Patent ID: 6986359

Claim:
A system for controlling fluid flow through i lines, wherein the i lines are connectable through tubing to i zones, respectively, and wherein i=1, 2, . . . , N, the system comprising: at least one valve in each of the i lines; a pressure transducer operatively connected to each of the i lines; a first input device for receiving properties of the system; a zone pressure estimator connected to the pressure transducers and the first input device and programmed to, for each of the i lines, receive a measured pressure in the flow line i from the pressure transducer, receive from the first input device properties of the system, and calculate a pressure estimate of the zone i; a second input device for receiving a pressure set point for each of the i zones, a control device connected to the valves of the lines i, the zone pressure estimator and the second input device, and programmed to, receive the pressure set point for the zone i from the second input device, receive the pressure estimate of the zone i from the zone pressure estimator, and compare the pressure set point for the zone i to the pressure estimate of the zone i, and, if the estimate does not equal the set point, operate the valve of the lines i until the estimate equals the set point.