Fluid control system with automatic recovery feature

• US 6,661,112 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bravo Zulu International Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Bravo Zulu International Ltd.
• Inventors: Chan, Anthony, Zeier, Bruce E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waks, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US10/114,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20020140233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 290/43, 290/54, 290/52, 322/35, 322/20
• US Class Current: 290/43
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008

Abstract

A fluid control method includes providing fluid flow through a conduit having a pressure sensitive shutdown valve; driving an electrical power generator with the turbine wheel and delivering electrical power to a storage battery which in-turn powers the components of the system. The method further includes: detecting turbine RPM; calculating volume flow rate from the RPM value and conversion factors input to a computer program. Next, it is determined if average or peak flow rates exceed set point values and creating a shut down signal if it is true so as to close the shutdown valve. A fluid pressure delta is therefore established across the shutdown valve and it is only opened when fluid pressure equilibrium is restored across the valve after break or leak repair and after slowly refilling the downstream system.

Claims

1. A control method in a fluid system comprising the steps of:

providing fluid flow through a conduit having a fluid shutdown valve;

driving a turbine wheel with the fluid flowing in the conduit;

driving an electrical power generator with the turbine wheel;

delivering electrical power from the generator to a storage battery;

detecting turbine wheel RPM;

calculating actual peak and average flow rate from the RPM and input conversion factors;

determining if one of average actual and peak actual flow rates exceed set point values;

producing a shut down signal if average or peak set point values are exceeded;

closing the shutdown valve with the shut down signal, thereby establishing a pressure drop across the shutdown valve;

enabling a bypass flow;

sensing when fluid pressure equilibrium across the shutdown valve is reached, opening the shutdown valve when said equilibrium is achieved thereby restoring said fluid flow through the conduit.

2. A control apparatus in a fluid system comprising:

a conduit for receiving a fluid flow, the conduit having a fluid shutdown valve;

a turbine wheel positioned within the conduit and driven by the fluid flowing in the conduit;

an electrical power generator engaged with and driven by the turbine wheel for delivering electrical power from the generator to a storage battery;

a detector enabled for detecting turbine wheel RPM;

means for calculating average and peak flow rates in the conduit;

means for determining if average or peak flow rates exceed set point values;

means for producing a shut down signal when average or peak set point values are exceeded;

means for closing the shutdown valve when average or peak set point values are exceeded thereby establishing a pressure drop across the shutdown valve;

means for enabling a bypass flow in the shutdown valve so as to enable fluid pressure equilibrium across the shutdown valve, automation means for opening the shutdown valve when said equilibrium is achieved so as to restore said fluid flow through the conduit.