Diagnostic system for a valve that can be actuated by a position controller via a drive

• US 6,530,277 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kumpfmueller, Hans-Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US09/993,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20020062682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 735/92, 731/68, 736/59, 73/10.1, 736/60, 735/93, 73/405.A, 73/454, 73/47, 324/73.1
• US Class Current: 73/592
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0083 by measuring valve parameters

Abstract

A diagnostic system for a valve (2) that can be actuated by a position controller via a drive. The diagnostic system includes a device (14) provided for recording, storing, and evaluating, body sound spectra on the valve. In order to enable a valve to be diagnosed in a particularly reliable manner, a body sound spectrum which is recorded when the intact valve (2) is slightly open is stored in the device (14) provided for recording, storing, and evaluating, whereby the valve can be closed for diagnostic purposes and the resemblance of the recorded body sound spectrum to the stored body sound spectrum is used as a criterion for evaluating a non-sealing condition of the valve.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system for a valve that is actuated by a position controller through a drive connected between said position controller and the valve, said system comprising:

a device for recording, storing, and evaluating, structure-borne noise spectra of the valve,

said device having a structure-borne noise spectrum, recorded when an intact valve is slightly open, stored therein,

whereby the valve is closed for diagnostic purposes, a structure-borne noise spectrum is recorded, and a similarity between the recorded structure-bore noise spectrum and the stored structure-borne noise spectrum is used as a criterion for evaluating leakage of the valve.

2. The diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an additional structure-borne noise spectrum, which is recorded when the intact valve is closed, is stored in the device,

whereby a similarity between the recorded structure-bore noise spectrum and the stored additional structure-borne noise spectrum is used as a criterion for evaluating intactness of the valve.

3. The diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the criteria are linked to a valve state signal.

4. The diagnostic system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the criteria are linked to a valve state signal by a fuzzy linkage.

5. The diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the structure-borne noise spectrum is recorded for a defined valve position, an additional structure-borne noise spectrum in a different valve position is recorded, and the structure-borne noise spectrum in the defined valve position, prior to being evaluated, has removed therefrom corresponding spectral components of the additionally recorded structure-borne noise spectrum.

6. The diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1, in combination with the position controller, wherein the device for recording, storing, and evaluating, structure-borne noise spectra is an integral component of the position controller.

7. A method for diagnosing the state of a valve, comprising:

storing a structure-borne noise spectrum, recorded when an intact valve is slightly open, in a device for recording, storing, and evaluating, structure-borne noise spectra;

closing the valve for diagnostic purposes, and recording a structure-borne noise spectrum;

comparing the recorded structure-borne noise spectrum with the stored structure-borne noise spectrum; and

utilizing a substantial similarity between the recorded structure-borne noise spectrum and the stored structure-borne noise spectrum at least as one criterion in determining whether the valve is leaking.

8. The method of diagnosing a valve as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

recording an additional structure-borne noise spectrum when the intact valve is closed, and storing said additional structure-borne noise spectrum in the device;

comparing the recorded structure-borne noise spectrum and the stored additional structure-borne noise spectrum; and

utilizing a substantial similarity between the recorded structure-borne noise spectrum and the stored additional structure-borne noise spectrum at least as one criterion in determining whether the valve is intact.

9. The method of diagnosing a valve as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

recording an additional structure-borne noise spectrum when the valve is in a second valve position that is different from the closed valve position;

determining corresponding spectral components between the recorded structure-borne noise spectrum and the additionally recorded structure-borne noise spectrum; and

removing the corresponding spectral components from the recorded structure-borne noise spectrum, wherein said step of removing is performed prior to utilizing a substantial similarity in determining whether the valve is leaking.

10. A diagnostic system for a valve, comprising:

means for recording structure-borne noise spectra;

means for storing structure-borne noise spectra, wherein said means for storing stores a first structure-borne noise spectrum recorded when an intact valve is slightly open;

means for evaluating whether a valve is intact or is leaking by comparing a structure-borne noise spectrum as recorded by said means for recording, with a structure-borne noise spectrum as stored in said means for storing, wherein said means for evaluating utilizes a substantial similarity between a structure-borne noise spectrum as recorded by said means for recording, and said first structure-borne noise spectrum stored in said means for storing, at least as one criterion for evaluating leakage of the valve.

11. The diagnostic system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said means for storing stores an additional structure-borne noise spectrum that is recorded when the intact valve is closed, and

wherein said evaluating means utilizes a substantial similarity between a structure-borne noise spectrum as recorded by said means for recording, and the stored additional structure-borne noise spectrum, at least as one criterion for evaluating intactness of the valve.

12. The diagnostic system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the means for recording records a structure-borne noise spectrum for a defined valve position, and records an additional structure-borne noise spectrum in a different valve position, and

wherein the means for evaluating, prior to determining whether the valve is intact or is leaking, removes from the recorded structure-borne noise spectrum corresponding spectral components of the additionally recorded structure-borne noise spectrum.

13. A diagnostic system for a valve, comprising:

a sensor disposed near a valve;

a signal conditioning circuit connected to said sensor so as to receive a signal, representing a structure-borne noise spectrum, generated by said sensor;

a processor connected to said signal conditioning circuit so as to receive a signal generated by said signal conditioning circuit; and

a memory connected to said processor and storring a structure-borne noise spectrum, wherein a signal recorded when an intact valve is slightly open is stored in said memory as the structure-borne noise spectrum,

wherein said processor is programmed to compare the signal generated by said signal conditioning circuit with the structure-borne noise spectrum stored in said memory, and

further wherein said processor is programmed to utilize a substantial similarity between the structure-borne noise spectrum from said sensor and the structure-borne noise spectrum stored in said memory, at least as one criterion for evaluating leakage of the valve.

14. A diagnostic system according to claim 13, wherein a signal recorded when an intact valve is closed is stored in said memory as the structure-borne noise spectrum, and

further wherein said processor is programmed to utilize a substantial similarity between the structure-borne noise spectrum for the valve from said sensor and the structure-borne noise spectrum stored in said memory, at least as one criterion for evaluating intactness of the valve.

15. A diagnostic system according to claim 13, wherein a signal that is recorded for a defined valve position is stored in said memory as the structure-borne noise spectrum,

further wherein an additional structure-borne noise spectrum in a different valve position is sensed by said sensor, and

further wherein said processor is programmed to remove from the recorded structure-borne noise spectrum corresponding spectral components of the additional structure-borne noise spectrum.