Flow Control Valve With Integrated Electronics For Aircraft Applications 2002-01-2920

A prototype electronic flow control valve (EFCV) has been built and demonstrated that can meet the demanding environment of aircraft applications at a lower cost and lower weight than current air flow sensing and control methods. The first applications targeted for the EFCV are in the aircraft environmental control system, where multiple components are currently required to perform the same function. The EFCV uses an innovative method of flow sensing which allows a standard butterfly valve body to be used for flow measurement, as well as control. With integrated electronics, thermoelectric cooling and sensors, the EFCV is an intelligent, stand-alone, line replaceable unit, which has improved performance over other methods of flow control.