Compensating for orientation of a valve positioner on a valve assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10865817-B2
Application number	US-201816156232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2018
Priority date	Oct 10, 2018
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

A valve positioner for use on a process control valve or “valve assembly.” The process control valve may include a pneumatic actuator and a valve having a closure member coupled with the pneumatic actuator and moveable relative to a seat. The valve positioner may couple to the pneumatic actuator to provide a pneumatic signal to set a position of the closure member relative to the seat. An accelerometer may couple with the valve positioner. The accelerometer may generate data in response to orientation of the valve positioner. In one implementation, the configurations can use this data to ensure proper visualization of data on a display. The data also permits the device to properly manage operating modes, like tight shut-off or fully-opened mode, that may prevail due to orientation issues that cause defects in a measured position for a closure member that regulates flow of material through the valve assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve assembly, comprising:
a pneumatic actuator;
a valve having a closure member coupled with the pneumatic actuator and moveable relative to a seat;
a valve positioner coupled to the pneumatic actuator to provide a pneumatic signal to set a position of the closure member relative to the seat;
an accelerometer coupled with the valve positioner to generate data in response to orientation of the valve positioner;
a rotating drum extending into the valve positioner; and
a magnetic flux sensor disposed in proximity to the rotating drum and affixed to the valve positioner,
wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to correlate an angle of the magnetic flux sensor relative to a center of the rotating drum with travel limits for travel of the closure member in the valve.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to update travel limits from a first value to a second value that is different from the first value.

3. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to set values that correspond with parameters for the pneumatic signal.

4. The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display,
wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to set orientation for data that appears on the display.

5. The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display having a default orientation for visualizing data,
wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to maintain the default orientation on the display.

6. The valve assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the magnetic flux sensor to provide data that describes a measured position for the closure member.

7. The valve assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the angle that corresponds with orientation of the valve positioner.

8. The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bracket, wherein the valve positioner secures to the bracket.

9. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the travel limits correspond to hardstop limits for the closure member.

10. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve positioner is operative to set an operating mode according to the travel limits.

11. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve positioner is operative to set a fully-opened mode that causes the closure member to move to a position farthest from the seat.

12. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve positioner is operative to set a tight shut-off mode that causes the closure member to move to a closed position in response to commanded positions below a lower limit.

13. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve positioner is operative to account for the angle to set an operating mode.

14. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve positioner is removable.

15. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer is located inside of the valve positioner.

16. The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pair of magnets coupled with the rotating drum,
wherein the magnetic flux sensor senses changes in polarity as between the pair of magnets.

17. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the travel limits define maximum travel and minimum travel for the closure member.

Assignees

• Dresser LLC

Inventors

• Podpaly Anatoly
• Gattu Jagadish
• Hebert Mark Edmund

Classifications

• Y10T137/8242

  Electrical · CPC title

• G05D7/0623

  characterised by the set value given to the control element · CPC title

• F16K37/0041 Primary

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K37/0033

  using a permanent magnet, e.g. in combination with a reed relays · CPC title

• F16K37/0025 Primary

  Electrical or magnetic means (F16K37/0075 takes precedence) · CPC title