Control circuit for stopping the flow of fluid in a primary circuit, and related methods and devices
OwnerRichard E. Parksinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control circuit for automatically stopping the flow of a gas in a primary circuit, includes a valve, a sensor and a controller. The valve is couplable with a primary pressure-regulator that controls the flow of another gas in a primary circuit. The valve has an inlet operable to receive a gas and an outlet operable to distribute the gas. The sensor is positionable in the primary circuit and operable to sense a parameter of the flow of the gas in the primary circuit and generate a signal that represents the sensed parameter. The controller is operable to receive the sensor's signal and, in response to the signal, direct the valve to close if the parameter of the flow of gas in the primary circuit lies outside of a predetermined range.
Claims28
A control circuit for automatically stopping the flow of a gas in a primary circuit, the control circuit comprising:
- a valve having an inlet operable to receive a pilot gas, and an outlet operable to distribute the pilot gas and couplable with a primary pressure-regulator that controls the flow of another gas in the primary circuit, wherein:
- when the valve is open the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's outlet equalizes with the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's inlet, and
- when the valve is closed the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's outlet is prevented from equalizing with the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's inlet;
- a sensor positionable in the primary circuit and operable to sense a parameter of the flow of the gas in the primary circuit and generate a signal that represents the sensed parameter;
- and
- a controller operable to receive the sensor's signal and, in response to the signal, direct the valve to close if the parameter of the flow of gas in the primary circuit lies outside of a predetermined range, to change the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's outlet and cause the primary pressure-regulator that controls the flow of gas in the primary circuit to close and stop the flow of gas in the primary circuit.
A pneumatic circuit comprising:
- an injector operable to control the distribution of a gas in a primary circuit;
- a primary pressure-regulator operable to adjust and control the pressure of the gas that the injector distributes;
- a control circuit operable to automatically stop the flow of the gas through the pressure-regulator, the control circuit comprising:
- a valve having an inlet operable to receive a pilot gas and an outlet operable to distribute the pilot gas and coupled with the primary pressure-regulator wherein:
- when the valve is open the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's outlet equalizes with the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's inlet, and
- when the valve is closed the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's outlet is prevented from equalizing with the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's inlet;
- a sensor positioned between the primary pressure-regulator and the injector and operable to sense a parameter of the flow of gas toward the injector and generate a signal that represents the sensed parameter;
- and
- a controller operable to receive the sensor's signal and, in response to the signal, direct the valve to close if the parameter of the flow of the gas through the primary pressure-regulator lies outside of a predetermined range, to change the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's outlet and cause the primary pressure-regulator to close and stop the flow of the gas toward the injector.
A method for automatically stopping a flow of a gas in a primary circuit, the method comprising:
- sensing a parameter of the flow of the gas in the primary circuit and generating a signal that represents the sensed parameter;
- receiving the sensor's signal;
- comparing the parameter represented by the received signal to a predetermined range;
- and
- in response to the parameter lying outside of the predetermined range, closing a valve of a control circuit that includes a pilot gas, the valve having an inlet and an outlet wherein when the valve is open the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's outlet equalizes with the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's inlet, and when the valve is closed the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's outlet is prevented from equalizing with the pressure of the pilot gas at the valve's inlet, wherein closing the valve of the control circuit causes:
- the pressure of the pilot gas at a control input of a primary pressure-regulator of the primary circuit to change, and
- the primary pressure-regulator of the primary circuit to close and stop the flow of gas in the primary circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.