Self-operated regulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10584806-B2
Application number	US-201615572413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2016
Priority date	May 7, 2015
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A self-operated regulator can be configured to control a stream of working fluid, such as of a processing plant. The self-operated regulator can include a control valve and a control actuator configured to receive supply energy for the provision of an operating force exclusively from the stream of working fluid and/or from the working fluid for operating the control valve. A magnetic field source can be coupled to the control valve such that the magnetic field source follows the movement of the control valve to determine the movement using, for example, a magnetic sensor. The position of the control valve can be detected based on the determined movement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A positioning sensor system comprising:
a self-operated regulator including:
a control valve;
a control actuator configured to receive supply energy, to operate the control valve with an operating force, exclusively from the stream of working fluid and/or from the working fluid itself; and
a magnetic field source coupled to the control valve such that the magnetic field source follows the movement of the control valve, wherein the control valve, the control actuator and the magnetic field source are housed in a fluid tight closed housing structure including a translational sliding bearing and a docking stop;

a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnetic field source of the self-operated regulator to determine movement of the magnetic field source to detect a position of the control valve based on the determined movement; and
a carrier supporting the magnetic field sensor and configured to be removably positionable on the fluid tight closed housing structure of the self-operated regulator on an outside of the fluid tight closed housing structure to define a stationary position of the sensor relative to the fluid tight closed housing, wherein:
the magnetic field sensor and the carrier supporting the magnetic field sensor form a mobile hand-held magnetic field sensor that is configured to be selectively positioned and held, by an operator, at the stationary position on the outside of the fluid tight closed housing structure to detect a current position of the control valve based on the permanent magnetic field of the magnetic field source; and
the mobile hand-held magnetic field sensor is further configured to be selectively positionable on the fluid tight closed housing at a docking end position via the translational sliding bearing to selectively dock the mobile hand-held magnetic field sensor to fluid tight closed housing at the docking end position to detect the current position of the control valve based on the permanent magnetic field of the magnetic field source, the mobile hand-held magnetic field sensor being insertable into the docking end position and limited to a final position in a translational contacting direction by the docking stop.

2. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the magnetic field source is attached to a control rod that is force-fittingly coupled to the control valve; and
an attachment position is arranged on the control rod adjacent to an axial end of the control rod opposite to the control valve and at a side of the control actuator facing away from the control valve, or the attachment position is arranged at the side of the control actuator facing away from the control valve.

3. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid tight closed housing structure of the regulator is adjacent to the magnetic field source, and
the fluid tight closed housing structure is made of a non-magnetic material.

4. The positioning sensor system according to claim 3 , wherein the non-magnetic material comprises aluminum, austenitic steel, brass, bronze, and/or plastic.

5. The positioning sensor system according to claim 3 , wherein the housing is made of the non-magnetic material along at least a complete amplitude of control movement of the magnetic field source.

6. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to be communicatively coupled to a display and/or to a diagnosis device.

7. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field source is releasably attached to the control valve adjacent to a throttling body of the control valve.

8. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnet field sensor includes one or more magnetic field sensor elements powered by a distinct power supply.

9. The positioning sensor system according to claim 8 , wherein the distinct power supply comprises a battery or an accumulator.

10. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a communication interface configured to wirelessly transfer position data to a master control station.

11. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to read identification data of the respective self-operated regulator.

12. The positioning sensor system according to claim 11 , wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to read an RFID tag, an NFC tag, a QR code, or a barcode to read the identification data.

13. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to conduct a calibration operation upon each start-up of the self-operated regulator.

14. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a data storage to store measurement data of the respective self-operated regulator.

15. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises one or more magnetic field sensor elements configured to detect a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source.

16. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier supporting the magnetic field sensor is configured to be dockable to the fluid tight closed housing structure.

17. The positioning sensor system according to claim 16 , wherein the carrier is configured to be compatible to a plurality of standardized docking stations of the self-operating regulator.

18. The positioning sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier further comprises a cylindrical support and the fluid tight closed housing structure further comprises a cylindrical engagement structure, the cylindrical support is respectively associated with the cylindrical engagement structure to ensure an axial mounting and an axial fixation of the magnetic sensor relative to the fluid tight closed housing.

Assignees

• Samson Ag

Inventors

• Laessler Rudolf

Classifications

• F16K31/42

  by means of electrically-actuated members in the supply or discharge conduits of the fluid motor (F16K31/40 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05D16/0663

  using a spring-loaded membrane with a spring-loaded slideable obturator · CPC title

• G05D16/0647

  using one membrane without spring · CPC title

• F16K27/04

  of sliding valves · CPC title

• G05D16/0672

  using several spring-loaded membranes · CPC title