Positioner

• US 8,644,996 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Azbil Corporation (Azbil BioVigilant Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Azbil Corporation (Azbil BioVigilant Incorporated)
• Inventors: Inagaki, Yohsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US13/053,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20110245982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 700/287, 700/289, 137/86, 137/487.5, 251/30.02, 251/30.05, 251/129.04
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0066 Hydraulic or pneumatic means F16K37/0075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2452 With counter-counter balancing pressure feedback
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve

Abstract

A positioner operating mode identifying function is provided in a calculating unit. A pressure value of an amplified pneumatic pressure signal, from a single-mode pilot relay, is detected by a pressure sensor and sent to the calculating unit. The calculating unit, through the positioner operating mode identifying function, monitors a change in the amplified pneumatic pressure signal corresponding to a change in the control signal, and if the direction of change in the control output and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal are the identical direction, identifies the operating mode of the positioner as the positive operating mode. The operating mode of the positioner is identified as the negative operating mode if the direction of change in the control output and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal are the opposite directions. The identification results displayed on a screen of a display unit.

Claims

1. A positioner comprising:

a control output generator calculating a deviation between a valve opening setting value sent from a higher-level device and an actual opening value that is fed back from a control valve that is subject to control, to generate, as a control signal, an electric signal in accordance with the deviation;

an electro-pneumatic converter converting into a pneumatic pressure signal a control output generated by the control output generator;

a pneumatic pressure signal amplifier amplifying the pneumatic pressure signal converted by the electro-pneumatic converter and outputting, to an operating device for the control valve, as an amplified pneumatic pressure signal; and

a positioner operating mode identifier identifying automatically whether an operating mode of the positioner is in a positive operating mode wherein the greater the control output the greater the amplified pneumatic pressure signal, or a negative operating mode wherein the greater the control output the less the amplified pneumatic pressure signal.

2. The positioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the positioner operating mode identifier monitors changes in the control output and changes in the amplified pneumatic pressure signal corresponding to the changes in the control output; and

,

when a positive direction refers to a direction of change wherein the control output and the amplified pneumatic pressure signal change to be greater, respectively, and when a negative direction refers to a direction of change wherein the control output and the amplified pneumatic pressure signal change to be less, respectively,

the positioner operating mode identifier identifies the operating mode of the positioner as the positive operating mode when the direction of change of the control output is the positive direction and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal is the positive direction or when the direction of change of the control output is the negative direction and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal is the negative direction, and

the positioner operating mode identifier alternately identifies the operating mode of the positioner as the negative operating mode when the direction of change of the control output is the positive direction and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal is the negative direction or when the direction of change of the control output is the negative direction and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal is the positive direction.

3. The positioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the positioner operating mode identifier comprises;

an electro-pneumatic converter operating mode identifier identifying an operating mode of the electro-pneumatic converter;

a pneumatic pressure signal amplifier operating mode identifier identifying an operating mode of the pneumatic pressure signal amplifier; and

a positioner operating mode determiner determining the operating mode of the positioner from an identification result of the operating mode of the electro-pneumatic converter and an identification result of the operating mode of the pneumatic pressure signal amplifier.

4. The positioner as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

the electro-pneumatic converter operating mode identifier monitors changes in the control output, and changes in the pneumatic pressure signal corresponding to the changes in the control output;

when a positive direction refers to a direction of change wherein the control output and the pneumatic pressure signal change to be greater, respectively, and when a negative direction refers to a direction of change wherein the control output and the pneumatic pressure signal change to be less, respectively,

the electro-pneumatic converter operating mode identifier identifies the operating mode of the electro-pneumatic converter as the positive operating mode when the direction of change of the control output is the positive direction and the direction of change of the pneumatic pressure signal is the positive direction or when the direction of change of the control output is the negative direction and the direction of change of the pneumatic pressure signal is the negative direction, and

the electro-pneumatic converter operating mode identifier alternately identifies the operating mode of the electro-pneumatic converter as the negative operating mode when the direction of change of the control output is the positive direction and the direction of change of the pneumatic pressure signal is the negative direction or when the direction of change of the control output is the negative direction and the direction of change of the pneumatic pressure signal is the positive direction;

the pneumatic pressure signal amplifier operating mode identifier monitors changes in the pneumatic pressure signal, and changes in the amplified pneumatic pressure signal corresponding to the changes in the pneumatic pressure signal; and

when a positive direction refers to a direction of change wherein the pneumatic pressure signal and the amplified pneumatic pressure signal change to be greater, respectively, and when a negative direction refers to a direction of change wherein the pneumatic pressure signal and the amplified pneumatic pressure signal change to be less, respectively,

the pneumatic pressure signal amplifier operating mode identifier identifies the operating mode of the pneumatic pressure signal amplifier as the positive operating mode when the direction of change of the pneumatic pressure signal is the positive direction and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal is the positive direction or when the direction of change of the pneumatic pressure signal is the negative direction and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal is the negative direction, and

the pneumatic pressure signal amplifier operating mode identifier alternately identifies the operating mode of the pneumatic pressure signal amplifier as the negative operating mode when the direction of change of the pneumatic pressure signal is the positive direction and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal is the negative direction or when the direction of change of the pneumatic pressure signal is the negative direction and the direction of change of the amplified pneumatic pressure signal is the positive direction.

5. The positioner as set forth in claim 1, comprising a positioner operating mode reporter reporting the positioner operating mode identified through the positioner operating mode identifier.