Gas valve with communication link

• US 9,557,059 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kucera, David, Young, Gregory, McCarthy, Tim, Yuen, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Schneider, Craig
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trinidad-Borges, Josephine
• Application Number:
  US13/326,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20130153798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 137/554, 137/552, 137/487.5, 251/129.04, 700/282
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: F23N 1/002 using electronic means F23N1/04 - F23N1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2235/14 electromagnetically operated
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2235/16 variable flow or proportional valves
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2235/18 Groups of two or more valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0379 By fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7759 Responsive to change in rate of fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8175 Plural

Abstract

This disclosure relates generally to valves, and more particularly, to gas valve assemblies. In one example, the valve assembly may include a valve body with an inlet port, an outlet port, and a fluid path extending between the inlet and outlet ports, one or more valves situated about the fluid path, one or more valve actuators for selectively moving respective valves, one or more sensors for sensing one or more parameters within the fluid path, and a controller secured relative to the valve body and in communication with the one or more sensors for determining one or more valve assembly conditions based on the one or more sensed parameters. Illustratively, the controller may be configured to communicate information from the valve assembly to a combustion appliance controller that is located remotely from the valve assembly through a communications interface of the controller and across a communications bus.

Claims

1. A valve assembly for controlling flow of a fuel to a combustion appliance, the valve assembly comprising:

a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port, with a fluid path extending between the inlet port and the outlet port;

a first valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port;

a first valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the first valve between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position;

a second valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port;

a second valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the second valve between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position;

one or more sensors in communication with the fluid path for sensing one or more parameters within the fluid path of the valve body;

a controller secured to the valve assembly and in communication with the one or more sensors, the controller determining one or more valve conditions based on the one or more sensed parameters and being configured to initiate an opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve; and

the controller having a communications interface that is compatible with a predetermined bi-directional communication protocol, the communication interface for communicating one or more of the valve conditions determined by the controller to a device that is located remotely from and not secured to the valve assembly using the predetermined bi-directional communication protocol.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a pressure sensor.

3. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a temperature sensor.

4. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a position sensor for the first valve and a position sensor for the second valve.

5. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more valve conditions include one or more of a high fuel pressure condition and a low fuel pressure condition.

6. The valve assembly of claim 1 further comprising a non-volatile memory, and wherein the controller determines one or more diagnostic parameters and stores the one or more diagnostic parameters in the non-volatile memory.

7. The valve assembly of claim 6, wherein the one or more diagnostic parameters include one or more of:

a total number of ON/OFF valve cycles parameter, one or more fault history parameters, and one or more setting parameters.

8. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the communication interface of the controller is configured to receive one or more inputs from the device that is located remotely from the valve assembly.

9. The valve assembly of claim 8, wherein the one or more inputs include one or more of:

an acknowledgement of reception of one or more of the valve conditions, a user setting, a system setting, and a valve command.

10. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a port, which is separate from the communications interface, for receiving one or more control signals from the device located remotely from the valve assembly.

11. The valve assembly of claim 10, wherein the one or more control signals received via the port include a first valve control signal that, at least in part, controls the position of the first valve via the first valve actuator, and a second valve control signal that, at least in part, controls the position of the second valve via the second valve actuator.

12. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is a wired communications interface.

13. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is a wireless communications interface.

14. A valve assembly for controlling flow of a fuel to a combustion appliance, wherein the combustion appliance includes a combustion appliance controller located remotely from the valve assembly, the valve assembly comprising:

a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port, with a fluid path extending between the inlet port and the outlet port;

a first valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port;

a first valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the first valve between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position;

one or more sensors in communication with the fluid path for sensing one or more parameters within the fluid path of the valve body, the one or more sensors including at least one pressure sensor;

a controller secured to the valve assembly and in communication with the one or more sensors, the controller determining one or more valve conditions based on the one or more sensed parameters; and

the controller having a communications interface that is compatible with a bi-directional communication protocol, the communication interface for communicating one or more of the valve conditions determined by the controller to the combustion appliance controller using the bi-directional communication protocol; and

the controller having a port separate from the communications interface, wherein the port is configured to receive one or more control signals from the combustion appliance controller.

15. The valve assembly of claim 14, wherein the one or more control signals received via the port include a first valve control signal that, at least in part, controls the position of the first valve via the first valve actuator.

16. The valve assembly of claim 14, wherein the one or more valve conditions include one or more of a high fuel pressure condition, a low fuel pressure condition, a valve closure condition, and a valve leak condition.

17. The valve assembly of claim 14 further comprising:

a second valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port;

a second valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the second valve between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position.

18. The valve assembly of claim 17, wherein the one or more sensors includes a pressure sensor positioned upstream of both the first valve and the second valve.

19. The valve assembly of claim 17, wherein the one or more sensors include a pressure sensor positioned between the first valve and the second valve.

20. The valve assembly of claim 17, wherein the one or more sensors include a pressure sensor positioned downstream of both the first valve and the second valve.

21. A method for communicating information from a valve assembly to a combustion appliance controller that is located remotely from the valve assembly, wherein the combustion appliance controller is associated with a combustion appliance for which the valve assembly controls the flow of fuel, the method comprising:

sensing a sensed pressure within the valve assembly with a pressure sensor;

transferring the sensed pressure to a controller of the valve assembly, where the controller is secured to the valve assembly;

using the controller of the valve assembly to determine a valve condition based at least in part on the sensed pressure;

sending information that is related to the valve condition from the controller of the valve assembly to the combustion appliance controller located remotely from the valve assembly across a bi-directional communications interface; and

upon reception of information that is related to the valve condition, the combustion appliance controller is configured to selectively open a safety relay, which overrides a valve control signal that is provided to the valve actuator to thereby close the flow of fluid through the valve assembly.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the valve assembly includes a valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving a valve between a closed position, which closes the flow of fluid through the valve assembly, and an open position;

the valve condition is a safety event condition; and

upon reception of the safety event condition, the combustion appliance controller is configured to open the safety relay, which cuts power via a port separate from the bi-directional communications interface to the valve control signal that is provided to the valve actuator, thereby closing the flow of fluid through the valve assembly.