Throttle Position Sensing With Coil Feedback for Gas Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for regulating gas flow in gas appliances, such as boilers, face inaccuracies in determining the position of the throttle valve due to stepper motor errors, leading to incorrect air-to-gas ratios and potential safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A system that independently measures the position of the throttle valve using a stepper motor connected to a screw with a ferromagnetic head, which moves within a pair of coils, inducing a voltage representative of the throttle's position, allowing for accurate verification of the valve's opening state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a stepper motor is used to move the throttle, then the valve positioning can be controlled, but errors in determining the valve positioning may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a ferromagnetic screw as an intermediary component between the stepper motor and throttle. This screw interacts with measurement coils to provide independent verification of the actual throttle position, separating the control function (stepper motor) from the measurement function (coil system), thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where measurement coils detect the position of the ferromagnetic screw and provide this information back to the control system. This feedback loop allows the system to verify and correct positioning errors, ensuring accurate throttle positioning while maintaining ease of operation through the stepper motor
2Device complexity
If the stepper motor determines valve position by counting steps, then the system is simple, but the determination may be inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The ferromagnetic screw serves as a mediator that translates mechanical position into detectable magnetic field changes. This intermediary enables reliable position determination through electromagnetic interaction with the coils, maintaining system simplicity while significantly improving reliability over direct step counting
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical step-counting method with an electromagnetic detection system. The measurement coils detect the position of the ferromagnetic screw through electromagnetic fields, substituting mechanical verification with a more reliable electromagnetic sensing mechanism that is less prone to errors
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides an accurate and independent verification of the throttle valve's position, ensuring precise regulation of gas flow and air-to-gas ratios, enhancing safety and reliability, especially in applications where traditional flame or ionization detection methods are ineffective, like hydrogen combustion.
Implementation Method 1
the first member is arranged to move within the second member such that the voltage induced by the movement of the first member relative to the second member is representative of the movement of the throttle
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for measuring position of a throttle is provided, the system comprising a throttle, arranged to adjust the flow of a gas; a stepper motor connected to the throttle by a connecting member (204), the stepper motor being arranged to move the connecting member (204) and the throttle; a first member (202), arranged to be movable together with connecting member (204); a second member (201), arranged such that the movement of the of the first member (202) relative to the second member (201) changes an electrical parameter representative of the position and/or movement of the throttle.