Valve System for Proportional Fluid Additive Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current valve systems for fluid additives in main fluid lines provide uneven supply, failing to maintain a consistent and proportional flow rate of the additive relative to the primary fluid, leading to variations in the desired ratio at any given time.
Innovation Solution
A valve system that includes a fluid reservoir, supply and return conduits with orifice restrictions and solenoid actuated valves, flow meters to detect flow rates, and a programmable logic controller to adjust the pump and valve operations, ensuring a continuous and proportional flow of the fluid additive by monitoring and controlling the flow rates in both the supply and main fluid lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a solenoid actuated valve is used to control fluid additive flow, then the valve can alternately allow or prevent flow, but the supply becomes uneven and discontinuous
Solution Approach 1:
The solenoid actuated valve operates in periodic cycles, alternating between open and closed positions to control fluid additive flow. This periodic operation allows the system to achieve average flow rate control while maintaining simple valve actuation, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and flow consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
Flow meters measure the actual flow rate of fluid additive and primary fluid, providing feedback signals to the controller. The controller adjusts the valve duty cycle based on this feedback to maintain the desired ratio, compensating for the discontinuous nature of solenoid valve operation and achieving consistent proportional flow control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the flow rate of fluid additive is adjusted to match changes in primary fluid flow rate, then the desired ratio is maintained, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives feedback from flow meters measuring both fluid additive flow rate and primary fluid flow rate. Based on this feedback, the controller automatically adjusts the solenoid valve duty cycle to maintain the desired ratio, enabling adaptability without requiring complex manual intervention or overly sophisticated control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical flow adjustment mechanisms with an electronically controlled solenoid valve and electronic control system. This substitution allows for precise, programmable control of flow rates while reducing mechanical complexity, as the controller can be implemented using standard electronic components and software.
3Productivity
If a pump is used to introduce fluid additive, then the flow can be controlled, but the supply remains uneven at any given point in time
Solution Approach 1:
The solenoid actuated valve operates periodically in conjunction with the pump, cycling between open and closed states to control fluid additive flow. This periodic action allows the pump to maintain productivity while the valve provides temporal control, achieving average flow rate control despite instantaneous variations.
Solution Approach 2:
Flow meters provide continuous feedback on the actual flow rate, allowing the controller to adjust the valve duty cycle in real-time. This feedback mechanism compensates for the uneven instantaneous flow produced by the pump-valve combination, maintaining the desired average flow rate and ratio over time.
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
The system maintains a consistent and proportional flow of the fluid additive, optimizing the mixing ratio with the primary fluid by dynamically adjusting the flow rate based on real-time measurements, ensuring a substantially continuous and economical supply.
Implementation Method 1
a pump adapted to cause a flow of the fluid additive from the reservoir through the supply conduit
Implementation Method 2
a return conduit providing fluid communication from the supply conduit to the reservoir, the return conduit including an orifice restriction
Implementation Method 3
a solenoid actuated valve to selectively prevent the flow of the fluid additive into the main fluid line
Data Source
AI summary
A valve system for monitoring and controlling a flow of a fluid additive into a main fluid line is disclosed. The system includes a pump that provides a constant flow of the additive from a fluid reservoir through a supply conduit into the main fluid line. A portion of the fluid additive may be diverted into one or more return conduits leading back to the reservoir by opening a solenoid actuated valve in the return conduit. Flow meters are employed to detect the flow rates of the fluids in the supply conduit and the main fluid line. The flow meters provide signals to a control system, which are effective to control the operation of the solenoid actuated valves to maintain a desired flow of the additive into the main fluid line.