Non-contact torque sensing for valve actuators

• US 20080277609A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flowserve Pte Ltd. (Flowserve Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Flowserve Management Company (Flowserve Corporation)
• Inventors: Dolenti, William T., Fleury, Byron A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,096,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/129.11
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0041 for measuring valve parameters F16K37/0033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0083 by measuring valve parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/165 with acoustic surface waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/255 using acoustic waves, or acoustic emission G01L1/10 and G01L1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/12 for measuring axial thrust in a rotary shaft, e.g. of propulsion plants

Abstract

Non-contact torque, thrust, strain, and other data sensing of a valve actuator or valve is disclosed. A sensor may include a surface acoustic wave device.

Claims

1. An electrically driven valve actuator, comprising:

a rotating member; and

a torque or thrust sensor comprising at least one surface acoustic wave device, the at least one surface acoustic wave device attached to the rotating member.

2. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface acoustic wave device operates at a frequency range of about 3 megahertz to about 3 gigahertz.

3. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface acoustic wave device comprises two surface acoustic wave devices placed at opposing angles to each other on the rotating member.

4. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface acoustic wave device measures axial thrust.

5. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface acoustic wave device measures torque.

6. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the rotating member is selected from the group consisting of a worm shaft, motor drive shaft, drive sleeve, handwheel adapter, teeth of worm gear, declutch mechanism, declutch handle, and input shaft for an encoder.

7. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the rotating member is a valve stem.

8. The valve actuator of claim 7, wherein the rotating member is a rotating valve stem.

9. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the rotating member is a linear moving valve stem.

10. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface acoustic wave device comprises at least one pair of interleaved electrodes.

11. The valve actuator of claim 1, further comprising electronics associated with a particular surface acoustic wave device.

12. The valve actuator of claim 11, wherein the electronics comprises an amplifier for each surface acoustic wave device, a converter associated with each surface acoustic wave device, or a wireless tag associated with an output produced by an output electrode.

19. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface acoustic wave device measures axial thrust.

20. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface acoustic wave device measures torque.

13. A method of sensing torque in a motor operated valve actuator, the method comprising:

compressing or placing under tension at least a portion of one or more acoustic wave devices mounted on a surface of a component of a valve actuator;

wirelessly exciting the one or more acoustic wave devices;

receiving a wireless output from the one or more acoustic devices; and

utilizing the wireless output to determine the torque on the component.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the component of the valve actuator is a rotary component.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the component of the valve actuator is a stationary component.

16. An electric valve system, comprising:

an electric valve actuator;

a valve;

a rotatable component of the electric valve actuator or valve; and

at least one non-contact sensor operably mounted on the rotatable component, the at least one non-contact sensor configured to generate torque or thrust data.

17. The electric valve system of claim 16, wherein the at least one non-contact sensor comprises strain gauges attached to the rotatable component.

18. The electric valve system of claim 16, wherein the at least one non-contact sensor comprises two optical sensors placed in line on a rotary component relative to a rotational axis of the rotary component.