Fluid control measuring and controlling device

• US 10,175,669 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Best Technology Inc
• Original Assignee: Best Technology Inc
• Inventors: Karamanos, John C., Willke, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Hung H
• Application Number:
  US15/146,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20160245541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/30 Velocity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for measuring and controlling fluid flow comprises an orifice plate defining a variable opening, wherein the orifice plate includes an outer assembly comprising a central opening and an inner assembly extending through the central opening. Another embodiment comprises a plurality of blades disposed parallel to each other, wherein the blades are pivotable along its longitudinal axis and include at least one low-flow blade or partial blade and a plurality of high-flow blades The flow device regulates high and very low volumes of fluid with precision, inexpensively, with superior acoustics, reduced energy, a simpler design, and prevents building infiltration. The high turndown device permits use at lower velocities, thereby reducing noise generation and eliminating need for sound-attenuating liners. The high rangeability device combines several part numbers into fewer parts, thereby streamlining product portfolios. Cost benefits associated with the flow device allow equipment to be scaled back 100:1 rather than legacy 4:1, providing energy savings, fewer product variations, simple and more robust applications. The device meets new and old building fresh air, comfort and energy codes. The flow device can be engineered, selected, and sized without sophisticated software programs.

Claims

1. A damper apparatus for fluid flow through a flow pathway along a flow axis, comprising:

a plurality of blades

wherein each of the blades extends from a first end to a second end along an associated longitudinal axis, and in a direction transverse to its associated longitudinal axis, between two lateral edges,

wherein the blades are disposed in a support structure extending about the flow pathway and having an inward facing surface within which the longitudinal axes extend, whereby;

i. the respective longitudinal axes are parallel to each other, and

ii. the blades are pivotable about their respective longitudinal axes between closed angular orientations where at least a portion of the lateral edges of adjacent blades overlap and are adjacent, and open angular orientations offset from the closed angular orientations, and

wherein the blades include a plurality of high-fluid-flow blades including at least one high fluid-flow blade having at least a portion of a lateral edge matching in shape and opposite a corresponding portion of the inward facing surface of the support structure,

wherein the at least one high fluid-flow blade is pivotable at angle Φ

about its longitudinal axis from Φ

=0 at the closed orientation thereby blocking fluid flow past at least the portion of the lateral edge of the at least one high fluid-flow blade opposite the corresponding matching-in-shape portion of the inward facing surface of the support structure, to an open position angularly offset therefrom, and

wherein the blades include at least one low fluid-flow blade having at least a portion of a lateral edge adjacent to and opposite a corresponding portion of another one of the blades, wherein the at least one low fluid-flow blade is pivotable about its longitudinal axis by an angle θ

with respect to the angular orientation of the another one of the blades from θ

=0 at the closed orientation with Φ

=0 thereby blocking fluid flow between the lateral edges thereof, to an open position angularly offset therefrom;

a first actuator assembly connected to the at least one low fluid-flow blade for controlling angular orientation of each of the at least one low fluid-flow blade about its longitudinal axis; and

a second actuator assembly connected to the plurality of high fluid-flow blades for controlling angular orientation of each of the high fluid-flow blades about their respective longitudinal axes,

wherein, in a closed loop manner, based on a determined fluid pressure differential across the blades and determined angular orientations the blades,

the first actuator and second actuator are adapted to effect independent pivotal motion of the at least one low fluid-flow blade and pivotal motion of the plurality of high fluid-flow blades, thereby effecting independent control of θ and

Φ

over all θ and

Φ

, whereby, when starting from θ

=0 and Φ

=0, and initially increasing θ

followed by increasing Φ

, a coefficient for flow along the flow pathway between adjacent lateral edges of a low flow blade and an adjacent one of the blades is a function of sin θ

, a coefficient for flow along the flow pathway between the lateral edge of the at least one high flow blade opposite the inward facing surface and the inward facing surface, is 1−

cos Φ

.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a controller in operative communication with the first actuator and second actuator, wherein the controller executes instructions for controlling angular orientation of the blades.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, further comprising

a first pressure sensor disposed upstream of the blades and a second pressure sensor disposed downstream of the blades,

wherein the first pressure sensor provides pressure information representative of fluid pressure upstream of the damper to the controller, and

the second pressure sensor provides pressure information representative of fluid pressure downstream of the damper to the controller, and

wherein the controller determines a pressure differential from the pressure information.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, further comprising a CO₂ sensor in communication with the controller,

wherein the CO₂ sensor provides CO₂ information representative of CO₂ concentration of CO₂ in a zone downstream of the damper.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, further comprising a mobile smart device in wireless communication with the controller,

wherein the mobile smart device enables communication with the controller by a user.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, further comprising a memory in operative communication with the controller, wherein the memory stores instructions for determination of fluid flow along the fluid pathway as a function of the orientation of the blades and the pressure differential.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, further comprising a controllable fan disposed along the flow pathway upstream of the damper, for generating fluid flow from the fan to the damper, wherein the fan is in operative communication with the controller for adjusting fan output.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a housing that defines the fluid flow pathway, wherein the housing encloses the plurality of blades.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the blades provide for a flow control range of greater than a 4:

1 ratio of high fluid-flow rate to low fluid-flow rate.

10. A method for adjusting variable aperture of a damper disposed along a fluid flow path, wherein the damper has a plurality of blades,

wherein each of the blades extends from a first end to a second end along an associated longitudinal axis, and in a direction transverse to its associated longitudinal axis, between two lateral edges, and

wherein the blades are disposed in a support structure defining an inward facing wall extending about the flow path, whereby:

i. the respective longitudinal axes are parallel to each other, and co-planar, and

ii. the blades are pivotable about their respective longitudinal axes between closed angular orientations where the lateral edges of adjacent blades overlap and are adjacent, and open angular orientations offset from the closed angular orientations, and

wherein the blades include a plurality of high fluid-flow blades including at least one high fluid-flow blade having at least a portion of one lateral edge matching in shape and opposite a corresponding portion of the inward facing surface of the support structure, and wherein each of the high fluid-flow blades is disposed with another one of its lateral edges opposite to an edge of at least one other blade, and

wherein the at least one high fluid-flow blade is pivotable at angle Φ

about its longitudinal axis from Φ

=0 at the closed orientations thereby blocking fluid flow between at least the matching-in-shape portion of the one lateral edge of the at least one high fluid-flow blade and the corresponding matching-in-shape portion of the inward facing surface of the support structure, to an open position angularly offset therefrom, and

wherein the blades include blades at least one low fluid-flow blade having at least a portion of a lateral edge adjacent to and opposite a corresponding portion of another one of the blades, wherein the at least one low fluid-flow blade is pivotable about its longitudinal axis by an angle θ

with respect to the angular orientation of an adjacent one of the blades, from θ

=0 at the closed orientation with Φ

=0 thereby blocking fluid flow between the lateral edges thereof, to an open position angularly offset therefrom;

wherein each of the blades is coupled to an actuator assembly adapted to effect actuator-driven pivotal motion about their respective longitudinal axes between the closed angular orientations and the open angular orientations in response to applied drive signals,

wherein the actuator assembly includes a first actuator connected to a low fluid-flow rate fraction of the plurality of blades, and a second actuator connected to a high fluid-flow rate fraction of the plurality of blades,

comprising the steps of;

in a closed loop manner, based on a determined fluid pressure differential across the blades and determined angular orientations the blades,

applying drive signals to the first actuator of, and the second actuator of, the actuator assembly to effect independently adjusting one or both of;

angular orientations θ

of the low fluid-flow rate fraction of the plurality of blades to achieve a low fluid-flow rate through the low fluid-flow rate fraction of the plurality of blades of the damper by the first actuator; and

angular orientations Φ

of the high fluid-flow rate fraction the remaining blades to achieve a high fluid-flow rate through the high fluid-flow rate fraction of the remaining blades of the damper by the second actuator,

thereby effecting independent control of θ and

Φ

over all θ and

Φ

,

whereby, when starting from θ

=0 and Φ

=0 and initially increasing θ

followed by increasing Φ

, a flow coefficient for fluid flow past the plurality of high fluid-flow blades and at least one low fluid-flow blade is a function of sin θ and

1−

cos Φ

,

wherein inter-blade spaces define the variable aperture.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving a signal representative of a temperature of a fluid within a zone downstream of the damper.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving a signal representative of CO₂ concentration of a fluid within a zone downstream of the damper.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of, for a desired temperature of the zone downstream of the damper, in response to the received signal representative of a temperature, generating a fan control signal for application to a fan coupled to and upstream of the damper for minimizing a fan speed to effect a predetermined temperature in a zone downstream of the damper.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of conditioning fluid flowing from the upstream fan and through the damper, by passing the fluid through a thermal transfer device after exiting the fan and prior to passage through the damper.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the steps of adjusting the orientation of the respective blades provides for a flow control range of greater than about a 4:

1 ratio of high fluid-flow rate to low fluid-flow rate.

38. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining a pressure differential between an inlet and an outlet of the damper;

determining the angular orientations of the blades of the damper; and

,

based on the determined pressure differential and the determined angular orientation of the blades of the damper, determining fluid flow rate through the damper.

16. A damper apparatus for fluid flow through a fluid pathway, comprising:

a damper assembly positioned within the flow pathway and defining a variable opening for receiving fluid flow therethrough,

wherein the damper assembly comprises;

a plurality of blades,

wherein each of the blades extends from a first end to a second end along an associated longitudinal axis, and in a direction transverse to its associated longitudinal axis, between two lateral edges, and

wherein the blades are disposed in a support structure defining an inward facing wall extending about the flow path, whereby;

i. the respective longitudinal axes parallel to each other, and

ii. the blades are pivotable about their respective longitudinal axes between closed angular orientations where the lateral edges of adjacent blades overlap and are adjacent, and open angular orientations angularly offset from the closed orientations,

wherein the blades include a plurality of high fluid-flow blade including at least one high fluid-flow blade having at least a portion of one lateral edge matching in shape and opposite a corresponding portion of the inward facing surface of the support structure, and wherein each of the high fluid-flow blades is disposed with another one of its lateral edges opposite to an edge of at least one other blade, and

wherein the at least one high fluid-flow blade is pivotable at angle Φ

about its longitudinal axis from Φ

=0 at the closed orientations thereby blocking fluid flow between at least the matching-in-shape portion of the one lateral edge of the at least one high fluid-flow blade and the corresponding matching-in-shape portion of the inward facing surface of the support structure, to an open position angularly offset therefrom, and

wherein the blades include at least one low fluid-flow blade having at least a portion of a lateral edge adjacent to and opposite a corresponding portion of another one of the blades, wherein the at least one low fluid-flow blade is pivotable about its longitudinal axis by an angle θ

with respect to the angular orientation of the another one of the blades, and from θ

=0 at the closed orientation with Φ

=0 thereby blocking fluid flow between the lateral edges thereof, to an open position angularly offset therefrom;

an actuator assembly connected to the blades for determining angular orientation of the blades about their respective longitudinal axes, wherein the actuator assembly includes a first actuator connected to a low fluid-flow rate fraction of the plurality of blades, and a second actuator connected to a high fluid-flow rate fraction of the plurality of blades, and adapted to provide blade angular position information representative of respective angular positions of the blades;

a pressure sensor assembly disposed in the flow pathway and providing pressure information representative of differential fluid pressure in the flow pathway across the damper; and

a controller in operative communication with the actuator assembly and the pressure sensor assembly,

wherein the controller is responsive to the blade angular position information and the pressure information in a closed loop manner, to;

i. effect independent control of θ and

Φ

over all θ and

Φ

, by directing the first actuator to control the angular orientation of a low fluid-flow rate fraction of the plurality of blades of the blades between a low fluid-flow position and high fluid-flow position, and independently directing the second actuator to control the angular orientation of a low fluid-flow rate fraction of the plurality of blades of the blades between a low fluid-flow position and high fluid-flow position, to effect a fluid flow through the damper assembly,

whereby, when starting from θ

=0 and Φ

=0 and initially increasing θ

followed by increasing Φ

, a flow coefficient for fluid flow past the at least one of the plurality of high fluid-flow blades and at least one low fluid-flow blade is a function of sin θ and

1−

cos Φ

, and

ii. determine flow rate through the damper assembly based on the pressure information received from the pressure assembly, and information representative of the angular orientation of the blades received from the first actuator and the second actuator.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising

a memory in operative communication with the controller, wherein the memory stores instructions for the determination of fluid flow rate as a function of the orientation of the blades and pressure differential.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising

an adjustable fan disposed along the flow pathway upstream of the damper, for generating fluid flow from the fan to the damper, wherein the fan is in operative communication with the controller for adjusting a speed of the fan.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

a housing that defines the fluid flow pathway, wherein the housing encloses the plurality of blades; and

a thermal transfer unit disposed within the housing upstream of the plurality of blades.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising a CO₂ sensor in communication with the controller, wherein the CO₂ sensor provides CO₂ information representative of CO₂ concentration of CO₂ in a zone downstream of the damper.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising a room sensor/thermostat in a zone downstream from the damper, and adapted to provide to the controller:

i. an actual temperature signal representative of an actual temperature of the zone;

ii. a desired temperature signal representative of a desired temperature for the zone; and

wherein the controller is responsive to the actual temperature signal and the desired temperature signal to control the orientations of the plurality of blades whereby the desired temperature is attained in the zone.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the blades provide for a flow control range of greater than about a 4:

1 ratio of high-flow rate to low-flow rate.

39. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the sensor pressure assembly includes:

a first pressure sensor disposed in the flow pathway upstream of the damper assembly and providing pressure information representative of fluid pressure in the pathway of the damper, to the controller;

a second pressure sensor disposed in the flow pathway downstream of the damper assembly and providing pressure information representative of fluid pressure in the pathway of the damper, to the controller; and

wherein the controller is responsive to the received pressure information to determine the pressure differential across the damper.

40. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the sensor pressure assembly includes a single pressure sensor in the flow pathway in the damper, wherein the pressure sensor is adapted to determine as the pressure information in the pathway of the damper, and

wherein the controller is responsive to the received pressure information to determine the pressure differential across the damper.

23. A damper apparatus for fluid flow through a flow pathway, comprising:

a plurality of blades,

wherein each of the blades extends from a first end to a second end along an associated longitudinal axis, and in a direction transverse to its associated longitudinal axis, between two lateral edges, and

wherein the blades are disposed in a support structure defining an inward facing surface extending about the flow path, whereby;

i. the respective longitudinal axes parallel to each other, and

ii. the blades are pivotable about their respective longitudinal axes between closed angular orientations where the lateral edges of adjacent blades overlap and are adjacent, and open angular orientations angularly offset from the closed orientations,

wherein the blades include a plurality of high fluid-flow blades including at least one high fluid-flow blade having at least a portion of a lateral edge matching in shape and opposite a corresponding portion of the inward facing surface of the support structure,

wherein the at least one high fluid-flow blade is pivotable at angle Φ

about its longitudinal axis from Φ

=0 at the closed orientation thereby blocking fluid flow between at least the matching-in-shape portion of the lateral edge of the at least one high fluid-flow blade and the corresponding matching-in-shape portion of the inward facing surface of the support structure, to an open position angularly offset therefrom, and

wherein the blades include at least one low fluid-flow blade having at least a portion of a lateral edge adjacent to and opposite a corresponding portion of another one of the blades, wherein the at least one low fluid-flow blade is pivotable about its longitudinal axis by an angle θ

with respect to the angular orientation of the another one of the blades, from θ

=0 at the closed orientation, blocking fluid flow between the portion the lateral edges thereof, to an open position angularly offset therefrom; and

an actuator assembly including a first actuator connected to the at least one low fluid-flow blade and including a second actuator connected to the plurality of high fluid-flow blades, for independently controlling the angular orientation of the at least one low fluid-flow blade and the high fluid-flow blades about their respective longitudinal axes, thereby effecting independent control of θ and

Φ

over all θ and

Φ

,

a controller in operative communication with the actuator assembly, wherein the controller executes instructions for controlling the orientation of the blades in a closed loop manner, based on a determined fluid pressure differential across the blades and determined angular orientations the blades whereby;

when the first actuator opens the blades from a closed orientation, the at least one low fluid-flow blade is opened to establish a low flow rate fluid flow path adjacent to the at least one low fluid-flow blade characterized by a flow coefficient which is a function of sin θ

, before the second actuator opens the high fluid-flow blades to establish at least one high flow rate fluid flow path between the lateral edge matching in shape and opposite the corresponding portion of the inward facing surface and the portion of the lateral edge of the one end high fluid-flow blade, characterized by a flow coefficient which is a function of 1−

cos Φ

.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the configuration to open the at least one low flow blade before opening the high flow blades comprises a gearing assembly.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the configuration to open the at least one low flow blade before opening the high flow blades comprises a cable assembly.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the configuration to open the at least one low flow blade before opening the high flow blades comprises an arrangement of cranks and linear operators.

27. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the configuration to open the at least one low flow blade before opening the high flow blades comprises

an arrangement of cam races and cam followers.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising

A. a first pressure sensor disposed upstream of the blades and

B. a second pressure sensor disposed downstream of the blades,

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor provide pressure information to the controller, and

wherein the controller determines a pressure differential from the pressure information.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising a CO₂ sensor in communication with the controller,

wherein the CO₂ sensor provides CO₂ information representative of CO₂ concentration of a fluid within the damper.

30. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising a mobile smart device in wireless communication with the controller,

wherein the mobile smart device enables communication with the controller by a user.

31. The apparatus as recited in claim 28, further comprising a memory in operative communication with the controller, wherein the memory stores instructions for determination of rate of fluid flow along the fluid pathway as a function of the orientation of the blades and pressure differential across the blades determined from the pressure information.

32. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising an adjustable fan disposed along the flow pathway upstream of the damper, for generating fluid flow from the fan to the damper, wherein the fan is in operative communication with the controller for adjusting a speed of the fan.

33. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising

a housing that defines the fluid flow pathway, wherein the housing encloses the plurality of blades;

and

a thermal transfer unit disposed within the housing upstream of the plurality of blades.

34. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the blades provide for a flow control range of greater than about a 4:

1 ratio of high fluid-flow rate to low fluid-flow rate.

35. A method for preventing infiltration by outside air, into an n-floor, four-faced building, where n is an integer greater than two, comprising the steps of:

A. affixing a pressure sensor/transducer assembly near the center of each face on a floor building, wherein each sensor/transducer assembly is in communication with an associated point near and exterior to its associated face and an associated point near and interior to its associated face and is adapted to determine a differential pressure Δ

p across its associated points of its associated face

B. continuously interrogating the pressure sensors to determine the then-current differential pressures associated with the respective sensor/transducer assemblies,

C. pursuant to the interrogating, measuring a change in pressure Δ

p for each of the respective sensor/transducer assemblies,

D. for the respective sensor/transducer assemblies, for a succession of sample times, determining Δ

_min=the absolute lowest of the measured Δ

p'"'"'s, Δ

₂=the next-to-lowest of the measured Δ

p'"'"'s, and Δ

_max=the highest of the measured Δ

p'"'"'s, on the side opposite the side having the lowest Δ

p;

E. for each sample time, and for the sensor/transducer;

i. calculating x=(Δ

₂−

Δ

_min)/(Δ

_min−

Δ

_min) ε

[0,1];

ii. applying a correction factor K(x)=0.27938343(1−

x^1.8184499)^2.3339486 [approximately equal to 0.2794 (1.002−

0.1007x−

3.0279x²+2.1313x³)] to Δ

=Δ

_min−

K(x)(Δ

_max−

Δ

_min) which corresponds to an estimate of the interior pressure relative to the exterior point of greatest wind impact; and

F. adjusting relief dampers associated with the floor, to maintain Δ

≥

0.05 in. w.c.

36. The method of claim 35, comprising the further step of, incrementing the relief damper with smallest flow while Δ

>

0.05 in. w.c., and decrementing the relief damper with greatest flow while Δ

<

0.05 in. w.c.

37. A method for measuring fluid flow through a damper having a plurality of blades traversing a fluid flow path through the damper, wherein the blades define a variable opening between an inlet and an outlet along the fluid flow path,

wherein the blades are disposed within a support structure extending about the fluid flow path and having an inward facing surface within which the blades extend, and wherein each of the blades extends along an associated longitudinal axis traversing the fluid flow path, and wherein the longitudinal axes for the blades are parallel, and

wherein at least one of the blades includes a lateral edge matching in shape and opposite the inward facing surface, and is selectively pivotal about its longitudinal axis an angular orientation at angle Φ

, from a closed position at Φ

=0 wherein the at least one blade blocks fluid flow past its matching in shape lateral edge and the opposite matching-in-shape portion of the inward facing surface, and an open position angularly offset therefrom, and

wherein at least another of the blades includes a lateral edge matching in shape and opposite a portion of a lateral edge of an adjacent blade, and is selectively pivotal about its longitudinal axis at an angular orientation at angle θ

between the another blade and the adjacent blade, from a closed position at θ

=0 wherein the another blade blocks fluid flow past its matching in shape lateral edge and the opposite portion of the lateral edge of the adjacent blade, and an open position angularly offset therefrom,

wherein the damper is characterized by independent control of θ and

Φ

over all θ and

Φ

, and

whereby, when starting from θ

=0 and Φ

=0 and initially increasing θ

followed by increasing Φ

, a flow coefficient for fluid flow past the at least the one blade and the another blade is a function of sin θ and

1−

cos Φ

,

comprising the steps of;

A. determining a fluid pressure differential along the fluid flow path between an inlet of the damper and an outlet of the damper;

B. determining the angular orientations of the blades; and

C. using the determined fluid pressure differential and angular orientations of the damper blades in a closed loop manner to adjust the variable opening and determine fluid flow rate along the fluid flow path.