Electro-hydraulic valve apparatuses
An electro-hydraulic valve apparatus includes a flow channel, a hydraulic control channel defining an electro-hydraulic valve junction where the hydraulic control channel is adjacent to the flow channel, a flexible wall between the flow channel and the hydraulic control channel at the electro-hydraulic valve junction, and Peltier devices adjacent to the hydraulic control channel on opposite sides of the electro-hydraulic valve junction for controllably applying a hydraulic force against the flexible wall repositioning the flexible wall in relation to the flow channel to selectively close or open the electro-hydraulic valve apparatus.1. An electro-hydraulic valve apparatus comprising: a flow channel; a hydraulic control channel adjacent to the flow channel; a flexible wall interposed between the flow channel and the hydraulic control channel, the flexible wall transitioning between an undeformed state and a deformed state, the deformed state occluding the flow channel; and first and second Peltier devices disposed adjacent to the hydraulic control channel on opposite sides of the flow channel, actuation of the first Peltier device blocking the hydraulic control channel so that a pressure within the hydraulic control channel increases to deform the flexible wall to the deformed state, actuation of the second Peltier device blocking the hydraulic control channel so that the pressure within the hydraulic control channel is reduced and the flexible wall returns to the undeformed state.
2. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow channel has microfluidic dimensions.
3. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic control channel has microfluidic dimensions.
4. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic fluid comprises water.
5. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, further including: a hydraulic pressure source operatively connected in fluidic communication with the hydraulic control channel to pressurize the hydraulic fluid.
6. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, further including: an on-board hydraulic pump operatively connected in fluidic communication with the hydraulic control channel to pressurize the hydraulic fluid.
7. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a single hydraulic pressure source for pressurizing the hydraulic fluid.
8. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first Peltier device is configured to unblock the hydraulic control channel when the second Peltier device is actuated.
9. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second Peltier device is configured to unblock the hydraulic control channel when the first Peltier device is actuated.
10. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, the actuation of the first Peltier device freezing a first plug in the hydraulic fluid to block the hydraulic control channel, the actuation of the second Peltier device freezing a second plug in the hydraulic fluid to block the hydraulic control channel.
11. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, further including: an on-board, blow-down hydraulic pressure source operatively connected in fluidic communication with the hydraulic control channel to pressurize the hydraulic fluid.
12. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 11, wherein the on-board, blow-down hydraulic pressure source comprises a pressurized fluid source, a single-use valve, and a hydraulic sink, wherein opening the single-use valve pressurizes the hydraulic fluid via a fluid in the pressurized fluid source.
13. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow channel and the hydraulic control channel are formed in a fluid-bearing module, and the first and second Peltier devices are part of a control module that is detachably secured to the fluid-bearing module.
14. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 13, wherein the fluid-bearing module includes an elastomeric material.
15. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 13, wherein the fluid-bearing module is single-use, and wherein the control module is reusable with one or more additional fluid-bearing modules.
16. The electro-hydraulic valve apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fluid-bearing module comprises a cover layer that encloses the hydraulic control channel to prevent the hydraulic fluid from contaminating the one or more additional fluid-bearing modules.
Generally, the electro-hydraulic valves and other devices described herein embody electrically controlled mechanisms for applying hydraulic pressure or force at a valve junction. In some embodiments, a single hydraulic pressure source integrally formed on or operatively interfaced with an electro-hydraulic device is used to control multiple valve junctions in the device. In various embodiments, the electro-hydraulic valves and other devices can be used to valve liquids or gases.
Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, an example embodiment of an electro-hydraulic valve (EHV) 100 includes a flow channel 102, and a hydraulic control channel 104 defining an electro-hydraulic valve junction 106 where the hydraulic control channel 104 is adjacent to the flow channel 102. In this example embodiment, the EHV 100 also includes a flexible wall 108 between the flow channel 102 and the hydraulic control channel 104 at the electro-hydraulic valve junction 106, and Peltier devices 110 and 112 (e.g., Peltier-actuated microvalves or other thermoelectric devices) adjacent to the hydraulic control channel 104 on opposite sides of the electro-hydraulic valve junction 106 for controllably applying a hydraulic force against the flexible wall 108 repositioning the flexible wall 108 in relation to the flow channel 102 to selectively close or open the EHV 100.
In an example embodiment, an electro-hydraulic valve is fabricated in an elastomeric material by creating two channels that cross one another but are separated by a thin membrane. (By way of example, materials suitable for the electro-hydraulic valve are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,878, which is incorporated herein by reference.) One channel is the flow channel and the other is the hydraulic control channel. In an example embodiment, the flow channel and/or the hydraulic control channel has microfluidic dimensions. When the control channel is pressurized, the membrane separating the two channels is deformed such that it closes the flow channel. This prevents the flow of fluid (or other material) in the flow channel. This is illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 1C which show the EHV 100 in open and closed configurations, respectively. A pressure source for the control channel can be integrally formed with the device containing the electro-hydraulic valve, or external to the device and fluidically connected therewith. In an example embodiment, the pressure source includes an on-board hydraulic pump operatively connected to the hydraulic control channel. In an example embodiment, the pressure source includes an on-board, blow-down hydraulic pressure source operatively connected to the hydraulic control channel. It should be understood, however, that other pressure sources could be used.
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