Method, controller and system providing techniques for control of an air loaded regulator and cascaded control loops

Abstract

A method for controlling a dome-operated pressure regulator is disclosed. The pressure at a dome side of the pressure regulator is measured. The operation of the pressure regulator is controlled based upon at least a received command signal and the measurement. A proportional control valve may be used to control the pressure on at the dome side of the pressure regulator. A controller and a system are also disclosed.

1 . A method comprising:
 taking a pressure measurement at a dome side of a dome-operated pressure regulator;   receiving a command signal; and   controlling operation of the pressure regulator based upon at least the command signal and the measurement.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of the pressure regulator is controlled by a proportional control valve that affects the dome side. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the controlling of the proportional control valve includes at least one of dead band elimination and dither amplitude and frequency control. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the controlling of the proportional control valve includes using a pulse width modulation drive signal. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the pulse width modulation drive signal has a switching frequency of 40 kHz. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the proportional control valve is a bi-directional valve and further controls a venting of dome pressure. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling the operation of the air loaded pressure regulator utilizes electronic circuitry to calculate a command for the proportional valve; wherein the circuitry utilizes a proportional, integral, and derivative based topology with a feed forward path. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the operation of the pressure regulator is further based upon the history of the command signal and the measurements. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the operation of the pressure regulator is further based upon a pressure difference in a fluid pressure. 
   
   
       10 . A controller comprising:
 circuitry configured to receive a pressure measurement taken at a dome side of a dome operated pressure regulator;   circuitry configured to receive a command signal; and   circuitry configured to generate a control signal for controlling the operation of the pressure regulator based upon at least the command signal and the measurement.   
   
   
       11 . The controller of  claim 10 , further comprising circuitry configured to provide at least one of dead band elimination and dither amplitude and frequency control. 
   
   
       12 . The controller of  claim 10 , wherein controlling the proportional control valve includes using a pulse width modulation drive signal. 
   
   
       13 . The controller of  claim 12 , wherein the pulse width modulation drive signal has a switching frequency of 40 kHz. 
   
   
       14 . The controller of  claim 10 , wherein controlling the operation of the pressure regulator utilizes proportional, integral, and derivative based topology with a feed forward path. 
   
   
       15 . The controller of  claim 10 , wherein the controlling the operation of the pressure regulator is further based upon the history of the command signal and the measurements. 
   
   
       16 . The controller of  claim 10 , wherein controlling the operation of the pressure regulator is further based upon a pressure difference in a fluid pressure. 
   
   
       17 . A system comprising:
 a dome operated pressure regulator;   a sensor configured to take a pressure measurement at a dome side of the pressure regulator;   circuitry configured to receive a command signal; and   a controller configured to generate a control signal for controlling the operation of the pressure regulator based upon at least the command signal and the measurement.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a proportional control valve that affects the pressure at the dome side of the dome-operated pressure regulator. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein generating the control signal is further based upon the history of the command signal and the measurements. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein generating the control signal is further based upon a pressure difference in a fluid pressure. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein generating the control signal is further based on measurements taken on the high pressure signal.