Systems and processes for field-initiated fluid regulation testing

• US 8,573,241 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dresser, LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Dresser Incorporated (Nagano Keiki Company Limited)
• Inventors: Esposito, Sandro
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALISTER, WILLIAM M
• Application Number:
  US11/694,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20080236679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 137/487.5, 137/1, 137/12, 137/14, 73/17.2, 702/114, 702/183, 251/30.01, 251/32
• US Class Current: 137/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 7/14 arranged to be deformed against a flat seat
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0629 characterised by the type of regulator means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve

Abstract

Systems and processes may provide field-initiated testing and/or control of fluid regulatory systems. In one aspect, a fluid regulatory testing system may include a field test initiator and a fluid regulator control system. The field test initiator may alter control signal delivered to the fluid regulator control system upon activation of a user input device. The fluid regulator control system may receive control signals from the field test initiator and generate fluid regulator control signals. The fluid regulator control system may also detect whether a control signal has been altered, and initiate a fluid regulator testing sequence, if the control signal has been altered. The fluid regulator control system may include a latch mode. When a latch mode is commenced, generation of fluid regulator control signals based on received control signals and/or alteration of a position of a fluid regulator may be inhibited.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a control signal for a fluid regulator control system at a field test initiator, wherein the control signal is received at an initial value;

altering the initial value of the control signal by directing the control signal to a control signal modifier at the field test initiator upon detecting activation of at least one user-input device of the field test initiator, wherein the initial value changes according to activation of a first switch and a second switch in response to, respectively, a first user input device and a second user input device on the field test initiator to change the initial value of the control signal to a first value and a second value that correspond to, respectively, the first switch and the second switch, wherein the first value is different from the second value;

conveying the altered control signal from the field test initiator to the fluid regulator control system;

determining whether the initial value of the altered control signal satisfies a first operational criteria and a second operational criteria, wherein the first operational criteria includes whether the altered control signal satisfies a pre-determined value, and wherein the second operational criteria includes a pre-determined range of values; and

generating a fluid regulator control signal,

wherein, in response to the initial value failing to satisfy the first operational criteria the fluid regulator control signal adjusts a position of a fluid regulator to a safe mode position and latches said fluid regulator control system in the safe mode position to prevent generating of the fluid regulator control signal until initialization of said fluid regulator control system, and

wherein, in response to the initial value satisfying the first operational criteria and the second operational criteria, the fluid regulator control signal initiates a fluid regulator testing sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second operational criteria further includes whether the value of the altered control signal is within a pre-determined value range for at least a pre-determined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating a fluid regulator testing sequence comprises:

monitoring one or more components of the fluid regulator control system; and

determining a health of the fluid regulator control system based on the monitoring.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising interrupting a fluid regulator testing sequence when the altered control signal is a pre-determined signal value, wherein the pre-determined signal value corresponds to a signal for positioning a fluid regulator in a safe mode position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational criteria includes whether the value of the altered control signal is greater than the pre-determined value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the value of the altered control signal failing to satisfy the first operational criteria, the fluid regulator is maintained in the safe mode position until a control signal indicating that the position of the fluid regulator should be adjusted is received.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second operational criteria further includes whether the value of the altered control signal has been altered for at least a pre-determined period of time.