Valve arrangement and method for operating a valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8944099-B2
Application number	US-201113325409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2011
Priority date	Dec 17, 2010
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

A valve arrangement is provided, ( 1 ) comprising: a valve ( 2 ) for controlling a flow of heating or cooling fluid through a heat exchanger, an actuator ( 12 ) for actuating said valve ( 2 ), control means ( 15 ) for controlling said actuator ( 12 ), a first temperature sensor ( 18 ) connected to said control means ( 15 ), a thermal resistance between the first temperature sensor ( 18 ) and the valve ( 2 ) being greater than a thermal resistance between the second temperature sensor ( 19 ) and the valve ( 2 ). It is intended to improve control of the valve. To this end the first temperature sensor ( 18 ) and the second temperature sensor ( 19 ) are part of detector means detecting a closing condition of the valve ( 2 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve arrangement comprising: a valve for controlling a flow of heating or cooling fluid through a heat exchanger, an actuator for actuating said valve, control means for controlling said actuator, a first temperature sensor connected to said control means, and a second temperature sensor connected to said control means, a thermal resistance between the first temperature sensor and the valve being greater than a thermal resistance between the second temperature sensor and the valve, wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are part of detector means detecting a closing condition of the valve based on temperatures sensed by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.

2. The valve arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is an electric stepping motor, wherein in a detection phase the valve is opened step-wise starting from a starting point in which the valve is closed, the control means detecting and storing the number of a step at which the valve starts to open.

3. The valve arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein said actuator is actuated by a group of steps and said control means comprises a timer means defining a pause between successive groups of steps.

4. The valve arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein said control means comprises a heat source condition input and performs the detection phase only when the heat source condition input indicates that the heat source is active.

5. The valve arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said control means comprises an output indicating a closing condition of said valve.

6. The valve arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein in a monitoring phase the control means drives said valve in a closing state and monitors with the help of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor whether said valve is closed.

7. The valve arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the second temperature sensor is arranged on a support element, said support element extending parallel to an actuating axis of the actuator and protruding over the actuator in a direction towards the valve.

8. The valve arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are offset in circumferential direction in relation to said actuation axis.

9. The valve arrangement according claim 7 , wherein said support element is part of a thermostatic valve head, said thermostatic valve head having fixing means for fixing said thermostatic valve head to the valve, wherein the second temperature sensor is positioned adjacent to said fixing means.

10. A method for operating a valve, said valve controlling a flow of heating or cooling fluid through a heat exchanger and being activated by an actuator wherein a first temperature is detected in a pre-determined first position relative to the valve and a second temperature is detected at a predetermined second position relative to the valve, a thermal resistance between the second position and the valve being smaller than a thermal resistance between the first position and the valve, wherein the first temperature and the second temperature are compared with each other and a closing condition of the valve is detected based on the comparison of the first temperature and the second temperature.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein in a detection phase the valve is opened stepwise starting from a starting point in which the valve is closed, and the number of the step in which the valve opens is stored as opening in-formation.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein after a group of steps the opening of the valve is interrupted for a predetermined time period and the first temperature and the second temperature are compared at the end of said time period.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the detecting phase is performed only when a heat source supplying the heating or cooling fluid is active.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein in a monitoring phase the valve is driven in a closing state and it is monitored whether the valve is closed by comparing the first temperature and the second temperature.

Assignees

• Nielsen Peter Gammeljord
• Munch Lars
• Gregersen Niels
• Frederiksen Bjarne
• Danfoss As

Inventors

• Nielsen Peter Gammeljord
• Munch Lars
• Gregersen Niels
• Frederiksen Bjarne

Classifications

• F24D19/0007

  Comprising regulation means · CPC title

• G05D23/1931 Primary

  to control the temperature of one space · CPC title

• F16K37/0041

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/0324

  With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid · CPC title

• F24D2220/0271

  Valves · CPC title