Patent ID: 6795780
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: F15B,G05B

Abstract:
In an apparatus to test fluid control devices, which apparatus comprises one or more computers, means for supplying fluid to fluid reservoirs, means for storing fluid energy in the fluid reservoirs, means for connecting fluid reservoirs, control valves, set valves, and a test chamber, means for generating high-pressure, high-fluid-flow-rate energy pulses, means for activating electrical signals to position electro-pneumatic and electro-magnetic control valves and to position set valves that meter fluid flow through said fluid control devices, means for activating timing sequences for the control valves and set valves that vary fluid pressure and the rate of fluid flow, means for generating fluid-pressure, fluid-flow-rate, and fluid-temperature test data, means for acquiring fluid-pressure, fluid-flow-rate, and fluid-temperature test data, and means for constructing graphs of said test data, improvements comprising:(a) means for generating transient, ramp, constant-steady-state, and periodic-steady-state test data, means for describing transient, ramp, and constant-steady-state operating points, means for constructing transient, ramp, and constant-steady-state transverse lines and regulator lines, means for measuring fluid conductance; means for creating transient, ramp, and constant-steady-state performance curves, means for correlating transient, ramp, and constant-steady-state performance curves, and means for evaluating said transient, ramp, and constant-steady-state test data, operating points, transverse lines, regulator lines, fluid conductance, and performance curves, and periodic-steady-state test data; (b) means, by a directional switch array, for directing electrical signals that position the open and closed states of electro-pneumatic and electromagnetic control valves, the open states of set valves, and the set-point states of regulators, all of which are integrated into said apparatus; (c) means, by an explosive regulation assembly, for generating positive and negative fluid energy pulses and for regulating the fluid flow to and from a fluid control device under test, which assembly comprises pipes, electro-pneumatic and electromagnetic control valves, set valves, regulators, and fluid reservoirs, with means for selecting the open and closed states of control valves, the open states of set valves and the set-point states of regulators, and with means for defining a condition of constant-steady-state fluid pressure and fluid flow rate; (d) means, by a test chamber assembly, for testing a fluid control device, which assembly comprises a fluid-tight upper test chamber unit and a fluid-tight lower test chamber unit, with said units placed in fluid communication with the fluid control device to be tested, means to connect said upper and lower test chamber units, means for installing a pressure transducer in each test chamber unit, means for preventing the test chamber assembly from moving horizontally and vertically, means, as applicable, for installing heat exchangers from a temperature control assembly around or on said fluid control device, and means, as applicable, for installing a sound transducer from an audio assembly in each of the test chamber units; (e) means, by a temperature control assembly, for controlling the temperature of a fluid control device under test, and for determining the temperature sensitivity of fluid control devices, which assembly comprises a temperature set-point controller, heating element and cooling fluid compressor, heat exchangers with temperature-transporting fluids, fluid reservoirs, a fluid pump, pipes, valves, and temperature transducers; and (f) means, by an audio assembly, for recording, for playing back, and for analyzing sound from fluid flowing through a fluid control device under test, which assembly comprises a computer with means to acquire sound data at the same time that fluid-pressure and fluid-flow-rate data are acquired, and with means to conduct Digital Signal Processing analyses of the sound data, and a multiple-channel sound system with one sound transducer and one speaker for each channel, with one sound transducer for one channel upstream of the fluid control device and a second sound transducer for a second channel downstream of said device, and with one sound amplifier connected to each sound transducer and to the computer.