APPARATUS FOR FLUID CONTROL DEVICE LEAK DETECTION

• US 20140041738A1
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Hagen, Steven William, Coleman, Afton Renee, Coleman, Blake Ward
• Granted Patent: US 9,255,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/510
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/00 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
• 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: F16K 37/0091 by measuring fluid parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/02 Preventing, monitoring, or locating loss
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2876 for valves G01M3/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0379 By fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7836 Flexible diaphragm or bellows reactor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

Apparatus for fluid control device leak detection are disclosed. An example apparatus in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure includes a plurality of ports. One of the ports is to receive a supply pressure to drive an actuator and another of the ports to be fluidly coupled to a purge port of a fluid control device. The apparatus includes a sensor to measure a value at the purge port and a processor to compare the value to a predetermined value or a previously measured value to identify if the value is outside of a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of ports, one of the ports to receive a supply pressure to drive an actuator and another of the ports to be fluidly coupled to a purge port of a fluid control device;

a sensor to measure a value at the purge port; and

a processor to compare the value to a predetermined value or a previously measured value to identify if the value is outside of a predetermined threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the value being outside of the predetermined threshold is associated with a bellows leak in the fluid control device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to generate an alert if the value is outside of the predetermined threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to automatically communicate an alert to a remote monitoring system based on the processor identifying that the value is outside of the predetermined threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to generate a report if the value is outside of the predetermined threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the report comprises a time stamp.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pressure regulator fluidly coupled between the purge port and the sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensing diaphragm assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the value comprises a pressure value.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of ports, a first one of the ports to receive a supply pressure to drive an actuator and a second one of the ports to be fluidly coupled to a bonnet port of a fluid control device;

a bellows positioned between a flow aperture of the fluid control device and the bonnet port to substantially prevent process fluid from flowing to the bonnet port;

a sensor to measure a pressure value at the bonnet port; and

a processor to compare the pressure value to a predetermined pressure value or a previously measured pressure value to determine if there is a leak in the bellows.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is to generate an alert if the processor determines that if there is a leak in the bellows.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is to automatically communicate an alert to a remote monitoring system based on the processor determining that there is a leak in the bellows.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is to generate a report based on the processor determining that there is a leak in the bellows.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of ports, one of the ports to receive a supply pressure to drive an actuator and another of the ports to be fluidly coupled to a purge port of a fluid control device, a bellows positioned between a flow aperture of the fluid control device and the purge port to substantially prevent process fluid from flowing to the purge port; and

means for detecting a bellows leak in the fluid control device.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of ports, one of the ports to receive a supply pressure to drive an actuator and another of the ports to be fluidly coupled to a purge port of a fluid control device;

a sensor to measure a value at the purge port; and

a processor to determine if there is a leak in the fluid control device based on the measured value.

15. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for detecting a leak comprises a sensor to measure a value at the purge port.

16. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for detecting a leak comprises a processor to compare the value to a predetermined value or a previously measured value to determine if there is a leak.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the leak in the fluid control device is associated with the measured value being outside of a predetermined threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is to compare the measured pressure value to the predetermined threshold.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the measured value comprises a pressure value.