Patent ID: 6722625
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: F16K

Abstract:
A method for adapting a friction-reducing maneuver in a valve assembly having an element movable in a journal arrangement to establish a degree of opening of a valve, comprising the steps of:separately applying a plurality of different oscillatory forces, each having a different peak amplitude, to said element in said journal arrangement to produce oscillatory movement of said element in said journal arrangement to vary the degree of opening of the valve in response to each of said oscillatory forces; in a plurality of separate measurement periods, respectively during the applications of said plurality of separately-applied oscillatory forces, monitoring temporal variations of a parameter indicative of said degree of opening of said valve; from said temporal variations from said plurality of measurement periods, determining a working amplitude, as a peak amplitude for said oscillatory force, which minimizes said temporal variations; and setting said peak amplitude of said oscillatory force to said working amplitude.