Dead band reduction in electronically controlled valves
AssigneeEnfield Technologies, LLC
InventorDaniel S. Cook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus includes dead band reduction circuitry. The dead band reduction circuitry includes an input configured to receive an input signal and an output configured to provide an output signal. The dead band circuitry is configured to apply compensation to the input signal to create the output signal. The output is configured to be coupled to an electronically controlled valve. The valve is configured to use the output signal to control movement of a valve member in the valve. The valve member includes one or more lands that overlaps an associated one or more openings. The one or more lands are sized relative to an associated one or more openings such that a dead band is caused. The compensation is defined to reduce the dead band.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- receiving, at input circuitry, an input signal;
- multiplying the input signal by a first gain to generate a first modified signal;
- determining whether the first modified signal is within a range positioned around zero and in response to the first modified signal being within the range around zero, zeroing the first modified signal to generate a second modified signal;
- generating an intermediate signal, where the sign of the intermediate signal is based at least in part on the input signal;
- adding the intermediate signal to the second modified signal to create an output signal;
- and
- outputting, at output circuitry, the output signal, wherein the output signal is configured to be applied to a voice coil of an electronically controlled valve and the electronically controlled valve is configured to use the output signal to control movement of a valve member in the electronically controlled valve, the valve member including at least one land that overlaps an associated at least one opening, and wherein the at least one land is larger than an associated at least one opening such that a dead band is caused, and wherein the output signal is defined to reduce the dead band.
An apparatus comprising:
- an input configured to receive an input signal;
- a first gain module configured to multiply the input signal by a first gain to generate a first modified signal;
- a dead band module configured to determine whether the first modified signal is within a range positioned around zero and in response to the first modified signal being within the range around zero, to zero the first modified signal to generate a second modified signal;
- an signum function module configured to generating an intermediate signal, where the sign of the intermediate signal is based at least in part on the input signal;
- an adder configured to adding the intermediate signal to the second modified signal to create an output signal;
- and
- an output configured to provide an output signal, wherein the output signal is further configured to be applied to a voice coil of an electronically controlled valve the electronically controlled valve is configured to use the output signal to control movement of a valve member in the electronically controlled valve, the valve member including at least one land that overlaps an associated at least one opening, and the at least one land is larger than an associated at least one opening such that a dead band is caused, and wherein the output is defined to reduce the dead band.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodied with program instructions, execution of the program instructions by a processor resulting in operations comprising:
- receiving an input signal;
- multiplying the input signal by a first gain to generate a first modified signal;
- determining whether the first modified signal is within a range positioned around zero and in response to the first modified signal being within the range around zero, zeroing the first modified signal to generate a second modified signal;
- generating an intermediate signal, where the sign of the intermediate signal is based at least in part on the input signal;
- adding the intermediate signal to the second modified signal to create an output signal;
- and
- outputting the output signal, wherein the output signal is configured to be applied to a voice coil of an electronically controlled valve, the electronically controlled valve is configured to use the output signal to control movement of a valve member in the electronically controlled valve, the valve member including at least one land that overlaps an associated at least one opening, and wherein the at least one land is larger than an associated at least one opening such that a dead band is caused, and wherein the output signal is defined to reduce the dead band.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.