Importance

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Abstract

Fluid flow diverter apparatus is described for reversing the direction of fluid flow through a process loop, such as a bundle of heat exchange tubes in an air conditioning system. The apparatus utilizes a housing enclosing a rotary valve in which the diverter disk seats in two positions against generally U-shape seating frames that can be repositioned to compensate for erosion or other distortion of the seating surfaces on the frames and disk. The seating frames comprise a plurality of seating bars, each of which is adjustably fastened to the interior of the valve casing by at least one threaded fastener that extends through a transverse slot in the bar and engages the casing. All seating surfaces preferably are coated with a resilient material, such as rubber. Three of the four ports of the valve casing are connected to pipes that extend through the wall of the housing and one of the ports opens into the interior of the housing and is in fluid communication through that interior space with another pipe extending out of the housing. This permits the use of straight and parallel inlet and outlet lines entering one side of the housing and straight and parallel reversible flow lines entering the opposite side of the housing. A hatch in the housing provides access to the seating frames and disk through the open valve port, thereby facilitating their adjustment or replacement.

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First Claim