Valve controller configured to estimate fuel comsumption
First Claim
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1. A fuel valve for controlling a firing rate of a combustion appliance, the fuel valve comprising:
- a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port and a fluid channel extending between the inlet port and the outlet port;
a valve member situated within the fluid channel between the inlet port and the outlet port, the valve member configured to be moved between a first position and a second position to control a flow rate of fuel through the fluid channel and thus a firing-rate of a downstream combustion appliance;
a valve actuator for moving the valve member between the first position and the second position;
a valve control module operatively coupled to the valve actuator for controlling the position of the valve member, the valve control module comprising;
an input for receiving a firing rate control signal, wherein the firing rate control signal is indicative of a desired firing rate;
a memory module storing a relationship between a desired firing rate and a resulting flow rate of fuel through the fuel valve;
a processing module configured to use the relationship stored in the memory module, along with the firing rate control signal, to determine and then store in the memory module one or more of;
a measure of cumulative fuel flow through the fuel valve over a period of time; and
a measure of instantaneous fuel flow through the fuel valve at each of a plurality of times.
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Abstract
A fuel valve for regulating a flow of fuel to a combustion appliance includes a control module configured to determine fuel consumption based on a measure related to fuel flow through the fuel valve. The measure related to fuel flow through the valve may be determined using a known relationship between firing rate and the flow rate of fuel through the valve. Measurement accuracy may be enhanced by correcting for the excess air ration (also referred to as lamda).
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A fuel valve for controlling a firing rate of a combustion appliance, the fuel valve comprising:
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a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port and a fluid channel extending between the inlet port and the outlet port; a valve member situated within the fluid channel between the inlet port and the outlet port, the valve member configured to be moved between a first position and a second position to control a flow rate of fuel through the fluid channel and thus a firing-rate of a downstream combustion appliance; a valve actuator for moving the valve member between the first position and the second position; a valve control module operatively coupled to the valve actuator for controlling the position of the valve member, the valve control module comprising; an input for receiving a firing rate control signal, wherein the firing rate control signal is indicative of a desired firing rate; a memory module storing a relationship between a desired firing rate and a resulting flow rate of fuel through the fuel valve; a processing module configured to use the relationship stored in the memory module, along with the firing rate control signal, to determine and then store in the memory module one or more of; a measure of cumulative fuel flow through the fuel valve over a period of time; and a measure of instantaneous fuel flow through the fuel valve at each of a plurality of times. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method, comprising:
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monitoring a firing rate control signal at a fuel valve, the fuel valve comprising an outer housing; using one or more parameters that at least partially define a relationship between a firing rate and a resulting flow rate of fuel through a fuel valve, where the one or more parameters are stored in a memory module located within an outer housing of the fuel valve, along with the firing rate control signal, to determine and then store in the memory module; a measure of cumulative fuel flow through the fuel valve over a period of time; a measure of instantaneous fuel flow through the fuel valve at each of a plurality of times; and calculating a measure of fuel consumption of a combustion appliance based on one or more of the measure of cumulative fuel flow through the fuel valve over the period of time and the measure of instantaneous fuel flow through the fuel valve at each of the plurality of times. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification