Patent GB-461389-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to fluid pressure operated regulating systems
IPC: G05B6/05
Filed: 1936-02-19
Abstract: 461,389. Fluid - pressure servomotor - control systems. BAILEY METER CO. Feb. 19, 1936, No. 5038. Convention date, Feb. 25, 1935. [Class 135] In a fluid-pressure servomotor-control systerr for maintaining substantially constant a variable electrical, thermal, chemical, physica or other condition and having a chamber 27 the fluid pressure in which controls the value of the controlled condition, a valve device 30, 31 movable in opposite directions from a neutral position to control the admission and exhaust of pressure fluid in the chamber according to variations of the controlled condition, and means whereby the pressure in the chamber tends to restore the valve device to the neutral position, the fluid pressure in the chamber is itself slowly effective for tending to prevent the valve device from completely returning to and remaining at the neutral position until the controlled condition is at its predetermined value. The application of the control apparatus for maintaining a desired temperature in a tank by the control of the steam supply thereto is described. A thermally-responsive bulb in the tank acts through a Bourdon tube on the movable member 9 of a pilot valve 10, Fig. 5. The fluidpressure established by the valve 10 is transmitted by a pipe 10<a> to a fluid-pressure operated relay 11, Fig. 4, which determines the loading pressure passed by a pipe 12 to a selector valve device, Fig. 6, enabling the control to be switched over from hand to automatic or vice versa, and establishing a control pressure in a pipe 14. This control pressure opens the steam supply valve against the action of an adjustable spring. The pilot valve 10 has two lands 16 on its movable part 9, moving with slight clearance in a passage 15 open to the atmosphere at both ends and communicating intermediate the lands with a pressure fluid inlet 18. The lands, here shown as spherical, may be shaped to produce any desired characteristic between the valve movement and the pressure at the annular outlet ports 17. The pipe 10<a> is connected to the upper or lower outlet 17<a> according as to whether the pressure passing to the relay 11 is to vary directly or inversely with the magnitude of the pilot valve movement, the other outlet being closed by a plug. The relay 11, Fig. 4, comprises a chamber 20 closed by a diaphragm 21 connected by a movable member 25 to a second diaphragm 24 which separates a control chamber 27 from a bleed chamber 26. The diaphragm 21 which is subject to the pressure in the pipe 10<a> is loaded by the differential action of a compression spring 39 and an adjustable tension spring 40. The chamber 22 below the diaphragm is normally open to atmosphere, but may be used to apply a second variable fluid pressure as shown in Fig. 2. The member 25 abuts a spring-loaded beam 33 movable from the neutral position shown to open alternatively pressure fluid inlet and exhaust valves 30, 31. The chambers 26, 27 communicate by a pipe 36 controlled by an adjustable throttling member 37 which acts to delay the return of the beam 33 to the neutral position and the attainment of a pressure in the chamber 27 sufficient to balance that in the chamber 20, which would occur immediately when the pipe 36 is closed entirely. If the pipe 36 were completely opened, the pressures in chambers 26, 27 would equalize immediately and the valve 30 would remain open until the pressure in the chamber 20 resumed its original value. In the normal intermediate position of the member 37, the beam 33 returns to the neutral position when the pressures in the chambers equalize and their common pressure assumes a definite calculable value determined by the cross-sectional area of a sealing below 43. The selector valve device, Fig. 6, comprises a relay 58 similar to the relay 11 but having only one diaphragm 59. This diaphragm which is loaded by a spring device 39<a>, 40<a>, adjustable by means of a knob 56 on a mounting plate 44, is selectively subject on its right-hand side to atmospheric pressure or the pressure in the pipe 12 by means of a knob 46 controlling alternatively closed valves 50, 51 through cams 47, 48 on a shaft 45. A balancing control pressure is built up in a chamber 27<a> closed by the diaphragm 59 by means of interconnected inlet and exhaust valves 30<a>, 31a. The pressures in the chamber 27<a> and the pipe 12 are registered by gauges 60, 61 respectively. In changing over from hand to automatic control or vice versa, the pipe 14 is cut off by a valve 52 actuated by a further cam 49 on the shaft 45. In conjunction with the gauges 60, 61, this valve 52 enables the loading to be adjusted by the knob 56 without affecting the main valve so as to render the control pressure produced by the loading device approximately equal to that which will be produced by the loading pressure in the pipe 12. The knob 46 is in the " reset " positions indicated when the valve 52 is closed. The knob 56 also enables auxiliary manual control of the control pressure during automatic operation. Fig. 2 shows control apparatus for governing the flow of feed water to a boiler in accordance with the ratio of the steam flow from the boiler and the flow of water thereto and also in accordance with the water level in the boiler. Flow meters 67, 70 connected with the steam and water pipes 66, 64 respectively operate pilot valves 69, 72 establishing pressures proportional to the respective, flows. These act differentially on the diaphragm 21<a> of a relay 75 generally similar to the relay 11 but in which the chamber 78 corresponding to the chamber 26, Fig. 4, has an adjustable vent valve 80 and is not connected to the lower chamber 79. The loading pressure established by the relay 75 acts through a pipe 84<a> on the diaphragm 21 of a relay 11 as in Fig. 4. A pressure proportional to the level in the drum 65 is established in a pipe 91 leading to the underside of the diaphragm 21, by a pilot valve 90 actuated by a mercury float-actuated indicator 88. The loading pressure produced by the relay 11 in a pipe 85 passes to a selector valve device 13 governing the control pressure for actuating the motor 87 of the main feed valve 63. Fig. 3 shows one of a series of steam generators 92 supplying a common header 95. Variations in steam pressure act on a Bourdon tube 103 controlling a pilot valve 105, the loading pressure produced by which is relayed by a relay 11 and a selector valve device 13 to a pipe 106. The pressure in this pipe on the one hand governs the operation of a fuel valve 97 through a selector valve 13<c>, and on the other hand acts in the chamber 74, Fig. 2, of a pressure-averaging relay 75. A further pilot valve 114 under the differential control of meters 108, 111 responsive to the flow of steam in a connecting pipe 96 and the flow of the products of combustion through the furnace produces a loading pressure which acts in the chamber 78, Fig. 2, of the relay 75 and therefore in the same direction as the pressure from the pipe 106. The loading pressure established by the relay 75 through a selector valve 13<a> governs the control pressure on the motor 107 of the stack damper 102. The system is thus regulated to produce the desired steam pressure from the range of generators whilst maintaining the fuel-air ratio of the individual generators .at its most efficient value. The air supply damper 100 is actuated by a motor 119 under the control of a selector valve 13b and a pilot valve 117 controlled by a meter 115 responsive to the changes in furnace draft.