Wireless, intrinsically safe valve

• US 6,685,159 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ROSS Operating Valve Company
• Original Assignee: ROSS Operating Valve Company
• Inventors: Schnell, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUECHNER, PATRICK M
• Application Number:
  US09/891,487
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 251/129.04, 251/129.06, 251/129.07, 251/11, 251/29, 251/59, 700/282, 323/906
• US Class Current: 251/59
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0426 with fluid-operated pilot valves, i.e. multiple stage valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/043 with electrically-controlled pilot valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 21/08 Servomotor systems incorporating electrically operated control means F15B21/02, F15B21/065 take precedence

Abstract

A valve system (10) that employs a piezo-electric element (38) to activate a fluid flow valve (18) so as to use a minimal amount of electrical energy. The piezo-electric element (38) activates a pilot pressure valve (36), which allows a control fluid to pass to a main control valve (44). The control fluid causes the main control valve (44) to activate a working element (16), which in turn operates the fluid flow valve (18). A switching assembly (70) is employed to activate the piezo-electric element (38). The switching assembly (70) can include various types of switching devices, such as RF switching devices, optical switching devices, infrared switching devices and low voltage electrical switching devices.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an actuator that controls volatile chemical flow, comprising:

an optical source generating an optical source signal that is received by at least one solar cell, the solar cell generating an electrical valve control signal in response to the optical signal;

a pilot valve including a low voltage element, said low voltage element being responsive to the electrical valve control signal,

an amplifier circuit amplifying the electrical valve control signal prior to the electrical valve control signal being applied to the low voltage element;

said pilot valve controlling a pilot air pressure in response to the electrical valve control signal; and

a main valve responsive to the pilot air pressure, said main valve applying a working air pressure to displace a pneumatic rotary operator associated with the actuator to control the flow of the volatile chemical.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the amplifier circuit amplifies the electrical valve control signal to about 7.5 volts.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the low voltage element is a piezo-electric element.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the low voltage element is a ceramic element.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the actuator is a chemical fluid flow valve.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the solar cell is a type of optical device that is part of a switch assembly, the switch assembly including a DC power source, said DC power source providing the electrical valve control signal to said optical device and said optical device passing said electrical valve control signal in response to a switch signal.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the optical device is a photodiode and the switch signal is an optical signal.

8. The system according to claim 6 wherein the optical device is an opto-coupler and the switch signal is a low voltage signal.

9. The system according to claim 6 wherein the optical device is an infrared device and the switch signal is a low voltage signal.

10. The system according to claim 6 wherein the switching assembly further includes an optical transmitter device, said optical transmitter device generating the switch signal.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the optical transmitter device includes an optical transmitter, a DC voltage source and a manual switch, said manual switch being activated to cause the DC voltage source to energize the optical transmitter and generate the switch signal.

12. A valve system in a chemical management system for controlling flow of a volatile chemical, comprising:

a remote transmitter, said transmitter generating a valve activation signal;

a receiver, said receiver generating a piezo-electric element signal in response to the activation signal;

an assembly including a piezo element, said assembly generating a pilot signal in response to the piezo element signal;

a pilot valve, said pilot valve passing a pilot air pressure in response to the pilot signal;

a main valve, said main valve generating a working air pressure in response to the pilot air pressure;

a pneumatic rotary operator responsive to the working air pressure; and

a fluid flow valve controlling the flow of the volatile chemical from a first side to a second side, said fluid flow valve being displaced by the pneumatic rotary operator.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the receiver is part of a switch circuit that further includes a photodiode and the remote transmitter is an optical transmitter, said photodiode being positioned on an electrical line between at least one solar cell and the piezo element, said photodiode being responsive to an optical signal acting as the valve activation signal from the optical transmitter, said photodiode conducting in response to the optical signal to allow the piezo-electrical element signal to energize the piezo element.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the transmitter is an RF transmitter, the valve activation signal is an RF signal and the receiver is an RF receiver.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the remote transmitter includes an optical transmitter, a DC voltage source and a manual switch, said manual switch being activated to cause the DC voltage source to energize the optical transmitter and generate the valve activation signal.

16. The system according to claim 12 wherein the transmitter is an optical transmitter, the activation signal is an optical signal and the receiver is an optical detector.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the optical detector is selected from the group consisting of photodiodes and solar cells.

18. The system according to claim 16 wherein the transmitter is selected from the group consisting of infrared devices, LED devices and light sources.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the transmitter is an optical transmitter circuit that includes an optical device and a DC power source, said DC power source providing the valve activation signal and said optical device passing the valve activation signal in response to a transmitter signal.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein the optical device is a photodiode and the transmitter signal is an optical signal.

21. The system according to claim 19 wherein the optical device is an opto-coupler and the switch signal is a low voltage signal.

22. The system according to claim 19 wherein the optical device is an infrared device and the switch signal is a low voltage signal.