LABORATORY TESTING-BASED VALVE PROGNOSTICS

• US 20140261791A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Grabau, Ted Dennis, Anderson, Shawn W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,845,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/551
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0075 For recording or indicating the functioning of a valve in combination with test equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

The claimed method and system develops a useful lifetime profile for a component of a process control device, such as a valve, and uses that lifetime profile to determine a projected remaining lifetime for the device component in operation. The lifetime profile is developed from using real world operational data of similar process control devices, used under substantially the same operating conditions as to be experienced during operation. Profiles may be developed for numerous device components, from which a projected lifetime profile for the entire process control device is developed. Based on the projected remaining lifetime, notification warnings may be sent to remote computers and maintenance scheduling may be automatically achieved.

Claims

1. A method for developing a projected lifetime profile for a component of a process control device, the method comprising:

receiving, at an integrated diagnostics module, an identification of the component of the process control device, wherein the component is capable of experiencing mechanical wear or fatigue, over time, during operation of the process control device, and receiving, at the integrated diagnostics module, an operating parameter corresponding to the component, wherein the mechanical wear or fatigue of the component varies with changes in the operating parameter;

receiving, at the integrated diagnostics module, previously-recorded performance data of a reference component, where the previously-recorded performance data were collected during operation of the reference component under conditions compatible with conditions under which the process control device is to operate; and

developing, in a profiler, the projected lifetime profile for the component based on the previously-recorded performance data, wherein the projected lifetime profile indicates a projected lifetime of the component as a function of values of the operating parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving previously-recorded performance data for a plurality of reference components, each having previously-recorded data collected under conditions compatible with conditions under which the process control device is to operate; and

developing the projected lifetime profile of the component by determining an average projected lifetime profile of the component.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving previously-recorded performance data for a plurality of reference components, each having previously-recorded data collected under conditions compatible with conditions under which the process control device is to operate; and

developing the projected lifetime profile of the component by determining a minimum projected lifetime profile of the component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously-recorded performance data are historical data collected from the reference component operating under processing plant conditions corresponding to the processing plant conditions under which the process control device is to operate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously-recorded performance data are laboratory test data collected from testing the reference component under the conditions compatible with the conditions under which the process control device is to operate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the process control device is a valve assembly and the component is a diaphragm component, a packing gland component, a bushing component, a seal component, or a shaft component of the valve assembly.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the projected lifetime profile is a cycle lifetime profile for the component indicating a desired lifetime of the component based on a projected number of operating cycles of the valve assembly as a function of the operating parameter.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the operating parameter for the component is pressure, flow rate, temperature, leakage, percent failure, valve position, flow rate, fluid level, current/pressure ratio, and actuator position.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving operating conditions for component during operation of the process control device; and

updating, in the profiler, the projected lifetime profile for the component based on the received operating conditions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the received operating conditions comprises data on at least one of pressure, flow rate, temperature, leakage, percent failure, position, flow rate, fluid level, and current/pressure ratio.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the received operating conditions comprises data on at least one of elapsed time and number of cycles.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the integrated diagnostics module, an identification of a plurality of components of the process control device;

receiving, at the integrated diagnostics module, previously-recorded performance data of a plurality of reference components, each corresponding to a different component of the process control device;

developing, in the profiler, projected lifetime profiles for each of the components based on the previously-recorded performance data; and

developing, in the profiler, a projected lifetime profile for the process control device based on the projected lifetime profiles for the components.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated diagnostics module is contained within the process control device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated diagnostics module is stored remotely from the process control device and communicates with the process control device through a communication link.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously-recorded performance data are stored remotely from the integrated diagnostics module and received through a communication link.

16. A method for determining a projected remaining lifetime for a component of a process control device, the method comprising:

receiving, in an integrated diagnostics module, a projected lifetime profile for the component, wherein the projected lifetime profile is developed based on previously-recorded performance data collected during operation of a reference component under conditions compatible with conditions under which the process control device is to operate, and wherein the projected lifetime profile indicates a projected lifetime of the component as a function of an operating parameter;

receiving, at the integrated diagnostics module, current data on the operating parameter for the component during operation of the process control device;

analyzing, in a lifetime data analyzer, the current data on the operating parameter for the component and the projected lifetime profile for the component to determine a projected remaining lifetime for the component; and

determining an operator notification state of the component based the determined projected remaining lifetime.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the process control device is a valve assembly and the component is a diagram component, a packing gland component, a bushing component, a seal component, or a shaft component of the valve assembly.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the projected lifetime profile is a cycle lifetime profile for the component indicating a desired lifetime of the component based on a projected number of operating cycles of the valve assembly as a function of the operating parameter.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the operating parameter for the component is one of pressure, flow rate, temperature, leakage, percent failure, valve position, flow rate, fluid level, current/pressure ratio, or actuator position.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the operator notification state is (i) normal, indicating that no action is needed for maintenance of the process control assembly, (ii) maintenance, indicating that maintenance should be performed within a normal maintenance window, or (iii) alert, indicating that maintenance should be performed prior to the normal maintenance window.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising communicating notification state data to maintenance personnel if the notification state is maintenance or alert.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising communicating notification state data to a remote computer or remote operator.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

communicating notification state data to a maintenance scheduler; and

automatically scheduling maintenance on the process control component based on the projected remaining lifetime.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising automatically generating a maintenance order corresponding to a scheduled maintenance.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising communicating notification state data to a remote computer or remote operator, wherein the notification state data include recommend replacement parts and/or recommended service actions for performing maintenance or replacement on the component.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the integrated diagnostics module is contained within the process control device.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the integrated diagnostics module is in a remote computer system communicating with the process control device through a communication link.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the current data on the operating parameter are received to the remote computer system from the process control device through the communication link.

29. A valve controller comprising:

a valve actuator coupled to a valve and operable to actuate a movable control element of the valve;

an actuator control signal generator configured to receive a valve control signal and to generate and transmit to the valve actuator a corresponding actuator control signal;

a valve position controller receiving a set point value from a controller and executing a control algorithm to output the valve control signal for controlling the valve;

an operating conditions sensor configured to sense a parameter of the operating environment in which the valve or the valve actuator is operating; and

an integrated diagnostics module receiving information of;

(a) an indication of the sensed parameter of the operating environment; and

(b) (i) a position of the movable control element,

(ii) a movement of the movable control element,

(iii) the valve control signal,

(iv) the corresponding actuator control signal, or

(v) the set point value,

and configured to analyze the received information (a) and (b) and to determine, based on the received information (a) and (b) and further based on predetermined profile data for the valve or the valve actuator, a predicted remaining lifetime for a component of the valve or a component of the valve actuator.

30. A valve controller according to claim 29, wherein the predetermined profile data identify one or more components of the valve and/or one or more replaceable components of the actuator that have a predictable lifetime under given operating conditions.

31. A valve controller according to claim 30, wherein the predetermined profile data also identify a relationship between the predictable lifetime and the given operating conditions.

32. A valve controller according to claim 31, wherein the integrated diagnostics module receives the indication of the sensed parameter of the operating environment and selects a corresponding subset of the predetermined profile data according to the received indication of the sensed parameter of the operating environment, and uses the subset of the predetermined profile data to determine the predicted remaining lifetime.

33. A valve controller according to claim 32, wherein the integrated diagnostics module implements a counter that is incremented or decremented according to the information (b).

34. A valve controller according to claim 29, wherein the information (b) is received from a position sensor.

35. A valve controller according to claim 29, wherein the predetermined profile data are derived from laboratory data of the same valve or the same actuator operating under conditions corresponding to the operating environment.

36. A valve controller according to claim 29, wherein the integrated diagnostics module is configured to generate notification state data and communicate the notification state data to a remote computer or remote operator, wherein the notification state data indicate the predicted remaining lifetime for the component.

37. A valve controller according to claim 36, wherein the notification state data include recommend replacement parts and/or recommended service actions for performing maintenance or replacement on the component.

38. A valve controller according to claim 29, wherein the component is a diagram component, a packing gland component, a bushing component, a seal component, or a shaft component of the valve assembly.

39. A valve controller according to claim 29, wherein the predicted remaining lifetime is a cycle lifetime for the component indicating a desired lifetime of the component based on a projected number of operating cycles of the valve assembly as a function of the parameter of the operating environment.