Proportional pump system for viscous fluids
OwnerMichael Gosselininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for combining multiple viscous fluids in which a desired, predetermined mixture ratio is automatically maintained by at least one system microcontroller. The microcontroller processes critical data relating to a primary fluid throughout a pumping and dispensing procedure, and automatically adjusts all additional flows based on changes to the primary fluid flow rate, temperature, pressure, viscosity, and pump characteristics by adjusting the speed of the motors driving pumps for all other fluids.
Claims18
An apparatus for intermixing multiple fluids of varied viscosities while maintaining a prescribed proportion of each of said fluids in a final mixture, said apparatus comprising:
- a first fluid source having a first fluid therein susceptible to changes in viscosity;
- a second fluid source having a second fluid therein;
- a fluid combining chamber in fluid communication with each of said first and second fluid sources for combining said first and second fluids in a prescribed proportion;
- a first fluid flow conduit for channeling said first fluid from said first fluid source to said fluid combining chamber;
- a second fluid flow conduit for channeling said second fluid from said second fluid source to said fluid combining chamber;
- a first sensor means connected to said first fluid flow conduit between said first fluid source and said combining chamber, said first sensor means continuously producing a combination of first signals which in combination are representative of the flow rate and temperature of said first fluid;
- a second sensor means connected to said second fluid flow conduit between said second fluid source and said combining chamber, said second sensor means continuously producing at least one second signal representative of the flow rate of said second fluid;
- a first control means having a pre-determined logarithmic temperature/viscosity relationship stored therein, said first control means receiving said combination of first signals from said first sensor means, and said first control means calculating a viscosity correction and generating a first control signal proportioned to the viscosity-corrected flow rate of said first fluid in accordance with said prescribed proportion;
- a second control means receiving said at least one second signal from said second sensor means, said second control means also receiving said first control signal from said first control means, said second control means comparing said at least one second signal and said first control signal and further generating a driving signal for regulating fluid flow in said second fluid flow conduit, said driving signal being sufficient to maintain said second fluid flow in the prescribed relative proportion to said first fluid flow irrespective of viscosity changes in said first fluid flow.
An apparatus for maintaining the flow rate of a first fluid flow from a first fluid source at a prescribed proportion to the flow rate of at least one additional fluid flow from at least one additional fluid source, said first fluid having a variable flow rate caused by variations in the viscosity of said first fluid, the apparatus comprising:
- a first flow rate sensor means continuously producing a combination of first signals which in combination are representative of the flow rate and temperature of said first fluid;
- a second flow rate sensor means continuously producing at least one second signal which is representative of the flow rate of said second fluid;
- a first control means receiving said combination of first signals from said first flow rate sensor means, said first control means having a pre-determined logarithmic temperature/viscosity relationship stored therein, said first control means calculating a viscosity correction and generating a first control signal proportioned to the viscosity-corrected flow rate of said first fluid in accordance with said prescribed proportion;
- a second control means receiving said at least one second signal from said second flow rate sensor means, said second control means also receiving said first control signal from said first control means, said second control means comparing said second signal and said first control signal and further generating a driving signal for regulating a flow rate of said second fluid, said driving signal being sufficient to maintain said second fluid flow in the prescribed relative proportion to said first fluid flow irrespective of viscosity changes in said first fluid flow.
A method for maintaining the flow rate of a first fluid flow from a first fluid source at a prescribed proportion to the flow rate of a second fluid flow from a second fluid source comprising the steps of:
- measuring an instantaneous differential pressure and temperature of said first fluid and a motor speed of a first pump pumping said first fluid;
- calculating an instantaneous flow rate of said first fluid from said instantaneous differential pressure and temperature of said first fluid and the motor speed of said first pump;
- generating a first control signal proportional to said first fluid flow rate, the proportionality of said first control signal to the flow rate of said first fluid being equivalent to the prescribed proportion;
- measuring an instantaneous flow rate of said second fluid;
- comparing said flow rate of said second fluid with said control signal proportional to said first fluid flow rate;
- and
- generating a driving signal to drive said flow of said second fluid at a flow rate equivalent to said first control signal to maintain said second fluid flow rate at the prescribed proportion to said first fluid flow rate.
A method for maintaining the flow rate of a first fluid flow from a first fluid source at a prescribed proportion to the flow rate of a second fluid flow from a second fluid source comprising the steps of:
- measuring an instantaneous differential pressure and temperature of said first fluid and a motor speed of a first pump pumping said first fluid;
- directing a signal representative of said instantaneous differential pressure and temperature of said first fluid and the motor speed of said first pump to a first control means, and calculating an instantaneous flow rate of said first fluid from said instantaneous differential pressure and temperature of said first fluid and the motor speed of said first pump;
- generating a first control signal proportional to said first fluid flow rate, the proportionality of said first control signal to the flow rate of said first fluid being equivalent to the prescribed proportion;
- directing said first control signal from said first control means to a second control means;
- measuring an instantaneous flow rate of said second fluid;
- directing a signal representative of said instantaneous flow rate of said second fluid to said second control means;
- comparing said signal representative of said instantaneous flow rate of said second fluid with said first control signal;
- and
- generating a driving signal to drive said flow of said second fluid at a flow rate equivalent to said first control signal to maintain said second fluid flow rate at the prescribed proportion to said first fluid flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.