Fluid control system

• US 5,139,044 A
• Filed: 08/15/1991
• Issued: 08/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bernard J. Otten, Gary W. Warth
• Original Assignee: Bernard J. Otten, Gary W. Warth
• Inventors: Otten, Bernard J., Warth, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, A MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/745,478
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 137/78.2, 137/78.3, 137/62, 137/79, 137/80, 239/68, 239/69, 239/70
• US Class Current: 137/80
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/071 Arrangement of safety devices in domestic pipe systems, e.g. devices for automatic shut-off
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/06 using electric or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2807 for pipes G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/15 Leakage reduction or detection in water storage or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1353 Low temperature responsive drains
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1866 For controlling soil irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1987 With additional diverse control

Abstract

The fluid control device of the present invention combines a flow sensing unit in series with a control valve. The flow sensing unit is of the displacement piston type and the flow rate is electronically sensed. A single action poppet valve assembly facilitates the use of a self contained power supply for use in remote locations. A microprocessor monitors parameters including pressure, flow rate, temperature and flow volume, and is enable to activate the control valve to the open or shut positions based upon any combination of the monitored parameters.

Claims

1. A fluid control system comprising:

valve means for movement between the open and closed positions;

valve actuation means, connected to said valve means, for manual actuation to a first open or closed position, and triggerable actuation to a second closed or open position, respectively;

a flow rate sensor in series with said valve means for producing an output indicative of flow rate through the valve, all fluid flowing through the valve means flowing through the flow rate sensor, the flow rate sensor comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet communicating with a central chamber in the housing, a flow cylinder located in the central chamber and forming a flow plenum between the central chamber walls and the flow cylinder, the flow plenum in communicating with the housing outlet, the flow cylinder having a central bore connecting a cylinder inlet with the cylinder outlet, the housing inlet connected to the cylinder inlet, the flow cylinder having a plurality of apertures in its cylindrical wall communicating with the central bore and the flow plenum, a displacement piston positioned within the central bore of the flow cylinder for longitudinal displacement within the central bore, a means for biasing the displacement piston to the cylinder inlet, the piston sealing off the apertures in the cylindrical wall when displaced to the cylinder inlet, the apertures being open when the piston is displaced towards the cylinder outlet, a fluid flowing into the housing inlet flows through the cylinder inlet into the central bore where it displaces the piston towards the cylinder outlet to open the apertures to permit the fluid to flow through the apertures into the flow plenum and out to the housing outlet, the displacement of the piston against the biasing means being proportional to the fluid flow through the flow rate sensor, a means for generating a magnetic field in the piston, and a sensor means responsive to the magnetic field adjacent said housing and proximate said piston for sensing the displacement of the piston and producing an output signal indicative of the fluid flow through the flow rate sensor; and

microprocessor means, connected to said flow rate sensor and said valve actuation means, said microprocessor means adapted for receiving programmed information and for receiving said output signal and computing a flow volume through the valve means, comparing the flow volume to said programmed information and triggering said valve actuation means when the conditions imposed by said programmed information are met.

2. The fluid control system as recited in claim 1 including manually adjustable control means connected to said microprocessor means for inputting programmed information into the microprocessor means.

3. The fluid control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the microprocessor means is adapted to receive information signals and programmed information from a remote device.

4. The fluid control system as recited in claim 3 wherein the microprocessor means generates an actuation signal when the conditions imposed by the programmed information are met.

5. The fluid control system as recited in claim 4 wherein said actuation signal is communicated to a remote valve actuation means.

6. The fluid control system as recited in claim 5 wherein the microprocessor means generates an actuation signal when the conditions imposed by said programmed information are met which is adapted to be communicated to remote devices which are triggered by said actuation signal.

7. The fluid control system as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for sensing fluid pressure connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the pressure of a fluid and transmitting sensed pressure information to said microprocessor means, and wherein said microprocessor means further compares the pressure information to said programmed information.

8. The fluid control system as recited in claim 1 further comprising fluid temperature sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the temperature of a fluid and transmitting temperature information to said microprocessor means, and wherein said microprocessor means further compares the temperature information to said programmed information.

9. The fluid control system as recited in claim 1 further comprising ambient temperature sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding said fluid control device and transmitting atmospheric temperature information to said microprocessor means, and wherein said microprocessor means further compares the atmospheric temperature information to said programmed information.

10. The fluid control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said valve means is upstream of said flow rate sensing means.

11. The fluid control system as recited in claim 1 wherein said valve means is downstream of said flow rate sensing means.

12. The fluid control system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

pressure sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the pressure of a fluid and transmitting data concerning said pressure of said fluid to said microprocessor means;

fluid temperature sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the temperature of said fluid and transmitting data concerning said temperature of said fluid to said microprocessor means; and

ambient temperature sensing means, connected to said microprocess or means, for sensing the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding said fluid control device and transmitting data concerning said ambient temperature surrounding said fluid control device to said microprocessor means; and

, wherein said microprocessor means is programmed to actuate said valve actuation means in response to any combination, both singly and multiply, of data from said fluid temperature sensing means, ambient temperature sensing means, pressure sensing means and said flow rate sensor.

19. A fluid control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the biasing means comprises a spring connected to the piston for biasing the piston towards the cylinder inlet.

20. A fluid control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor means comprises a plurality of hall effect transducers which respond to the magnetic field emanating from the piston by the magnetic field means.

21. A fluid control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor means comprises a plurality of reed switches which are responsive to the movement of the magnetic field emanating from the piston.

22. A fluid control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor means is a coil winding about the body of the flow rate sensor whose inductance is measurably affected by the movement of the magnetic field emanating from the displacement piston.

23. A fluid control system as recited in claim 1 wherein means for generating a magnetic field is a magnet located within the displacement piston.

24. A fluid control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the means for generating for magnetic field is a ferromagnetic displacement piston.

26. A flow rate sensor as recited in claim 19 wherein the biasing means comprises a spring connected to the piston for biasing the piston towards the cylinder inlet.

27. A flow rate sensor as recited in claim 20 wherein the sensor means comprises a plurality of hall effect transducers which respond to the magnetic field emanating from the piston by the magnetic field means.

28. A flow rate sensor as recited in claim 21 wherein the sensor means comprises a plurality of reed switches which are responsive to the movement of the magnetic field emanating from the piston.

29. A flow rate sensor as recited in claim 12 wherein the sensor means is a coil winding about the body of the flow rate sensor whose inductance is measurably affected by the movement of the magnetic field emanating from the displacement piston.

30. A flow rate sensor as recited in claim 27 wherein the means for generating a magnetic field is a ferromagnetic displacement piston.

31. A flow rate sensor as recited in claim 24 wherein the means for generating a magnetic field is a ferromagnetic displacement piston.

13. A fluid control system comprising:

valve means for movement between the open and closed positions;

valve actuation means, connected to said valve means, for manual actuation to a first open or closed position, and triggerable actuation to a second closed or open position, respectively;

a flow rate sensor in series with said valve means for producing an output indicative of flow rate through the valve, all fluid flowing through the valve means flowing through the flow rate sensor, the flow rate sensor comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet communicating with a central chamber in the housing. A flow cylinder located in the central chamber and forming a flow plenum between the central chamber walls and the flow cylinder, the flow plenum in communication with the housing outlet, the flow cylinder having a central bore connecting a cylinder inlet with the cylinder outlet, the housing inlet connected to the cylinder inlet, the flow cylinder having a plurality of apertures in its cylindrical wall communicating with the central bore and the flow plenum, a displacement piston positioned within the central bore of the flow cylinder for longitudinal displacement within the central bore, a means for biasing the displacement piston to the cylinder inlet, the piston sealing off the apertures in the cylindrical wall when displaced to the cylinder inlet, the apertures being open when the piston is displaced towards the cylinder outlet, a fluid flowing into the housing inlet flows through the cylinder inlet into the central bore where it displaces the piston towards the cylinder outlet to open the apertures to permit the fluid to flow through the apertures into the flow plenum and out to the housing outlet, the displacement of the piston against the biasing means being proportional to the fluid flow through the flow rate sensor, a means for generating a magnetic field in the piston, and a sensor means responsive to the magnetic field adjacent said housing and proximate said piston for sensing the displacement of the piston and producing an output signal indicative of the fluid flow through the flow rate sensor;

microprocessor means, connected to said flow rate sensor and valve actuation means, said microprocessor means adapted for receiving programmed information and adapted for receiving transmitted physical condition parameter information and comparing the transmitted physical condition parameter to said programmed information, and triggering said valve actuation means when the conditions imposed by said programmed information are met; and

sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means for sensing a physical condition parameter and transmitting physical condition parameter information to said microprocessor means.

14. The fluid control system as recited in claim 13 including manually adjustable control means connected to said microprocessor means, for inputting programmed information into a microprocessor means.

15. The fluid control system as recited in claim 13 wherein said sensing means further comprises fluid pressure sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the pressure of fluid in communication with said valve means and transmitting pressure information to said microprocessor means, and wherein said microprocessor means further compares the pressure information to said programmed information.

16. The fluid control system as recited in claim 13 wherein said sensing means further comprises ambient atmospheric temperature sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the temperature of the ambient atmosphere and transmitting temperature information to said microprocessor means, and wherein said microprocessor means further compares the temperature information to said programmed information.

17. The fluid control system as recited in claim 13 wherein said sensing means further comprises fluid temperature sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the temperature of fluid in communication with said valve means, and transmitting said temperature information to said microprocessor means, and wherein said microprocessor means further compares the fluid temperature information to said programmed information.

18. The fluid control system as recited in claim 13 wherein said sensing means further comprises:

fluid temperature sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the temperature of fluid in communication with said valve means, and for transmitting fluid temperature information to said microprocessor means;

pressure sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the pressure of said fluid in communication with said valve means, and transmitting pressure information to said microprocessor means;

ambient temperature sensing means, connected to said microprocessor means, for sensing the temperature of the ambient atmosphere surrounding said fluid control device and transmitting said ambient atmosphere temperature information to said microprocessor means; and

, wherein said microprocessor means is programed to actuate said valve actuation means in response to any combination, both singly and multiply, of said fluid temperature information, said ambient atmospheric temperature information, said fluid pressure information, and said programmed information.

25. A flow sensor producing an output indicative of the fluid flow rate through the sensor, the flow rate sensor comprising:

a housing having an inlet and outlet communicating with a central chamber in the housing;

a flow cylinder located in the central chamber of the housing and forming a flow plenum between the central chamber walls and the flow cylinder, the flow plenum in communication with the housing outlet, the flow cylinder having a central bore connecting a cylinder inlet and a cylinder outlet, the housing inlet connected to the cylinder inlet, the flow cylinder having a plurality of apertures in its cylindrical wall communicating with the central bore and the flow plenum;

a displacement piston positioned within the central bore of the flow cylinder for longitudinal displacement within the central bore;

a means for biasing the displacement piston to the cylinder outlet, the piston sealing off the apertures in the cylindrical wall when displaced to the cylinder inlet, the apertures being open when the piston is displaced towards the cylinder outlet, a fluid flowing through the housing into the housing inlet, flowing through the cylinder inlet into the central bore where it displaces the piston towards the cylinder outlet opening the apertures and permitting fluid to flow through the apertures into the flow plenum and out of the housing outlet, the displacement of the piston against the biasing means being proportional to the fluid flow rate through the flow rate sensor;

a means for generating a magnetic field from the piston; and

a sensor means responsive to the magnetic field adjacent said housing and proximate said piston for sensing the displacement of the piston and producing an output signal indicative of the fluid flow through the flow rate sensor.