Control system and method for controlling a fluid distribution system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11630469-B2
Application number	US-202016860260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2020
Priority date	Apr 29, 2019
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A control system controls a fluid distribution system that includes consumer branches arranged in parallel. Each consumer branch includes a consumer element ( 31 ) consuming fluid and/or thermal energy, a regulating device ( 9 ) receiving a control value regulating a flow of fluid and/or thermal energy through the consumer branch, and a sensor ( 11 ) providing a measured value of the consumer branch. The control system includes a saturation calculation module ( 21 ) providing a saturation value, for each operational consumer branch, indicative of the saturation degree of the associated consumer branch, and a saturation compensation module ( 23 ) receiving the saturation values and altering a reference value. The altered reference value is based on an initial reference value and the saturation values from all consumer branches. The consumer branch regulating device, of each operational consumer branch, is controllable based on the altered reference value and the measured value of the associated consumer branch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for controlling a fluid distribution system comprising at least two consumer branches arranged in parallel to each other, wherein each of the at least two consumer branches comprises at least one consumer element for consuming fluid and/or thermal energy, at least one consumer branch regulating device configured to receive a control value for regulating a flow of fluid and/or thermal energy through the associated consumer branch, and at least one sensor for providing a measured value of the associated consumer branch, the control system comprising:
a saturation calculation module configured to provide a saturation value for each operational consumer branch, wherein the saturation value is indicative of a saturation degree of an associated consumer branch; and
a saturation compensation module configured to receive the saturation values and to alter a reference value, wherein the altered reference value is based on an initial reference value and the saturation values from the at least two consumer branches, such that the at least one consumer branch regulating device of each of the at least two consumer branches is controllable based on the altered reference value and the measured value of the associated consumer branch.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one consumer branch regulating device is a pump or a regulating valve.

3. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one sensor is a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and/or a flow sensor.

4. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the consumer branch regulating device is configured to be closed loop controlled according to the control value.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the saturation calculation module is configured to provide the saturation value for each operational consumer branch based on the measured value and/or the control value.

6. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein each saturation value is based on an accumulation of deviations between a threshold value and the control value.

7. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein a weighted sum of all saturation values represents a relative or an absolute amount, wherein the altered reference value differs from the initial reference value by said relative or said absolute amount.

8. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the saturation calculation module is configured to determine if at least one of the consumer branches is operational before providing a saturation value.

9. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the saturation calculation module comprises a consumer branch control unit at each of the consumer branches, wherein each consumer branch control unit is configured to communicate with all other consumer branch control units.

10. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the saturation compensation module comprises a consumer branch control unit at each of the consumer branches.

11. The control system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the fluid distribution system further comprises a feeder branch comprising at least one source element for providing a total flow of fluid and/or thermal energy and at least one feeder branch regulating device for regulating the total flow of fluid and/or thermal energy through the feeder branch;
a sensor is provided in the feeder branch;
the feeder branch is arranged to feed the at least two consumer branches with fluid and/or thermal energy;
the saturation compensation module is implemented in a feeder branch control unit at the feeder branch; and
the feeder branch control unit is configured to receive the saturation values from consumer branch control units at each operational consumer branch, such that the at least one feeder branch regulating device is controllable based on the altered reference value and a value measured by the sensor in the feeder branch.

12. A system comprising:
a fluid distribution system comprising at least two consumer branches arranged in parallel to each other, each of the at least two consumer branches comprising:
at least one consumer element for consuming fluid and/or thermal energy;
at least one consumer branch regulating device configured to receive a control value for regulating a flow of fluid and/or thermal energy through the associated consumer branch; and
at least one sensor for providing a measured value of the associated consumer branch; and
a control system comprising:
a saturation calculation module configured to provide a saturation value for each operational consumer branch, wherein the saturation value is indicative of a saturation degree of an associated consumer branch; and
a saturation compensation module configured to receive the saturation values and to alter a reference value, wherein the altered reference value is based on an initial reference value and the saturation values from the at least two consumer branches, such that the at least one consumer branch regulating device of each of the at least two consumer branches is controllable based on the altered reference value and the measured value of the associated consumer branch.

13. A method for controlling a fluid distribution system, the method comprising the steps of:
consuming a fluid and/or thermal energy by at least one consumer element in each of at least two consumer branches arranged in parallel to each other;
regulating a flow of fluid and/or thermal energy through each of the consumer branches by at least one consumer branch regulating device in each consumer branch based on a control value of the associated consumer branch;
providing a measured value for each consumer branch by at least one sensor in each consumer branch;
determining a saturation value for each consumer branch, wherein the saturation value is indicative of the saturation degree of the associated consumer branch;
altering a reference value, wherein the altered reference value is based on an initial reference value and the saturation values from all consumer branches; and
controlling the at least one consumer branch regulating device of each consumer branch based on the altered reference value and the measured value of the associated consumer branch.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of the consumer branch regulating devices is a pump or a valve.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of providing a measured value for each consumer branch comprises providing an absolute or differential temperature value, an absolute or differential pressure value, and/or an absolute or differential flow value.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein determining the saturation value for each consumer branch is based on the measured value and/or the control value.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of regulating the flow of fluid and/or thermal energy through each of the consumer branches comprises closed-loop controlling the associated consumer branch regulating device according to the control value.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of determining the saturation value is based on an accumulation of deviations between a threshold value and the control value.

19. The method according to claim 13 , wherein:
a weighted sum of all saturation values represents a percentage or an absolute amount; and
the altered reference value differs from the initial reference value by said percentage or said absolute amount.

20. The method according

Assignees

• Grundfos Holding As

Inventors

• Overgaard Anders
• Nielsen Brian Kongsgaard
• Kallesøe Carsten Skovmose

Classifications

• F24F11/70

  Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof · CPC title

• G05D23/1934

  each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means · CPC title

• F24D3/10

  Feed-line arrangements, e.g. providing for heat-accumulator tanks, expansion tanks {; Hydraulic components of a central heating system} · CPC title

• G05D7/0664 Primary

  the plurality of throttling means being arranged for the control of a plurality of diverging flows from a single flow (G05D7/0652 takes precedence; ratio control G05D11/13) · CPC title

• F04D15/0088

  Testing machines · CPC title