Pressure monitored temperature controlled system for a liquid-vapor process

Claim 1

A process for controlling, with a temperature controller, the temperature at any given time of liquid in an enclosed vessel functionally equipped with heat transfer equipment and containing a liquid mass with a vapor phase thereabove wherein there is an inherent time lag between the instantaneous measured temperature of such liquid mass and the instantaneous actual temperature thereof, but where the time lag between instantaneous measured pressure within said vessel and the actual pressure therein is substantially negligible, said process comprising the steps of: A. simultaneously and independently substantially continuously generating respective signals representative of instantaneous measured temperature of such liquid mass and instantaneous measured pressure, B. multiplying the pressure signal so produced by a constant signal and adding thereto a variable correction factor signal to generate a calculated temperature signal representative of actual liquid mass temperature, and C. comparing said calculated temperature signal and a set temperature signal representative of a prechosen liquid mass temperature to produce an error signal adapted to feed to said temperature controller, thereby to produce a control signal adapted to operate responsively said heat transfer equipment and so to reduce to zero any difference between said calculated temperature signal and said set temperature signal, D. said variable correction factor signal itself being generated by first comparing the measured temperature signal so produced to said calculated temperature signal and then integrating the resulting difference signal so generated with respect to time.

Claim 15

An apparatus affording dynamic control of a liquid mass temperature at a desired predetermined value in a liquid phase/vapor phase process conducted in a defined zone and wherein temperature is a function of pressure and further where, in said liquid phase, there is an inherent time lag between the instantaneous measured temperature and the instantaneous actual temperature thereof, while, in said zone, the time lag between instantaneous measured pressure and the actual pressure therein is substantially negligible, said apparatus comprising in combination: A. a vessel for containment of a liquid mass with a vapor phase thereabove; B. pressure sensing means including first measuring means adapted to measurE instantaneous pressure in said vessel, and means functionally associated therewith for generating a signal representative of such pressure measured by said first measuring means, C. temperature sensing means including both second measuring means adapted to measure an instantaneous temperature in said vessel and means functionally associated therewith for generating a signal representative of such temperature measured by said second measuring means to produce an instantaneous measured temperature signal, D. heat transfer means adapted to regulate the temperature of said liquid mass, E. a temperature controller means adapted to operate and control said heat transfer means, F. first signal generating means for generating a constant pre-selected signal, G. signal multiplier means adapted to multiply said instantaneous pressure signal with said constant signal to produce a product signal, H. second signal generating means for generating a set signal representative of a prechosen liquid mass temperature, I. a first signal comparer means, J. a signal integrating means, K. a signal adder means, L. said first signal comparer means, said signal integrating means, and said signal adder means being functionally interconnected into a loop whose input signals consist essentially of said product signal and said instantaneous measured temperature signal, and whose output signal is a calculated signal representative of actual instantaneous temperature of a liquid mass in a said vessel, and wherein:

Claim 16

An apparatus affording dynamic control of a liquid mass temperature at a desired predetermined value in a liquid phase/vapor phase process conducted in a defined zone and wherein temperature is a function of pressure and further where, in said liquid phase, there is an inherent time lag between the instantaneous measured temperature and the instantaneous actual temperature thereof, while, in said zone, the time lag between instantaneous measured pressure and the actual pressure therein is substantially negligible, said apparatus comprising in combination: A. a vessel for containment of a liquid mass with a vapor phase thereabove; B. pressure sensing means including first measuring means adapted to measurE instantaneous pressure in said vessel, and means functionally associated therewith for generating a signal representative of such pressure measured by said first measuring means, C. temperature sensing means including both second measuring means adapted to measure an instantaneous temperature in said vessel and means functionally associated therewith for generating a signal representative of such temperature measured by said second measuring means to produce an instantaneous measured temperature signal, D. heat transfer means adapted to regulate the temperature of said liquid mass, E. a temperature controller means adapted to operate and control said heat transfer means, F. first signal generating means for generating a constant pre-selected signal, G. signal multiplier means adapted to multiply said instantaneous pressure signal with said constant signal to produce a product signal, H. second signal generating means for generating a set signal representative of a prechosen liquid mass temperature, I. a first signal comparer means, J. a signal integrating means, K. a signal adder means, L. said first signal comparer means, said signal integrating means, and said signal adder means being functionally interconnected into a loop whose input signals consist essentially of said product signal and said instantaneous measured temperature signal, and whose output signal is a calculated signal representative of actual instantaneous temperature of a liquid mass in a said vessel, and wherein: