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US 5,888,050 AGranted
Precision high pressure control assembly
AssigneeSupercritical Fluid Technologies, Inc.
InventorsWayne Fitzgerald, Kenneth J. James, Brian J. Waibel
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AssigneeSupercritical Fluid Technologies, Inc.
InventorsWayne Fitzgerald, Kenneth J. James, Brian J. Waibel
Estimating the term…
A precision high-pressure control assembly for supercritical fluids comprises a continuous flow system having a pressure control loop which includes a source of fluid communicating with a piston driven pump. A pressure sensor monitors the pressure of the supercritical fluid in the outlet line of the pump. A pressure controller has an input for receiving a signal relating to the pressure sent by the pressure sensor and the pressure controller yields an electronic output signal to an electropneumatic regulator. A source of air communicates with the electropneumatic regulator to provide pressurized regulated driver air directed to the pump. The electropneumatic regulator controls the regulated driver air pressure of the pump in accordance with the signal received from the pressure controller. The piston head of the pump is in a cryogenic chamber to minimize flash and cavitation.
A precision high-pressure control assembly for supercritical fluids comprising a continuous flow system having a pressure control loop which includes a source of fluid, said source of fluid communicating with a pump head of a piston driven pump for compressing the fluid and increasing the pressure of the fluid to create a supercritical fluid, an outlet line leading from said pump head, a pressure sensor monitoring the pressure of the supercritical fluid in said outlet line, a process controller having an input for receiving a signal relating to the pressure sensed by said pressure sensor, said process controller yielding an electronic control output signal to a regulator, a source of air communicating with said regulator to provide pressurized regulated driver air directed to said pump, said regulator controlling the regulated driver air pressure of said pump in accordance with the signal received from said process controller, and said pump head being in a cryogenic chamber for minimizing flash and cavitation.
A method for close pressure control of a supercritical fluid comprising feeding a fluid under low pressure to the pump head of a piston driven pump, increasing the pressure of the fluid by the pump wherein the fluid is discharged to an outlet line as a supercritical fluid under high pressure, sensing the pressure of the supercritical fluid in the outlet line by a pressure sensor which provides an input signal to a process controller with the input signal being reflective of the amount of pressure being sensed, sending an electronic control output signal from the process controller to a pressure regulator, supplying air from an air source to the pressure regulator to provide pressurized regulated driver air directed to the pump, controlling the regulated driver air pressure of the pump by the pressure regulator in accordance with the signal received by the pressure regulator from the process controller, and minimizing flash and cavitation by locating the pump head in a cryogenic chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.