US 11,933,293 B2
Vessel pressure testing system
Matthew P. Dion, St. Francis, MN (US); Patrick J. Clint, Minnetonka, MN (US); Joseph A. Daniski, Minnetonka, MN (US); and Grant S. Schluender, Minneapolis, MN (US)
Assigned to Graco Minnesota Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Appl. No. 17/608,946
Filed by Graco Minnesota Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
PCT Filed May 5, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/031487
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 4, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/227304, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 12, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/843,523, filed on May 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0299022 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. F04B 51/00 (2006.01); F04B 49/06 (2006.01); F04B 49/08 (2006.01)
CPC F04B 51/00 (2013.01) [F04B 49/065 (2013.01); F04B 49/08 (2013.01); F04B 2205/05 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pressure testing system for pressurizing and testing a test vessel using a pump driven by pneumatic pressure and having a pressurized hydraulic fluid outlet to the test vessel, the pressure testing system comprising: a hydraulic pressure transducer configured to be coupled to the hydraulic fluid outlet to generate a hydraulic pressure signal indicative of the hydraulic pressure at the test vessel; and a pneumatic control unit configured to drive the pump via a supply of pressurized air from a pneumatic source, the pneumatic control unit comprising: a pressurized air inlet from the pneumatic source, and a pressurized air outlet to the pump; a pneumatic regulator disposed between the pressurized air inlet and the pressurized air outlet to modulate a pneumatic pressure of the pressurized air toward a target pneumatic pressure by metering airflow from the pressurized air inlet to the pressurized air outlet; control circuitry configured to receive the hydraulic pressure signal, set the target pneumatic pressure based on a target hydraulic pressure at the test vessel, and iteratively increase the target pneumatic pressure until the hydraulic pressure signal exceeds the target hydraulic pressure; wherein the pneumatic regulator comprises a pneumatic valve, the pneumatic valve disposed between the pressurized air inlet and the pressurized air outlet and actuatable open or close in response to a control signal from the control circuitry; a pneumatic pressure transducer disposed between the pneumatic valve and the pump to sense a pneumatic pressure of the pressurized air provided by the pneumatic control unit to the pump; and wherein the pneumatic regulator is configured to iteratively adjust a position of the pneumatic valve based on a comparison of the sensed pneumatic pressure with the target pneumatic pressure, independently of the target hydraulic pressure or the sensed hydraulic pressure.