Apparatus for fluid control device leak detection

• US 9,739,396 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• 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
• Application Number:
  US14/710,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20150240968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• 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 is disclosed. An example method includes monitoring a value at a purge port of a fluid control device using a sensor, the fluid control device including bellows; comparing the value to a threshold value; and determining, via a processor, that the value is outside of the threshold value, the value being outside of the threshold value indicative of a leak in the bellows.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring a value at a purge port of a fluid control device using a sensor, the fluid control device including a bellows;

comparing the value to a threshold value; and

determining, via a processor, that the value is outside of the threshold value, the value being outside of the threshold value indicative of a leak in the bellows.

2. The method of claim 1, further including generating an alert in response to the value being outside of the threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2, further including conveying the alert to a remote monitoring system.

4. The method of claim 1, further including generating a report in response to the value being outside of the threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, further including reducing a pressure between the purge port and the sensor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein reducing the pressure between the purge port and the sensor includes reducing the pressure using a pressure regulator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the value is a pressure value and the threshold value is a threshold pressure value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the value is an air quality value and the threshold value is a threshold air quality value.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a fluid control device;

an actuator coupled to the fluid control device; and

a controller, the controller including;

a plurality of ports, a first one of the ports to receive a supply pressure to drive the actuator and a second one of the ports to be fluidly coupled to a bonnet port of the fluid control device;

a bellows positioned between a flow aperture of the fluid control device and the bonnet port to substantially prevent process fluid from flowing to the bonnet port;

a sensor to measure a value at the bonnet port; and

a processor to compare the value to a threshold value or a previously measured value to determine if there is a leak in the bellows.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is a digital valve controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is to generate an alert if the processor determines that there is a leak in the bellows.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is to automatically communicate an alert to a remote monitoring system based on the processor determining that there is a leak in the bellows.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is to generate a report based on the processor determining that there is a leak in the bellows.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of ports, 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 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; and

means for detecting a bellows leak in the fluid control device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for detecting a bellows leak comprises a sensor to measure a value at the purge port.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for detecting a bellows leak comprises a processor to compare the value to a threshold value or a previously measured value to determine if there is a leak.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means of controlling a pressure at the means for detecting a bellows leak.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of ports, 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; and

a processor to determine if there is a leak in the fluid control device in response to the measured value being outside a threshold value.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the leak in the fluid control device is associated with the measured value being outside of a threshold value.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is to compare the measured value to the threshold value.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the measured value comprises a pressure value.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the value being outside of the threshold value is indicative of fluid passing through a leaking bellows.