events or interrupts. Software modules configured for execution on computing devices can be provided on a computer readable medium, such as a compact disc, digital video disc, flash drive, magnetic disc, or any other tangible medium, or as a digital download (and can be originally stored in a compressed or installable format that requires installation, decompression or decryption prior to execution). Such software code can be stored, partially or fully, on a memory device of the executing computing device, for execution by the computing device. Software instructions can be embedded in firmware, such as an EPROM. It will be further appreciated that hardware modules can be comprised of connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and/or can be comprised of programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays or processors. The modules or computing device functionality described herein are preferably implemented as software modules, but can be represented in hardware or firmware. Generally, the modules described herein refer to logical modules that can be combined with other modules or divided into sub-modules despite their physical organization or storage. 
     The term “non-transitory media,” and similar terms, as used herein refers to any media that store data and/or instructions that cause a machine to operate in a specific fashion. Such non-transitory media can comprise non-volatile media and/or volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory. Common forms of non-transitory media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, solid state drive, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic data storage medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical data storage medium, any physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, NVRAM, any other memory chip or cartridge, and networked versions of the same. 
     It is noted that the examples may be described as a process. Although the operations may be described as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel, or concurrently, and the process can be repeated. In addition, the order of the operations may be rearranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. 
     The previous description of the disclosed implementations is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosed process and system. Various modifications to these implementations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosed process and system. Thus, the present disclosed process and system is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.