Discrete valve flow rate converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11022985-B2
Application number	US-201514969723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Dec 16, 2011
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A discrete valve flow rate converter is provided to obtain a system flow through a valve in a dynamic hydronic pumping system, e.g., based on signaling containing information about the valve's differential pressure and the valve's hydronic characteristics calibration data. The discrete valve flow rate converter resolves the valve system flow rate directly and accurately with the valve's open position and the corresponding valve differential pressure signals associated therewith. The discrete valve flow rate converter may be applied to all kinds of valves as long as their open position and differential pressure associated with is available, e.g., including implementations for control valve applications, e.g., where the valve open position is controlled automatically and accurately, as well as implementations either for pumping system pressure controls with the flow rate known, such as adaptive hydronic system pressure controls, or as an alternative to sensorless pump monitoring and control.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A valve flow rate measurement system comprising:
a differential pressure sensor configured to sense a sensed differential pressure measured across a valve in an open position, and provide signaling containing information about the sensed differential pressure;
a memory device configured to store system characteristics calibration data plotted as a 3-dimensional (3D) discrete distribution function of valve flow rates with respect to differential pressures across the valve at given open positions for the valve to be monitored that is previously obtained, and provide stored signaling containing information about the system characteristics calibration data and numerical interpolations corresponding to the sensed differential pressure; and
a 3D discrete valve flow rate converter having a signal processor or processing module configured at least to:
receive the signaling and the stored signaling, and
provide control signaling containing information to open and close the valve and control a discrete valve flow rate of the valve, based upon the signaling and the stored signaling received.

2. The valve flow rate measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve flow rate measurement system comprises an automatic control valve in which a given valve open position d can be controlled automatically, including where the signal processor or processing module is configured to provide the control signaling as automatic valve control signaling to control the given valve open position d of the automatic control valve.

3. The valve flow rate measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve flow rate measurement system is a pumping hydronic control system in a dynamic hydronic pumping system.

4. The valve flow rate measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the 3D discrete valve flow rate converter is configured to
respond to associated signaling containing information about both a given sensed differential pressure dP across the valve and a given valve open position d of the valve, and
provide an associated discrete valve flow rate Q by utilizing the 3D discrete distribution function to reconstruct the associated discrete value flow rate Q in terms of the given sensed differential pressure dP and the given valve open position d, based upon the system characteristic calibration data and numerical interpolations using the Equation:
g ( Q, dP, d )=0,

where g is the 3D discrete distribution function of the associated discrete valve flow rate, Q, with respect to the given sensed differential pressure dP across the valve with the given valve open position d.

5. The valve flow rate measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve flow rate measurement system comprises a mobile CPU device having the 3D discrete valve flow rate converter configured to provide the discrete value flow rate at the given open position.

6. The valve flow rate measurement system according to claim 5 , wherein the 3D discrete valve flow rate converter is configured to utilize the 3D discrete distribution function to reconstruct the discrete value system flow rate in terms of the sensed differential pressure and a given open position, based upon the system characteristic calibration data and numerical interpolations as the Equation:
g ( Q, dP, d )=0,
where g is the 3D discrete distribution function of the discrete valve flow rate, Q, with respect to the sensed differential pressure, dP, across the valve with the given open position, d.

7. The valve flow rate measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processor or processing module is configured to remap or reconstruct the discrete valve flow rate Q using the numerical interpolations by implementing a 3D numerical remapping algorithm, which may include, or take the form of, 2D interpolation or 2D Splines.

8. A method comprising:
sensing, with a differential pressure sensor, a sensed differential pressure measured across a valve in an open position, and providing signaling containing information about the sensed differential pressure;
storing, with a memory device, system characteristics calibration data plotted as a 3-dimensional (3D) discrete distribution function of valve flow rates with respect to differential pressures across the valve at given open positions for the valve to be monitored that is previously obtained, and providing stored signaling containing information about the system characteristics calibration data and numerical interpolations corresponding to the sensed differential pressure;
receiving, with a signal processor or processing module, the signaling and the stored signaling; and
providing, with the signal processor or processing module, control signaling containing information to open and close the valve and control a discrete valve flow rate of the valve, based upon the signaling and the stored signaling received.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises configuring the 3D discrete valve flow rate converter in a pumping hydronic control system.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises configuring the 3D discrete valve flow rate converter to respond to associated signaling containing information about both a given sensed differential pressure dP across the valve and a given valve open position d of the valve, and provide an associated discrete valve flow rate Q by utilizing a 3D discrete distribution function to reconstruct the associated discrete value flow rate Q in terms of the given sensed differential pressure dP and the given valve open position d, based upon the system characteristic calibration data and numerical interpolations using the Equation:
g ( Q, dP, d )=0,
where g is the 3D discrete distribution function of the associated discrete valve flow rate, Q, with respect to the given sensed differential pressure dP across the valve with the given valve open position d.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises remapping or reconstructing, with the signal processor or processing module, the discrete valve flow rate Q using the numerical interpolations by implementing a 3D numerical remapping algorithm, which may include, or take the form of, 2D interpolation or 2D Splines.

12. A hydronic pumping system comprising:
an automatic control valve configured to respond to valve control signaling, and open and close to control a discrete valve flow rate of a fluid flowing through the automatic control valve;
a differential pressure sensor configured to sense a sensed differential pressure measured across the automatic control valve, and provide signaling containing information about the sensed differential pressure;
a memory device configured to store system characteristics calibration data plotted as a 3-dimensional (3D) discrete distribution function of valve flow rates with respect to differential pressures across the automatic control valve at given open positions for the automatic control valve to be monitored that is previously obtained, and provide stored signaling containing information about the system characteristics calibration data and numerical interpolations corresponding to the sensed differential pressure; and
a 3D discrete valve flow rate converter having a signal processor or processing module configured at least to:
receive signaling and the stored signaling, and
provide the valve control signaling containing information to open or close the automatic control valve and control the discrete valve flow rate of the automatic control valve, based upon the signaling and stored received.

13. The hydronic pumping system

Assignees

• Fluid Handling Llc

Inventors

• Cheng Andrew A
• Gu James J

Classifications

• G01F1/36 Primary

  the pressure or differential pressure being created by the use of flow constriction · CPC title

• G01F25/10

  of flowmeters · CPC title

• F04B53/10

  Valves; Arrangement of valves · CPC title

• G01F15/005

  Valves (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• F04B2205/09

  Flow through the pump · CPC title