A monitoring system may include a strain gauge, a position sensor, and a torque sensor. The strain gauge may measure strain in a chamber of the pressure pump and generate a strain signal representing the strain measurement. The position sensor may measure a position of a rotating member and generate a position signal representing the position measurement. The torque sensor may measure torque in a component of the pressure pump and generate a torque signal representing the torque measurement. The torque measurement may be used with the strain measurement and the position measurement to determine a condition of the pressure pump.

The present invention relates to a method of loading a fluid into a fluidic element, wherein the method is performed in a fluidic system comprising the fluidic element, wherein the method comprises determining a volume that has flown into the fluidic element since a start time t.sub.start, and at a switching time t.sub.switch, switching the fluidic system to an operating state to stop flow into the fluidic element. The present invention also relates to a fluidic system configured for performing the method, and to a corresponding computer program product.

An electronically commutated hydraulic machine is coupled to a drivetrain. Working chambers of the hydraulic machine are connected to low and high pressure manifold through electronically controlled valves. The phase of opening and closing of the valves has a default. In order to avoid cycle failure due to acceleration events, for example due to backlash in the drivetrain, the phase of opening or closing of the electronically controlled valves is temporarily advanced or retarded from the default timing.

A reciprocating compressor-expander according to the present invention comprises a cylinder, a piston, a crankshaft connected to the piston, a first valve for a low pressure compressible fluid, a second valve for a high pressure compressible fluid, and a valve drive mechanism for driving the first valve and the second respectively such that, during a compression process, the low-pressure compressible fluid is sucked into the cylinder from the first valve in synchronization with the rotation of the crankshaft and the high-pressure compressible fluid compressed in the cylinder is discharged from the second valve, and that, during an expansion process, the high-pressure compressive fluid is introduced from the second valve into the cylinder, and the low-pressure compressible fluid expanded in the cylinder is discharged from the first valve.

A viscous fluid is dispensed precisely using a fluid pump, control valves configured to control both the air inlet and outlet of the fluid pump, an optional adjustable regulator further controlling the air outlet, and a control circuit that opens and closes the control valves. To further increase the precision, additional control valves can be used to control liquid inlet and outlet of the fluid pump.

A processing chamber is connected to a lock chamber. For evacuating the lock chamber and/or the processing chamber a vacuum pump system is provided. The latter comprises a vacuum pump equipment having at least one vacuum pump. Further, the vacuum pump system comprises a valve device for connection to the lock chamber as well as a controller. For noise reduction, a cyclically occurring operating parameter is determined by means of the controller. From said parameter it is determined at which point in time the valve is opened such that temporally before the opening of the valve the rotational speed of at least one of the vacuum pumps can be reduced. This results in a considerable noise reduction at continuing good pump-out times.

A processing chamber is connected to a lock chamber. For evacuating the lock chamber and/or the processing chamber a vacuum pump system is provided. The latter comprises a vacuum pump equipment having at least one vacuum pump. Further, the vacuum pump system comprises a valve device for connection to the lock chamber as well as a controller. For noise reduction, a cyclically occurring operating parameter is determined by means of the controller. From said parameter it is determined at which point in time the valve is opened such that temporally before the opening of the valve the rotational speed of at least one of the vacuum pumps can be reduced. This results in a considerable noise reduction at continuing good pump-out times.

A medical fluid pumping system includes a medical fluid pump for pumping a process fluid, the medical fluid pump including a first pump chamber, a first inlet valve chamber including a first inlet valve diaphragm, a first outlet valve chamber, a second pump chamber, a second inlet valve chamber including a second inlet valve diaphragm, and a second outlet valve chamber; and a medical fluid chassis operable with the medical fluid pump, the medical fluid chassis including a motive fluid source providing motive fluid at a motive fluid pressure, and wherein the first and second inlet valve diaphragms are configured to actuate from an open to a closed position at a pressure less than the motive fluid pressure to mitigate process fluid backflow through the first and second inlet valves.

A pump monitoring system for use in wellbore operations includes a strain gauge that can be positioned on a fluid end of a pump and at least one pressure transducer to measure relative pressure. A computing device can be connected to the strain gauge and the pressure transducers. The computing device executes programming instructions to identify failures of specific valves by correlating the strain signal to an actual pressure associated with the specific valve in the pump section. The processor then determines whether a pump pressure corresponds to the actual pressure associated with the specific valve, and if so, displays an indication that the specific valve in the pump section has failed.

A blood treatment system includes (i) a blood pump including a first blood pump chamber operable with a first inlet valve and a first outlet valve, and a second blood pump chamber operable with a second inlet valve and a second outlet valve; (ii) an arterial blood line; (iii) a dialyzer placed in fluid communication with the arterial blood line, wherein the blood pump is provided along the arterial blood line upstream of the dialyzer; and (iv) a venous blood line extending downstream from the dialyzer. The system also includes a processor configured to sequence the first and second blood pump chambers so as to achieve a pulsatile pattern of filling the first and second blood pump chambers and an at least substantially constant pattern of discharging blood from the first and second blood pump chambers to the dialyzer.