Booster box standalone feed system

Abstract

A booster box for a standalone feed system. The booster box includes a pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet. The pump inlet receives a source fluid from a source container when the pump is activated. The booster box includes a manifold block with a manifold inlet in fluid communication with the pump outlet. The booster box includes a digital controller configured to automatically activate the pump when a pressure within the manifold block sensed by a pressure sensor is below a minimum pressure, and automatically deactivate the pump when the pressure within the manifold block sensed reaches a target pressure. The digital controller is configured to deactivate the pump assembly when a predetermined maximum pumping time period elapses before the target pressure is reached.

1 . A booster box for a standalone booster box feed system, the booster box comprising:
 a pump assembly having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, the pump inlet being configured to receive a source fluid from a source container when the pump assembly is activated;   a manifold block including a manifold inlet and a manifold outlet, the manifold inlet being in fluid communication with the pump outlet;   a digital controller configured to selectively activate or deactivate the pump assembly, the digital controller in communication with a pressure sensor within the manifold block;   wherein the digital controller is configured to:
 automatically activate the pump assembly when a pressure within the manifold block sensed by the pressure sensor is below a minimum pressure, and 
 automatically deactivate the pump assembly when the pressure within the manifold block sensed by the pressure sensor reaches a target pressure, 
   and wherein the digital controller is configured to deactivate the pump assembly when a predetermined maximum pumping time period elapses before the target pressure is reached.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump assembly is a diaphragm pump. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the source fluid includes glycol. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump assembly includes an internal check valve. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump assembly, the manifold block, and the digital controller are each mounted to a base platform. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the source container is not mounted to the base platform. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the digital controller includes a user interface with inputs for selecting at least one of the minimum pressure, the target pressure, or the predetermined maximum pumping time. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the manifold outlet is in fluid communication with a hydronic system and the pressure sensed within the manifold block is equal to a system pressure within the hydronic system. 
     
     
         9 . A standalone feed system for a hydronic system, the feed system comprising:
 a source container including a volume of a source fluid;   a booster box in fluid communication with the source container, the booster box including:
 a pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, the pump inlet being configured to receive the source fluid from the source container when the pump is activated, 
 a manifold block including a manifold inlet and a manifold outlet, the manifold inlet being in fluid communication with the pump outlet, and 
 a digital controller configured to selectively activate or deactivate the pump; and 
   a booster box outlet line providing fluid communication between the manifold outlet and the hydronic system;   wherein the digital controller is configured to:
 automatically activate the pump when a pressure within the hydronic system is below a minimum pressure, and 
 automatically deactivate the pump when the pressure within the hydronic system is at least a target pressure, 
   and wherein the digital controller is configured to deactivate the pump when a predetermined maximum pumping time period has elapsed before the target pressure is reached.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the pump is a diaphragm pump. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the source fluid includes glycol. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the pump includes an internal check valve. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the pump, the manifold block, and the digital controller are each mounted to a base platform. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the source container is not mounted to the base platform. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the digital controller includes a user interface with inputs for selecting at least one of the minimum pressure, the target pressure, or the predetermined maximum pumping time. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the manifold block includes a pressure sensor in communication with the digital controller, the pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure within the manifold block. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the pressure sensed within the manifold block is equal to the pressure within the hydronic system. 
     
     
         18 . A method of regulating a closed-loop hydronic system, the method comprising:
 sensing, via pressure sensor, a system pressure within the closed-loop hydronic system;   determining, by a digital controller in communication with the pressure sensor, that the system pressure is below a minimum pressure;   in response to determining that the system pressure is below the minimum pressure, activating a pump assembly to draw a source fluid from a source container and pump the source fluid into the closed-loop hydronic system thereby increasing the system pressure;   monitoring, by the digital controller, the system pressure while the pump assembly is activated;   determining, by the digital controller, whether the system pressure has reached or exceeded a target pressure;   determining, by the digital controller, whether a maximum pumping time period has elapsed since the pump assembly was activated; and   deactivating, by the digital controller, the pump assembly when the digital controller determines that at least one of:
 the system pressure has reached or exceeded the target pressure, or 
 the maximum pumping time period has elapsed. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising receiving, via a user interface of the digital controller, a user input of at least one of the minimum pressure, the target pressure, and the maximum pumping time period. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the source fluid includes glycol.