Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for controlling the flow of process fluids

US5138845A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
5References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 9, 1991
Grant dateAug 18, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 9, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF25D17/02
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling the flow of process fluids comprising a primary loop for process fluids; a plurality of secondary loops for the process fluids; a plurality of bridges, each coupling the primary loop with a secondary loop, each bridge having feed and return connections coupled to feed and return lines of the primary loop and feed and return connections coupled to feed and return lines of the secondary loop, and a crossover line coupling the primary and secondary loops; valve means for each bridge for controlling the flow of processing fluid through its associated second loop; microprocessor means for each bridge for adjusting its associated valve means; sensor means for each bridge for determining operating characteristic information of the processing fluid and for feeding such determined information to the microprocessor means; and a host computer coupling each of the microprocessor means in systems configuration.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.