Control system for driving ball valve swing arm through electric push rod and working method of control system

Abstract

The control system comprises a ball valve, the electric push rod and a curved swing arm, the two ends of the curved swing arm are connected with the electric push rod and a ball valve element respectively, and the electric push rod stretches out and draws back to drive the curved swing arm to pull the ball valve; the acting force direction of the electric push rod on the curved swing arm is associated with the telescopic degree of the electric push rod; a strain sensor is arranged on the curved swing arm, and the measured value of the strain sensor is associated with the curvature change amplitude of the curved swing arm. The curved swing arm is composed of a first connecting handle part and a second connecting handle part which are in curved connection, the first connecting handle part is connected with the valve element, and the second connecting handle part is connected with the electric push rod; the included angle between the electric push rod and the second connecting handle part is a force application included angle, and the force application included angle is in negative correlation with the extension degree of the electric push rod. The strain sensor is arranged on the curved swing arm, and whether the ball valve is jammed or not is judged by detecting the curvature change of the curved swing arm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ball valve control technology, and in particular to a control system and its working method for an electric actuator driving a ball valve swing arm. Background Technology

[0002] When road maintenance and cleaning vehicles are short of water, they sometimes draw water directly from natural water sources. Natural water contains many impurities, and even after filtration, some may still enter the vehicle's spray pipes. These spray pipes have ball valves that control the opening and closing of the pipes. If impurities enter these valves, they may cause them to jam. Manually opening and closing the ball valve allows for easy identification of jamming. However, when using an electric mechanism to remotely control the ball valve, it is difficult to determine if it is jammed. If the electric mechanism continues to operate when the ball valve is jammed, it may damage nearby pipes or the electric mechanism itself. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a control system and its working method for an electric push rod driving a ball valve swing arm. The ball valve is controlled by an electric push rod and a curved swing arm. There is a strain sensor on the curved swing arm. By detecting the curvature change of the curved swing arm, it is determined whether the ball valve is blocked.

[0004] Technical Solution: To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a control system for an electric actuator driving a ball valve swing arm, comprising a ball valve, an electric actuator, and a curved swing arm. The two ends of the curved swing arm are respectively connected to the electric actuator and the ball valve core. The extension and retraction of the electric actuator drives the curved swing arm to actuate the ball valve. The direction of the force exerted by the electric actuator on the curved swing arm is related to the extension and retraction degree of the electric actuator. A strain sensor is provided on the curved swing arm, and the measured value of the strain sensor is related to the curvature change amplitude of the curved swing arm.

[0005] Furthermore, the curved swing arm is composed of a first connecting part and a second connecting part connected in a curved direction. The first connecting part is connected to the valve core, and the second connecting part is connected to the electric push rod. The angle between the electric push rod and the second connecting part is the force application angle, and the magnitude of the force application angle is negatively correlated with the extension degree of the electric push rod.

[0006] Furthermore, the magnitude of the force output by the electric push rod is constant; when the ball valve is obstructed during opening and closing, the curvature change of the curved swing arm is negatively correlated with the magnitude of the force application angle.

[0007] Furthermore, the output end of the electric push rod is hinged to the curved swing arm; during the extension and retraction process, the direction of the force exerted by the electric push rod on the second connecting handle gradually deflects to change the force application angle.

[0008] Furthermore, the lower end of the electric push rod is hinged to the curved swing arm, and the upper end of the electric push rod is hinged to the bracket.

[0009] Furthermore, the first connecting part and the second connecting part are connected by a downward-curved arc-shaped connection part, and the strain sensor is a strain gauge, which is attached to the inner curve of the arc-shaped connection part.

[0010] Furthermore, the electric push rod is in its extreme posture when it is at its extension limit or retraction limit; when the electric push rod reaches the first extreme posture, the ball valve is just fully open or fully closed; when the electric push rod approaches but has not yet reached the second extreme posture, the ball valve is fully closed or fully opened in advance.

[0011] Furthermore, as the electric actuator transitions from the first extreme posture to the second extreme posture, the angle of force application gradually increases.

[0012] Furthermore, when the electric push rod is at its extension limit, the ball valve is just fully open; as the electric push rod gradually retracts, the ball valve gradually closes, and the force angle gradually increases; when the electric push rod approaches but has not yet reached its retraction limit, the ball valve closes completely in advance.

[0013] Furthermore, a method for operating a control system for an electric actuator driving a ball valve arm includes the following steps: During normal ball valve operation, a prediction is performed; when the ball valve core rotates smoothly without impact, the range of the strain sensor's measurement value S1 is recorded; when the ball valve core is impacted due to rotation to its limit, the measurement value F of the strain sensor is recorded; during actual ball valve operation, the strain sensor performs real-time measurements; during ball valve opening, the electric actuator gradually extends, and the force angle gradually decreases; if the strain sensor's measurement value remains near S, it indicates the ball valve is opening normally; if a sudden increase occurs, it indicates the ball valve is jammed, and the electric actuator is controlled to stop extending further; during ball valve closing, the electric actuator gradually retracts, and the force angle gradually increases; if the strain sensor's measurement value remains near S and finally reaches a value close to F1, it indicates the ball valve is closing normally; if a sudden increase exceeds F1, it indicates the ball valve is jammed, and the electric actuator is controlled to stop retracting further.

[0014] Beneficial effects: The control system and its working method for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0015] 1) The ball valve is controlled by an electric push rod and a curved swing arm. There is a strain sensor on the curved part of the curved swing arm. During the opening and closing of the ball valve, the strain sensor can detect the curvature change of the curved swing arm, thereby determining whether the ball valve is blocked due to external factors such as rust and debris.

[0016] 2) When the electric actuator is at its extension limit, the ball valve is fully open. As the electric actuator gradually retracts, the ball valve gradually closes. Furthermore, the ball valve closes completely before the electric actuator reaches its retraction limit. Since the risk and severity of jamming during the opening process of the ball valve are far greater than those during the closing process in practical applications, the above method makes it more obvious if jamming occurs during the opening process, thereby improving the accuracy of the judgment. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Appendix Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0018] Appendix Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the electric actuator extending to open the ball valve.

[0019] Appendix Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the electric actuator retracting to close the ball valve. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] As attached Figures 1 to 3 The control system for an electric actuator-driven ball valve swing arm includes a ball valve 5, an electric actuator 4, and a curved swing arm 6. The two ends of the curved swing arm 6 are connected to the electric actuator 4 and the valve core of the ball valve 5, respectively. The extension and retraction of the electric actuator 4 drives the curved swing arm 6 to actuate the ball valve 5, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the ball valve 5. The electric actuator 4 is movably connected to the curved swing arm 6. When the electric actuator 4 extends or retracts, the direction of the force exerted by the electric actuator 4 on the curved swing arm 6 also changes accordingly. Therefore, the direction of the force exerted by the electric actuator 4 on the curved swing arm 6 is related to the degree of extension or retraction of the electric actuator 4. The curved swing arm 6 has a curved structure. When the curved structure undergoes bending deformation under the action of an external force, the curvature of the curved structure changes. A strain sensor is installed on the curved swing arm 6 to detect the curvature of the curved swing arm 6, specifically the degree of bending of the curved structure on the curved swing arm 6. Therefore, the measured value of the strain sensor is related to the magnitude of the curvature change of the curved swing arm 6.

[0022] During the opening and closing of ball valve 5, if the valve core of ball valve 5 is not stuck by foreign objects, the valve core can rotate smoothly. Typically, an impact only occurs when the valve core rotates to its limit. When the valve core rotates smoothly, the resistance it experiences is minimal, and the curvature change of the curved rocker arm 6 is small, resulting in a small measurement value from the strain sensor. When the valve core rotates to its limit, it impacts the contact component inside ball valve 5, causing an impact that is transmitted to the curved rocker arm 6. This results in a sudden change in the curvature of the curved rocker arm 6, causing the strain sensor to measure a sudden change in value.

[0023] Therefore, the curvature change of the curved swing arm 6 detected by the strain sensor can be used to determine whether the ball valve 5 is opening and closing normally or is stuck. If the curve formed by the strain sensor measurement during the opening and closing of the ball valve 5 is significantly different from the curve formed during normal opening and closing, it indicates that the ball valve 5 is stuck.

[0024] The curved swing arm 6 consists of a first connecting handle 10 and a second connecting handle 11 connected in a curved direction. The first connecting handle 10 is connected to the valve core, and the second connecting handle 11 is connected to the electric push rod 4. An angle is formed between the first connecting handle 10 and the second connecting handle 11. When the curvature of the curved swing arm 6 changes, the angle between the first connecting handle 10 and the second connecting handle 11 also changes. The direction of the force applied by the electric push rod 4 is consistent with the direction of extension and retraction of the electric push rod 4. The angle between the electric push rod 4 and the second connecting handle 11 is called the force application angle 13. The magnitude of the force application angle 13 is negatively correlated with the degree of extension of the electric push rod 4. The longer the electric push rod 4 extends, the smaller the force application angle 13 becomes.

[0025] The force output by the electric actuator 4 is constant, while the magnitude of the force application angle 13 is negatively correlated with the extension degree of the electric actuator 4. When the ball valve 5 is obstructed during opening and closing, the curvature change of the curved swing arm 6 is negatively correlated with the magnitude of the force application angle 13. Since the magnitude of the force application angle 13 is negatively correlated with the extension degree of the electric actuator 4, and the measured value of the strain sensor is positively correlated with the curvature change degree of the curved swing arm 6, when the ball valve 5 is obstructed during opening and closing, the measured value of the strain sensor is negatively correlated with the extension degree of the electric actuator 4. Therefore, the magnitude of the strain sensor measurement can be used to determine whether the ball valve 5 is opening and closing normally or is obstructed.

[0026] The output end of the electric actuator 4 is hinged to the curved swing arm 6. During the extension and retraction of the electric actuator 4, the direction of the force exerted by the electric actuator 4 on the second connecting handle 11 gradually deflects to change the force application angle 13.

[0027] As attached Figure 1 In one embodiment shown, a telescopic bracket 1 is mounted on a support 1. A crossbeam 2 is also mounted on the support 1, and a distribution pipe 7 is mounted on the crossbeam 2. A fixing cover 9 secures the distribution pipe 7 to the crossbeam 2. Several branch pipes 8 are connected to the bottom of the distribution pipe 7, and several ball valves 5 are respectively mounted on the branch pipes 8. One end of the distribution pipe 7 is connected to a water supply device. By opening and closing each ball valve 5, the distribution pipe 7 can distribute water to each branch pipe 8. A crossbeam is mounted on the top of the support 1, and a hinge seat 3 is mounted on the crossbeam. An electric push rod 4 is located above one side of the distribution pipe 7. The lower end of the electric push rod 4 is hinged to a curved swing arm 6, and the upper end of the electric push rod 4 is hinged to the crossbeam of the support 1 via the hinge seat 3. The rotation plane of the electric push rod 4 and the rotation plane of the curved swing arm 6 are in the same vertical plane.

[0028] The first connecting handle 10 and the second connecting handle 11 are connected by an arc-shaped connecting part 12, which bends downwards. The strain sensor is a strain gauge, which is attached to the inner bend above the arc-shaped connecting part 12. The strain gauge is more stable on the curved swing arm 6 and is less likely to fall off.

[0029] The electric actuator 4 is in its extreme position when it is at its extension or retraction limit. In practical applications, it is difficult to ensure that the ball valve 5 is also in both fully open and fully closed states when the electric actuator 4 is at its extension and retraction limits. Therefore, in practical applications, only one extreme position of the electric actuator 4 is relative to the fully open or fully closed state of the ball valve 5.

[0030] When the electric actuator 4 reaches its first limit position, the ball valve 5 is just fully open or fully closed. At this precise opening and closing, the valve core of the ball valve 5 will not impact the internal contact component, reducing the impact on the valve core. When the electric actuator 4 approaches but has not yet reached its second limit position, the ball valve 5 prematurely closes or fully opens. Because it opens and closes prematurely, the valve core of the ball valve 5 will impact the internal contact component.

[0031] As the electric push rod 4 transitions from the first extreme posture to the second extreme posture, the force angle 13 gradually increases. Therefore, when the electric push rod 4 approaches the second extreme posture and the valve core of the ball valve 5 impacts the contacting component, the curvature change amplitude of the curved swing arm 6 is relatively small. Compared with the larger curvature change caused by the ball valve 5 being blocked, the two are easier to distinguish, so as to determine whether the ball valve 5 is normally opening and closing or is blocked.

[0032] In practical applications, ball valve 5 is installed on water pipes. Since water pipes contain impurities, ball valve 5 may become clogged and jammed. Furthermore, if ball valve 5 has not been used for a long time, it may also become jammed due to corrosion. Therefore, the probability of ball valve 5 jamming during opening is much greater than the probability of it jamming during closing.

[0033] Therefore, as attached Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, in this invention, when the electric actuator 4 is at its extension limit, the ball valve 5 is just fully open. At this time, the electric actuator 4 is perpendicular to the second connecting handle 11, and the force-applying angle 13 between the electric actuator 4 and the second connecting handle 11 is 90 degrees. (See attached diagram) Figure 3As shown, during the gradual retraction of the electric actuator 4, the ball valve 5 gradually closes, and the force angle 13 gradually increases from 90 degrees to 180 degrees. When the electric actuator 4 approaches but has not yet reached its retraction limit, the ball valve 5 closes completely ahead of time. At this point, the electric actuator 4 and the second connecting handle 11 are on the same straight line, and the angle between them is 180 degrees. Therefore, during the gradual opening of the ball valve 5, since the valve core does not collide with the abutting component when the ball valve 5 is fully open, no reverse impact is generated. Therefore, if jamming occurs during the opening of the ball valve 5, the impact caused by the jamming is more obvious and easier to detect by the strain sensor, thus more accurately determining whether the ball valve 5 is jammed.

[0034] This invention also provides a method for operating a control system for an electrically driven ball valve swing arm. First, under normal operating conditions, a predicted value is calculated, ensuring that the ball valve 5 will not be obstructed. During the smooth rotation of the ball valve 5 core, without impact, the strain sensor's measurement range S is recorded. When the ball valve 5 core rotates to its limit, it will be impacted by colliding with a contact component, and the strain sensor's measurement value F1 is recorded. When the ball valve 5 core is impacted, the curvature of the curved swing arm 6 changes abruptly, so the value of F1 is much greater than S.

[0035] When ball valve 5 is actually working, the strain sensor performs real-time measurements, and the changes in the measured values ​​determine whether ball valve 5 is normally open or closed or is blocked.

[0036] During the opening of ball valve 5, electric actuator 4 gradually extends, and the force angle 13 gradually decreases. When electric actuator 4 is at its extension limit, ball valve 5 is fully open. Therefore, if ball valve 5 opens normally, the valve core of ball valve 5 will not be impacted during the entire extension process of electric actuator 4. Consequently, the strain sensor reading remains near S. However, if the strain sensor reading shows a sudden increase far exceeding S during the entire extension process of electric actuator 4, it indicates that ball valve 5 is obstructed. In this case, electric actuator 4 should be stopped from extending further to prevent damage to the pipeline near ball valve 5 or damage to electric actuator 4 itself.

[0037] During the closing of ball valve 5, electric actuator 4 gradually retracts, and the applied force angle 13 gradually increases. However, because ball valve 5 will be completely closed when electric actuator 4 approaches but has not yet reached its retraction limit, the valve core of ball valve 5 will inevitably collide with the contacting component inside ball valve 5, causing a sudden change in the curvature of the curved swing arm 6. Therefore, if ball valve 5 is closed normally, the strain sensor measurement value will remain near S, but at the moment of complete closure, a measurement value close to F1 will appear. However, if a sudden increase in value F2 exceeding F1 occurs during the entire retraction process of electric actuator 4, it indicates that ball valve 5 is jammed. At this time, control electric actuator 4 to stop retracting further to prevent further operation of electric actuator 4 from damaging the equipment.

[0038] As the electric actuator 4 gradually retracts, the angle between the electric actuator 4 and the second connecting handle 11 gradually increases from 90 degrees to 180 degrees. Since the magnitude of the force exerted by the electric actuator 4 is constant, the effective force on the second connecting handle 11 gradually decreases as the direction of the force gradually changes. Therefore, when the valve core of the ball valve 5 is jammed, the reverse impact force on the valve core due to the jamming will also gradually decrease. Reflected on the strain sensor, the magnitude of the sudden increase in the strain sensor value will gradually decrease to F1 as the electric actuator 4 gradually retracts. Therefore, if the detected sudden increase in value is close to F1, it indicates that the ball valve 5 is normally closed; if the detected sudden increase in value significantly exceeds F1, it indicates that the ball valve 5 is jammed before it is fully closed.

[0039] Based on the above method, the curvature change of the curved swing arm 6 can be measured to determine whether the ball valve 5 is blocked during the opening and closing process, so as to close the electric push rod 4 in time and prevent the electric push rod 4 from continuing to move and damaging the equipment. Moreover, the accuracy of judging whether the blockage occurs is higher during the opening process of the ball valve 5.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control system for an electric actuator driving a ball valve swing arm, characterized in that: The device includes a ball valve (5), an electric push rod (4), and a curved swing arm (6). The two ends of the curved swing arm (6) are connected to the electric push rod (4) and the valve core of the ball valve (5), respectively. The extension and retraction of the electric push rod (4) drives the curved swing arm (6) to actuate the ball valve (5). The direction of the force exerted by the electric push rod (4) on the curved swing arm (6) is related to the extension and retraction of the electric push rod (4). A strain sensor is installed on the curved swing arm (6), and the measured value of the strain sensor is related to the curvature change of the curved swing arm (6).

2. The control system for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The curved swing arm (6) is composed of a first connecting handle (10) and a second connecting handle (11) connected in a curved direction. The first connecting handle (10) is connected to the valve core, and the second connecting handle (11) is connected to the electric push rod (4). The angle between the electric push rod (4) and the second connecting handle (11) is the force application angle (13), and the magnitude of the force application angle (13) is negatively correlated with the extension degree of the electric push rod (4).

3. The control system for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The magnitude of the force output by the electric push rod (4) is constant; when the ball valve (5) is blocked during the opening and closing process, the curvature change of the curved swing arm (6) is negatively correlated with the magnitude of the force application angle (13).

4. The control system for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The output end of the electric push rod (4) is hinged to the curved swing arm (6); during the extension and retraction process, the direction of the force exerted by the electric push rod (4) on the second connecting handle (11) gradually deflects to change the force application angle (13).

5. The control system for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lower end of the electric push rod (4) is hinged to the curved swing arm (6), and the upper end of the electric push rod (4) is hinged to the bracket (1).

6. The control system for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first connecting handle (10) and the second connecting handle (11) are connected by a downward-curved arc-shaped connecting part (12), and the strain sensor is a strain gauge, which is attached to the inner curve of the arc-shaped connecting part (12).

7. The control system for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the electric push rod (4) is at its extension limit or retraction limit, it is in its limit posture. When the electric push rod (4) reaches the first limit posture, the ball valve (5) is just fully open or fully closed. When the electric push rod (4) approaches but has not yet reached the second limit posture, the ball valve (5) is fully closed or fully opened in advance.

8. The control system for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm according to claim 7, characterized in that: As the electric push rod (4) changes from the first extreme posture to the second extreme posture, the force application angle (13) gradually increases.

9. The control system for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the electric push rod (4) is at its extension limit, the ball valve (5) is just fully open; as the electric push rod (4) gradually retracts, the ball valve (5) gradually closes, and the force angle (13) gradually increases; when the electric push rod (4) approaches but has not yet reached its retraction limit, the ball valve (5) closes completely in advance.

10. The operating method of the control system for an electric push rod driven ball valve swing arm according to claim 9, characterized in that: Under normal operating conditions of the ball valve (5), the predicted value is recorded; when the valve core of the ball valve (5) rotates smoothly without being impacted, the range of the measured value S of the strain sensor is recorded; when the valve core of the ball valve (5) is impacted due to rotation to the limit, the measured value F1 of the strain sensor is recorded. When the ball valve (5) is actually working, the strain sensor performs real-time measurement; during the process of opening the ball valve (5), the electric push rod (4) gradually extends and the force angle (13) gradually decreases; if the measurement value of the strain sensor is always near S, it means that the ball valve (5) is open normally. If a sudden increase occurs, it indicates that the ball valve (5) is stuck, and the electric push rod (4) stops extending. During the process of closing the ball valve (5), the electric push rod (4) gradually retracts, and the force angle (13) gradually increases. If the measured value of the strain sensor is always near S and finally reaches a measured value close to F1, it indicates that the ball valve (5) is closed normally. If a sudden increase occurs that exceeds F1, it indicates that the ball valve (5) is stuck, and the electric push rod (4) stops retracting.

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