Apparatus for fluid control device leak detection

• US 9,255,649 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Coleman, Afton Renee, Coleman, Blake Ward, Hagen, Steven William
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KEVIN L
• Application Number:
  US13/568,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20140041738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 137/15.07, 137/552, 137/487.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/00 Special means in or on valves or other cut-off apparatus for indicating or recording operation thereof, or for enabling an alarm to be given
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0041 for measuring valve parameters F16K37/0033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0083 by measuring valve parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0091 by measuring fluid parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/02 Preventing, monitoring, or locating loss
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2876 for valves G01M3/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0379 By fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7836 Flexible diaphragm or bellows reactor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

Apparatus for fluid control device leak detection are disclosed. An example apparatus in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure includes a plurality of ports. One of the ports is to receive a supply pressure to drive an actuator and another of the ports to be fluidly coupled to a purge port of a fluid control device. The apparatus includes a sensor to measure a value at the purge port and a processor to compare the value to a predetermined value or a previously measured value to identify if the value is outside of a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a valve controller, including;

a housing;

a plurality of ports defined by the housing, one of the ports to receive a supply pressure to drive an actuator and another of the ports to be fluidly coupled to a purge port of a fluid control device;

a sensor to measure a value at the purge port, the sensor disposed in the housing; and

a processor to compare the value to a reference value or a previously measured value to identify if the value is outside of a threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the value being outside of the threshold is associated with a bellows leak in the fluid control device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to generate an alert if the value is outside of the threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to automatically communicate an alert to a remote monitoring system based on the processor identifying that the value is outside of the threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to generate a report if the value is outside of the threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the report comprises a time stamp.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the value comprises a pressure value.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bellows positioned between a flow aperture of the fluid control device and the purge port to substantially prevent process fluid from flowing to the purge port.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pressure regulator fluidly coupled between the purge port and the sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is integral to the valve controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the other of the ports is not coupled to the purge port, the other of the ports is couplable to a double-acting actuator to control a position of the double-acting actuator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the other of the ports is usable to provide an input to the actuator when the other of the ports is not coupled to the purge port.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the other of the ports is to be coupled to the purge port when the actuator is a single-acting actuator to enable the value at the purge port to be measured.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the other of the ports is to be coupled to the actuator when the actuator is a double-acting actuator to enable an input to be provided to the actuator.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of ports defined by the housing, one of the ports to receive a supply pressure to drive an actuator and another of the ports to be fluidly coupled to a purge port of a fluid control device;

a sensor to measure a value at the purge port, the sensor disposed in the housing, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensing diaphragm assembly; and

a processor to compare the value to a reference value or a previously measured value to identify if the value is outside of a threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the value being outside of the threshold is associated with a bellows leak in the fluid control device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is to generate an alert if the value is outside of the threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is to automatically communicate an alert to a remote monitoring system based on the processor identifying that the value is outside of the threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is to generate a report if the value is outside of the threshold.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the report comprises a time stamp.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a pressure regulator fluidly coupled between the purge port and the sensor.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the value comprises a pressure value.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a bellows positioned between a flow aperture of the fluid control device and the purge port to substantially prevent process fluid from flowing to the purge port.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

a valve controller, including;

a first port to receive a supply pressure to be used to drive an actuator;

a second port; and

a third port, when the valve controller is coupled to a double-acting actuator, the second port is to be coupled to a double-acting actuator to enable a first input to be provided to the double-acting actuator, and the third port is to be coupled to the double-acting actuator to enable a second input to be provided to the double-acting actuator, when the valve controller is coupled to a single-acting actuator, the second port is to be coupled to the single-acting actuator to enable the first input to be provided to the single-acting actuator, and the third port is to be coupled to a purge port of a fluid control device to enable a value at the purge port to be measured via a sensor integral to the valve controller.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further including a processor to compare the value to a reference value or a previously measured value to identify if the value is outside of a threshold.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the value being outside of the threshold is associated with a bellows leak in the fluid control device.