Patent ID: 8087637

Claim:
A self-regulating valve for controlling gas flow in high pressure systems, the valve comprising: a valve body having a gas inlet and a gas outlet; a slidable spool housed in the valve body, the slidable spool having a first end and a second end and slidable between a first position and a second position; a primary flow passage connecting the gas inlet and the gas outlet, the primary flow passage increasing with lineal movement of the slidable spool; a first chamber located adjacent the first end of the slidable spool; a second chamber located adjacent the second end of the slidable spool, wherein the first chamber has a first diameter and the second chamber has a second diameter, the second diameter being greater than the first diameter; a first spring for applying a first spring force to the slidable spool toward the second position; a second spring for applying a second spring force to the slidable spool toward the first position; a first passage connecting the gas inlet and the first chamber; a second passage connecting the gas inlet and the second chamber; and a valve actuator for actuating the valve by opening the first passage to cause the slidable spool to move toward the second position.