Backflow prevention valve

Abstract

A valve assembly includes an outer housing having a first opening in fluid communication with a first fluid, a second opening in fluid communication with a second fluid, a third opening in fluid communication with a third fluid and a fourth opening in fluid communication with a fourth fluid. The valve assembly includes a piston configured to slide within the outer housing into a first position at which the third opening is blocked from fluid communication with the fourth opening based on a fluid pressure of the first fluid being greater than a fluid pressure of the fourth fluid. The piston is further configured to slide within the outer housing into a second position at which the third opening is in fluid communication with the fourth opening based on the fluid pressure of the second fluid being greater than the fluid pressure of the fourth fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A valve assembly, comprising:
 an outer housing having a first opening in fluid communication with a first fluid, a second opening in fluid communication with a second fluid, a third opening in fluid communication with a third fluid and a fourth opening in fluid communication with a fourth fluid; and   a piston configured to slide within the outer housing into a first position at which the third opening is blocked from fluid communication with the fourth opening based on a fluid pressure of the first fluid being greater than a fluid pressure of the fourth fluid, and configured to slide within the outer housing into a second position at which the third opening is in fluid communication with the fourth opening based on the fluid pressure of the second fluid being greater than the fluid pressure of the fourth fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the piston includes a first annular recess in fluid communication with a second annular recess, the first annular recess configured to be sealed off from the third opening when the piston is in the first position, and the first annular recess is configured to be in fluid communication with the third opening and the second annular recess is configured to be in fluid communication with the fourth opening when the piston is in the second position. 
     
     
         3 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sealing structure located between the outer housing and the piston along an entire length of the piston, the piston configured to slide with respect to the sealing structure, the sealing structure configured to seal the first opening from the second opening, the third opening and the fourth opening.   
     
     
         4 . A reverse-flow prevention valve, comprising:
 an outer housing having a first opening configured to be in fluid communication with a first fluid, a second opening configured to be in fluid communication with a second fluid, a third opening configured to be in fluid communication with a third fluid, and a fourth opening configured to be in fluid communication with ambient air; and   a piston configured to slide within the outer housing, the piston having a first end forming a seal with respect to the outer housing and being in contact with the first fluid, a second end forming a seal with respect to the outer housing and being in contact with the second fluid, a first recess in an outer radial surface of the piston and a second recess in the outer radial surface of the piston, the first recess in fluid communication with the second recess,   wherein the first recess is configured to be sealed off from the third opening when the piston is in a first sliding position with respect to the outer housing, and the first recess is configured to be in fluid communication with the third opening, to transmit a fluid between the third opening and the fourth opening, when the piston is in a second sliding position with respect to the outer housing.   
     
     
         5 . The reverse-flow prevention valve according to  claim 4 , wherein the first recess and the second recess are annular recesses extending around the outer circumference of the piston. 
     
     
         6 . The reverse-flow prevention valve according to  claim 4 , wherein the piston includes a channel located radially-inward of the first and second recesses and connecting the first and second recesses. 
     
     
         7 . The reverse-flow prevention valve according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a sealing structure located between the outer housing and the piston along an entire length of the piston, the piston configured to slide with respect to the sealing structure, the sealing structure configured to seal the first opening from the second opening, the third opening and the fourth opening.   
     
     
         8 . The reverse-flow prevention valve according to  claim 4 , wherein the piston includes a first cup-shaped recess at the first end to receive the first fluid and a second cup-shaped recess at the second end to receive the second fluid. 
     
     
         9 . The reverse-flow prevention valve according to  claim 4 , wherein an inner surface of the outer housing is cylindrical. 
     
     
         10 . The reverse-flow prevention valve according to  claim 4 , wherein the piston is configured to be in the first sliding position based on the fluid pressure of the first fluid being greater than the fluid pressure of the second fluid, and
 the piston is configured to be in the second sliding position based on the fluid pressure of the second fluid being greater than the fluid pressure of the first fluid.   
     
     
         11 . An engine bleed-air system, comprising:
 a bleed valve configured to receive as an input a first gas flow from an engine and a second gas flow from ambient air, and an electrical control signal configured to control a ratio of the first gas flow and the second gas flow to be output as a third gas flow;   a servo chamber including a first piston, the servo chamber configured to receive the third gas flow and to control a position of the first piston to control an output gas flow from the engine; and   a reverse-flow prevention valve in fluid communication with the first gas flow, the second gas flow, the third gas flow and the fourth gas flow, the reverse-flow prevention valve configured to expose the third gas flow to ambient air based on the fourth gas flow having a pressure greater than the pressure of the first gas flow, and the reverse-flow prevention valve configured to block the third gas flow from the ambient air based on the first gas flow having a pressure greater than the pressure of the fourth gas flow.   
     
     
         12 . The engine bleed-air system of  claim 11 , wherein the reverse-flow prevention valve comprises:
 an outer housing having a first opening configured to be in fluid communication with the first gas flow, a second opening configured to be in fluid communication with the fourth gas flow, a third opening configured to be in fluid communication with the third gas flow, and a fourth opening configured to be in fluid communication with the ambient air; and   a second piston configured to slide within the outer housing, the second piston having a first end forming a seal with respect to the outer housing and being in contact with the first gas flow, a second end forming a seal with respect to the outer housing and being in contact with the second gas flow, a first recess in an outer radial surface of the second piston and a second recess in the outer radial surface of the second piston, the first recess in fluid communication with the second recess,   
       wherein the first recess is configured to be sealed off from the third opening when the second piston is in a first sliding position with respect to the outer housing, and the first recess is configured to be in fluid communication with the third opening, to transmit a gas between the third opening and the fourth opening, when the second piston is in a second sliding position with respect to the outer housing. 
     
     
         13 . The engine bleed-air system of  claim 12 , wherein the first recess and the second recess are annular recesses extending around the outer circumference of the second piston. 
     
     
         14 . The engine bleed-air system of  claim 12 , wherein the second piston includes a channel located radially-inward of the first and second recesses and connecting the first and second recesses. 
     
     
         15 . The engine bleed-air system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a sealing structure located between the outer housing and the second piston along an entire length of the second piston, the second piston configured to slide with respect to the sealing structure, the sealing structure configured to seal the first opening from the second opening, the third opening and the fourth opening.   
     
     
         16 . The engine bleed-air system of  claim 12 , wherein the second piston includes a first cup-shaped recess at the first end to receive a first gas of the first gas flow and a second cup-shaped recess at the second end to receive a second gas of the fourth gas flow. 
     
     
         17 . The engine bleed-air system of  claim 12 , wherein an inner surface of the outer housing is cylindrical. 
     
     
         18 . The engine bleed-air system of  claim 11 , further comprising a first engine configured to emit the fourth gas flow,
 wherein the first gas flow is a bleed gas flow that is bled from the fourth gas flow via a filter.   
     
     
         19 . The engine bleed-air system of  claim 18 , further comprising a second engine configured to emit a fifth gas flow, the fifth gas flow in fluid communication with the fourth gas flow via at least one control valve, the fourth gas flow and the fifth gas flow configured to be combined into sixth output gas flow downstream from the fourth and fifth gas flows.