Patent Application
20250172221
Flow controls play a significant role in many industrial settings. Power plants and industrial process facilities, for example, use different types of flow controls to manage flow of material, typically fluids, throughout vast networks of pipes, tanks, generators, and other equipment. Control valves are a type of flow control that operators favor to regulate flow of material on their process lines. These devices may employ various systems to precisely monitor a position of certain parts to maintain flow within limits that meet process parameters. Examples of these systems include mechanical linkages or other mechanical devices that trigger optical or magnetic sensors. Trends in the industry, however, tend to disfavor linkages because they can add costs and complexity to the overall device. The mechanisms are also sensitive to vibrations that prevail in industrial settings.
The subject matter of this disclosure relates to improvements to monitor position on control valves and flow controls, in general. Of particular interest are embodiments that use pressure-based devices to monitor position of parts on the flow control. These embodiments may forego conventional mechanical linkages, in lieu of use of “head pressure” in a fluid column. This type of feedback may benefit the design because it is much less susceptible to ambient conditions that flow controls may see in the field, including vibrations that are found in many industrial settings.
This specification refers to the following drawings:
These drawings and any description herein represent examples that may disclose or explain the invention. The examples include the best mode and enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The drawings are not to scale unless the discussion indicates otherwise. Elements in the examples may appear in one or more of the several views or in combinations of the several views. The drawings may use like reference characters to designate identical or corresponding elements. Methods are exemplary only and may be modified by, for example, reordering, adding, removing, and/or altering individual steps or stages. The specification may identify such stages, as well as any parts, components, elements, or functions, in the singular with the word “a” or “an;” however, this should not exclude plural of any such designation, unless the specification explicitly recites or explains such exclusion. Likewise, any references to “one embodiment” or “one implementation” should does not exclude the existence of additional embodiments or implementations that also incorporate the recited features.
The discussion now turns to describe features of the examples shown in drawings noted above. These features obviate the need for certain mechanical linkages that may provide feedback to control setpoint on control valves and like flow controls. These linkages are susceptible to inaccuracies, often due to vibrations that prevail in industrial settings where flow controls are found in the field. The proposed designs herein, on the other hand, leverage “mechanic-less” modalities to measure or monitor position of critical parts on the device. These modalities may result in more accurate data that operators can rely upon to manage process parameters on their networks. Other embodiments may be within the scope of this disclosure.
Broadly, the position monitoring system 100 may be configured to maintain flow of fluids to meet process parameters. These configurations may incorporate devices that do not require moving parts, like linkages, to measure position or location of parts on valves or like flow controls. These devices may instead utilize fluid properties or parameters, like pressure, to generate accurate data that corresponds with operating conditions on the flow controls. This feature is useful because it simplifies construction of the overall assembly, which can lower manufacturing, labor, and maintenances costs and potentially lead to more accurate operation of the flow control to meet process parameters.
The distribution system 102 may be configured to deliver or move these fluids. These configurations may embody vast infrastructure. Material 104 may comprise gases, liquids, solid-liquid mixes, or liquid-gas mixes, as well. The conduit 106 may include pipes or pipelines that often connect to pumps, boilers, and the like. The pipes 106 may also connect to tanks or reservoirs. In many facilities, this equipment forms complex networks to execute a process, like refining raw materials or manufacturing an end product.
The flow control 108 may be configured to regulate flow of material 104 through the conduit 106 in these complex networks. These configurations may include control valves and like devices. The valve body 112 in such devices is often made of cast or machined metals. This structure may form a flange at the openings I, O. Adjacent pipes 106 may connect to these flanges to allow material 104 to flow through the device, for example, through an opening in the seat 116. The closure member 114 may embody a disc or “plug.” The valve stem 118 may embody an elongate cylinder or rod that connects on one end to this plug. The other end of this rod may couple with the actuator 120. In one implementation, the actuator 120 may include a piston and a spring (or springs) that together generate a load on the valve stem 118. It is not uncommon, though, that a flexible diaphragm may take the place of the piston in some designs. In use, the load regulates the position of the closure member 114, which in turn manages flow of material 104 through the seat 116 and into the pipes 106 downstream of the device.
The controller 122 may be configured to process and generate signals. These configurations may connect to a control network (or “distributed control system” or “DCS”). This network may maintain operation of all devices on process lines to ensure that materials flow in accordance with a process or meets certain process parameters. The DCS may generate control signals with operating parameters that describe or define operation of the flow control 108 for this purpose. Operating hardware in the controller 122 may employ electrical and computing components (e.g., processors, memory, executable instructions, etc.). These components may also include electro-pneumatic devices that operate on incoming pneumatic supply signal P1. These components ensure that the outgoing actuator control signal P2 to the actuator 120 is appropriate for the flow control 108 to supply material 104 downstream according to process parameters.
The motion sensitive unit 124 may be configured to provide feedback that corresponds with position of the closure member 114. These configurations may include devices with few, if any, moving parts. These devices may instead utilize non-contact modalities or similar “mechanic-less”techniques. In one implementation, these techniques can associate head pressure of a fluid column to a location or position of the closure member 114.
The sensor unit 126 may be configured to generate data that corresponds with this head pressure. These configurations may include sensors that are sensitive to small pressure changes, for example, on a scale of mmWC/mbar. These sensors may generate a signal S1 that corresponds with a pressure value. The operating hardware in the controller 122 may, in turn, process this signal to generate data that identifies a position for the closure member 114. In one implementation, the operating hardware may account for ambient conditions around the device. These conditions may include ambient temperature or ambient pressure, variations of which can impact parts of the motion sensitive unit 124.
The arrangement of the position monitoring system 100 in
The arrangement of the position monitoring system 100 in
This specification may include and contemplate other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. These other examples fall within the scope of the claims, for example, if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
