Back to results
US 7,299,112 B2Granted
Electrically controlled pressure relief valve and system and method for controlling same
AssigneeActiveShock, Inc.
InventorsJohn LaPlante, William T. Larkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for controlling an electrically controlled pressure relief valve may use a soft position control loop to control the position of the valve. A pressure relief valve may also include a modified orifice shape to improve stability, to uniformly distribute the effective bandwidth over the valve operating range, and to provide a tunable default mode.
Claims17
A method of controlling a pressure output of an electrically controlled pressure relief valve, said method comprising:
- obtaining a target position of said valve;
- determining an actual position of said valve;
- generating a proportional feedback term that is proportional to a difference between said actual valve position and said target valve position;
- generating a valve control signal based on, at least in part, said proportional feedback term, said valve control signal indicative of a force to be applied to said electrically controlled pressure relief to move said electrically controlled pressure relief valve from said actual position toward said target position such that said force to be applied to said electrically controlled pressure relief valve simulates a spring force;
- and
- applying said force to said electrically controlled pressure relief valve in response to said valve control signal such that said electrically controlled pressure relief valve provides a linear pressure output in response to a plurality of flow inputs.
3 more elements
A soft position controller for use in controlling an electrically controlled pressure relief valve, said soft position controller comprising:
- circuitry configured to obtain a target position of said valve, determine an actual position of said valve, generate a proportional feedback term that is proportional to a difference between said actual valve position and said target valve position, and generate a valve control signal based on, at least in part, said proportional feedback term indicative of a force to be applied to a valve piston of said electrically controlled pressure relief valve to move said valve piston from said actual position towards said target position, wherein said valve control signal is configured to move said electrically controlled pressure relief valve to said target position such that said force simulates a spring force, wherein said electrically controlled pressure relief valve provides a defined linear pressure output in response to a plurality of flow inputs.
A valve control system comprising:
- a pressure relief valve configured to receive an input fluid flow and providing an output pressure;
- an actuator configured to actuate said pressure relief valve by applying a force to a valve piston of said pressure relief valve;
- and
- a soft position controller configured to obtain a target position of said valve, determine an actual position of said valve, generate a proportional feedback term that is proportional to a difference between said actual valve position and said target valve position, and generate a valve control signal based on, at least in part, said proportional feedback term indicative of said force to be applied to said valve piston to move said valve piston from said actual position to said target position, wherein said valve control signal is configured to move said electrically controlled pressure relief valve to said target position such that said force simulates a spring force, wherein said electrically controlled pressure relief valve provides a defined linear pressure output in response to a plurality of flow inputs.
1 more element
A pressure relief valve comprising:
- a valve piston configured to move in response to a pressure;
- a valve cylinder receiving said valve piston, wherein said valve cylinder defines at least one valve orifice and movement of said valve piston within said valve cylinder opens and closes said valve orifice, said valve orifice being shaped such that an orifice area changes evenly relative to said orifice area at a given operating point;
- a spring biasing said piston toward a closed position wherein said piston closes said valve orifice
- an actuator configured to actuate said pressure relief valve by applying a force to said valve piston;
- and
- a soft position controller configured to obtain a target position of said valve, determine an actual position of said valve, generate a proportional feedback term that is proportional to a difference between said actual valve position and said target valve position, and generate a valve control signal based on, at least in part, said proportional feedback term, indicative of said force to be applied to said valve piston to move said valve piston from said actual position to said target position such that said force simulates a spring force, wherein said electrically controlled pressure relief valve provides a defined substantially linear pressure output in response to a plurality of flow inputs.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.