SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A VALVE

• US 20150112492A1
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Panther, Mitchell Stephen, Conger, Michael Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 10,379,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/043 with electrically-controlled pilot valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0431 the electrical control resulting in an on-off function
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a remote valve includes temporarily driving or activating a battery-powered pilot valve assembly to place an operatively coupled output valve in a switch position. One or more processors receives a temperature measurement associated with an operating environment of the battery-powered pilot valve assembly, compares the received temperature measurement to a temperature threshold level, and continuously drives the battery-powered pilot valve assembly to maintain the output valve in the switch position if the temperature measurement is below the temperature threshold level.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a remote pneumatically operated valve implemented within a process control system, the method comprising:

temporarily driving, by one or more processors, a battery-powered pilot valve assembly to place an operatively coupled output valve in a switch position;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a temperature measurement associated with an operating environment of the battery-powered pilot valve assembly;

determining, by the one or more processors, if the temperature measurement is below a temperature threshold level; and

continuously driving, by the one or more processors, the battery-powered pilot valve assembly to maintain the output valve in the switch position if the temperature measurement is below the temperature threshold level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a temperature proximate the pilot valve assembly with a temperature sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ceasing continuously driving, by the one or more processors, the pilot valve assembly if the temperature measurement is above the temperature threshold level.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, if the output valve is being positioned; and

ceasing continuously driving, by the one or more processors, the pilot valve assembly if the temperature measurement is above the temperature threshold level and the output valve is not currently being positioned.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining if the output valve is being positioned includes detecting movement of the output valve via a motion sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein temporarily driving a battery-powered pilot valve assembly includes:

driving a first battery-powered pilot valve for a period of time to place the output valve in a first position;

or

driving a second battery-powered pilot valve for a period of time to place the output valve in a second position.

7. A method for controlling a remote pneumatically operated valve implemented within a process control system, the method comprising:

temporarily driving, by one or more processors, a battery-powered pilot valve assembly to place an operatively coupled output valve in a switch position;

monitoring, by a temperature sensor, a temperature associated with an operating environment of the battery-powered pilot valve assembly;

determining, by the one or more processors, if the monitored temperature is below a temperature threshold level; and

continuously driving, by the one or more processors, the battery-powered pilot valve assembly to maintain the output valve in the switch position if the temperature measurement is below the temperature threshold level.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a temperature proximate the pilot valve assembly with the temperature sensor.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

ceasing continuously driving, by the one or more processors, the pilot valve assembly if the temperature is above the temperature threshold level.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, if the output valve is being positioned; and

ceasing continuously driving, by the one or more processors, the pilot valve assembly if the temperature measurement is above the temperature threshold level and the output valve is not currently being positioned.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining if the output valve is being positioned includes detecting movement of the output valve via a motion sensor.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein temporarily driving a battery-powered pilot valve assembly includes:

driving a first battery-powered pilot valve for a period of time to place the output valve in a first position;

or

driving a second battery-powered pilot valve for a period of time to place the output valve in a second position.

13. A system for controlling a remote pneumatically operated valve, the system comprising:

a battery-powered pilot valve assembly operatively coupled to an output valve;

one or more processors operatively coupled to the battery-powered pilot valve assembly;

a memory operatively coupled to the one or more processors;

a temperature sensor operatively coupled to the one or more processors, the temperature sensor facilitates monitoring of a temperature associated with the battery-powered pilot valve assembly; and

a control module stored in the memory, which when executed on the one or more processors, temporarily drives the battery-powered pilot valve assembly to place the output valve in a switch position, and when the temperature is below a temperature threshold level, continuously drives the battery-powered pilot valve assembly to maintain the output valve in the switch position.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the control module, when executed on the one or more processors, determines if the output valve is being positioned, and ceases continuously driving the pilot valve assembly if the temperature measurement is above the temperature threshold level and the output valve is not currently being positioned.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a motion sensor operatively coupled to the one or more processors and positioned proximate to the output valve.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the battery-powered pilot valve assembly includes:

a first battery-powered pilot valve for receiving a signal from the one or more processors to place the output valve in a first position; and

a second battery-operated pilot valve for receiving a signal from the one or more processors to place the output valve in a second position.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second pilot valves are piezoelectric valves.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the output valve includes one of the following:

a rotary spool valve, a sliding spool valve.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the temperature threshold level is approximately −

10°

C.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the time period to temporarily drive the battery-powered pilot valve assembly is approximately three seconds.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the time period to temporarily drive the battery-powered pilot valve assembly is within a range of approximately two to approximately five seconds.

22. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored there on that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

temporarily activate a battery-powered pilot valve assembly to place an operatively coupled output valve in a switch position;

receive a temperature measurement associated with an operating environment of the battery-powered pilot valve assembly;

compare the received temperature measurement to a temperature threshold level; and

continuously activate the battery-powered pilot valve assembly to maintain the output valve in the switch position if the temperature measurement is below the temperature threshold level.

23. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions that cause one or more processors to cease continuously activating the pilot valve assembly if the temperature measurement is above the temperature threshold level.

24. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions that cause one or more processors to:

determine if the output valve is being positioned; and

cease continuously activating the pilot valve assembly if the temperature measurement is above the temperature threshold level and the output valve is not currently being positioned.