Vapor column liquid accumulator
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJoseph James Lacey, David Michael Wahl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Liquid accumulators and methods for reducing pulsations of a liquid flow are disclosed. A liquid delivery system comprises a pump configured to drive liquid to a pipe. The pipe is configured to transmit a liquid flow. A liquid accumulator is fluidically connected to the pipe. The liquid accumulator comprises a chamber containing the liquid and a vapor column and a power source configured to input energy to the chamber to generate vapor from the liquid to form the vapor column. The vapor column constitutes a gas spring to reduce pulsations of the liquid flow in the pipe. The spring rate of the gas spring can be adjusted by changing the input energy level from the power source to the chamber.
Claims18
A liquid delivery system comprising:
- a pipe configured to transmit a liquid flow driven by a pump;
- and
- a liquid accumulator fluidically connected to the pipe, the liquid accumulator comprising:
- a chamber containing the liquid and a vapor column;
- a power source configured to input energy to the chamber to generate vapor from the liquid to form the vapor column, wherein the vapor column constitutes a gas spring to reduce pulsations of the liquid flow in the pipe;
- and
- a controller to supply power by the power source based on a duty cycle, wherein the duty cycle is determined based on a difference between a measured pulsation and a pre-set pulsation of the liquid flow in the pipe.
An anesthesia agent delivery system comprising:
- a pump configured to drive an anesthesia agent liquid from a reservoir to a pipe;
- the pipe configured to transmit a flow of the anesthesia agent to an injector;
- a liquid accumulator fluidically connected to the pipe, the liquid accumulator comprising:
- a chamber containing the anesthesia agent liquid and a vapor column;
- and
- a power source configured to input energy to the chamber to generate vapor from the anesthesia liquid to form the vapor column, wherein the vapor column constitutes a gas spring to reduce pulsations of the flow in the pipe;
- and
- a controller to supply power by the power source based on a duty cycle, wherein the duty cycle is determined based on a difference between a measured pulsation and a pre-set pulsation of the flow in the pipe.
A method for reducing pulsations of a liquid flow, the method comprising:
- inputting energy to a chamber of a liquid accumulator, wherein the chamber is fluidically connected to a pipe that transmits the liquid flow;
- generating vapor from the liquid flow to form a vapor column in the chamber;
- comparing a measured pulsation of the liquid flow with a pre-set pulsation;
- controlling an input energy level to the chamber based on a difference between the measured pulsation and the pre-set pulsation;
- and
- using the vapor column as a gas spring to reduce the pulsations of the liquid flow in the pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.