Low bleed fluid control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12504773-B2
Application number	US-202318363468-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2023
Priority date	Aug 1, 2023
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A fluid control system is provided for controlling flow of a process fluid through a pipeline. The fluid control system can include a valve arranged to control a flow of process fluid, an actuator configured to adjust a position of the valve, and a controller configured to control movement of the actuator. The system may include a switching valve in communication with the actuator and the controller. Further, a solenoid valve may be in communication with a first port of the switching valve. In one example, depending on pressure at the first port of the switching valve, the switching valve is operable in a first state to provide process fluid to the valve controller and permit movement of the actuator and in a second state to block flow of process fluid to the valve controller and block flow of process fluid from the pneumatic actuator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A fluid control system, comprising:
a valve arranged to control a process flow of process fluid; a pneumatic actuator configured to adjust a position of the valve; a valve controller configured to control movement of the pneumatic actuator; a switching valve in fluid communication with the pneumatic actuator and the valve controller; and a solenoid valve in fluid communication with a first port of the switching valve; wherein, depending on pressure at the first port of the switching valve, the switching valve is operable: in a first state to provide flow of the process fluid to the valve controller and permit movement of the pneumatic actuator; and in a second state to block flow of the process fluid to the valve controller and block flow of process fluid from the pneumatic actuator; and wherein the solenoid valve is controllable to enable or disable pressurization of the first port of the switching valve by the process flow to control operation of the valve controller for movement of the pneumatic actuator.

2 . The fluid control system of claim 1 , wherein the valve controller is powered by process fluid from the process flow upstream of the valve, via the switching valve.

3 . The fluid control system of claim 2 , wherein the solenoid valve is configured to controllably block flow of the process fluid to the first port of the switching valve to place the switching valve in the second state and thereby provide zero steady state bleed from the fluid control system.

4 . The fluid control system of claim 1 , wherein the switching valve is a trip valve, the first state is a reset state, and the second state is a tripped state.

5 . The fluid control system of claim 4 , wherein the solenoid valve is configured to be depowered to reset the trip valve, to provide the flow of process fluid to the valve controller via the trip valve; and
wherein the solenoid valve is configured to be powered to trip the trip valve, to disable the flow of process fluid to the valve controller.

6 . The fluid control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a remote digital controller configured to control the solenoid valve to enable or disable pressurization of the first port of the switching valve.

7 . The fluid control system of claim 6 , wherein the remote digital controller is configured to control the solenoid valve based on signals from one or more of: a pressure sensor arranged downstream of the valve; a flow meter arranged upstream of the solenoid valve; or a position transducer arranged to monitor movement of the pneumatic actuator.

8 . The fluid control system of claim 1 , wherein the valve controller is in fluid communication with the switching valve and electronic communication with the solenoid valve and is configured to: electronically control the solenoid valve based on a pressure of the process flow downstream of the valve; and pneumatically power the pneumatic actuator with process fluid received via the switching valve.

9 . The fluid control system of claim 1 , wherein the valve controller is a pneumatic pressure controller in fluid communication with the switching valve; and
wherein the fluid control system further comprises:
a pneumatic positioner in fluid communication with the pneumatic pressure controller and the switching valve;
wherein the pneumatic positioner is configured to adjust the position of the pneumatic actuator based on fluid signals from the pneumatic pressure controller.

10 . A fluid control system, comprising:
a valve controller configured to meter a flow of process fluid to control a pneumatic actuator to adjust a position of a valve of a pipeline with process fluid from process fluid flow through a pipeline; a fluid switching arrangement disposed along a flow path between the valve controller and an upstream portion of the pipeline; wherein the fluid switching arrangement is configured to selectively enable or disable flow of process fluid flow from the upstream portion of the pipeline to the valve controller, based on pressure in a downstream portion of the pipeline, to: supply process fluid to the valve controller to adjust the position of the valve; and provide a zero-bleed steady state for the valve controller.

11 . The fluid control system of claim 10 , wherein the fluid switching arrangement includes a six-way, two-position solenoid valve.

12 . The fluid control system of claim 10 , wherein the fluid switching arrangement includes a trip valve that is upstream of and in fluid communication with the valve controller, the trip valve being in communication with the upstream portion of the pipeline via a solenoid valve; and
wherein one or more of the valve controller or a remote control device is configured to operate the solenoid valve to selectively trip or reset the trip valve based on the pressure in the downstream portion of the pipeline.

13 . The fluid control system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more of the valve controller or the remote control device is configured to operate the solenoid valve, based on the pressure in the downstream portion of the pipeline, to selectively:
pressurize a first port of the trip valve, to reset the trip valve and allow flow of the process fluid from the upstream portion of the pipeline to the valve controller; and block the first port of the trip valve, to trip the trip valve and prevent flow of the process fluid from the upstream portion of the pipeline to the valve controller.

14 . The fluid control system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more of the valve controller or the remote control device is configured to power the solenoid valve to block the first port of the trip valve.

15 . The fluid control system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more of the valve controller or the remote control device is configured to depower the solenoid valve to pressurize the first port of the trip valve.

16 . The fluid control system of claim 10 , wherein the valve controller is a digital valve controller configured to be electronically controlled by a remote control device based on the pressure in the downstream portion of the pipeline.

17 . The fluid control system of claim 16 , wherein the remote control device is further configured to electronically control the fluid switching arrangement based on the pressure in the downstream portion of the pipeline.

18 . A method of controlling fluid flow through a valve on a pipeline, comprising:
monitoring a pressure in a downstream portion of a pipeline; and based on the pressure in the downstream portion of the pipeline;
operating a switching arrangement to selectively enable flow of process fluid from an upstream portion of the pipeline to a valve controller; and
operating the valve controller, using the flow of process fluid through the switching arrangement, to adjust a position of the valve via a metered flow of process fluid from the valve controller.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the switching arrangement includes a switching valve and a solenoid valve; and
wherein flow of process fluid through the switching valve is disabled when the solenoid valve is closed, to provide zero-bleed steady state at the valve controller.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the flow of process fluid through the switching valve is enabled when the solenoid valve is open.

Assignees

• Fisher Controls Int Llc

Inventors

• Lovell Michel Ken

Classifications

• F17D3/01 Primary

  for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product · CPC title

• F16K31/406

  acting on a piston · CPC title

• G05D16/2097

  using pistons within the main valve · CPC title

• F16K37/0091

  by measuring fluid parameters · CPC title

• F16K37/0083

  by measuring valve parameters · CPC title