Patent ID: 7605341

Claim:
A metering system for supplying a gas to a plasma torch, the system comprising: a flow rate transducer configured to provide a flow signal indicative of a flow rate of the gas flowing to the torch; a pressure regulator in a series configuration with the flow rate transducer, the pressure regulator being configured to receive the flow of the gas and control a pressure of the gas flowing to the torch; and a controller configured to communicate with the flow rate transducer and the pressure regulator to thereby receive the flow signal from the flow rate transducer and detect a pressure of the gas flowing from the pressure regulator to the torch, wherein the controller is configured to operate selectively in first and second modes, the controller in the first mode being configured to adjust the pressure regulator according to the pressure of the gas flowing to the torch, and the controller in the second mode being configured to adjust the pressure regulator according to the flow rate of the gas to the torch.