Patent ID: 9599246
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: F16K,H01F

Claim:
1. A method for linearly translating a gate assembly within a latching solenoid gate valve, the method comprising; providing a latching solenoid gate valve including a housing defining a conduit having a flow path therethrough and a cavity separating the conduit into a first section and a second section, and a gate assembly comprising a first gate member comprising magnetizable material and defining an opening therethrough, the first gate member being linearly movable within the cavity between an open position with the opening aligned with the conduit and a closed position with the opening out of alignment with the conduit, a first solenoid assembly and a second solenoid assembly seated within the cavity with the gate assembly linearly translatable therebetween; providing a microcontroller electrically connected to a first H bridge for the first solenoid assembly with a first winding as a load of the first H bridge and electrically connected to a second H bridge for the second solenoid assembly with a second winding as a load of the second H bridge; receiving, by the microcontroller, a signal requesting a position of the gate assembly; sending, from the microcontroller, a time varying voltage over a predetermined period of time across the first winding in the first solenoid assembly and across the second winding in the second solenoid assembly through both of the first and second H bridges while alternating a flow thereof through alternate legs of each of the first and second H bridges to energize and de-energize both of the first and second windings; monitoring the first and second sense lines to determine an amplitude of oscillation of each; wherein the amplitude of oscillation is correlated to a distance of the first gate member from each of the first and second windings and a largest amplitude of oscillation of either the first or the second sense line indicates the position of the gate assembly.