Condition assessment system and method

• US 7,436,312 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Florida Power & Light Company (NextEra Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Florida Power & Light Company (NextEra Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schultz, Paul C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US11/702,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 340/603, 340/614
• US Class Current: 340/603
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0083 by measuring valve parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/045 with sensing devices and central station in a closed loop, e.g. McCullough loop
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 31/00 Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data

Abstract

System and method for monitoring and controlling one or more valves. The method can include sensing a condition of a valve, transmitting the condition to a sensor server, and transmitting a data stream including the condition to an assessment application. The method can also include generating a predictive model and comparing the condition to the predictive model. The method can further include transmitting a control instruction to at least one of a valve positioner and the sensor server and varying the position of the valve based on the control instruction.

Claims

1. A sensor server for use in a system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of valves, the sensor server comprising:

a plurality of valve channels receiving a condition from each one of a plurality of valve positioners and transmitting a control instruction to each one of the plurality of valve positioners;

a multiplexer combining the condition received from each one of the plurality of valve positioners into a data stream;

an assessment channel transmitting the data stream to an assessment application; and

a control system channel receiving a control instruction for each one of the plurality of valve positioners.

2. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data stream is substantially continuous.

3. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condition is received from and the control instruction is transmitted over a single transmission line.

4. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condition includes a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer protocol signal.

5. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assessment channel includes an Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control link.

6. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of valves includes a steam valve.

7. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of valves includes a liquid valve.

8. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data stream includes a plurality of data channels.

9. A sensor server as claimed in claim 8, wherein the multiplexer establishes the plurality of data channels.

10. A sensor server as claimed in claim 9, wherein the multiplexer assigns the condition from each one of the plurality of valve positioners to one of the plurality of data channels.

11. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control system generates an approximately 4 to 20 milliamp control instruction.

12. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a modem connected between the sensor server and the assessment application.

13. A sensor server as claimed in claim 11, wherein the modem includes a RS232 to RS422 modem.

14. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control instruction includes a position condition.

15. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condition includes at least one of a position condition, an applied pressure condition, a received pressure condition, a temperature condition, an emission condition, and a distanced traveled condition.

16. A sensor server as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of valve positioners includes a digital positioner.