IMPULSE ANALYSIS FOR FLOW SENSOR-BASED FLUID CONTROL SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method for determining a position of a movable flow sensor element of a flow sensor in a flow control system, the flow sensor being of a type having an axially-extending flow passageway for a liquid to be delivered by the flow control system, the movable sensor element being axially movable within the flow passageway in response to a first force exerted on the sensor element by the liquid as it passes through the flow passageway and in response to a second force exerted on the sensor element in a direction opposite the first force by a spring received within the flow passageway, the sensor reaching equilibrium position within the flow passageway when the magnitudes of the first and second forces are equal, the equilibrium position corresponding to a axial position within the flow passageway which varies with varying flow rate, the flow control system being of a type having a source of fluid driving pressure for driving the fluid through the flow passageway, the flow rate being responsive to variations in the fluid driving pressure, the method comprising:
- illuminating a photosensitive pixel array with a light source, the photosensitive pixel array extending axially along the flow passageway and the sensor element disposed in an optical path between the light source and the photosensitive pixel array to generate a first set of pixel intensity values for the photosensitive pixel array, the first set of pixel intensity values representative of a first sensor element position corresponding to a first flow rate;
introducing an abrupt change in the fluid driving pressure;
illuminating the photosensitive pixel array with the light source to generate a second set of pixel intensity values for the photosensitive pixel array, the second set of pixel intensity values representative of a second sensor element position corresponding to a second flow rate;
calculating a difference between the first and second sets of pixel intensity values as a function of pixel position.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for using flow rate changes to extract additional information from an in-line flow sensor.
60 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method for determining a position of a movable flow sensor element of a flow sensor in a flow control system, the flow sensor being of a type having an axially-extending flow passageway for a liquid to be delivered by the flow control system, the movable sensor element being axially movable within the flow passageway in response to a first force exerted on the sensor element by the liquid as it passes through the flow passageway and in response to a second force exerted on the sensor element in a direction opposite the first force by a spring received within the flow passageway, the sensor reaching equilibrium position within the flow passageway when the magnitudes of the first and second forces are equal, the equilibrium position corresponding to a axial position within the flow passageway which varies with varying flow rate, the flow control system being of a type having a source of fluid driving pressure for driving the fluid through the flow passageway, the flow rate being responsive to variations in the fluid driving pressure, the method comprising:
-
illuminating a photosensitive pixel array with a light source, the photosensitive pixel array extending axially along the flow passageway and the sensor element disposed in an optical path between the light source and the photosensitive pixel array to generate a first set of pixel intensity values for the photosensitive pixel array, the first set of pixel intensity values representative of a first sensor element position corresponding to a first flow rate; introducing an abrupt change in the fluid driving pressure; illuminating the photosensitive pixel array with the light source to generate a second set of pixel intensity values for the photosensitive pixel array, the second set of pixel intensity values representative of a second sensor element position corresponding to a second flow rate; calculating a difference between the first and second sets of pixel intensity values as a function of pixel position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An optical position measurement apparatus for determining a position of a movable flow sensor element of a flow sensor in a flow control system, the flow sensor being of a type having an axially-extending flow passageway for a liquid to be delivered by the flow control system, the movable sensor element being axially movable within the flow passageway in response to a first force exerted on the sensor element by the liquid as it passes through the flow passageway and in response to a second force exerted on the sensor element in a direction opposite the first force by a spring received within the flow passageway, the sensor reaching equilibrium position within the flow passageway when the magnitudes of the first and second forces are equal, the equilibrium position corresponding to a axial position within the flow passageway which varies with varying flow rate, the flow control system being of a type having a source of fluid driving pressure for driving the fluid through the flow passageway, the flow rate being responsive to variations in the fluid driving pressure, the apparatus comprising:
-
a light source and a photosensitive pixel array for illumination with said light source, the photosensitive pixel array extending axially along the flow passageway and the sensor element disposed in an optical path between the light source and the photosensitive pixel array; a processor receiving signals from said photosensitive pixel array to generate a first set of pixel intensity values for the photosensitive pixel array, the first set of pixel intensity values representative of a first sensor element position corresponding to a first flow rate and a second set of pixel intensity values for the photosensitive pixel array, the second set of pixel intensity values representative of a second sensor element position corresponding to a second flow rate; a source of pressurized air for introducing an abrupt change in the fluid driving pressure; said processor calculating a difference between the first and second sets of pixel intensity values as a function of pixel position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A flow sensor for a flow control system for controlling flow of a liquid, the flow control system having a flow passageway, the flow sensor comprising:
-
a sensor element movably positioned in the flow passageway, wherein a position of the sensor element in the flow passageway is responsive to a flow rate of the liquid in the flow passageway and to a viscosity of the liquid, and further wherein the flow rate is responsive to a fluid driving pressure and a systemic flow resistance in the flow control system; a sensor for generating a signal representative of a position of the sensor element in the flow passageway; and a processor coupled to the sensor for receiving the signal from the sensor before and after an abrupt change in the fluid driving pressure to calculate any one or more of; the position of the sensor element in the flow passageway before the abrupt change in the fluid driving pressure; the position of the sensor element in the flow passageway after the abrupt change in the fluid driving pressure; a change in position of the sensor element in the flow passageway; a rate of change in position of the sensor element in the flow passageway; the flow rate before the abrupt change in the fluid driving pressure; the flow rate after the abrupt change in the fluid driving pressure; a change in the flow rate; the viscosity of the liquid; and the systemic flow resistance.
-
-
20. A method for determining flow information in a flow control system, the flow control system for controlling flow of a liquid, the flow control system having a flow passageway, a sensor element movably positioned in the flow passageway, and a sensor for generating a signal representative of a position of the sensor element in the flow passageway, wherein a position of the sensor element in the flow passageway is responsive to a flow rate of the liquid in the flow passageway and to a viscosity of the liquid, and further wherein the flow rate is responsive to a fluid driving pressure and a systemic flow resistance in the flow control system, the method comprising:
-
introducing an abrupt change in fluid driving pressure; prior to introducing the abrupt change in fluid driving pressure, sampling the signal from the sensor to obtain a first measurement of sensor element position; after introducing the abrupt change in fluid driving pressure, sampling the signal from the sensor to obtain a second measurement of sensor element position; and determining a difference between the first measurement and the second measurement. - View Dependent Claims (21)
-
Specification