1. A regulating device for regulating a fluid flow, the regulating device comprising an actuator element including a first restriction device, and a regulating device body including a second restriction device and forming, together with said first restriction device, the choke device of the regulating device, the regulating device being provided with a flow area arranged to convey fluid between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and the actuator element or regulating device body being disposed at least in a portion of the regulating device body and actuator element, respectively, characterized in that the actuator element and regulating device body are connected in such a way that the actuator element and the regulating device body are arranged to move freely independently of each other in consequence of a material expansion or material contraction, the through-put of the choke device being indirectly influenced by an energy source which is arranged to supply energy to at least one of the actuator element andor regulating device body.
2. The regulating device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the energy source is arranged to be controlled.
3. The regulating device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the operating range of the choke device is adjustable.
4. A flow meter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid, characterized in that the flow meter is constituted by a regulating device in accordance with claim 1, the flow rate being given by the formula:
Gs=I(Cp*(t2\u2212t1)), in which
Gs is the flow rate of the fluid gs;
I is the supplied power W, wherein 1\u22600;
Cp is the thermal capacity of the fluid Jg \xb0 K.;
t1 is the energy of the fluid measured at an inlet portion of the regulating device; and
t2 is the energy of the fluid measured at an outlet portion of the regulating device, the self-adjusting action of the flow meter causing the energy difference t2\u2212t1 to be constant at a constant supplied power I.
5. The flow meter according to claim 4, characterized in that the flow meter is further provided with a measuring device for measuring temperature and temperature change in consequence of energy supplied to the fluid through the entire regulating device or parts thereof.
6. A method of regulating a fluid flowing through a regulating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid flow through the regulating device is regulated by changing the energy supply to the energy source so that the throughput of the choke device will change until a new energy balance has been achieved, so that that the energy supplied to the regulating device from the energy source corresponds to the energy removed from the regulating device via the fluid flowing through.
7. A method of regulating an energy of a fluid which is flowing through a regulating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the energy of the fluid flowing through the regulating device is regulated by changing the energy supply from the energy source to the regulating device so that the throughput of the choke device is changed until the fluid flowing out of the regulating device has obtained the desired energy.
8.-9. (canceled)
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for sterilizing an item, comprising:
(a) loading the item into a sterilization chamber;
(b) preparing sterilant gas by use of a plasma; and
(c) filling the sterilization chamber with the sterilant gas to a preset pressure with the item loaded therein.
2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
(d) waiting a preset time interval with the item in the chamber filled with the sterilant gas to the preset level wherein the preset time interval is sufficient to accomplish an intended sterilization; and
(e) evacuating the sterilant gas from the sterilization chamber following expiration of the preset time interval.
3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising repeating the steps (b)-(e).
4. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising repeating the steps (c)-(e).
5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sterilant gas is NOx.
6. A system for sterilizing a target, comprising:
a chamber having a space for loading a target therein; and
a sterilant gas supply for producing sterilant gas by use of a plasma and providing the sterilant gas to the chamber.
7. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the sterilant gas supply includes a plasma generator for generating the plasma that produces the sterilant gas.
8. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the sterilant gas includes NOx species.
9. A system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a vacuum pump for evacuating gas from the chamber.
10. A system as recited in claim 6, further comprising at least one sensor for sensing at least one of a temperature, a pressure, or a concentration of the sterilant gas in the chamber.
11. An apparatus for sterilizing an item, comprising:
a sterilization chamber for loading the item therein;
a plasma generator configured to generate a plasma transforming gas into sterilant gas; and
a controller configured to fill the sterilization chamber with the sterilant gas to a preset pressure.
12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to wait a preset time interval, after the sterilization chamber is filled with the item and the sterilant gas, sufficient to accomplish an intended sterilization and to evacuate the sterilant gas from the sterilization chamber after the preset time interval has passed.
13. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising at least one sensor for sensing at least one of a temperature, a pressure, and a concentration of the sterilant gas in the sterilization chamber.