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Smart Valve Position Sensor

  • US 20200132219A1
  • Filed: 07/12/2019
  • Published: 04/30/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
  • Status: Active Application
First Claim
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1. A position sensor unit for use in a pneumatic actuator wellhead and valve assembly, the pneumatic actuator and wellhead valve assembly comprising an actuator capturing a pneumatically controlled diaphragm that drives an actuator rod, the actuator rod translating with a displacement of the pneumatically controlled diaphragm and operable to mechanically actuate a valve to controllably pass gases or liquids according to one of an opening and a closing of a valve plug associated with the valve, the position sensor unit comprising:

  • a sensor housing, the sensor housing comprising an optical port for;

    allowing an optical pulse from within the sensor housing to be transmitted to the pneumatically controlled diaphragm, andallowing the sensor housing to receive a reflected optical pulse from the pneumatically controlled diaphragm back into the sensor housing;

    an optically transmissive seal engaged within the optical port, the optically transmissive seal operable to;

    pass the optical pulse from within the sensor housing to be transmitted to the pneumatically controlled diaphragm, andpass the reflected optical pulse from the pneumatically controlled diaphragm back into the sensor housing;

    an optical time-of-flight sensor comprising a light source and a light detector, the optical time-of-flight sensor being operable to measure a distance to the pneumatically controlled diaphragm and thereby determine the displacement of the pneumatically controlled diaphragm, the light source comprised in the optical time-of-flight sensor being operable to send one or more optical pulses to the pneumatically controlled diaphragm, the light detector comprised in the optical time-of-flight sensor being operable to detect reflected optical pulses from the pneumatically controlled diaphragm, the optical-time-of-flight sensor being operable to measure a round-trip propagation time of the one or more optical pulses in order to determine the displacement of the pneumatically controlled diaphragm; and

    an electronic control unit in electrical communication with the optical time-of-flight sensor, the electronic control unit operable to control the optical-time-of-flight sensor and to provide detected measurements to an external monitoring device.

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