Patent ID: 7437880

Claim:
A bypass control apparatus adapted for use with a pump pumping a liquid therethrough, comprising: a bypass flow line operative for circulating at least a portion of the liquid flowing through the pump from a discharge side of the pump to a suction side of the pump; a bypass valve interposed in the bypass flow line and operative to move to and between an opened state thereby permitting the at least portion of the liquid flowing through the pump to continuously circulate through the bypass flow line back to the pump and a closed state thereby preventing the at least portion of the liquid flowing through the pump from circulating through the bypass flow line; a sensor for determining an existing flow-through rate of the liquid flowing through the pump; and a controller in communication with the sensor and the bypass valve and operative to move the bypass valve to the closed state when the controller determines that the existing flow-through rate of the liquid flowing through the pump is at least a predetermined flow-through rate and to move the bypass valve to the opened state when the controller determines that the existing flow-through rate of the liquid flowing through the pump is less than the predetermined flow-through rate.