Patent ID: 8015995

Claim:
A flow control device comprising: a housing; an inlet for receiving a flow into the flow control device; an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet for directing the flow out of the flow control device to components of a flow system; a valve located in the housing and between the inlet and the outlet and responsive to valve control signals for regulating the flow through the flow control device; a pressure sensor to measure a pressure of a fluid entering the flow control device at the inlet, passing the valve, and exiting the flow control device at the outlet along a single flow path, wherein the pressure sensor is the only sensor in the housing of the flow control device and wherein the flow control device is calibrated at installation; and a controller coupled to the pressure sensor, the controller configured to: determine a flow rate corresponding primarily to a pressure measured at the pressure sensor by comparing the pressure measured at the pressure sensor to a calibration curve of flow rates, the calibration curve correlating a sensed pressure at the pressure sensor and a corresponding flow rate in the flow system in which the flow device is installed, and generate a valve control signal responsive to the pressure measured at the pressure sensor to regulate the flow.