Self-Learning Closed-Loop Control Valve System
OwnerJim Schmidt, Steve Drollinger +1inventors
InventorsJim Schmidt, Steve Drollinger, Ekank Jatwani
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Abstract
A pressure independent control valve system including a pipe system defining a flow path for a volume of fluid to regulate flow downstream of the pressure independent control valve system, wherein the pipe system has a butterfly valve configured to control a flow rate of the volume of fluid; an ultrasonic sensor configured to transmit and receive a signal across the flow path; and an electronic transducer processor in data communication with the ultrasonic sensor and the butterfly valve.
Claims20
A pressure independent control valve system including a pipe system defining a flow path for a volume of fluid to regulate flow downstream of the pressure independent control valve system comprising:
- a butterfly valve configured to control a flow rate of the volume of fluid;
- an ultrasonic sensor configured to transmit and receive a signal across the flow path;
- and
- an electronic transducer processor in data communication with the ultrasonic sensor and the butterfly valve.
A method for maintaining a desired flow rate of a volume of fluid through a fluid flow path in a pressure independent control valve system including a pipe system, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a signal with a first ultrasonic sensor across the flow path;
- receiving the signal with a second ultrasonic sensor;
- calculating a current flow rate based on the signal;
- comparing the current flow rate with the desired flow rate;
- basing an adjustment of a position of a stem of a butterfly valve necessary to maintain the desired flow rate based on a C, characteristic of the butterfly valve;
- and
- adjusting the position of the butterfly valve downstream of the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor according to said step of basing the adjustment in order to achieve the desired flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.