Valve controller and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a valve controller and a control method thereof.The valve controller comprises an interface circuit, an APL coder-decoder, a processor, an electromagnetic valve and a gas circuit control valve.The interface circuit is in communication connection with an APL field switch and used for receiving Ethernet messages from a center system; the APL coder-decoder is used for coding and / or decoding the Ethernet message transmitted by the interface circuit and then transmitting the Ethernet message to the processor; the processor is used for analyzing the encoded and / or decoded signal to obtain a control instruction for each valve; and the gas path control valve is used for controlling opening or closing of the gas path control valve through the electromagnetic valve according to the control instruction issued by the processor. Therefore, the control center can be connected with the APL field switch through a single pair of Ethernet twisted-pair cables, and the APL field switch is connected with each valve controller, so that the wiring cost of the valve controllers is greatly reduced, and the system architecture of valve control is simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of valve control, and in particular to a valve controller and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Control valves are the execution layer of the control loop, so in process industries, multiple control valves deployed on site need to be controlled. There are many types of valves. Depending on the control method, their drive forms include manual, worm gear drive, electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, electro-hydraulic linkage, etc. Some can also achieve remote control and automatic operation.

[0003] At present, when most valve controllers are assembled and used, they send control instructions to each traditional valve controller through the machine room (central system) to achieve control of the on-site valves. Figure 1 As shown, from the computer room to the site, each device requires at least two cables, and the wiring cost of the entire system architecture is very high. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the defects in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a valve controller and a control method thereof.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a valve controller, including: an interface circuit, an APL codec, a processor, a solenoid valve, and a gas circuit control valve, wherein:

[0006] The interface circuit is in communication connection with the APL field switch for receiving Ethernet messages from the central system, the APL being an advanced physical layer;

[0007] The APL codec is used to encode and / or decode the Ethernet message transmitted by the interface circuit and transmit it to the processor;

[0008] The processor is used to analyze the encoded and / or decoded signals to obtain control instructions for each valve;

[0009] The gas circuit control valve is used to control the opening or closing of the gas circuit control valve through a solenoid valve according to the control instruction sent by the processor.

[0010] Optionally, it also includes: a voltage conversion circuit,

[0011] The voltage conversion circuit is connected to the interface circuit, and is used to convert the distribution voltage in the APL signal into the working voltage of the processor, and / or convert the distribution voltage in the APL signal into the working voltage of the solenoid valve.

[0012] Optionally, it also includes: a switch,

[0013] The processor is electrically connected to the solenoid valve via a switch; wherein,

[0014] The processor controls the solenoid valve to be opened or closed through a switch.

[0015] Optionally, when the solenoid valve is opened, the air circuit control valve is opened so that the pneumatic actuator is connected to the air source, and the pneumatic actuator performs the action of opening the valve;

[0016] When the solenoid valve is closed, the air circuit control valve is closed, so that the pneumatic actuator is disconnected from the air source, and the pneumatic actuator performs the action of closing the valve.

[0017] Optionally, the interface circuit includes: a protection circuit, an anti-reverse connection circuit, and a signal / power isolation circuit.

[0018] The protection circuit is used to control the input voltage to be below a preset threshold;

[0019] The anti-reverse connection circuit is used for reverse connection protection;

[0020] The signal / power isolation circuit is used to isolate different signals and to isolate power supplies of different voltages.

[0021] Optionally, the processor is a CPU, and the CPU is a central processing unit;

[0022] The CPU communicates with the APL codec via a serial port.

[0023] Optionally, it also includes: a signal matching circuit, a filtering circuit,

[0024] The signal matching circuit is used to perform matching processing on the Ethernet message transmitted by the interface circuit;

[0025] The filtering circuit is used to filter the Ethernet messages transmitted by the interface circuit.

[0026] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method of a valve controller, using the valve controller described in any one of the first aspects to perform valve control, the method comprising:

[0027] The APL control signal outputted by the central system is transmitted to the interface circuit via the APL field switch, wherein the APL is an advanced physical layer;

[0028] Transmitting the APL control signal to the APL codec through the interface circuit;

[0029] The APL codec decodes the APL control signal and transmits it to the processor through the serial port;

[0030] The processor controls the solenoid valve to open or close according to the decoded APL control signal;

[0031] The opening or closing of the gas circuit is controlled by the solenoid valve, so that the pneumatic actuator performs the opening or closing action of the valve.

[0032] Optionally, before transmitting the APL control signal output by the central system to the interface circuit through the APL field switch, the method further includes:

[0033] After encapsulating the APL control signal output by the central system into an Ethernet message, it is transmitted to the APL power switch via a single twisted pair Ethernet, wherein the target address in the Ethernet message is used to indicate the target valve controller;

[0034] The APL power switch superimposes the working power distribution on the Ethernet message and transmits it to the APL field switch.

[0035] Optionally, the method further comprises:

[0036] The APL field switch provides the operating voltage to the valve controller via a single twisted pair;

[0037] When the target valve controller receives the control instruction in the Ethernet message, it controls the corresponding valve to open or close.

[0038] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0039] The present invention is provided with a valve controller including: an interface circuit, an APL codec, a processor, a solenoid valve, and a gas path control valve. The interface circuit is connected to the APL field switch for communication and is used to receive Ethernet messages from the central system, and the APL is an advanced physical layer; the APL codec is used to encode and / or decode the Ethernet messages transmitted by the interface circuit and transmit them to the processor; the processor is used to parse the encoded and / or decoded signals to obtain control instructions for each valve; the gas path control valve is used to control the opening or closing of the gas path control valve through the solenoid valve according to the control instructions issued by the processor. Thus, the control center can be connected to the APL field switch through a single pair of Ethernet twisted pair cables, and the APL field switch is used to connect each valve controller, thereby greatly reducing the wiring cost of the valve controller and simplifying the system architecture of the valve control. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the prior art descriptions. Obviously, the drawings in the following descriptions are only embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative work. By reading the detailed description of the non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings, other features, purposes and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious:

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the wiring topology of an existing valve controller;

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a wiring topology structure of a valve controller provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a valve controller provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 4 A flow chart of a control method of a valve controller provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] In the figure:

[0046] 1-gas circuit control valve, 2-solenoid valve, 3-switch, 4-CPU, 5-voltage conversion circuit, 6-APL encoder and decoder, 7-interface circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments. The following embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention in any form. It should be noted that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements may be made without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0048] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or indirectly on the other component. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element. In addition, connection can be used for fixing or for circuit connection.

[0049] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0050] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0051] Figure 1 The wiring topology diagram of the existing valve controller is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, two cables are required from the machine room to each device on site, that is, when the machine room (central system) sends control signals to each traditional valve controller, two professional cables are used for communication. The cable cost of this wiring method is very high.

[0052] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a wiring topology structure of a valve controller provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the central system can be connected to the APL (Advanced Physical Layer) field switch through a single-pair Ethernet twisted-pair cable. The APL field switch is connected to various APL valve controllers, and the APL valve controller controls the field instruments and instrument devices, thereby significantly reducing cable costs.

[0053] Exemplarily, the APL control signal of the central system is obtained, and the APL control signal is encapsulated into an Ethernet message and transmitted to the APL power switch through a single twisted pair Ethernet. The APL power switch is connected to the APL field switch after superimposing the working power distribution. The APL field switch controls each valve controller through a single twisted pair and provides the working power distribution to the valve controller. The data of the Ethernet message is distributed to the target valve controller according to its target address. When the target valve controller receives the Ethernet message, it controls the switch of the corresponding valve.

[0054] In this embodiment, a two-wire APL bus is used. Only one twisted pair is needed from the machine room to the site. After arriving at the site, it is connected to each APL valve controller through an APL site switch, which greatly reduces the construction cost.

[0055] Illustratively, an embodiment of the present application provides a valve controller, which may include: an interface circuit, an APL encoder / decoder, a processor, a solenoid valve, and a gas circuit control valve, wherein: the interface circuit is communicatively connected to the APL field switch, and is used to receive Ethernet messages from a central system, and the APL is an advanced physical layer; the APL encoder / decoder is used to encode and / or decode the Ethernet messages transmitted by the interface circuit, and transmit them to the processor; the processor is used to parse the encoded and / or decoded signals to obtain control instructions for each valve; the gas circuit control valve is used to control the opening or closing of the gas circuit control valve through a solenoid valve according to the control instructions issued by the processor.

[0056] In this embodiment, the central system can be connected to the APL field switch via a single-pair Ethernet twisted-pair cable, and the APL field switch connects each valve controller, thereby greatly reducing the wiring cost of the valve controller and simplifying the system architecture of the valve control.

[0057] Exemplarily, the valve controller may further include: a voltage conversion circuit, which is connected to the interface circuit and is used to convert the distribution voltage in the APL signal into the working voltage of the processor, and / or convert the distribution voltage in the APL signal into the working voltage of the solenoid valve.

[0058] In this embodiment, when the distribution voltage (9 to 32V) in the APL signal is converted to 3.3V, it can provide working power for the processor; when the distribution voltage (9 to 32V) in the APL signal is converted to 5V, it can provide working power for the solenoid valve.

[0059] Exemplarily, the processor is electrically connected to the solenoid valve via a switch; wherein the processor controls the solenoid valve to be opened or closed via the switch.

[0060] It should be noted that this embodiment does not limit the specific type of switch, and all switches that can be controlled on and off by electrical signals can be applied to this embodiment.

[0061] Exemplarily, when the solenoid valve is opened, the air circuit control valve is opened so that the pneumatic actuator is connected to the air source, and the pneumatic actuator performs the action of opening the valve; when the solenoid valve is closed, the air circuit control valve is closed so that the pneumatic actuator is disconnected from the air source, and the pneumatic actuator performs the action of closing the valve.

[0062] Exemplarily, the interface circuit includes: a protection circuit, an anti-reverse connection circuit, and a signal / power isolation circuit. The protection circuit is used to control the input voltage below a preset threshold; the anti-reverse connection circuit is used to perform reverse protection; the signal / power isolation circuit is used to isolate different signals and isolate power supplies of different voltages.

[0063] In this embodiment, a signal matching circuit, a filtering circuit, a protection circuit, etc. can be set at the periphery of the APL codec, so as to ensure the reliability and integrity of the signal.

[0064] In this embodiment, by providing a protection circuit, an anti-reverse connection circuit, and a signal / power isolation circuit in the interface circuit, overvoltage and reverse protection can be achieved, and EMC-related standards and 1000V withstand voltage requirements can be met.

[0065] Exemplarily, the processor is a central processing unit (CPU); the CPU is communicatively connected to the APL codec via a serial port.

[0066] In this embodiment, in addition to the CPU, other low-power processors can also be used, and the function implemented by them is to parse the control signal transmitted from the APL codec and output a switch signal to control the solenoid valve.

[0067] Exemplarily, the valve controller may further include: a signal matching circuit and a filtering circuit, wherein the signal matching circuit is used to perform matching processing on the Ethernet message transmitted by the interface circuit; and the filtering circuit is used to perform filtering processing on the Ethernet message transmitted by the interface circuit.

[0068] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a valve controller provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, it may include: a gas circuit control valve 1, a solenoid valve 2, a switch 3, a CPU 4, a voltage conversion circuit 5, an APL encoder / decoder 6, and an interface circuit 7. Exemplarily, the central system outputs an APL control signal to the APL field switch, which is then transmitted to the APL encoder / decoder 6 for decoding through the interface circuit 7. The decoded signal is transmitted to the CPU 4 through the serial port. The CPU 4 analyzes the received control signal and generates a control instruction. The control instruction controls the power switch 3 to operate, so that the solenoid valve 2 is powered on and works, thereby controlling the on / off of the gas circuit and prompting the pneumatic actuator to operate to open or close the valve.

[0069] In this embodiment, the air circuit control valve 1 is arranged on the air circuit pipeline of the pneumatic actuator. When the solenoid valve 2 is energized, the air circuit control valve 1 is controlled to open, and the air source is connected to the pneumatic actuator, thereby prompting the pneumatic actuator to open or close the valve.

[0070] In this embodiment, APL technology (Advanced Physical Layer Ethernet, whose greatest features are long cable distance, intrinsic safety and application-level protocol support to achieve maximum productivity and output) is used to realize the system center to control the switch of on-site valves, which effectively solves the problem of high wiring costs when assembling and using the current valve controller.

[0071] For example, Figure 4 As shown, the embodiment of the present application also provides a control method of a valve controller, which can be used to control the valve by using the above-mentioned valve controller, and the method includes the following steps:

[0072] Step S401: Transmitting the APL control signal output by the central system to the interface circuit via the APL field switch.

[0073] Exemplarily, the APL control signal output by the central system can be encapsulated into an Ethernet message and transmitted to the APL power switch via a single twisted pair Ethernet cable, wherein the target address in the Ethernet message is used to indicate the target valve controller; the APL power switch superimposes the working power distribution on the Ethernet message and transmits it to the APL field switch.

[0074] Step S402: Transmit the APL control signal to the APL codec through the interface circuit.

[0075] In this embodiment, the Ethernet message from the central system is received through the interface circuit and transmitted to the processor via the APL codec and the voltage conversion circuit.

[0076] Step S403: The APL codec decodes the APL control signal and transmits it to the processor through the serial port.

[0077] In this embodiment, the processor analyzes the APL control signal and generates a control instruction (eg, open or close) for the solenoid valve.

[0078] Step S404: the processor controls the solenoid valve to open or close according to the decoded APL control signal.

[0079] Step S405, controlling the opening or closing of the gas circuit by the solenoid valve so that the pneumatic actuator performs the opening or closing action of the valve.

[0080] In this embodiment, the APL field switch provides the valve controller with a working voltage through a single twisted pair; when the target valve controller receives the control instruction in the Ethernet message, it controls the corresponding valve to open or close.

[0081] In this embodiment, the APL technology is used to realize the on-off control of the field valve by the system center. It can be connected to the APL field switch through a single pair of Ethernet twisted pair cables, and the APL field switch is used to connect various valve controllers, thereby greatly reducing the wiring cost of the valve controller, simplifying the system architecture of the valve control, and effectively solving the problem of high wiring cost when the valve controller is assembled and used.

[0082] The above is the core idea of ​​the present invention. In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0083] In this specification, each embodiment is described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same and similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other. The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables professionals and technicians in this field to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be obvious to professionals and technicians in this field, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to these embodiments shown in this article, but will comply with the widest range consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0084] The above describes the specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiments, and those skilled in the art may make various modifications or variations within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention.

Claims

1. A valve controller, characterized in that: include: Interface circuit, APL encoder / decoder, processor, solenoid valve, gas line control valve, including: The interface circuit is in communication connection with the APL field switch for receiving Ethernet messages from the central system, the APL being an advanced physical layer; The APL codec is used to encode and / or decode the Ethernet message transmitted by the interface circuit and transmit it to the processor; The processor is used to analyze the encoded and / or decoded signals to obtain control instructions for each valve; The gas circuit control valve is used to control the opening or closing of the gas circuit control valve through a solenoid valve according to the control instruction sent by the processor.

2. The valve controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Voltage conversion circuit, The voltage conversion circuit is connected to the interface circuit, and is used to convert the distribution voltage in the APL signal into the working voltage of the processor, and / or convert the distribution voltage in the APL signal into the working voltage of the solenoid valve.

3. The valve controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: switch, The processor is electrically connected to the solenoid valve via a switch; wherein, The processor controls the solenoid valve to be opened or closed through a switch.

4. The valve controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: When the solenoid valve is opened, the air circuit control valve is opened, so that the pneumatic actuator is connected to the air source, and the pneumatic actuator performs the action of opening the valve; When the solenoid valve is closed, the air circuit control valve is closed, so that the pneumatic actuator is disconnected from the air source, and the pneumatic actuator performs the action of closing the valve.

5. The valve controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The interface circuit includes: a protection circuit, an anti-reverse connection circuit, and a signal / power isolation circuit. The protection circuit is used to control the input voltage to be below a preset threshold; The anti-reverse connection circuit is used for reverse connection protection; The signal / power isolation circuit is used to isolate different signals and to isolate power supplies of different voltages.

6. The valve controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The processor is a CPU, which is a central processing unit; The CPU communicates with the APL codec via a serial port.

7. The valve controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Also includes: Signal matching circuit, filtering circuit, The signal matching circuit is used to perform matching processing on the Ethernet message transmitted by the interface circuit; The filtering circuit is used to filter the Ethernet messages transmitted by the interface circuit.

8. A control method of a valve controller, characterized in that: Using the valve controller according to any one of claims 1 to 7 to perform valve control, the method comprising: The APL control signal outputted by the central system is transmitted to the interface circuit via the APL field switch, wherein the APL is an advanced physical layer; Transmitting the APL control signal to the APL codec through the interface circuit; The APL codec decodes the APL control signal and transmits it to the processor through the serial port; The processor controls the solenoid valve to open or close according to the decoded APL control signal; The opening or closing of the gas circuit is controlled by the solenoid valve, so that the pneumatic actuator performs the opening or closing action of the valve.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Before transmitting the APL control signal output by the central system to the interface circuit through the APL field switch, the method further includes: After encapsulating the APL control signal output by the central system into an Ethernet message, it is transmitted to the APL power switch via a single twisted pair Ethernet, wherein the target address in the Ethernet message is used to indicate the target valve controller; The APL power switch superimposes the working power distribution on the Ethernet message and transmits it to the APL field switch.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: The APL field switch provides the operating voltage to the valve controller via a single twisted pair; When the target valve controller receives the control instruction in the Ethernet message, it controls the corresponding valve to open or close.

Images