# US 10,245,608 B2 · Method for flow control calibration of high-transient systems

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- Number: US 10,245,608 B2
- Document ID: US10245608B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/306,921
- Filed: 2015-04-28
- Published: 2017-02-16
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-01
- Assignees: Graco Minnesota Inc.
- Applicants: Graco Minnesota Inc.
- Inventors: Peter N. Dufault; Todd A. Anderson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245608B2

## CPC

- B05B 12/1427: {a condition of a first liquid or other fluent material in a first supply line controlling a condition of a second one in a second supply line}
- B05B 9/04: with pressurised or compressible container (aerosol containers B65D83/14); with pump
- B05B 9/0406: {with several pumps}
- B05B 12/085: {responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged (B05B1/3006, B05B1/323 take precedence; spray pistols designed to control volume of flow with the controlling means being fluid actuated B05B7/1254)}
- B05B 12/088: {the sensing element being a flexible member, e.g. membrane, diaphragm, bellows}
- B05B 12/1418: {for supplying several liquids or other fluent materials in selected proportions to a single spray outlet (controlling ratio of two or more flows of fluid G05D11/02)}
- G05D 7/0623: {characterised by the set value given to the control element}
- G05D 11/132: {by controlling the flow of the individual components (G05D11/133 takes precedence)}
- Y10T 137/2499: Mixture condition maintaining or sensing
- Y10T 137/7761: Electrically actuated valve
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A method of controlling a flow rate includes selecting an operating condition defined by an operating flow rate and an operating pressure, comparing the operating flow rate to a threshold flow rate, and executing an adaptive calibration routing if the operating flow rate is greater than or equal to the threshold flow rate. The adaptive calibration routine includes measuring the operating pressure, measuring a first flow rate through a first meter, and modifying a pressure-flow table based on the operating pressure and the first flow rate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of controlling a flow rate includes:
selecting an operating condition defined by a flow rate set point and a pressure set point;
comparing the flow rate set point to a threshold flow rate;
executing an adaptive calibration routine if the flow rate set point is greater than or equal to the threshold flow rate, wherein the adaptive calibration routine includes:
measuring an operating pressure;
measuring a first flow rate through a first meter;
storing the operating pressure and the first flow rate;
modifying a pressure-flow table based on the operating pressure and the first flow rate; and
causing the first meter to operate at the first flow rate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 and further including:
executing an extrapolation routine if the flow rate set point is less than the threshold flow rate, wherein the extrapolation routine includes:
measuring the operating pressure;
using the pressure-flow table to calculate the first flow rate based on the operating pressure; and
causing the first meter to operate at the first flow rate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the adaptive calibration routine further includes:
measuring a second flow rate through a second meter, wherein the first flow rate plus the second flow rate equal a total flow rate;
storing the second flow rate; and
modifying the pressure-flow table based on the operating pressure, the first flow rate, and the second flow rate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the extrapolation routine further includes:
using the pressure-flow table to calculate the second flow rate based on the operating pressure; and
causing the second meter to operate at the second flow rate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the pressure-flow table is linearly extrapolated to determine the first flow rate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the flow rate set point and the threshold flow rate includes:
selecting the threshold flow rate corresponding to a threshold duration; and
comparing the flow rate set point to the threshold flow rate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold flow rate is between a maximum flow rate and a minimum flow rate corresponding to a plurality of operating conditions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the threshold flow rate is an average of the maximum and minimum flow rates.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold duration is four seconds.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the operating pressure is measured downstream from a pressure regulator.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the operating pressure and the first flow rate are stored in a controller, and wherein the controller uses the stored operating pressure and the first flow rate to modify the pressure-flow table.