Lee flow restrictors have a storied history in spaceflight. When Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon in 1969, a screened restrictor – designed and manufactured by The Lee Company – metered the flow of oxygen between his spacesuit and his backpack. Since then, Lee restrictors have served in spaceflight applications around the solar system – and we hope to return our products to the moon’s surface in the near future.
The Lee Company offers both single and multi-orifice restrictors to meet the needs of any application. Multi-orifice configurations may offer increased resistance to contamination and decrease the potential for erosion caused by cavitation. Our Lee Visco Jets are available in Lohm rates up to 2.2 million (an equivalent orifice of 0.0006 inch) with a minimum passage of 0.005 inch in an envelope less than 0.6 inch long. These are often integrated into line mount fittings to control flow ratio in electrical propulsion. For more information, download our Tech Talk on selecting restrictors for space applications.
Lee Jets, Bender Jets, and Visco Jets are all 100% tested for bi-directional flow with tight tolerances. They come with an integral safety screen for added protection against debris and contamination. They feature all stainless steel construction and a high operating pressure capability.
All products from The Lee Company are designed to be extraordinarily lightweight, but with strength far exceeding their size. When restrictors are combined with bi-directional safety screens that prevent clogging and wear, manufacturers will discover an extraordinarily resilient product that demonstrates exceptional performance in any environment.
Over half of the products Lee supplies are designed for the unique needs of a specific application. Flow restrictors can be designed in custom envelopes such as line mount fittings, with unique flow rates or flow tolerances, constructed of special materials, and more.
To learn more about how to choose the right Lee restrictor for your space application and maximize its performance in the long-run, check out the resources below.
Always verify flow calculations by experiment.
*There are many parameters to consider when determining V-Factor. Click here for more information.