WO2007051470A2 - A method of monitoring the function of a controlled valve - Google Patents

A method of monitoring the function of a controlled valve Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2007051470A2
WO2007051470A2 PCT/DK2006/000602 DK2006000602W WO2007051470A2 WO 2007051470 A2 WO2007051470 A2 WO 2007051470A2 DK 2006000602 W DK2006000602 W DK 2006000602W WO 2007051470 A2 WO2007051470 A2 WO 2007051470A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
valve
actuator
function
closed
valve body
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/DK2006/000602
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2007051470A3 (en
Inventor
Svend Garnaes
Original Assignee
Dantaet Electronics A/S
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Dantaet Electronics A/S filed Critical Dantaet Electronics A/S
Publication of WO2007051470A2 publication Critical patent/WO2007051470A2/en
Publication of WO2007051470A3 publication Critical patent/WO2007051470A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B19/00—Programme-control systems
    • G05B19/02—Programme-control systems electric
    • G05B19/04—Programme control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers
    • G05B19/042—Programme control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers using digital processors
    • G05B19/0423—Input/output
    • G05B19/0425—Safety, monitoring
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K37/00—Special means in or on valves or other cut-off apparatus for indicating or recording operation thereof, or for enabling an alarm to be given
    • F16K37/0075—For recording or indicating the functioning of a valve in combination with test equipment
    • F16K37/0083—For recording or indicating the functioning of a valve in combination with test equipment by measuring valve parameters
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K37/00—Special means in or on valves or other cut-off apparatus for indicating or recording operation thereof, or for enabling an alarm to be given
    • F16K37/0075—For recording or indicating the functioning of a valve in combination with test equipment
    • F16K37/0091—For recording or indicating the functioning of a valve in combination with test equipment by measuring fluid parameters
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B9/00—Safety arrangements
    • G05B9/02—Safety arrangements electric

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method of monitoring the function of a controlled valve, wherein an actuator brings the valve in a position in accordance with the command which the actuator has received from a control system.
  • Controlled valves are generally known and are used in many connections, e.g. for processing systems or for security purposes. It is evidently important to the course of a process or to the security in a monitoring system that the valve instantaneously reacts as intended to a command from the control unit.
  • the art includes many arrangements for displaying the function of valves, where the position of the valve body is detected, or where it is measured whether there is a flow through the valve.
  • the position of the valve body may be detected visually or by means of sensors, which may be optical, capacitive or inductive.
  • the pressure drop across the valve may also be measured in order to determine the degree of closure of the valve.
  • the system requires considerable computational power in order to be able to detect from small to great malfunctions in the control valve.
  • the system must comprise a server for the positional adjustment. In other words, what is involved is a complicated and thereby expensive system with sophisticated components to ensure a completely monitored process control system.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a method of monitoring a controlled valve, where it is absolutely certain that the valve opens and closes correctly, and that the valve body is in the position which is in accordance with the command which the actuator of the valve has received from the control system.
  • a method which is characterized in that the function of the actuator is scanned, and the closed or open position of the valve body is scanned, and that when the function of the actuator and the closed or open position of the valve body are in agreement, a signal is applied, showing that the valve is in order, while when the function of the actuator and the closed or open position of the valve body are not in agreement, a signal is applied, showing malfunction.
  • an OK signal may be applied for the capability of the valve.
  • the valve hangs in an open position and in case d) the valve hangs in a closed position.
  • an error signal is applied.
  • the method may be performed with simple means, the constituent sensors are simple, as they are purely qualitative, and they are easy to arrange in the system. This means that the preliminary and operational costs are greatly reduced.
  • valve function is detected by a scanning of the movement of the medium, error display may occur if the medium pressure drops or is not present.
  • Claims 3 and 4 define expedient ways of scanning the function/position of the actuator by an electrical and a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator, respectively.
  • Claims 5 - 7 define expedient scannings of the position of the valve body.
  • the signal applied in case of error may be a sound signal, flashing light, activation of an electronic relay or a radio or network connection.
  • the drawing schematically shows a length of piping 10 for a medium 1 having an inlet 2 and an outlet 3.
  • a controlled on/off valve 4 may interrupt the flow of medium through the piping 10.
  • the valve 4 is activated by an actuator 5, which may be electromagnetic, hydraulic or pneumatic, and which receives an activation impact 6 via a control unit (not shown), which may be electrical current, liquid or air pressure according to the type of the actuator.
  • valve body 4a of the valve 4 (closed or open) is detected by a flow detector 7 in the example shown, said valve 4 being judged to be open if flow is observed, or to be closed if flow is not observed.
  • Two pressure sensors 8, before and after the valve 4 measure the pressure drop across the valve.
  • a monitoring unit 9 which is adapted to perform the following observations:
  • the observation may be caused by the circumstance that the valve 4 is blocked in a closed state. However, it may also be due to missing pressure in the medium, as the state of the valve is detected 7 by the flow of medium in the example shown. To distinguish between the two possibilities, the value of the differential pressure is used, which is scanned by the pressure sensors 8. Only if a differential pressure is observed, is the valve judged to be blocked.
  • the position of the valve 4 may be observed in other known ways, e.g. by electrical, optical or mechanical means, just as the state or the function of the actuator 5 may be detected directly and without the use of the activation means, e.g. in that the movement of the medium may be detected by a sensor arm on the inlet side of the valve 4 which is arranged in the medium.
  • the invention provides a simple and safe measure for monitoring the function of a controlled on/off valve for use by simple qualitative sensors, which may easily be arranged in the system.

Abstract

A method of monitoring a controlled valve (4), and in particular the capability of the valve, i.e. whether the valve opens or closes as intended in accordance with the commands which it receives from the control arrangement, which activates an actuator (5) that places the valve in either an open or a closed position. The position or the function of the actuator (5) is scanned, and the position of the valve body (4a) is scanned. If the function of the actuator and the position of the valve body are in agreement, a signal is applied, showing that the valve is in order, while when the function of the actuator and the position of the valve body are not in agreement, a signal is applied, showing that the valve is defective.

Description

A METHOD OF MONITORING THE FUNCTION OF A CONTROLLED VALVE
The prior art
The invention relates to a method of monitoring the function of a controlled valve, wherein an actuator brings the valve in a position in accordance with the command which the actuator has received from a control system.
Controlled valves are generally known and are used in many connections, e.g. for processing systems or for security purposes. It is evidently important to the course of a process or to the security in a monitoring system that the valve instantaneously reacts as intended to a command from the control unit.
The art includes many arrangements for displaying the function of valves, where the position of the valve body is detected, or where it is measured whether there is a flow through the valve. The position of the valve body may be detected visually or by means of sensors, which may be optical, capacitive or inductive. The pressure drop across the valve may also be measured in order to determine the degree of closure of the valve.
An example of the monitoring of a controlled valve is disclosed in US 5 748 769. The purpose of this known monitoring is to observe errors in the regu- lation of the valve, so that a beginning malfunction is recorded by an underlying control system with a view to correcting the error.
It is complicated - and thereby expensive - valves with a control function, which are typically used in the processing industry, where malfunction may result in serious production errors and thus deterioration or destruction of the production. Malfunction is referred to a subsystem, which serves to diagnose and thereby facilitate e.g. the replacement of defective parts of the valve.
As the valves are relatively expensive, replacement of defective parts will be an advantage. To this should be added that the system requires considerable computational power in order to be able to detect from small to great malfunctions in the control valve. As a minimum, the system must comprise a server for the positional adjustment. In other words, what is involved is a complicated and thereby expensive system with sophisticated components to ensure a completely monitored process control system.
The object of the invention
The object of the invention is to provide a method of monitoring a controlled valve, where it is absolutely certain that the valve opens and closes correctly, and that the valve body is in the position which is in accordance with the command which the actuator of the valve has received from the control system.
This is achieved according to the invention by a method which is characterized in that the function of the actuator is scanned, and the closed or open position of the valve body is scanned, and that when the function of the actuator and the closed or open position of the valve body are in agreement, a signal is applied, showing that the valve is in order, while when the function of the actuator and the closed or open position of the valve body are not in agreement, a signal is applied, showing malfunction.
Hereby, a surprisingly simple system is provided, which allows the capability of the controlled valve to be monitored. The scannings lead to four pos- sible combinations, viz.: a) the actuator "closed", the valve closed, b) the actuator "open", the valve open, c) the actuator "closed", the valve open, and d) the actuator "open", the valve closed.
In the first two cases a) and b) an OK signal may be applied for the capability of the valve. In case c) the valve hangs in an open position, and in case d) the valve hangs in a closed position. In the two last-mentioned cases, an error signal is applied.
The method may be performed with simple means, the constituent sensors are simple, as they are purely qualitative, and they are easy to arrange in the system. This means that the preliminary and operational costs are greatly reduced.
If the valve function is detected by a scanning of the movement of the medium, error display may occur if the medium pressure drops or is not present. To avoid this situation, it is possible, as stated in claim 2, to scan the medium pressure on the inlet side of the valve or the differential pressure between the inlet side and the outlet side of the valve. By allowing this scanning to be incorporated in the evaluation it is possible to distinguish between a blocked valve and missing or too low medium pressure.
Claims 3 and 4 define expedient ways of scanning the function/position of the actuator by an electrical and a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator, respectively.
Claims 5 - 7 define expedient scannings of the position of the valve body.
The signal applied in case of error may be a sound signal, flashing light, activation of an electronic relay or a radio or network connection. The drawing
The invention will be explained more fully below with reference to the drawing which schematically illustrates the invention.
Description of the exemplary embodiment
The drawing schematically shows a length of piping 10 for a medium 1 having an inlet 2 and an outlet 3. A controlled on/off valve 4 may interrupt the flow of medium through the piping 10. The valve 4 is activated by an actuator 5, which may be electromagnetic, hydraulic or pneumatic, and which receives an activation impact 6 via a control unit (not shown), which may be electrical current, liquid or air pressure according to the type of the actuator.
The state of the valve body 4a of the valve 4 (closed or open) is detected by a flow detector 7 in the example shown, said valve 4 being judged to be open if flow is observed, or to be closed if flow is not observed. Two pressure sensors 8, before and after the valve 4, measure the pressure drop across the valve.
The messages from the sensors and the information on the presence of an activation impact of the valve are gathered in a monitoring unit 9, which is adapted to perform the following observations:
a) There is an activation impact 6, and the valve 4 is closed, b) there is no activation impact, and the valve 4 is open, c) there is an activation impact 6, and the valve 4 is open, or d) there is no activation impact, and the valve 4 is closed.
In the first two cases a) and b) the function of the valve 4 is in order. In the last two cases c) and d) an error or alarm signal is applied, as the valve does not operate correctly.
In case d) the observation may be caused by the circumstance that the valve 4 is blocked in a closed state. However, it may also be due to missing pressure in the medium, as the state of the valve is detected 7 by the flow of medium in the example shown. To distinguish between the two possibilities, the value of the differential pressure is used, which is scanned by the pressure sensors 8. Only if a differential pressure is observed, is the valve judged to be blocked.
The position of the valve 4 may be observed in other known ways, e.g. by electrical, optical or mechanical means, just as the state or the function of the actuator 5 may be detected directly and without the use of the activation means, e.g. in that the movement of the medium may be detected by a sensor arm on the inlet side of the valve 4 which is arranged in the medium.
The invention provides a simple and safe measure for monitoring the function of a controlled on/off valve for use by simple qualitative sensors, which may easily be arranged in the system.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS
1. A method of monitoring the function of a controlled valve, wherein an actuator brings a valve body of the valve in a position in accordance with the command which the actuator has received from a control system, characterized in that the function of the actuator (5) is scanned, and the closed or open position of the valve body (4a) is scanned, and that when the function of the actuator (5) and the closed or open position of the valve body (4a) are in agreement, a signal is applied, showing that the valve (4) is in order, while when the function of the actuator (5) and the closed or open position of the valve body (4a) are not in agreement, a signal is applied, showing malfunction.
2. A method according to claim 1, ch a ra cte ri ze d in that also a scanning of the medium pressure on the inlet side of the valve (4) or of the differential pressure between the inlet side (2) and the outlet side (3) of the valve (4) is performed.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator of the valve is electric, c h a ra cte ri z e d in that the function of the actuator (5) is scanned inductively (7) or by an optocoupler.
4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator is pneumatic or hydraulic, ch a racterized in that the function of the actuator (5) is scanned by one or more pressure sensors (8).
5. A method according to claims 1 -4, characterized in that the closed or open position of the valve (4) is detected by scanning the position of the valve body (4a).
6. A method according to claims 1 -4, characterized in that the closed or open position of the valve (4) is detected by scanning flow in the medium (1).
7. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the movement of the medium (1) is detected by a sensor arm which is arranged at the inlet side of the valve (4).
PCT/DK2006/000602 2005-11-04 2006-10-30 A method of monitoring the function of a controlled valve WO2007051470A2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DKPA200501524 2005-11-04
DKPA200501524 2005-11-04
DK200600827A DK200600827A (en) 2005-11-04 2006-06-19 Method for monitoring the function of a controlled on / off valve
DKPA200600827 2006-06-19

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2007051470A2 true WO2007051470A2 (en) 2007-05-10
WO2007051470A3 WO2007051470A3 (en) 2007-10-18

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/DK2006/000602 WO2007051470A2 (en) 2005-11-04 2006-10-30 A method of monitoring the function of a controlled valve

Country Status (2)

Country Link
DK (1) DK200600827A (en)
WO (1) WO2007051470A2 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3074635A4 (en) * 2013-11-26 2017-08-02 Beacon Technical Systems, LLC Test and monitoring system for a sump pump installation having a self-monitoring valve module for admitting water to the sump pit

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5748469A (en) * 1994-10-18 1998-05-05 Neles Controls Oy Method and apparatus for detecting a fault of a control valve assembly in a control loop
EP0864949A1 (en) * 1997-03-14 1998-09-16 Siemens Automotive S.A. Method for the dynamic diagnosis of an actuator
EP1070893A2 (en) * 1999-07-16 2001-01-24 Smc Corporation Method and device for managing operation of solenoid valve
US6382226B1 (en) * 2001-04-17 2002-05-07 Fisher Controls International, Inc. Method for detecting broken valve stem
US6725130B1 (en) * 2000-05-04 2004-04-20 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Method, apparatus and control logic for damage reconfiguration of an electro-mechanical system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5748469A (en) * 1994-10-18 1998-05-05 Neles Controls Oy Method and apparatus for detecting a fault of a control valve assembly in a control loop
EP0864949A1 (en) * 1997-03-14 1998-09-16 Siemens Automotive S.A. Method for the dynamic diagnosis of an actuator
EP1070893A2 (en) * 1999-07-16 2001-01-24 Smc Corporation Method and device for managing operation of solenoid valve
US6725130B1 (en) * 2000-05-04 2004-04-20 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Method, apparatus and control logic for damage reconfiguration of an electro-mechanical system
US6382226B1 (en) * 2001-04-17 2002-05-07 Fisher Controls International, Inc. Method for detecting broken valve stem

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3074635A4 (en) * 2013-11-26 2017-08-02 Beacon Technical Systems, LLC Test and monitoring system for a sump pump installation having a self-monitoring valve module for admitting water to the sump pit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2007051470A3 (en) 2007-10-18
DK200600827A (en) 2007-05-05

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