System Identification of a

Flow Control Valve

Chiun Jim Wang, Ph.D.
BD CareFusion
Yorba Linda, CA 92887
ccwang_2000@yahoo.com

Measurement Science Conference

March 2016
Anaheim, CA

Agenda
To present a method for deriving the System
Identification Model for flow control valves

Introduction
Flow Control Valves
System Identification Objectives
System Identification Challenges
Physics Based Analysis
Model for a specific flow control valve
Results and Conclusions

Flow Control Valves

Solenoid or Voice Coil Driven FCV
Plunger over Flow Control Orifice

Purpose of System Identification

Automatic Feed-back Control Systems
Sensors
Control Components
Microprocessor Controller
Common Control Laws
Feedback Control Proportional, Integral or Derivative
Feed Forward Compensation Predictive
A typical industry practice for the feed forward term involves approximating the inputoutput relationship of the plant and using the approximation to generate a
reasonable control signal to achieve the desired output.

System Identification
Characterize the sensor or control components such that the
PID and Feed-Forward compensation control laws may be
accurately constructed and optimized

Flow Control Valve Characteristics

Flow Control Valve Orifice

Controlling Area
Annular ring (h < D/4)
Round hole (h >= D/4)

Flow Pattern in a FCV

Flow Regimes
Viscous Incompressible Flow
Mach No << 1
Laminar Re < ReCRIT

Inviscid Compressible Flow

Choked Mach No = 1
Unchoked Mach No < 1

System Identification
- Objectives and Challenges Digital Control Systems are preferred for their
adaptability and programmability. They employ
various sensors and control components all require
reliable models that are
Accurate
Adaptive to environment parameter and flow media
Computationally efficient

These models often must work:

Over a wide operating range (0-100%)
Over a wide supply pressure range (1 to 50 psig)
For gases with a wide range of thermal molecular
properties such as molecular weight, specific heat ratio

Typical FCV Test Data

Valve gain - used by control system engineers
to predict the coil current in a Feed Forward
compensation model
Typical valve test data are presented as
follows:
Valve Gain vs. Valve Set-point
Flow( SLM )
Excitation( ma )

(% Full scale flow)

FCV in a Typical Mass Flow Controller

FCV Valve Gain Data Set

Valve 1 - 10 sccm N2
D = 0.010 in ; Spring Thickness = 0.015 in

Valve 2 - 100 sccm N2

D = 0.020 in ; Spring Thickness = 0.015 in

Valve 3 - 1000 sccm N2

D = 0.030 in ; Spring Thickness = 0.012 in

Valve 4 - 30 SLM N2
D = 0.040 in ; Spring Thickness = 0.012 in
All 4 Valves Use the Same Electro-Magnetic Actuator

Valve 1 Data

Valve 2 Data

Valve 3 Data

Valve 4 Data

Flow Control Valve Design Parameters

Normally-closed valve using a control orifice
opposite to a plunger suspended by a spider
spring
The width of the plateau on the face of the orifice
is 0.020. (See slide #6)
The valve is driven by a 300-ohm solenoid coil
powered by a 15-volt power supply.
Orifice diameter - varies
Spider spring stiffness varies

Flow Control Valve Data Coverage

Gases - N2, H2, He, Ar, SF6

Supply Pressure varies from 1 to 47.5 psig
Exhaust Pressure varies from -14.7 to 0 psig
The test covered 4 different ranges (10, 100,
and 1000 sccm, & 30 SLM N2-Equivalent)
The valve-gain was recorded as a function of
MFC set-point at 15 different flow rates
covering 1% to 128%

Analysis - What is Valve Gain

Gm

[ MFC _ Output , %]
[Valve _ Drive (i , ma ) / Max _ Valve _ Drive (i, ma )]

(change _ of _ gasflow) / ( full _ scale _ flow _ range)

(change _ of _ valve _ drive / Max _ valve _ drive)

fractional _ flow
fractional _ valve _ drive

Max_valve_drive is the maximum current that can be

delivered by the 15-volt power supply through the
300-ohm coil

What is Valve Gain - Conti

dQ( sccm)
d [mfc _ output ,%][mfc _ range ( sccm)]

di( ma )
d [i / Max _ valve _ drive] [ Max _ valve _ drive]
dQ( sccm)
di( ma )

R ( sccm)
Gm
I max ( ma )

Gm is the measured valve gain,

R (sccm) is the mfc_range, and
Imax (ma) is the Max_valve_drive current.

Analysis Valve Gain

What is the Valve Gain after all ?
dQ dQ dH

di dH di
dQ
di

(Chain Rule)

dQ
dH

function of the Valve Lift H

dH
di
H: the valve-lift measured in feet

The first term dQ/dH describes how the mass flow varies with the
valve-lift H, governed by the laws of fluid-dynamics.
The second term dH/di describes the electro-mechanical characteristics
of the valve. It involves the balance between the electro-magnetic
force and the spring recovery force.

Analysis Valve Gain (Conti)

dQ
di

dQ dH

A Function of the Valve Lift H

dH
di

Range
Gm
I Max

Gm

dQ
a function of valve _ lift H
dH

Tabulated as functions of Q

Both H and dQ/dH are unknowns

Valve lift H was not measured (Too bad)
To our rescue
Valve lift may be calculated, albeit approximately,
given the inlet and outlet pressures

Analysis - Finding Valve Gap H

Viscous laminar flow relation
12 Q L R T
1 2
2
( P1 Px )
2
wH 3

This allows us to calculate H - if we know Px

P1 and Px are the upstream and downstream pressure
Q is the mass flow rate
L is the length of the flow path ~0.020
H is the distance between the two parallel surfaces
w is the width of the flow path
is the gas dynamic viscosity
is the gas density
T is the gas temperature
R is the gas constant

Analysis Finding Valve Gap H

Inviscid Compressible Flow relation
Choked
2
Q
Px ,O

2( 1)

M wT1,O

P2 2

Px ,O 1

Unchoked
P2
Q
Px ,O

A
P
x ,O

P
2
x ,O

( 1) M wT1,O P2

Variables Definition
Px,O, = upstream total pressure, Torr,
Q = flow through the valve, sccm,
A = H = valve effective area, sq. in ,
Mw = gas molecular weight, gm/mol,
P2 = downstream static pressure, Torr,
T1,O = gas temperature, K,
= ratio of specific heats.

Finding Gap H & Flow Rate Q

The computational scheme involves successive iteration to obtain Px.

The calculation begins by choosing Px to be mid-way between P1 and P2.
Then the corresponding viscous valve-lift (HV) and the inviscid valve-lift (HI)
are calculated.
If we find HV to be greater than HI, meaning that there is not enough
differential pressure for the viscous flow to deliver the required flow than
for the inviscid flow, then during the next iteration a lower intermediate
pressure Px will be chosen, i.e., between the previous Px and the
downstream pressure P2.
Otherwise if HV is less than HI, meaning that there is too much differential
pressure for the viscous flow to deliver the required flow than for the
inviscid flow, then during the next iteration a somewhat higher pressure Px
will be chosen, i.e. between the upstream pressure P1 and the previous
pressure Px, etc..
The iteration continues until the two calculated valve-lift HV and HI come
within 0.1% of each other.
Iteration performed by a Visual Basic procedure
Finally the flow rate Q corresponding to H is calculated

Finding dQ/dH
The calculation for the derivative dQ/dH takes advantage of
the same VBA routine for calculating Px and Q:
(1) The valve-lift H is first calculated for the original test condition
corresponding to Q, P1, and P2.
(2) A second valve-lift calculation (H+H) is then performed at the
same pressure but at a slightly increased flow rate Q+Q.

The slope dQ/dH is calculated by taking the ratio of H and

Q. This is also carried out an VB procedure.

Correlating Flow Control Valve Data

With H and dQ/dH given by the calculations above, the
reduced valve-gain is plotted against the valve-lift

Range
Gm
I Max

dQ
vs H
dH

Gases: N2, H2, He, SF6

Ranges: 10, 100, 1000 sccm, 30 SLM
Different inlet pressure 1 to 47.5 psig
Different outlet pressure from -14.7 to 0 psig
Plot data from all tests in the same graph

Data Correlation Results

Conclusion
A physics-based method is developed to derive the System
Identification model for the flow control valve
The model successfully accounts for drastically different
gas species
inlet and outlet pressure, and
Full-scale flow rates
Scattering of the data is possibly due to hysteresis
Courtesy: The valve gain graphs used in this presentation are based on data from Unit
Instruments Mass Flow Controllers. The valve flow field illustrations are adopted from various
technical or commercial literatures.