Intake pressure control system
OwnerJohn E. McLoughlininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pump intake pressure control apparatus includes a conduit joining a pump to a liquid source, a flow controller configured to control the flow of liquid through the conduit, pressure sensors for detecting the pressure of the liquid in the conduit upstream and downstream of the flow controller, and an electronic master controller programmed to receive input from the pressure sensors and to actuate the flow controller to reduce the pressure downstream of the flow controller to a predetermined approximate value.
Claims20
An apparatus for controlling the pressure of liquid entering a pump coupled to a liquid source, comprising:
- a conduit conducting liquid from the liquid source to the pump, the conduit including a bifurcated section having
- a first branch conducting liquid towards the pump,
- a second branch conducting liquid towards the pump,
- an inlet end wherein the conduit splits to form the first and second branches, and
- an outlet end wherein the first and second branches converge;
- a valve configured to control the flow of liquid through the first branch;
- pressure sensors for detecting the pressure of liquid in the conduit upstream and downstream of the bifurcated section;
- and
- an electronic master controller programmed to receive input from the pressure sensors and to actuate the valve to reduce the pressure downstream of the bifurcated section to a predetermined approximate value.
An intake pressure control system for controlling the flow of liquid into a pump, comprising:
- a pressurized liquid source;
- a conduit conducting liquid from the pressurized liquid source to the pump, the conduit including a bifurcated section having;
- a first branch conducting liquid towards the pump,
- a second branch conducting liquid towards the pump,
- an inlet end wherein the conduit splits to form the first and second branches, and
- an outlet end wherein the first and second branches converge;
- a valve located in the first branch of the conduit and configured to control the flow of liquid through the conduit;
- a first pressure sensor located between the pressurized liquid source and the valve, and configured to detect a pressure p1 of liquid in the conduit upstream of the valve;
- a second pressure sensor located between the valve and the pump and configured to detect a pressure p2 of the liquid in the conduit at a position between the valve and the pump;
- and
- an electronic master controller programmed to receive input from the pressure sensors and to actuate the valve to reduce the pressure p2 to a predetermined approximate value.
An intake pressure control system for controlling the flow of fluids into a pump, comprising:
- an unpressurized liquid source;
- a conduit conducting liquid from the unpressurized liquid source to the pump, the conduit including a bifurcated section having;
- a first branch conducting liquid towards the pump,
- a second branch conducting liquid towards the pump,
- an inlet end wherein the conduit splits to form the first and second branches, and
- an outlet end wherein the first and second branches converge;
- a valve located in the first branch of the conduit and configured to control the flow of liquid through the conduit;
- a first pressure sensor located between the pressurized liquid source and the valve, and configured to detect the pressure of liquid in the conduit upstream of the valve;
- a second pressure sensor located between the valve and the pump;
- and
- an electronic master controller programmed to receive input from the pressure sensors and to actuate the valve to reduce the pressure downstream of the valve to a predetermined negative value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.