Condition assessment system and method

• US 20070168086A1
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Florida Power & Light Company (NextEra Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Florida Power & Light Company (NextEra Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schultz, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,436,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0083 by measuring valve parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/045 with sensing devices and central station in a closed loop, e.g. McCullough loop
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 31/00 Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data

Abstract

System and method for monitoring and controlling one or more valves. The method can include sensing a condition of a valve, transmitting the condition to a sensor server, and transmitting a data stream including the condition to an assessment application. The method can also include generating a predictive model and comparing the condition to the predictive model. The method can further include transmitting a control instruction to at least one of a valve positioner and the sensor server and varying the position of the valve based on the control instruction.

Claims

1. A valve positioner for monitoring and controlling a valve, the valve positioner comprising:

an actuator that applies one of a pressure and a force to the valve;

a sensor that reads a condition of the valve; and

a processor that transmits the condition to a sensor server, that receives a control instruction from a control system, and that instructs the actuator to apply one of a pressure and a force to the valve.

2. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor transmits the condition in a data stream that is substantially continuous.

3. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor transmits the condition and receives the control instruction over a single transmission line.

4. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condition is a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer protocol signal.

5. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor transmits the condition to the assessment application over an Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control link.

6. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve includes a steam valve.

7. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve includes a liquid valve.

8. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator applies approximately 3 to 27 pounds per square inch of pressure to the valve.

9. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control instruction includes a position instruction.

10. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condition includes at least one of a position condition, an applied pressure condition, a received pressure condition, a temperature condition, an emission condition, and a distance traveled condition.

11. A valve positioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condition is digital.

12. A sensor server for use in a system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of valves, the sensor server comprising:

a plurality of valve channels receiving a condition from each one of a plurality of valve positioners and transmitting a control instruction to each one of the plurality of valve positioners;

a multiplexer combining the condition received from each one of the plurality of valve positioners into a data stream;

an assessment channel transmitting the data stream to an assessment application; and

a control system channel receiving a control instruction for each one of the plurality of valve positioners.

13. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein the data stream is substantially continuous.

14. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein the condition is received from and the control instruction is transmitted over a single transmission line.

15. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein the condition includes a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer protocol signal.

16. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein the assessment channel includes an Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control link.

17. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of valves includes a steam valve.

18. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of valves includes a liquid valve.

19. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein the data stream includes a plurality of data channels.

20. A sensor server as claimed in claim 19, wherein the multiplexer establishes the plurality of data channels.

21. A sensor server as claimed in claim 20, wherein the multiplexer assigns the condition from each one of the plurality of valve positioners to one of the plurality of data channels.

22. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control system generates an approximately 4 to 20 milliamp control instruction.

23. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a modem connected between the sensor server and the assessment application.

24. A sensor server as claimed in claim 23, wherein the modem includes a RS232 to RS422 modem.

25. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control instruction includes a position condition.

26. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein the condition includes at least one of a position condition, an applied pressure condition, a received pressure condition, a temperature condition, an emission condition, and a distanced traveled condition.

27. A sensor server as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of valve positioners includes a digital positioner.