Fluid flow control and delivery via multiple fluid pumps

A fluid delivery apparatus comprising:

• a diaphragm pump;
• a positive displacement pump;
• a fluid conduit extending between the diaphragm pump and the positive displacement pump;
• and
• controller hardware, the controller hardware operable to:
• draw fluid into a chamber of the diaphragm pump;
• apply pressure to the chamber of the diaphragm pump to output the fluid in the chamber of the diaphragm pump downstream through the fluid conduit to the positive displacement pump;
• and
• during application of the pressure to the chamber and outputting the fluid in the chamber downstream, activate the positive displacement pump to pump the fluid from the positive displacement pump to a recipient;
• wherein the controller hardware is further operative to:
• control the positive displacement pump to provide continuous flow of fluid to the recipient;
• and during each of multiple measurement windows that occur within a time window, temporarily adjust a magnitude of the pressure applied to the chamber of the diaphragm pump to measure a respective portion of fluid remaining in the diaphragm pump.

Computer-readable storage hardware having instructions stored thereon,

• the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware,
• cause the computer processor hardware to:
• draw fluid into a chamber of a diaphragm pump;
• apply pressure to the chamber of the diaphragm pump to output the fluid in the chamber of the diaphragm pump downstream through the fluid conduit to a positive displacement pump;
• during application of the pressure to the chamber and outputting the fluid in the chamber downstream to the positive displacement pump, activate the positive displacement pump to pump the fluid from the positive displacement pump to a recipient;
• and
• wherein the computer processor hardware is further operative to:
• control the positive displacement pump to provide continuous flow of fluid to the recipient in a time window, and during each of multiple measurement windows that occur within the time window, temporarily adjust a magnitude of the pressure applied to the chamber of the diaphragm pump to measure a respective portion of fluid remaining in the diaphragm pump.

A method comprising:

• drawing fluid into a chamber of a diaphragm pump;
• applying positive pressure to the chamber of the diaphragm pump to output the fluid in the chamber of the diaphragm pump downstream through a fluid conduit to a positive displacement pump;
• during application of the pressure to the chamber of the diaphragm pump and outputting the fluid in the chamber downstream to the positive displacement pump, activating operation of the positive displacement pump to pump the fluid received at the positive displacement pump to a recipient;
• and
• wherein a pressure of the fluid in a first portion of the fluid conduit upstream of the positive displacement pump between the positive displacement pump and the diaphragm pump is less than a pressure of the fluid in a second portion of the fluid conduit disposed downstream of the positive displacement pump between the positive displacement pump and the recipient.

A fluid delivery apparatus comprising:

• a diaphragm pump;
• a positive displacement pump;
• a fluid conduit extending between the diaphragm pump and the positive displacement pump;
• and
• controller hardware, the controller hardware operable to:
• draw fluid into a chamber of the diaphragm pump;
• apply pressure to the chamber of the diaphragm pump to output the fluid in the chamber of the diaphragm pump downstream through the fluid conduit to the positive displacement pump;
• and
• during application of the pressure to the chamber and outputting the fluid in the chamber downstream, activate the positive displacement pump to pump the fluid from the positive displacement pump to a recipient;
• and
• wherein a pressure of the fluid in a first portion of the fluid conduit upstream of the positive displacement pump between the positive displacement pump and the diaphragm pump is less than a pressure of the fluid in a second portion of the fluid conduit disposed downstream of the positive displacement pump between the positive displacement pump and the recipient.