Valve maintenance auxiliary devices and methods

Abstract

The valve maintenance assistance device and method of the present invention determine the possibility of internal valve damage in near real-time during equipment operation. The valve maintenance assistance device includes: a stability determination unit (7) that determines whether the valve is stable at a predetermined reference opening based on data of the valve's opening command value and the actual opening value; a damage determination unit (9) that determines that there may be damage to the internal valve of the valve if the pressure measurement value when the valve is determined to be stable at the reference opening has a difference of more than a threshold from the predetermined reference pressure value; and a prompting unit (10) that prompts the ID of the valve that is determined to have possible internal valve damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a technique for assisting maintenance operations, and more particularly to a valve maintenance auxiliary device and method for assisting maintenance operations when maintaining the state of the inner valve of a valve in contact with fluid becomes important. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, valves used in petrochemical equipment, etc. (e.g.) Figure 10 The control valves require special attention to safety and therefore need to be maintained regularly. Figure 10 The valve 100 shown includes a valve body 101, a positioner 102, and an actuator 103. The actuator 103 moves the valve stem 104 up and down according to the air output pressure Po supplied from the positioner 102, thereby adjusting the valve opening (the gap between the valve core and the seat ring). That is, it regulates the flow of fluid.

[0003] It was proposed that in setting up Figure 10 The illustrated valve device employs a technique to improve the efficiency of valve maintenance operations (see Patent Document 1). In the case of flow control of valves handling high-temperature fluids, when the valve is fully closed, especially on the outlet side, a temperature drop occurs due to the reduced thermal influence of the high-temperature fluid. The more frequently high and low temperatures occur, the more easily deterioration of valve components (e.g., loosening of the valve seat) caused by thermal cycling is exacerbated. In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, by providing the operator with information related to the valve's thermal cycling as diagnostic indicators, it is possible to infer component deterioration caused by thermal cycling.

[0004] On the other hand, as an example of valve damage that differs from deterioration caused by thermal cycling, there is damage to internal valves caused by abrasion (wear) or erosion (corrosion). Figure 11 This is a diagram showing the construction of the inner valve section of a valve. For example... Figure 10 As shown, in order to prevent fluid in the valve box 110 from leaking through the gap between the valve cover 111 and the valve stem 104 on the sealing gland portion 108 that can slide to hold the valve stem 104, a gland packing 109 is provided in the gap between the inner wall of the valve cover 111 and the valve stem 104.

[0005] A valve core (plug) 105 is provided at the top of the valve stem 104. A seat ring 106 is provided on the partition wall 114 located between the inlet 112 and the outlet 113 of the valve box 110. When the plug 105 is seated on the seat surface of the seat ring 106, the valve is in a fully closed state. When separated, fluid flows into the outlet 113 side through the gap between the plug 105 and the seat ring 106. The aforementioned internal valve refers to the plug 105 and the seat ring 106. In order to detect damage to the internal valve, leakage checks and valve stem angle checks need to be performed when the valve is closed, but these checks cannot be performed when the valve cannot be fully closed during operation.

[0006] Valves are used extensively in petrochemical equipment and other applications. For example, in... Figure 12 In the example, valves 100-A and 100-M are installed on flow path 114-1, and valve 100-C is installed on flow path 114-3. 115-A, 115-C, and 115-M are flow detectors, 116 is a tank, and 117 is a pressure transmitter. Thus, in equipment using a large number of valves, there is a need to further improve safety and operational efficiency. In particular, the speed of safety management is crucial, and the demand for near-real-time valve fault detection is evolving and requires improvement.

[0007] Existing technical documents

[0008] Patent documents

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-046029 Summary of the Invention

[0010] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0011] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a valve maintenance auxiliary device and method that can determine the possibility of internal valve damage in a near real-time state during equipment operation, thereby improving the efficiency of valve maintenance.

[0012] Technical means to solve the problem

[0013] The valve maintenance auxiliary device of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first storage unit configured to store data of an opening command value assigned to the valve and the ID of the valve from which the data is transmitted; a second storage unit configured to store data of the actual opening value of the valve and the ID of the valve from which the data is transmitted; a third storage unit configured to store data of a pressure measurement value of the operator air supplied from the valve positioner to the operator and the ID of the valve from which the data is transmitted; a stability determination unit configured to determine whether the valve is stable at a predetermined reference opening based on the data of the opening command value and the actual opening value; a damage determination unit configured to determine that if the pressure measurement value at which the valve is determined to be stable at the reference opening has a difference of more than a threshold from a predetermined reference pressure value, damage to the inner valve of the valve may be present; and a determination result prompting unit configured to prompt the ID of the valve that is determined to be potentially damaged.

[0014] Furthermore, one embodiment of the valve maintenance auxiliary device of the present invention is characterized by further comprising a reference pressure registration unit, which is configured to register the pressure measurement value of the valve at its stable state as the reference pressure value when the valve is determined to be in a stable state at the reference opening, even if the reference pressure value at the reference opening is not registered.

[0015] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the valve maintenance auxiliary device of the present invention, the reference pressure registration unit registers the reference pressure value during periods when the cumulative working time of the valve is less than a predetermined time.

[0016] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the valve maintenance auxiliary device of the present invention, it is characterized by further comprising an opening command unit, which is configured to provide the value of the reference opening as the opening command value to the target valve, so that the valve becomes a stable state with the reference opening when diagnosing internal valve damage.

[0017] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the valve maintenance auxiliary device of the present invention, the damage determination unit determines that the probability of internal valve damage is high when there is a tendency for the operator air pressure to change under conditions where it is subjected to a larger fluid reaction force than normal.

[0018] Furthermore, the valve maintenance assistance method of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first step of storing data corresponding to the opening command value assigned to the valve and the ID of the valve from which the data is transmitted; a second step of storing data corresponding to the actual opening value of the valve and the ID of the valve from which the data is transmitted; a third step of storing data corresponding to the pressure measurement value of the operator air supplied from the valve positioner to the operator and the ID of the valve from which the data is transmitted; a fourth step of determining, based on the opening command value and the actual opening value, whether the valve is stable at a predetermined reference opening; a fifth step of determining that if the pressure measurement value at which the valve is determined to be stable at the reference opening has a difference of more than a threshold from the predetermined reference pressure value, damage to the inner valve of the valve may be present; and a sixth step of indicating the ID of the valve from which damage to the inner valve may be present.

[0019] Furthermore, one embodiment of the valve maintenance assistance method of the present invention is characterized by further including a 7th step, wherein for a valve determined to be in a stable state at the reference opening, if the reference pressure value at the reference opening is not registered, the pressure measurement value of the valve at the stable state is registered as the reference pressure value.

[0020] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the valve maintenance assistance method of the present invention, the seventh step is characterized in that the reference pressure value is registered during a period when the cumulative working time of the valve is less than a predetermined time.

[0021] Furthermore, one embodiment of the valve maintenance assistance method of the present invention is characterized by further including an eighth step, providing the value of the reference opening degree as the opening degree command value to the target valve, so that the valve becomes a stable state with the reference opening degree stable during the diagnosis of internal valve damage.

[0022] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the valve maintenance assistance method of the present invention, it is characterized in that, in the fifth step, if there is a tendency for the operator air pressure to change under conditions where it is subjected to a larger fluid reaction force than normal, it is determined that the probability of damage to the inner valve is high.

[0023] The effects of the invention

[0024] According to the present invention, by providing a first storage unit, a second storage unit, a third storage unit, a stability determination unit, a damage determination unit, and a determination result prompting unit, it is possible to determine whether there is potential damage to the internal valve of the valve during equipment operation. Therefore, valve fault detection can be achieved more closely in real time, assisting the operation supervisor in selecting valve candidates for maintenance. As a result, the efficiency of valve maintenance operations can be improved in this invention.

[0025] Furthermore, in this invention, by providing a reference pressure registration unit, the reference pressure value can be automatically registered. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the valve maintenance auxiliary device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the valve maintenance auxiliary device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the valve maintenance auxiliary device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the simulation results of the normal valve operation at the initial stage of operation.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a graph representing the simulation results of a valve whose internal valve damage occurred during operation.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the valve maintenance auxiliary device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the opening command unit in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the device and its machine management system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a computer for implementing the valve maintenance auxiliary device according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a valve.

[0036] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing the structure of the inner valve section of a valve.

[0037] Figure 12 This is a diagram illustrating an example of multiple valves used in the tank of a device. Detailed Implementation

[0038] [Principles of the Invention]

[0039] The inventors noted that damage to the internal valve is a phenomenon that affects the state of fluid control. Furthermore, by utilizing the air pressure of the actuator, it is possible to determine whether there is damage to the internal valve during operation.

[0040] In the control system, pressure is applied to the internal valve for each opening degree. To maintain the set opening degree, the valve's positioner controls the actuator's air pressure. If damage occurs to the internal valve, the pressure applied to the primary side of the internal valve also changes, resulting in variations in the actuator air pressure even at the same opening degree. Therefore, it was considered to use the reproducibility of the actuator air pressure at a specific opening degree as a diagnostic indicator of internal valve damage. This would improve the efficiency of valve maintenance.

[0041] In addition, the present invention is particularly effective for direct-acting valves in which the plug moves up and down at a right angle relative to the seat ring.

[0042] [First Embodiment]

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the valve maintenance auxiliary device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the following embodiments, for the sake of simplicity, the valve ID (identification information) is presented in a simpler manner than in actual equipment.

[0044] The valve maintenance auxiliary device includes: a valve ID storage unit 1, which pre-stores the IDs of multiple valves that may be candidates for maintenance; an opening degree acquisition unit 2, which acquires the opening degree command value assigned to the valve and the actual opening degree value of the valve; an opening degree command value storage unit 3 (first storage unit), which stores the opening degree command value data in correspondence with the ID of the valve that is the data transmission source; an opening degree measurement value storage unit 4 (second storage unit), which stores the actual opening degree value data in correspondence with the ID of the valve that is the data transmission source; a pressure acquisition unit 5, which acquires the pressure measurement value of the actuator air supplied to the valve actuator; and a pressure measurement value storage unit 6 (third storage unit), which stores the pressure measurement value data in correspondence with the ID of the valve that is the data transmission source.

[0045] Furthermore, the valve maintenance assistance device of this embodiment includes: a stability determination unit 7, which determines whether the valve is substantially stable at a predetermined reference opening based on data of the opening command value and the actual opening value; a reference pressure registration unit 8, which, for valves determined to be substantially stable at a reference opening, registers the pressure measurement value of the valve at its stable state as a reference pressure value if no reference pressure value is registered at the reference opening; a damage determination unit 9, which determines that there may be damage to the internal valve of the valve if the pressure measurement value at its stable state of the valve determined to be substantially stable at a reference opening differs from the predetermined reference pressure value by a threshold or more; and a determination result prompting unit 10, which prompts the ID of the valve determined to be likely to have internal valve damage.

[0046] Figure 2 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the valve maintenance auxiliary device according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, for example, there are 26 valves in the equipment, and each of these 26 valves is pre-assigned a unique ID such as "A", "B", "C", ..., "M", ..., "X", "Y", "Z". In particular, the valves with valve IDs "A", "C", and "M" are the valves selected as the highest priority maintenance targets in specific periodic equipment maintenance, and these IDs "A", "C", and "M" are pre-stored in the valve ID storage unit 1.

[0047] Positioners used in each valve Figure 10 (102) supplies air pressure to the operator corresponding to the difference between the opening command value SP (valve stem position command value) provided by the upper device and the actual valve opening value PV (valve stem position measurement value). Figure 10 (103).

[0048] For valves whose valve IDs are registered in the valve ID storage unit 1, the opening degree acquisition unit 2 acquires the opening degree command value SP and the actual opening degree value PV from the positioner of each valve. Figure 2 Step S100).

[0049] The opening degree acquisition unit 2 stores the opening degree command value SP, the ID of the valve that sent the data, and the information of the data receiving time in the opening degree command value storage unit 3. Figure 2 Step S101). Additionally, the opening acquisition unit 2 stores the actual opening value PV, the ID of the valve that sent the data, and the information about the data reception time in the opening measurement value storage unit 4. Figure 2 Step S102).

[0050] On the other hand, the pressure acquisition unit 5 acquires the pressure measurement value MV of the operator air supplied from the positioner of each valve to the operator for valves whose valve IDs are registered in the valve ID storage unit 1. Figure 2Step S103). The pressure of the operator air is measured by a pressure sensor built into the positioner.

[0051] The pressure acquisition unit 5 stores the pressure measurement value MV, the ID of the valve that sent the data, and the information of the data reception time in the pressure measurement value storage unit 6. Figure 2 Step S104).

[0052] Regarding the valve ID, it is sufficient that the valve ID is obtained by the valve positioner and sent by the valve positioner data attached to the opening command value SP, the actual opening value PV, and the pressure measurement value MV. The timing information can be attached to the valve positioner side or by the opening acquisition unit 2 and the pressure acquisition unit 5.

[0053] Thus, by repeating steps S100 to S104, the time series data of the opening command value SP, the actual opening value PV, and the pressure measurement value MV are stored in the opening command value storage unit 3, the opening measurement value storage unit 4, and the pressure measurement value storage unit 6.

[0054] Next, the stability determination unit 7 determines whether the valve whose valve ID is registered in the valve ID storage unit 1 is approximately stable at a predetermined reference opening degree Oref. Figure 3 Step S105). Specifically, if the opening command value SP and the actual opening value PV remain within the range of Orf ± TH (TH is a threshold) for a specified time or more relative to the pre-defined reference opening Orf, the stability determination unit 7 determines that the state is approximately stable.

[0055] As described above, since valve ID and time information are added to the opening command value SP and the actual opening value PV respectively, for a valve whose valve ID is registered in the valve ID storage unit 1, the opening command value SP and the actual opening value PV at the same time can be obtained from the opening command value storage unit 3 and the opening measurement value storage unit 4.

[0056] Regarding the reference opening degree Orf, the operator selects the opening degree that occurs most frequently and presets it as the reference opening degree Orf. Alternatively, the stability determination unit 7 can automatically select the opening command value SP that occurs at or above a pre-defined frequency threshold as the reference opening degree Orf. The reference opening degree Orf can be a common value across all valves or a value set for each valve.

[0057] For valves determined to be in a roughly stable state at the reference opening Oref, the reference pressure registration unit 8, in the case where the initial state of the reference pressure value Pref at the reference opening Oref is not registered (in... Figure 3In step S106 ("Yes"), the pressure measurement value MV when the valve is approximately stable is registered as the reference pressure value Pref ( Figure 3 Step S107).

[0058] As described above, valve ID and time information are added to the opening command value SP, the actual opening value PV, and the pressure measurement value MV, respectively. Therefore, the pressure measurement value MV at the time when the valve is determined to be in a roughly stable state with the reference opening value Orf can be obtained from the pressure measurement value storage unit 6.

[0059] The reference pressure value (Pref) needs to be registered for each valve. Furthermore, the registration of the reference pressure value (Pref) is preferably performed when the valve is operating normally, and therefore preferably at the beginning of operation when the valve's cumulative operating time is short, for example, when the cumulative operating time is below a specified time. Information regarding the valve's cumulative operating time can be obtained from the positioner.

[0060] In this way, at the initial stage of valve operation, the reference pressure value Pref is automatically stored in the reference pressure registration unit 8.

[0061] For valves determined to be in a substantially stable state at the reference opening degree Orf, if the reference pressure value Pref at the reference opening degree Orf has been registered (No in step S106), the damage determination unit 9 compares the pressure measurement value MV at the substantially stable state of the valve with the reference pressure value Pref corresponding to the reference opening degree Orf. If there is a difference greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure threshold PTH (in... Figure 3 In step S108, if "Yes" is selected, it is determined that there may be damage to the inner valve of the valve. Figure 3 Step S109).

[0062] Specifically, the damage determination unit 9 determines that damage to the internal valve of the valve is possible if the absolute value of the difference between the approximately stable pressure measurement value MV and the reference pressure value Pref, |MV-Pref|, is above the pressure threshold PTH. In this embodiment, the unit handles situations where there is a tendency for the pressure of the operator air to change under conditions where it is subjected to a larger fluid reaction force than in normal conditions (where the approximately stable pressure measurement value MV becomes the reference pressure value Pref), particularly when the probability of damage to the internal valve is high.

[0063] The judgment result notification unit 10 notifies the operation supervisor of the valve IDs of the valves registered in the valve ID storage unit 1 that are deemed to have potential internal valve damage. Figure 3 Step S110). The information provided is essentially used as a diagnostic indicator.

[0064] However, the judgment result prompting unit 10 can also prompt (display) one of the following messages for all valves whose valve IDs are registered in the valve ID storage unit 1: "Possibly damaged" or "Low probability of damage". In this case, the person in charge of the operation (operator) can also confirm the valve ID of the valve that is determined to have a low probability of damage as a result of the internal valve damage judgment.

[0065] In this way, it is done regularly. Figure 3 The processing in steps S105 to S110. Next, the reasons why the possibility of damage to the internal valve can be determined by the processing described in step S108 will be explained.

[0066] When erosion occurs on the valve plug, the contact area increases, making it more susceptible to a larger fluid reaction force (the force acting in the direction of opening the valve) at a given opening degree. Therefore, if the valve is a type that uses actuator air pressure to close, the actuator air pressure required to close the valve increases; if the valve is a type that uses actuator air pressure to open, the actuator air pressure required to open the valve decreases.

[0067] Furthermore, when the valve seat wears down, the port diameter expands, making it susceptible to greater fluid reaction force (force acting in the direction of opening the valve) at a given opening degree. Therefore, for valves that use actuator air pressure to close, the actuator air pressure required to close the valve increases, while for valves that use actuator air pressure to open, the actuator air pressure required to open the valve decreases.

[0068] Thus, in cases where the wear of the plug or seat ring, which is considered a damage to the internal valve, tends to cause a change in the operator air pressure under conditions where it is subjected to a larger fluid reaction force than under normal conditions (where the pressure measurement value MV under approximately stable conditions becomes the reference pressure value Pref), it is preferable to determine that the probability of internal valve damage is high.

[0069] Furthermore, while the above explanation used a single reference opening degree (Oref) as an example, multiple reference opening degrees (Oref) can also be set. In this case, a reference pressure value (Pref) is registered for each reference opening degree (Oref) and each valve. Additionally, a pressure threshold (PTH) can be set for each reference opening degree (Oref).

[0070] As a result of comparing the pressure measurement MV and the reference pressure value Pref when multiple reference opening degrees Orf are approximately stable, even if |MV-Pref|≥PTH occurs only once, it can be determined that there may be damage to the internal valve. In this case, the judgment result is output with safety as the priority. Alternatively, as another example of setting multiple reference opening degrees Orf, a more complex judgment algorithm can be appropriately adopted.

[0071] Figure 4 This is a graph representing the simulation results of normal valve operation during the initial stage of operation when the cumulative working time is short. Figure 5 This is a graph representing the simulation results of a valve whose internal valve damage occurred during operation after the reference pressure value Pref was registered.

[0072] This assumes that the valve is a type of valve that utilizes operating air pressure to close the valve. Figure 4 , Figure 5 In the example, the pressure value is normalized, and the unit is set to %. Additionally, in Figure 4 , Figure 5 In the example, 40%, 50%, and 60% are predefined as the baseline opening value Orf.

[0073] exist Figure 4 In the example, the pressure measurement MV is 16.0% when the pressure reaches a roughly steady state with a reference opening of Orf = 50% around time 100 sec., 21.0% when the pressure reaches a roughly steady state with a reference opening of Orf = 60% around time 400 sec., and 11.0% when the pressure reaches a roughly steady state with a reference opening of Orf = 40% around time 700 sec.

[0074] Therefore, the reference pressure registration unit 8 registers the reference pressure value Pref corresponding to the reference opening degree Oref = 50% as 16.0%, the reference pressure value Pref corresponding to the reference opening degree Oref = 60% as 21.0%, and the reference pressure value Pref corresponding to the reference opening degree Oref = 40% as 11.0%.

[0075] exist Figure 5 In the example, the pressure measurement MV is 17.5% when the pressure reaches a roughly steady state with the reference opening Orf = 50% around time 100 sec., 22.5% when the pressure reaches a roughly steady state with the reference opening Orf = 60% around time 400 sec., and 12.5% ​​when the pressure reaches a roughly steady state with the reference opening Orf = 40% around time 700 sec.

[0076] Under any of the following approximately stable conditions at the reference opening Orf = 50%, 60%, and 40%, the pressure measurement value MV increases relative to the reference pressure values ​​Pref = 16.0%, 21.0%, and 11.0%. If the pressure threshold PTH is set to 1.0%, then under any of the following approximately stable conditions at the reference opening Orf = 50%, 60%, and 40%, since |MV-Pref|≥PTH holds, the damage assessment unit 9 determines that there may be damage to the internal valve.

[0077] As described above, in this embodiment, since the possibility of damage to the internal valve is determined during equipment operation, valve fault detection can be achieved more closely in real time, assisting the operation supervisor in selecting valve candidates for maintenance. In this embodiment, since internal valve damage cannot be uniquely determined, it is preferable to select valve candidates for maintenance through a combination with other diagnostic techniques.

[0078] [Second Embodiment]

[0079] Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, when the valve ID registered in the valve ID storage unit 1 is in a substantially stable state during the operation of the equipment, the valve damage is diagnosed. However, the value of the reference opening degree Oref can also be provided to the target valve as an opening command value when the target valve is in a substantially stable state.

[0080] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a valve maintenance auxiliary device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The valve maintenance auxiliary device of this embodiment adds an opening command unit 11 to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0081] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the opening command unit 11. The operator, after determining that there is no problem even if a specific valve is set to the reference opening degree Oref during equipment operation, diagnoses valve damage within the valve maintenance auxiliary device indicator.

[0082] When there is an instruction from the person in charge of the operation to diagnose damage to the internal valve (in) Figure 7 In step S200 ("Yes"), the valve maintenance auxiliary device's opening command unit 11, for the valve specified by the work supervisor, will provide the valve's positioner with the value specified by the work supervisor in the reference opening Orf set in the stability determination unit 7 as the opening command value SP. Figure 7 (Step S201). In this way, the valve of the diagnostic object can be stabilized at the reference opening degree Oref.

[0083] After the judgment result is indicated by the judgment result prompting unit 10, the person in charge of the operation ends the indication diagnosis of the valve maintenance auxiliary device.

[0084] When the opening instruction unit 11 receives an indication that the diagnosis has ended (in... Figure 7 In step S202, if "Yes" is selected, the valve positioner is instructed to return to the original opening command value SP assigned to the valve being diagnosed before the diagnosis was about to begin. Figure 7 (Step S203). The valve opening command value SP assigned to the diagnostic target before the diagnostic process begins can be obtained from the opening command value storage unit 3.

[0085] Thus, in this embodiment, although there is a period when there is no problem even if the reference opening degree Orf is set, it is possible to perform the diagnosis of internal valve damage at any time when the constraint is met.

[0086] [Third Embodiment]

[0087] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment describes an installation example of the first and second embodiments. Figure 8 It is a diagram showing the structure of the equipment and its equipment management system, for example, with... Figure 12 The same composition is assigned the same symbol.

[0088] In the machine management system of petroleum and chemical equipment, a management device 12 is provided to control and manage each machine of the equipment. Since the valve ID storage unit 1, opening degree acquisition unit 2, opening degree command value storage unit 3, opening degree measurement value storage unit 4, pressure acquisition unit 5, and pressure measurement value storage unit 6 described in the first embodiment need to process the large amount of information inherent in the equipment, they are preferably installed in the management device 12.

[0089] On the other hand, the stability determination unit 7, the reference pressure registration unit 8, the damage determination unit 9, the determination result prompting unit 10, and the opening command unit 11 are, in principle, only provided with necessary processing when determining whether valve maintenance is required. Furthermore, the maintenance implementer (the operations manager of the maintenance contractor) is generally commissioned by the equipment owner to perform equipment maintenance. Therefore, assuming that multiple unspecified devices are involved, it is preferable to install the stability determination unit 7, the reference pressure registration unit 8, the damage determination unit 9, the determination result prompting unit 10, and the opening command unit 11 in the portable computer 13 carried by the operations manager (operator) of the maintenance contractor.

[0090] The equipment management device 12 and computer 13 are temporarily connected using communication functions such as Ethernet (registered trademark) during maintenance operations.

[0091] When the operator starts the application software on the computer 13, the CPU (central processing unit) of the computer 13 performs processing according to the program stored in the memory, and performs the functions of the stability determination unit 7, the reference pressure registration unit 8, the damage determination unit 9, the determination result prompting unit 10, and the opening instruction unit 11.

[0092] The judgment result prompting unit 10 reads the valve ID from the valve ID storage unit 1 on the management device 12 and reads the judgment result from the damage judgment unit 9, and displays the ID of the valve that is judged to have possible internal valve damage on the display of the computer 13. Figure 3 Step S110).

[0093] Based on the displayed valve ID, the operator identifies the valves for which special attention should be paid to maintaining the status of the internal valves. After confirming the displayed information, the operator disconnects the computer 13 from the management device 12.

[0094] In this way, the valve maintenance auxiliary device described in the first and second embodiments can be applied to actual equipment.

[0095] The valve maintenance auxiliary device described in embodiments 1 to 3 can be implemented by a computer with a CPU, storage device and interface and a program that controls these hardware resources. Figure 9 This illustrates an example of the computer's configuration. The computer includes a CPU 300, a storage device 301, and an interface device (I / F) 302. A valve, a management device, a display, etc., are connected to the I / F 302. In this computer, a program for implementing the valve maintenance assistance method of the present invention is stored in the storage device 301. The CPU 300 executes the processing described in the first to third embodiments according to the program stored in the storage device 301.

[0096] Furthermore, as shown in the third embodiment, when the valve maintenance auxiliary device is installed as a management device 12 and a computer 13, it can be used... Figure 9 That's how it's achieved.

[0097] [Potential for Industrial Applications]

[0098] This invention relates to a technology applicable to auxiliary valve maintenance operations.

[0099] Symbol Explanation

[0100] 1…Valve ID storage unit, 2…Opening degree acquisition unit, 3…Opening degree command value storage unit, 4…Opening degree measurement value storage unit, 5…Pressure acquisition unit, 6…Pressure measurement value storage unit, 7…Stability determination unit, 8…Reference pressure registration unit, 9…Damage determination unit, 10…Determination result prompt unit, 11…Opening degree command unit, 12…Management device, 13…Computer.

Claims

1. A valve maintenance auxiliary device, characterized in that, have: The first storage unit is configured to store data that corresponds to the valve opening command value and the valve ID of the data sending source; The second storage unit is configured to store data on the actual opening value of the valve in correspondence with the ID of the valve from which the data is transmitted; The third storage unit is configured to store data of the pressure measurement value of the operator air supplied from the valve positioner to the operator in correspondence with the ID of the valve from which the data is transmitted. The stability determination unit is configured to determine whether the valve is stable at a predetermined reference opening degree based on the data of the opening command value and the actual opening value. The damage determination unit is configured to determine that if the measured pressure value of a valve at a stable state with the reference opening degree being stable differs from a predetermined reference pressure value by a threshold value, then the internal valve of the valve (referring to the plug and seat ring) may be damaged. The judgment result prompting section is configured to indicate the ID of the valve that is determined to have possible damage to its internal valve. If the valve being assessed is a type of valve that closes using operator air pressure, and the comparison between the stable pressure measurement value and the reference pressure value shows that the stable pressure measurement value is higher than the normal stable pressure measurement value when it reaches the reference pressure value, and exhibits a tendency for the operator air pressure to change under conditions of greater fluid reaction force than the normal stable pressure measurement value when it reaches the reference pressure value, then the damage assessment unit determines that the valve has a high probability of internal valve damage. If the valve being assessed is a type that opens using operator air pressure, and the comparison between the stable pressure measurement and the reference pressure value shows that the stable pressure measurement is lower than the normal stable pressure measurement when it reaches the reference pressure value, and exhibits a tendency for the operator air pressure to change under conditions of greater fluid reaction force than the normal stable pressure measurement when it reaches the reference pressure value, then the valve is deemed to have a high probability of internal valve damage.

2. The valve maintenance auxiliary device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a reference pressure registration unit, which is configured to register the pressure measurement value of the valve at its stable state as the reference pressure value when the valve is determined to be in a stable state at the reference opening, in the absence of a registered reference pressure value at the reference opening.

3. The valve maintenance auxiliary device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The reference pressure registration unit registers the reference pressure value during periods when the valve's cumulative operating time is less than a specified time.

4. The valve maintenance auxiliary device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, It also has an opening command unit, which is configured to provide the value of the reference opening as the opening command value to the target valve so that the valve becomes stable at the reference opening when diagnosing damage to the internal valve.

5. A valve maintenance auxiliary method, characterized in that, have: The first step is to store the data that assigns the valve opening command value in correspondence with the valve ID of the data sending source; Step 2: Store the actual valve opening value data in correspondence with the valve ID of the data sending source; Step 3: The pressure measurement data of the actuator air supplied from the valve positioner to the actuator is stored in correspondence with the ID of the valve from which the data was sent. Step 4: Based on the data of the opening command value and the actual opening value, determine whether the valve is stable at the pre-specified reference opening. Step 5: If the measured pressure value at which the valve is stable (based on the reference opening) is determined to be above a threshold difference from a pre-defined reference pressure value, it is determined that there may be damage to the valve's internal valve components, namely the plug and seat ring. Step 6 prompts for the valve IDs that may be damaged internally. The fifth step includes the following steps: if the valve of the object to be determined is a type of valve that closes using operator air pressure, and the comparison result between the pressure measurement value when the valve is stable and the reference pressure value is that the pressure measurement value when the valve is stable is higher than the normal value when the pressure measurement value when the valve is stable reaches the reference pressure value, and shows a tendency for the operator air pressure to change under conditions of greater fluid reaction force than the normal value when the pressure measurement value when the valve is stable reaches the reference pressure value, then it is determined that the valve has a high probability of internal valve damage; If the valve being assessed is a type that opens using operator air pressure, and the comparison between the stable pressure measurement and the reference pressure value shows that the stable pressure measurement is lower than the normal stable pressure measurement when it reaches the reference pressure value, and exhibits a tendency for the operator air pressure to change under conditions of greater fluid reaction force than the normal stable pressure measurement when it reaches the reference pressure value, then the valve is deemed to have a high probability of internal valve damage.

6. The valve maintenance auxiliary method according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a 7th step, in which, for a valve determined to be in a stable state at the reference opening, if the reference pressure value at the reference opening is not registered, the pressure measurement value of the valve at its stable state is registered as the reference pressure value.

7. The valve maintenance auxiliary method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The seventh step involves registering the reference pressure value during periods when the valve's cumulative operating time is below a specified time.

8. The valve maintenance auxiliary method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, It also includes step 8, which provides the reference opening value as the opening command value to the target valve so that the valve becomes stable at the reference opening during the diagnosis of internal valve damage.

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