Flow control system

• US 9,823,666 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belparts Group NV
• Original Assignee: Belparts Co.
• Inventors: Ulens, Jan, Vandenheuvel, Philip, Vandendriessche, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALISTER, WILLIAM M
• Application Number:
  US13/001,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20110162742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,256 Days
• Field of Search: 137 10, 137486, 1374875, 137861-887, 13759901-60121
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/00 Water main or service pipe systems pipes or tubes in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/075 Arrangement of devices for control of pressure or flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/08 Arrangement of draining devices, e.g. manual shut-off valvesdraining devices in general F16K, F16L
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2220/044 Flow sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86485 Line condition change responsive release of valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87772 With electrical actuation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flow control system for controlling a flow of a medium passing through a pipe part of a pipe system via which the medium is distributed from a common source to a plurality of consumer devices. The flow control system comprises a flow sensor for sensing an actual medium flow through the pipe part, a controller in communicative connection with the flow sensor and provided for evaluating the electrical signal indicative of the sensed actual medium flow with a value representing a set medium flow and an orifice adjusting system in communicative connection with the controller and provided for adjusting the adjustable orifice in response to the control signal received from the controller. The flow sensor is arranged outside the flow chamber and has a static measurement principle based on a wave propagating in the medium.

Claims

1. A central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system, comprising:

a liquid medium;

a common source provided for delivering the liquid medium;

a plurality of consumer devices connected to the common source through a pipe system via which the liquid medium is distributed, wherein the consumer devices comprise heat exchange systems, water taps, or heat exchange systems and water taps;

at least one flow control system associated with at least one of the plurality of consumer devices and provided for controlling a flow of the liquid medium passing through a pipe part of the pipe system and thereby controlling the flow of the liquid medium towards the associated at least one consumer device, the flow control system comprising;

a flow sensor for sensing an actual medium flow through the pipe part and outputting an electrical signal indicative of the sensed actual medium flow;

a flow controller in communicative connection with the flow sensor and outputting a control signal; and

an orifice adjusting system in communicative connection with the flow controller, the orifice adjusting system comprising a flow chamber with an adjustable orifice in the pipe part, the orifice adjusting system being provided for adjusting the adjustable orifice in response to the control signal of the flow controller, the orifice adjusting system having a characteristic curve,

wherein the flow sensor is arranged outside the flow chamber and has a static measurement principle based on a wave propagating in the liquid,

wherein the flow controller has as input a value representing a medium flow rate set point, and wherein the flow controller is provided for evaluating the electrical signal indicative of the sensed actual medium flow with the value representing the medium flow rate set point and outputting the control signal based on said evaluation, and

the flow control system is arranged to provide a real-time software-wise correction of the characteristic curve of the orifice adjusting system to compensate for pressure variations.

2. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the flow sensor is chosen from the group consisting of:

ultrasonic flow sensor, vortex flow sensor, electromagnetic flow sensor.

3. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according claim 1, wherein the sensor is provided in said pipe part in a position in front of the orifice adjusting system.

4. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is provided in said pipe part in a position behind the orifice adjusting system, spaced by at least a quieting section for attenuating turbulence in the medium caused by the orifice adjusting system.

5. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the orifice adjusting system comprises a two-way valve.

6. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the orifice adjusting system comprises a three-way valve located at an intersection of a supply pipe of the pipe system, provided for supplying the medium from the common source to at least one of the consumer devices, and a bypass pipe bypassing the at least one consumer device.

7. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 6, wherein the system further comprises a second sensor for sensing a second actual medium flow from the three-way valve to the consumer device and outputting a second electrical signal indicative of the second actual medium flow, the flow controller being in communicative connection with the second flow sensor and being provided for also evaluating the second electrical signal.

8. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 7, wherein the first flow sensor is provided along a return pipe rejoining the flow through the bypass pipe and the flow through the at least one consumer device.

9. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 6, wherein the system further comprises a second sensor for sensing a second actual medium flow through the bypass pipe and outputting a second electrical signal indicative of the second actual medium flow, the flow controller being in communicative connection with the second flow sensor and being provided for also evaluating the second electrical signal.

10. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 9, wherein the first flow sensor is provided along a return pipe rejoining the flow through the bypass pipe and the flow through the at least one consumer device.

11. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 6, wherein the flow sensor is provided between the three-way control valve and the consumer device.

12. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the flow control system further comprises a first temperature sensor provided along the pipe system in a position in front of the consumer device and provided for measuring a supply temperature of the medium entering the consumer device.

13. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the flow control system comprises a second temperature sensor provided along the pipe system behind the consumer device and provided for measuring an exit temperature of the medium leaving the consumer device.

14. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the flow control system further comprises a first pressure measurement device provided along the pipe system in a position in front of the consumer device and provided for measuring a first pressure of the medium entering the consumer device.

15. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the flow control system comprises a second pressure measurement device provided along the pipe system in a position behind the consumer device and for measuring a second pressure of the medium leaving the consumer device.

16. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein said flow sensor is an electronic device outputting a digital value indicative of the actual medium flow.

17. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein said flow control system further comprises a communication link towards a central unit.

18. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the control system is provided for calculating consumption of the consumer device.

19. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the orifice adjusting system comprises a driving unit, which is in communicative connection with the flow controller and which is provided for driving a movable part to adjust the adjustable orifice.

20. A method for using the sanitary system according to claim 1, comprising the step of operating the flow control system for periodically flushing said pipe part.

21. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the orifice adjusting system has an equal-percentage characteristic curve.

22. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the flow controller is provided for making an evaluation on the level of flow by directly comparing the electrical signal indicative of the sensed actual medium flow with the value representing the medium flow rate set point and outputting the control signal based on said evaluation.

23. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the flow sensor is arranged spaced from the flow chamber of the orifice adjusting system, such that influence of the shape of the flow chamber, or other characteristics of the orifice adjusting system on the flow measurement are avoided.

24. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 1, wherein the flow sensor is arranged spaced from the flow chamber of the orifice adjusting system, such that influence of the shape of the flow chamber, or other characteristics of the orifice adjusting system on the flow measurement are avoided and that the flow control system is provided for pressure independent control of the flow of the medium passing through said pipe part.

25. A central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system, comprising:

a liquid medium;

a common source provided for delivering the liquid medium;

a plurality of consumer devices connected to the common source through a pipe system via which the liquid medium is distributed, wherein the consumer devices comprise heat exchange systems, water taps, or heat exchange systems and water taps;

a plurality of flow control systems, each being associated with a group of at least one of the plurality of consumer devices and being provided for individually controlling a flow of the liquid medium passing through a pipe part of the pipe system and the associated group of consumer devices, each flow control system comprising;

a flow sensor for sensing an actual medium flow through the pipe part and outputting an electrical signal indicative of the sensed actual medium flow;

wherein the flow sensor is arranged outside a flow chamber and has a static measurement principle based on a wave propagating in the liquid medium;

a flow controller in communicative connection with the flow sensor and outputting a control signal, wherein the flow controller has an input value representing a medium flow rate set point, and wherein the flow controller is provided for evaluating the electrical signal indicative of the sensed actual medium flow with the value representing the medium flow rate set point and outputting the control signal based on said evaluation; and

an orifice adjusting system in communicative connection with the flow controller, the orifice adjusting system comprising the flow chamber with an adjustable orifice in the pipe part, the orifice adjusting system being provided for adjusting the adjustable orifice in response to the control signal based on said evaluation and thereby controlling the flow in the pipe part until the actual medium flow equals the medium flow rate set point, the orifice adjusting system having a characteristic curve, and the flow control systems arranged to provide a real-time software-wise correction of the characteristic curve of the orifice in the adjusting system to compensate for pressure variations.

26. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 25, wherein the flow controller is provided for making an evaluation on the level of flow by directly comparing the electrical signal indicative of the sensed actual medium flow with the value representing the medium flow rate set point and outputting the control signal based on said evaluation.

27. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 25, wherein the flow sensor is arranged spaced from the flow chamber of the orifice adjusting system, such that influence of the shape of the flow chamber, or other characteristics of the orifice adjusting system on the flow measurement are avoided.

28. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 25, wherein the flow sensor is arranged spaced from the flow chamber of the orifice adjusting system, such that influence of the shape of the flow chamber, or other characteristics of the orifice adjusting system on the flow measurement are avoided and that the flow control system is provided for pressure independent control of the flow of the medium passing through said pipe part.

29. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 25, wherein the flow sensor is arranged spaced from the flow chamber of the orifice adjusting system, such that influence of the shape of the flow chamber and other characteristics of the orifice adjusting system on the flow measurement is avoided, and wherein the orifice adjusting system has an equal-percentage characteristic curve.

30. The central heating/cooling system and/or sanitary system according to claim 25, wherein the flow sensor is an ultrasonic flow sensor.