Single port coil capacity modulator

Abstract

A coil modulator apparatus for use in connection with heat transfer coil assemblies found in commercial heating and air conditioning units is used to limit the number of active tube sections carrying fluid in cooling coil assemblies. The single port modulator apparatus comprises an inner valve with an inner and outer housing. The modulator has valve ports in the sides of the modulator. The inner valve rotates within the outer housing and the openings in the inner housing correspond to those ports in the outer valve. These openings connect with upstream or downstream tube sections in the bank of tubes and allow flow of fluid to be diverted. The actuator arm of the coil assembly rotates the inner valve thus changing the orientation of the outer and inner valve ports and so diverting fluid flow from various numbers of tubes depending upon how far the actuator is moved.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A single port modulator for use in connection with heating and air conditions systems that comprise a bank comprising a plurality of tubes having fluid flow through each of said tubes, each of said tubes having at least one upstream section and one downstream section, said down stream section in connection with said supply manifold and an opposite end of said bank, and said upstream sections in connection with said opposite end and said supply manifold; 
 each of said tubes having at least one upstream section where fluid flows away from said inlet end, and at least one downstream section where fluid flows in the direction towards said inlet end, said modulator comprising an inner valve body and an outer valve body, each of said inner and outer valve bodies having a plurality of ports, said ports arranged in pairs, each of said pairs comprising one of said inner valve ports and one of said outer valve ports, said inner valve having an actuator arm in connection with said inner valve and having a means in connection with said inner valve for the rotation of said inner valve and said inlet and outlet passage in relation to said inlet and outlet passage on said outer manifold so as to vary the amount of fluid flow through the downstream sections of said tubes.