Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/658,593, filed June 12, 2012, entitled "PRE-ACCELERATED FAST VALVE", which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to a valve, and in particular to a fast response valve used for metering or injecting fluid into a system. Overview

In operations, such as plasma compression systems, injection systems for combustion engines, industrial process control systems, high speed printing systems, medical systems for fluid administration etc., various fast acting or fast response valves can be used for metering and injecting fluids. In such operations, there is a need for a valve to accurately deliver pulses of fluid, at high frequencies within a short period of time. Usually, the fluid can be injected into such systems through fast acting valves, e.g. an electromagnetic valve or a piezoelectric valve. In electromagnetic valves, when a voltage is applied to a solenoid, current flows through the solenoid, and an electromagnetic force pulls a poppet away from a valve seat thereby opening the valve. When the current stops flowing in the solenoid, the solenoid is de-energized, the electromagnetic force is reduced, and the poppet can close against the valve seat. There may be a time delay between the time the voltage is applied and the time the valve opens. The length of the time delay can vary depending on various parameters such as applied voltage, temperature, condition of the valves, how long the particular valve has been closed, the material(s) making up the poppet and/or valve seat. The poppet can get stuck on a valve seat and the rise time of the valve can also be limited by the acceleration of the poppet away from the valve seat since the valve opens during an initial acceleration of the poppet from its resting position against the valve seat.

Summary

According to one aspect, there is provided a valve comprising a housing, a body and a driver. The housing comprises an inner bore, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The body comprises a cavity extending into at least a portion of the body and configured to at least partially align with the fluid inlet for transfer of a fluid from the fluid inlet to the cavity and to at least partially align with the fluid outlet for transfer of the fluid from the cavity to the fluid outlet. The body is mounted within the inner bore and moveable relative to the housing from a closed position whereby the cavity is remote from the fluid outlet to an open position whereby the cavity is at least partially aligned with the fluid outlet. The driver is configured to apply driving force to the body to move the body from the closed position to the open position.

The cross-section of the cavity may be the same as a cross-section of the fluid inlet. The cross-section of the cavity may be the same as a cross-section of the fluid outlet.

In one aspect, the cavity may be at least partially aligned with the fluid inlet in the closed position.

In another aspect, the cavity may be remote from both the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet in the closed position, the body may be movable to an intermediate position whereby the cavity is at least partially aligned with the fluid inlet and remote from the fluid outlet, and the driver may be configured to move the body from the closed position to the intermediate position and from the intermediate position to the open position.

In another aspect, the cavity may be remote from both the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet in the closed position, and in the open position the cavity may be at least partially aligned with both the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet for transfer of the fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet.

In one aspect, the cavity may be a conduit extending through the body. In another aspect, the cavity may be a groove extending around at least a portion of the body. The groove may extend around the circumference of the body. The body may be cylindrical and groove may be an annular groove.

In another aspect, the cavity may be a recess extending into a portion of the body. The driver may be configured to move the body linearly along a longitudinal axis of the housing. Additionally or alternatively, the driver may be configured to rotate the body about a rotational axis passing through the body.

The housing may comprise at least one additional fluid inlet and/or at least one additional fluid outlet. The body may comprise at least one additional cavity configured to at least partially align with the additional fluid inlet for transfer of fluid from the additional fluid inlet to the additional cavity and/or to at least partially align with the additional fluid outlet for transfer of fluid from the additional fluid cavity to the additional fluid outlet.

The body may comprises at least one additional cavity configured to at least partially align with the fluid inlet for transfer of the fluid from the fluid inlet to the cavity and to at least partially align with the fluid outlet for transfer of the fluid from the fluid cavity to the fluid outlet.

The valve may further comprise a seal between an inner wall of the housing and an outer wall of the body to prevent leakage of the valve.

In addition to the aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and study of the following detailed description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a prior art valve showing the valve in a closed position with a poppet resting against a valve seat.

FIG. IB is a schematic cross-sectional view of the prior art valve of FIG. 1A showing the valve in an open position with the poppet moved away from the valve seat.

FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a valve with a housing and a body movably mounted in the housing, the body having a conduit extending therethrough, according to one non-limiting embodiment. The valve is in a closed position with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet blocked by the body.

FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the valve of FIG. 2A showing the valve in an open position with the conduit aligned with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet forming a passageway through the valve for transfer of fluid therethrough.

FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a valve with a housing and a body movably mounted in the housing, the body having an annular groove extending around the body, according to another non-limiting embodiment. The valve is in a closed (resting) position with the annular groove aligned with a fluid inlet in the housing.

FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the valve of FIG. 3 A showing the valve in an open position with the annular groove aligned with a fluid outlet in the housing.

FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a valve with a housing and a body with a recess rotatably mounted in the housing, according to another non-limiting embodiment. The valve is in a closed (resting) position with the recess aligned with a fluid inlet in the housing.

FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the valve of FIG. 4A showing the valve in an opened position with the recess aligned with a fluid outlet in the housing. Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

An example of a known electromagnetically operated valve 10 is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 1A and IB. The valve 10 comprises a housing 12 having an inner bore 14 defined by the housing 12. The housing 12 comprises a sidewall 15, a base 16, a top 18, an inlet opening 17 in fluid communication with an inlet port 22 and an outlet opening 19 in fluid communication with an outlet port 28. In the illustrated example, the inlet opening 17 is formed in the base 16 while the outlet opening 19 is formed in the sidewall 15, however, a skilled person would understand that position of the openings 17 and 19 in variations of valve 10 can vary. The inlet port 22 is in fluid communication with a fluid supply source (not shown). The fluid can be any gas or liquid, e.g., hydrogen, deuterium, tritium, helium or any other gas or liquid or a mixture thereof. An inner surface of the base 16 surrounding the inlet opening 17 can be coated with a resilient material that serves as a valve seat 24. The inner bore 14 extends longitudinally along an axis 14a, between the base 16 and the top 18. A poppet 20 is mounted within the inner bore 14. The poppet 20 has an elongated body with a top surface 20b and a bottom surface 20a facing the base 16. A spring 26 is configured to bias the poppet's bottom surface 20a on the valve seat 24. A coil 30 is mounted in the valve housing 12. The valve can further include a fluid tight seal 32, such as an o-ring, to prevent valve leakage. When the valve is in a closed position, the poppet 20 is pressed against the base 16 under the loading force of the spring 26 so that the poppet's bottom surface 20a engages the valve seat 24 closing the inlet opening 17.

FIG. IB illustrates the valve 10 in an open position. When a voltage from a power supply (not shown) is applied to the coil 30, current flows through the coil thereby creating a magnetic field and an electromagnetic force that accelerates the poppet 20 away from the valve seat 24 against the spring's force, thereby opening the valve and allowing a fluid to flow through the inlet opening 17 and out the outlet opening 19 and the outlet port 28. When the current stops flowing in the coil, the coil is de-energized, the electromagnetic force is reduced, and the poppet 20 drops against the valve seat 24 due to the spring's loading force, thereby closing the inlet opening 17. When the voltage is applied to the coil 30, the valve does not open instantaneously and the opening time of the valve is limited by the acceleration of the poppet 20 since the valve opens when the poppet 20 accelerates from its resting position at zero speed. Thus, the opening time of the valve will be dependent at least partly upon the initial acceleration of the poppet 20. The poppet 20 may also stick to the valve seat causing variation in the opening time (fluid injection time) of the valve.

Embodiments of the invention described herein relate to a valve, and in particular to a fast response valve used for metering or injecting fluid into a system. The valve comprises a housing defining an inner bore, a body movably mounted within the inner bore of the housing, and a driver for moving the body relative to the housing. The body includes a cavity therein for receiving a fluid. The housing has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and the cavity aligns with the fluid inlet for transfer of fluid from the fluid inlet to the cavity and aligns with the fluid outlet for transfer of the fluid from the cavity to the fluid outlet. The driver moves the body from a first position whereby the cavity is remote from the fluid outlet to a second position whereby the cavity is at least partially aligned with the fluid outlet to transfer the fluid from the cavity to the fluid outlet. The valve can be any type of valve such as for example, an electromagnetic valve, a piezo valve, a hammer valve or any other type of electric valve, mechanical valve, pneumatic valve, hydraulic valve, etc.

In one non-limiting embodiment and referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B a valve 200 is schematically illustrated that comprises a housing 202 with a base 204, a top 206 and a sidewall 205 defining an inner bore 208. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the housing 202 has a cylindrical shape, however, in alternative embodiments, the housing 202 can have any other suitable shape such as rectangular, conical, circular etc. The housing 202 includes an inlet opening 207 that is in fluid communication with an inlet port 214 to supply fluid to the valve and an outlet opening 209 that is in fluid communication with an outlet port 216 for discharge of the fluid from the valve. A valve body or poppet 210 is mounted within the inner bore 208 of the housing 202. The poppet 210 has a solid body with a sidewall 210a, a bottom 210b and a top 210c. The poppet 210 is sized and shaped so that it can slide or rotate within the inner bore 208. For example, the poppet 210 can have a cylindrical shape, although a poppet/valve body with different shapes, such as conical, rectangular, circular or any other suitable shape can be used. The poppet 210 includes a conduit 212 forming a cavity that extends into the poppet's body. A first end 212a of the conduit and a second end 212b of the conduit are on opposing sides of the poppet's body and are separated by the length of the conduit 212. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the conduit 212 has a straight configuration and is parallel to the poppet's bottom 210b. In alternative embodiments however, the conduit 212 can have a different configuration, such as inclined or curved configuration and need not be parallel with the poppet's bottom 210b.

The valve 200 can further comprise one or more fluid tight seals 218 provided between the inner wall of the housing 202 and the sidewall of the poppet 210a to prevent leakage of fluid from the inner bore 208. The one or more seals 218 can be any suitable static and/or dynamic fluid seals suitable to prevent leaking such as, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sealing tape or coating, rings, bushings, bearings, cups, or any combination thereof. For example the seal 218 can be a sleeve pulled over the poppet 210 and/or formed as a coating on the inner wall of the housing 202 configured not to obstruct the cavity in the poppet (i.e. ends 212a and 212b of the conduit 212).

When the poppet 210 is in its initial resting or closed position, the inlet opening 207 and the outlet opening 209 are blocked by the sidewall 210a of the poppet 210 so that the poppet body and the one or more seals 218 block flow of fluid through the valve 200. To open the valve 200, a driver is actuated to accelerate the poppet 210. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the poppet 210 is accelerated by an electromagnetic force created by driving a voltage through a coil 220. A spring 222 is biased to maintain the poppet 210 in the closed position. The poppet 210 is accelerated linearly along axis 208a against the biasing force of the spring 222. In alternative embodiments, the poppet 210 can be driven by any other driving force e.g., a mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, etc. without departing from the scope of the invention. As the poppet 210 moves up and down within the inner bore 208, at one point of time the first end 212a of conduit 212 aligns with the inlet opening 207 and the second end 212b of the conduit 212 aligns with the outlet opening 209 so that fluid is transferred from the inlet port 214 through the conduit 212 and out of the outlet port 216. In alternative embodiments (not shown), the outlet opening 209 may be horizontally offset from the inlet opening 207 such that the first end 212a of the conduit aligns with the inlet opening 207 for transfer of a fluid into the conduit 212 and then the poppet 210 is moved to align the second end 212b of the conduit 212 with the outlet opening 209 to discharge the fluid from the conduit to the outlet port 216. In further alternative embodiments, the inlet and outlet openings 207, 209 may be horizontally aligned but the first and second ends 212a, 212b of the conduit 212 may not align at the same time with the inlet and outlet openings 207, 209 (for example when the conduit is inclined or curved as described above in more detail), such that the first end 212a of the conduit aligns with the inlet opening 207 for transfer of a fluid into the conduit 212 and then the poppet 210 is moved to align the second end 212b of the conduit with the outlet opening 209 to discharge the fluid from the conduit to the outlet port 216.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, as well as in alternative embodiments described above, the poppet 210 accelerates for a certain distance before the conduit's first end 212a aligns with the inlet opening 207 and the inlet port 214. The poppet 210 can therefore acquire a certain speed or velocity before the alignment occurs and the valve opens. As such, opening of the valve may beneficially be faster than for standard known valves where the valve is opened while the poppet is accelerating from zero velocity. In alternative embodiments, the first end 212a of the conduit may align with the inlet opening 207 when the valve 200 is in a resting or closed position for transfer of fluid into the conduit. When the driver is actuated, the body is moved to align the second end 212b of the conduit with the outlet opening 209 for transfer of fluid from the conduit 212 to the outlet port 216.

Since the poppet is accelerated for a while before the valve opening, the opening time of the valve 200 is typically much shorter than in known valves where the valve opens starting from zero speed and accelerating. For example, if a valve's body 210 accelerates with 100m/s ² , to open 1mm aperture from rest (initial velocity Vi _n = 0) it will take around 4.5ms according to equation below: d = v _in t + 0.5at ² w ere distance d = 0.001m, acceleration a = 100m/s ² and v,„ = 0. If the valve's body pre-accelerates for 20mm before it reaches the 1mm aperture, the speed of the valve's body at the 1mm aperture is calculated as v ² = lad, for d = 0.02m and a = lOOm/s, and is around ~ 2m/s. Therefore, when the valve's body is pre- accelerated for 20mm (v,„ = 2m/s), to open 1mm aperture it will take around 0.5ms. This is for illustrative purposes only, and the valve's body can be accelerated at the speed less than or more than 100m/s ² , for a distance that is less than or more than 20mm with an outlet opening that is bigger than or smaller than 1mm.

Fluid is transferred from the inlet opening 207 to the outlet opening 209 through the conduit 212, and the valve is not reliant on the poppet moving away from a valve seat to open the valve. Valve timing may therefore beneficially be more predictable than with a standard known valve where the poppet may stick to the valve seat and the valve is opened when the poppet is accelerated from resting position at zero speed. The fluid to be delivered through the valve 200 can be any gas or liquid, for example but not limited to, hydrogen, deuterium, tritium, helium or any other gas or liquid or a mixture thereof. The fluid can be injected into the conduit 212 under pressure so that it flows through the passageway formed by the inlet opening 207, the conduit 212 and the outlet opening 209. In one embodiment, a pressure differential can be provided, for example by providing a vacuum on the side of the outlet port 216 so that the fluid that has been injected into the conduit 212 from the inlet port 214 is sucked into the outlet port 216 once the conduit's second end 212b aligns with the outlet opening 209 and the outlet port 216.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, alignment of the conduit's second end 212b with the outlet opening 209 and the outlet port 216 happens at the same time as the conduit's first end 212a aligns with the inlet opening 207 so that a passageway forms between the inlet port 214 and outlet port 216 and the fluid can flow through the conduit 212 and out from the valve 200. The amount of fluid flow through the passageway may be controlled by the speed of the poppet 210. The poppet 210 can accelerate at a certain speed depending at least partly on the driving force, for example voltage applied. When the conduit's first end 212a aligns at least partially with the inlet opening 207 a fluid can flow into the conduit which can then exit through the outlet opening 209 and the outlet port 216. The amount of the fluid that enters the conduit 212 and is delivered to the outlet port 216 may be determined, at least partly, by the speed of the poppet 210, diameter of the inlet and outlet openings 207, 209, conduit volume and fluid parameters such as fluid pressure. In alternative embodiments where alignment of the conduit's first end 212a with the inlet opening 207 occurs before alignment of the conduit's second end 212b with the outlet opening 209, a predetermined amount of fluid can be transfer into the conduit 212 while the inlet opening 207 is in fluid communication with the conduit's first end 212a. The predetermined amount of fluid is then delivered sequentially to the outlet port 216 once the conduit's second end 212b aligns with the outlet opening 209. So, the quantities of fluid to be discharged by the valve 200 can be accurately measured and defined by the volume of the conduit 212.

In the embodiment shown in the FIGS. 2A and 2B the poppet 210 accelerates axially up and down, in linear fashion along the longitudinal axis 208a of the valve. In alternative embodiments (not shown), the poppet 210 may instead be rotated about the longitudinal axis 208a by a driver such as an electric motor. In the rotating poppet embodiments, the conduit 212 may be the same vertical distance from the base 204 of the housing as the inlet opening 207 and the outlet opening 209. In operation, when the valve 200 is in a resting or closed position the poppet 210 may be position so that the conduit's ends 212a, 212b are facing an inner surface of the housing and there is no fluid flow communication between the conduit's ends 212a, 212b and the inlet and outlet openings 207, 209. The inlet opening 207 is blocked by the poppet's sidewall 210a and the one or more seals 218 to prevent flow of the fluid between the inlet opening 207 and the outlet opening 209. When the driver is turned on, the poppet 210 starts rotating about longitudinal axis 208a so that after a certain time one of the conduit's ends 212a, 212b aligns with the inlet opening 207 and the inlet port 214 and fluid is transferred into the conduit 212. Alternatively, in the resting position, one of the conduit ends 212a, 212b may be aligned with the inlet opening 207 so that fluid is transferred into the conduit 212 in the resting position. To open the valve the poppet is rotated to align one of the conduit's ends 212a, 212b with the outlet opening 209 and outlet port 216 and fluid is transferred out of the conduit 212 through the outlet port 216. The conduit's ends 212a, 212b may simultaneously align with the inlet opening 207 and the outlet opening 209 or there may be a delay between alignment of one of the conduit's ends 212a, 212b with the inlet opening 207 and alignment of one of the conduit's ends 212a, 212b with the outlet opening 209 depending on the positioning of the conduit's ends 212a, 212b and/or the positioning of the inlet and outlet openings 207, 209.

In alternative embodiments (not shown) the poppet 210 may include two or more spaced conduits 212 providing a number of different passageways for transferring fluids simultaneously or sequentially. The two or more spaced conduits may be spaced along the length of the body or may be spaced through the width of the body. The housing may also include one or more additional inlet openings 207 connected to additional inlet ports 214 and/or one or more additional outlet openings 209 connected to additional outlet ports 216. The spaced conduits may align with the one or more outlet openings 209 sequentially so that discharge of the fluid from the outlet port 216 is pulsed. In one embodiment (not shown), the housing 202 may include two or more inlet openings 207 in communication with two or more inlet ports 214 configured to be connected to two or more fluid supply sources for discharge of a plurality of different fluids. In another non-limiting embodiment and referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B a fast response valve 300 is schematically illustrated in a closed (resting) position (FIG 3A) and in an open position (FIG. 3B), with like parts from FIGS. 2A and 2B referenced with the same reference numerals. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cavity in the poppet 210 is a groove 312 formed around the circumference of the sidewall 210a of the poppet. The seal 218 may be positioned between the poppet sidewall 210a and the inner wall of the housing to prevent fluid leaking into the inner bore 208. The groove 312 defines a reservoir and is dimensioned to receive a predetermined amount of fluid so that the valve 300 can accurately measure and discharge defined quantities of fluid. In the illustrated embodiment, the groove 312 is an annular, ring shaped groove extending into the poppet's body. In alternative embodiments, the groove 312 can have various dimensions and may extend only partially around the poppet 210 depending at least partly on the amount of fluid desired to be delivered for each fluid pulse, on the shape of the poppet 210 and on the position of the inlet and outlet openings 207, 209. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A when the valve 300 is in closed (resting) position, the groove 312 aligns with the inlet opening 207 of the housing and a precise, predetermined amount of fluid is transferred into the groove 312 from the inlet port 214. The diameter of the groove 312 conforms to a diameter of the inlet and outlet openings 207, 209. i alternative embodiments, the diameter of the groove 312 can be smaller or larger than the diameter of the openings 207, 209 depending on the predetermined amount of fluid being transferred. When a driving force (for example an electromagnetic force) is applied to the poppet 210, it accelerates the poppet 210 away from the closed position and the poppet 210 acquires a certain speed before the groove 312 aligns with the outlet opening 209 and the outlet port 216 to deliver the precise, predetermined amount of fluid to the outlet port 216 as shown in FIG. 3B. As the fluid is transferred by the groove 312 formed in the poppet's body, the opening of the valve 300 is not reliant on the poppet moving away from a valve seat, therefore the timing of opening the valve 300 may beneficially be more predictable than with a standard known valve where the poppet accelerates from zero velocity and it can be stuck to the valve seat. The valve design also allows a predetermined amount of fluid to be transferred quickly and accurately from the inlet port 214 to the outlet port 216 via the groove 312.

In alternative embodiments (not shown), the groove 312 need not align with the inlet opening 207 when the valve is in the resting (closed) position. In such embodiments, fluid flow can be blocked by the poppet's sidewall 210a and the one or more seals 218. When the valve 300 is actuated by the driver, the poppet 210 accelerates to a certain speed before the groove 312 aligns with the inlet opening 207 to receive fluid from the inlet port 214. As the poppet 210 continues accelerating, the groove 312 aligns with the outlet opening 209 and the fluid is transferred out of the groove 312 into the outlet port 216. In a further alternative embodiment (not shown) the inlet opening 207 and the outlet opening 209 may be in horizontal alignment and the poppet 210 may be accelerated from a resting position where the groove 312 is remote from the inlet and outlet openings 207, 209 to an open position where the groove 312 aligns with both the inlet and outlet openings 207, 209 and fluid is transferred from the inlet port 214 to the outlet port 216 via the groove 312. The fluid may be transferred under pressure to ensure that there is no backflow of fluid. In further alternative embodiments (not shown), the valve 300 can include two or more different grooves 312. The two or more grooves 312 can be used to deliver more than one different fluid to a chamber that is in fluid communication with the outlet port 216. There may also be two or more inlet ports 214 each having a different inlet opening 207 and/or two or more outlet ports 216 each having a different outlet opening 209.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the cavity in the poppet's body can be a recess or a dimple formed in the sidewall 210a that need not extend around the circumference of the body. The recess or dimple has predetermined dimensions and may therefore act like a reservoir allowing transfer of a predetermined amount of fluid from the inlet port 214 to the outlet port 216. The recess can be positioned on one side of the poppet 210 and the position of the inlet opening 207 and the outlet opening 209 is such that the recess aligns with the inlet opening 207 for loading of fluid and with the outlet opening 209 for unloading of fluid as the poppet 210 moves up and down along the longitudinal axis of the valve 300. In another non-limiting embodiment and referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B a fast response valve 400 is schematically illustrated in a closed position (FIG 4A) and in an open position (FIG. 4B), with like parts referenced with the same reference numerals. Valve 400 is a rotating valve configured for a cyclic delivery of a precise, predetermined amount of fluid. The cavity in the poppet 210 of valve 400 is a recess 412 formed in a sidewall of the poppet 210 and extending into the poppet body. The recess 412 forms a reservoir to receive a predetermined amount of fluid to be transferred to outlet port 216. In the illustrated embodiment, the recess 412 has a cross-section and size that conforms to the size and cross-section of the inlet opening 207 and the outlet opening 209, however in alternative embodiments the recess 412 may have a different cross-section and size to the size and cross-section of the inlet opening 207 and/or the outlet opening 209. The valve body or poppet 210 is a shaft connected to a motor 420, such as an electrical motor, which is configured to rotate the shaft 210 within the inner bore 208. The shaft 210 has a diameter that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the inner bore 208. Different shapes or dimensions of the shaft 210 can be used without departing from the scope of invention, however, the shaft 210 should be dimensioned and shaped so that it can rotate freely within the inner bore 208. The inlet opening 207 and the outlet opening 209 are positioned at the same vertical distance from the housing base 204 as the recess 412. One or more fluid tight seals 218 may be provided between the poppet and the inner wall of the housing while not blocking the entrance of the recess 412, so as to prevent leakage of fluid into the inner bore 208.

As the motor 420 rotates the shaft 210 around its axis 208a, the recess 412 aligns with the inlet opening 207 and the inlet port 214 for transfer of fluid into the recess 412. As the shaft 210 continues to rotate, the recess 412 aligns with the outlet opening 209 and the outlet port 216 for transfer of the fluid from the recess 412 to the outlet port 216. Valve 400 is therefore configured to deliver a predetermined accurate volume of fluid in a cyclic fashion at a high speed and high frequency. The valve 400 can be revved up to operational speed before the fluid supply is released from inlet port 214 so that the valve 400 is rotating at operational speed (valve cycle time) before the fluid supply is turned on. The valve cycle time can be fixed or variable and depends at least partly on the rotational speed of the shaft 210. When the fluid supply is turned on and the recess 412 aligns with the inlet opening 207 and inlet port 214, fluid is transferred into the recess 412. The shaft 210 continues to rotate and the recess 412 aligns with the outlet opening 209 and the outlet port 216 to eject the fluid out through the outlet port 216 before the next loading cycle of the valve 400. The dimensions of the recess 412 may vary depending at least partly on the amount of fluid desired to be delivered. As the fluid is transferred by rotation of the poppet's body 210 and recess 412, opening of the valve 400 is not reliant on the poppet moving away from a valve seat, therefore the timing of opening the valve 400 may beneficially be more predictable than with a standard known valve where the poppet accelerates from zero velocity and it can be stuck to the valve seat. The valve design also allows a predetermined amount of fluid to be transferred quickly and accurately from the inlet port 214 to the outlet port 216 via the recess 412.

In alternative embodiments (not shown) the vertical distance from the base 204 to the recess 412 may be different to the vertical difference from the base 204 to the inlet opening 207 and/or from the base to the outlet opening 209 and an additional driving force (such as an electromagnetic force) may be utilized to accelerate the poppet 210 up and down along the longitudinal axis 208a in addition to rotation of the poppet 210 about axis 208a.

In the examples of the fast valves illustrate herein, the valve is shown in an upright position however in operation the position of the valve is immaterial and can be horizontal, vertical, angled, etc.

While particular elements, embodiments and applications of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood, that the scope of the disclosure is not limited thereto, since modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. Thus, for example, in any method or process disclosed herein, the acts or operations making up the method/process may be performed in any suitable sequence and are not necessarily limited to any particular disclosed sequence. Elements and components can be configured or arranged differently, combined, and/or eliminated in various embodiments. The various features and processes described above may be used independently of one another, or may be combined in various ways. All possible combinations and subcombinations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. Reference throughout this disclosure to "some embodiments," "an embodiment," or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, step, process, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in some embodiments," "in an embodiment," or the like, throughout this disclosure are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment and may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, additions, substitutions, equivalents, rearrangements, and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions described herein.

Various aspects and advantages of the embodiments have been described where appropriate. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such aspects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, it should be recognized that the various embodiments may be carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other aspects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, "can," "could," "might," "may," "e.g.," and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without operator input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. No single feature or group of features is required for or indispensable to any particular embodiment. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open- ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

The example calculations, simulations, results, graphs, values, and parameters of the embodiments described herein are intended to illustrate and not to limit the disclosed embodiments. Other embodiments can be configured and/or operated differently than the illustrative examples described herein.