Methods for controlling operation of a valve
AssigneeCapstan Ag Systems, Inc.
InventorsDuane Needham, Andrew J. Holtz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric solenoid valve, methods for operating and/or actuating the solenoid valve, valve system diagnostics, and applications for use are described. The valve may be designed to actuate in a manner so as to control liquid flow into and/or through a device, such as a spray nozzle. By altering the characteristics of the electrical signal transmitted to the solenoid valve, the instantaneous pressure across the valve and duration of fluid flow through the valve can be controlled with a single actuator. Controlled cyclic durations of flow may be implemented to regulate the exact timing of flow through the valve. Alternatively, cyclic durations may occur with a pulse-width modulation technique in which the duty cycle regulates average flow rate through the valve.
Claims18
A method for controlling the operation of a valve, the valve including a solenoid coil and a poppet movable relative to a valve inlet and a valve outlet, the solenoid coil configured to generate a magnetic field that acts on the poppet when current is supplied to the valve, the method comprising:
- receiving an input associated with a desired outlet pressure for a fluid supplied through the valve;
- receiving an input associated with an inlet pressure of the fluid supplied to the valve;
- determining, with a controller, a desired poppet displacement for the valve based on the inlet pressure and the desired outlet pressure;
- and
- controlling the current supplied to the valve such that the poppet is displaced between a sealed position and a throttling position and maintained at the throttling position by the magnetic field acting on the poppet, wherein a distance between the sealed position and the throttling position corresponds to the desired poppet displacement.
A method for controlling the flow of a fluid through a system, the system including a valve and a controller in communication with the valve, the valve including a solenoid coil and a poppet movable relative to a valve inlet and a valve outlet, the solenoid coil configured to generate a magnetic field that acts on the poppet when current is supplied to the valve, the method comprising:
- sensing a pressure of fluid at at least one of the valve inlet and the valve outlet;
- determining, with the controller, a desired poppet displacement based on the sensed pressure, wherein the desired poppet displacement corresponds to a throttling position of the poppet located intermediate a sealed position of the poppet and a second position of the poppet beyond the throttling position;
- and
- displacing the poppet from the sealed position to the throttling position based on the desired poppet displacement, wherein displacing the poppet includes controlling, using the controller, the current supplied to the solenoid coil such that the poppet is displaced by the magnetic field acting on the poppet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.