Gas valve with electronic health monitoring

• US 9,645,584 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McCarthy, Timothy, Young, Gregory, Kasprzyk, Donald J., Praat, Jos, Kucera, David, Manoogian, Carl, Yuen, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAUDRY, ATIF H
• Application Number:
  US14/489,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20160077531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/36 actuated in consequence of extraneous circumstances, e.g. shock, change of position
• 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 2235/18 Groups of two or more valves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/202 actuated by an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0647 the plurality of throttling means being arranged in series
• 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 illustrative but non-limiting example, a valve assembly may include a valve body, a valve situated in a fluid path of the valve body, a valve actuator for selectively moving the valve actuator, one or more sensors in communication with the fluid path, a controller secured relative to the valve body and in communication with the sensors, and memory operatively coupled to the controller. A user interface may be in communication with the memory and the controller and may be configured to receive a selection from a user for selecting one of two or more selectable options from the memory. The controller may compare sensed parameters to threshold values associated with the selected option. The user interface may have a lock on it to prevent tampering and to provide accountability.

Claims

1. A valve assembly system comprising:

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

a valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the 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 relative to the valve body 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 by comparing values related to the one or more sensed parameters to corresponding ones of the two or more threshold values;

a memory secured relative to the valve body and operatively coupled to the controller, the memory storing two or more selectable options, wherein each selectable option identifies corresponding threshold values for the two or more threshold values, wherein one or more of the threshold values is an adjustable threshold value that is adjustable by a user in the field, and one or more of the threshold values is a fixed threshold value that is not adjustable by a user in the field;

a user interface configured to receive a selection from a user of one of the two or more selectable options stored in the memory,

wherein;

once selected, the controller is configured to use the two or more threshold values that correspond to the selected selectable option when comparing values related to the one or more sensed parameters;

the controller is configured to shut down the valve assembly if a value related to one or more of the sensed parameters goes beyond a corresponding one of the one or more fixed threshold values; and

the controller is configured to allow the valve assembly to operate but issue an alert if a value related to one or more of the sensed parameters goes beyond a corresponding one the one or more adjustable threshold values.

2. The valve assembly system of claim 1, wherein each of the two or more selectable options corresponds to a different safety standard that is selectable by the user.

3. The valve assembly system of claim 2, wherein one or more of the safety standards are safety standards of one or more of a safety agency standard, a regional safety standard, and a country safety standard.

4. The valve assembly system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to accept a threshold value from a user.

5. The valve assembly of system claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to require entry of a password before allowing a user to select one of the two or more selectable options.

6. The valve assembly system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide a warning in response to determining that one or more sensed parameters meet and/or exceed one or more of the threshold values.

7. The valve assembly system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to provide warning signals of escalating levels in response to determining that one or more values related to the sensed parameters meet and/or exceed one or more of the threshold values.

8. The valve assembly system of claim 7, wherein the warning signals of escalating levels include a first warning signal indicating a first warning level when sensed parameter meets and/or exceeds a first threshold value, and a second warning signal indicating a second higher warning level when sensed parameter meets and/or exceeds a second threshold value.

9. The valve assembly system of claim 7, wherein the warning signals of escalating levels include a first warning signal indicating a first warning level when a first value related to a sensed parameter meets and/or exceeds a threshold value, and a second warning signal indicating a second warning level when a second value related to a sensed parameter meets and/or exceeds a threshold value.

10. The valve assembly system of claim 6, wherein:

the user interface is configured to display a warning in response to receiving the warning signal; and

the displayed warning includes a suggested root cause of the warning signal.

11. The valve assembly system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide a warning signal in response to identifying a trend identified among a plurality of sensed parameters over time.

12. The valve assembly system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises one or more of a display mechanically secured relative to the valve body, a display wired to the controller, a mobile computing device, and a personal computer.

13. A 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 valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port;

a valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the 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 memory secured relative to the valve, the memory storing one or more fixed thresholds and one or more adjustable thresholds, the one or more fixed thresholds not adjustable by a user in the field;

a controller secured relative to the valve body and operatively coupled to the one or more sensors and the memory, the controller determining one or more valve conditions based on the one or more sensed parameters, the controller further;

shutting down the valve assembly if one or more values related to the sensed parameters go beyond one or more of the fixed thresholds; and

allowing the valve assembly to continue to operate but issuing an alert if one or more values related to the sensed parameters go beyond one or more of the adjustable thresholds.