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Thermal management smart valve with rupture detection and isolation

  • US 8,600,566 B1
  • Filed: 02/04/2011
  • Issued: 12/03/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored thereon for execution by a first computer to perform a method for managing fluid conduction in a temperature-critical fluid system including multiple valves, each of said multiple valves associated with one of multiple computers executing said computer readable program, said first computer having a first said valve associated therewith, the method including:

  • modeling said fluid system so as to represent predictive characteristics of fluid passing through each of said multiple valves in said fluid system, said predictive characteristics including a predictive fluid inlet pressure, a predictive fluid outlet pressure, a predictive fluid temperature, and a predictive flow rate;

    determining actual characteristics of fluid passing through said first valve, said actual characteristics including an actual fluid inlet pressure, an actual fluid outlet pressure, an actual fluid temperature, and an actual flow rate;

    ascertaining whether an abnormal condition exists in said fluid system with respect to said first valve, said ascertaining of whether said abnormal condition exists including comparing said actual fluid outlet pressure versus said predictive fluid outlet pressure, comparing said actual flow rate versus said predictive flow rate, and comparing said actual fluid temperature versus said predictive fluid temperature, wherein said abnormal condition is implied by at least one nonequivalent comparison of said actual characteristic versus said predictive characteristic; and

    taking remedial action if said abnormal condition is ascertained to exist with respect to said first valve, wherein the action taken includes causing closure of said first valve, or causing closure of at least one valve other than said first valve;

    communicating information pertaining to said abnormal condition to every computer, other than said first computer, with which a valve is associated in said fluid system, said communication including information of said closure;

    updating said modeling of said fluid system to account for said closure, wherein said updated modeling includes adjustment of said predictive fluid temperature of each of said multiple valves in said fluid system.

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