US 12,378,959 B2
Methods for measuring fluid flow of fluid supply assembly
Dan Davidson, Cincinnati, OH (US); and Todd Jonas, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to Valco Cincinnati, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by Valco Cincinnati, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Apr. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/297,098.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/328,496, filed on Apr. 7, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0323877 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. F04C 14/28 (2006.01); F04C 2/18 (2006.01); G01F 25/10 (2022.01)
CPC F04C 14/28 (2013.01) [F04C 2/18 (2013.01); G01F 25/10 (2022.01); F04C 2220/24 (2013.01); F04C 2270/18 (2013.01); F04C 2270/185 (2013.01); F04C 2270/20 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of measuring fluid flow in a system comprising:
providing a fluid supply assembly, wherein the fluid supply assembly comprises:
a fluid supply supplying fluid,
a dispensing valve from which the fluid is dispensed,
a dispensing line connecting the fluid supply to the dispensing valve,
a gear pump including a motor and a gear being rotated by the motor to provide a flow of fluid from the fluid supply to the dispensing line,
a revolution counter counting a number of revolutions of an element of the gear pump,
a pressure transducer coupled to the dispensing line sensing pressure in the system, and
a controller including a processor and a memory to control the system;
directing fluid from the fluid supply;
rotating, by the motor, the gear to provide the flow of fluid from the fluid supply to the dispensing line; and
providing a calibration process when a calibration bit is set by modulating a signal to control the gear pump, wherein the calibration process comprises:
sensing, by the pressure transducer, pressure in the system;
rotating, by the motor, the gear to establish and maintain a first calibration pressure for a first calibration period;
counting, by the revolution counter, a first number of revolutions of the element for the first calibration period while maintaining the first calibration pressure in the system by sensing pressure in the system while the dispensing valve is closed; and
calculating, by the controller, a first loss based on the first number of revolutions and the first calibration pressure.