Zwick Energy Research Organization, Inc.

Stephen M Bull

Gabriel D Ferramola

Dink Neugen

An entirely pneumatic feedback signal can be generated within a gas delivery system by diverting the portion of the gas from the main supply line to a cryostat. The gas is cooled in the cryostat and flows within a restricted passageway defined by the cryostat itself. The output of the cryostat is then coupled to the control port of a actuatable pneumatic valve. The actuatable pneumatic valve is coupled in series in the supply line and is normally biased closed. However, upon application of a predetermined magnitude of pressure to the control port of the actuatable valve, the valve is maintained in a open configuration. The output of the cryostat is provided to the control port of the valve. A fixed orifice is pneumatically communicated to the output of the cryostat and vents the cryostat's output into the environment. As long as the gas continues to flow freely through the cryostat the valve remains open. However, when contaminants within the gas are cooled with the cryostat below their freezing point, the contaminants will at least partially block the restricted passageway within the cryostat thereby reducing the amount of flow through the output of the cryostat. The fixed orifice will thereby bleed off the backpressure created by the orifice which is communicated to the control port of the valve in response the valve will shut. Thus, contaminants within the gas beyond a predetermined concentration will cause the gas delivery system to shut off through an entirely pneumatic feedback loop.

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Westminster, CA, United States of America

Stephen M Bull