Electrically actuated valve for control of instantaneous pressure drop and cyclic durations of flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435458-B2
Application number	US-201213410589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2012
Priority date	Mar 7, 2011
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

An electric solenoid valve, methods for operating and/or actuating the solenoid valve, valve system diagnostics, and applications for use are described. The valve may be designed to actuate in a manner so as to control liquid flow into and/or through a device, such as a spray nozzle. By altering the characteristics of the electrical signal transmitted to the solenoid valve, the instantaneous pressure across the valve and duration of fluid flow through the valve can be controlled with a single actuator. Controlled cyclic durations of flow may be implemented to regulate the exact timing of flow through the valve. Alternatively, cyclic durations may occur with a pulse-width modulation technique in which the duty cycle regulates average flow rate through the valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling the flow of fluid through a device, the system comprising:
a valve comprising:
a guide defining a valve inlet configured to receive fluid and a valve outlet configured to expel fluid;
a solenoid coil disposed around the guide; and
a poppet moveable within the guide between a sealed position, wherein the poppet is sealed against a portion of one of the valve outlet and the valve inlet, and a second position, wherein the poppet is spaced from the one of the valve outlet and the valve inlet, the poppet moveable a total stroke between the sealed position and the second position, wherein the solenoid coil is configured to apply a force against the poppet when current is supplied to the solenoid coil to displace the poppet; and

a controller in communication with the valve, the controller being configured to control a supply of current to the solenoid coil to displace the poppet a distance from the sealed position to a throttling position intermediate the sealed position and the second position and to maintain the poppet at the throttling position, the distance being less than the total stroke of the poppet, wherein the controller is configured to control the distance the poppet is displaced based on at least one of a sensed inlet pressure and a sensed outlet pressure,
wherein the valve inlet and the valve outlet are generally aligned along an axis of movement of the poppet.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the poppet is sealed against a portion of the valve inlet when at the sealed position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance is equal to less than 60% of the total stroke of the poppet.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the supply of current to the solenoid coil such that, when the poppet is moved to the throttling position, an outlet pressure of the valve is controlled.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the poppet displacement between the sealed position and the throttling position corresponds to a pulse, the controller being configured to control a duration of the pulse of the poppet in order to control a quantity of flow through the valve.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the poppet and the guide includes a tapered portion at or adjacent to the valve inlet, the tapered portion defining a taper angle.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the taper angle ranges from about 25 degrees to about 45 degrees.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second position is a closed position in which the poppet is disposed against the valve outlet, the system further comprising a spring coupled between the poppet and the guide, the spring being configured to move the poppet into the closed position when the current is removed from the solenoid coil.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the supply of current to the solenoid coil such that the poppet is cyclically pulsed between the sealed position and the throttling position according to a predetermined duty cycle.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the valve is mounted to or integrated within a spray nozzle so as to form a nozzle assembly.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the nozzle assembly is installed on a spray boom.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the nozzle assembly is configured for use with a plant precursor spraying system.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the nozzle assembly is configured for use with a plant canopy sensing and spray system.

14. A valve comprising:
a guide defining a valve inlet configured to receive fluid and a valve outlet configured to expel fluid, the valve inlet and the valve outlet being generally aligned on an axis;
a solenoid coil disposed around the guide; and
a poppet moveable within the guide along the axis between a sealed position, wherein the poppet is sealed against a portion of one of the valve outlet and the valve inlet, and a second position, wherein the poppet is spaced from the one of the valve outlet and the valve inlet, the poppet moveable a total stroke between the sealed position and the second position,
wherein the solenoid coil is configured to apply a force against the poppet when current is supplied to the solenoid coil to displace the poppet a distance from the sealed position to a throttling position intermediate the sealed position and the second position, the distance being less than the total stroke of the poppet, the current supplied to the solenoid coil being controlled based on at least one of a sensed inlet pressure and a sensed outlet pressure such that the force acting on the poppet by the solenoid coil displaces the poppet the distance from the sealed position to the throttling position and maintains the poppet at the throttling position.

15. The valve of claim 14 , wherein the poppet is sealed against a portion of the valve inlet when at the sealed position.

16. The valve of claim 14 , wherein the distance is equal to less than 60% of a total stroke of the poppet.

17. The valve of claim 14 , wherein, the current supplied to the solenoid coil is controlled such that, when the poppet is moved to the throttling position, the outlet pressure of the valve is controlled.

18. The valve of claim 14 , wherein the poppet displacement between the sealed position and the throttling position corresponds to a pulse, a duration of the pulse of the poppet being controlled in order to control a quantity of flow through the valve.

19. The valve of claim 14 , wherein the second position is a closed position in which the poppet is disposed against the valve outlet, the valve further comprising a spring coupled between the poppet and the guide, the spring being configured to move the poppet into the closed position when the current is removed from the solenoid coil.

20. The valve of claim 14 , wherein the supply of current to the solenoid coil is controlled such that the poppet is cyclically pulsed between the sealed position and the throttling position according to a predetermined duty cycle.

21. The valve of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the poppet and the guide includes a tapered portion at or adjacent to the valve inlet, the tapered portion defining a taper angle.

22. The valve of claim 21 , wherein the taper angle ranges from about 25 degrees to about 45 degrees.

23. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the second position is a closed position in which the poppet is disposed against the valve outlet, wherein fluid flow through the valve biases the poppet towards the closed position.

24. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the distance based on a desired outlet pressure.

25. The system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of poppet displacements is determined based on a plurality of desired outlet pressures.

26. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller receives an input associated with the inlet pressure of the fluid supplied to the valve.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the controller determines the distance based on the inlet pressure to obtain a desired pressure drop across the valve.

Assignees

• Needham Duane
• Holtz Andrew J
• Capstan Ag Systems Inc

Inventors

• Needham Duane
• Holtz Andrew J

Classifications

• Y10T137/86413

  Self-cycling · CPC title

• B05B12/085

  responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged (B05B1/3006, B05B1/323 take precedence; spray pistols designed to control volume of flow with the controlling means being fluid actuated B05B7/1254) · CPC title

• F16K31/0627

  with movable valve member positioned between seats · CPC title

• F16K31/0658

  Armature and valve member being one single element · CPC title

• A01G25/16 Primary

  Control of watering · CPC title