Valve monitor and valve monitoring system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a valve monitor and a valve monitoring system, the valve monitor is arranged on a manual valve with a hand wheel, and the valve monitor comprises a box body installed on a main body of the manual valve; the sensor is arranged on the box body, and at least part of the sensor is located on the rotating path of the hand wheel; the sensor can be driven by the forward rotating hand wheel to move forward and generate a first signal, and the sensor can be driven by the reverse rotating hand wheel to move reversely and generate a second signal; and the data transmission module is arranged in the box body, is in communication connection with the sensor and the upper computer, and is used for transmitting the first signal or the second signal to the upper computer. According to the scheme, the number of turns of forward / reverse rotation of the hand wheel of the valve is collected through the sensor and transmitted to the upper computer through the data transmission module, an operator can know the state of the valve in real time through the upper computer, and the monitoring capacity of a pipeline system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of manual valve monitoring, and in particular to a valve monitor and a valve monitoring system. Background Art

[0002] Manual valves are opened and closed by rotating a handwheel to move the valve stem. Before operating the valve, the operator needs to check the valve's status to ensure it is in the correct position. For example, to confirm whether the valve is fully closed or fully open, the operator uses the appropriate tool to rotate the manual valve's handwheel to open or close the valve. During valve operation, the operator needs to closely monitor the valve's status to ensure it opens or closes as intended. The operator needs to record manual valve operations, including operation time, operator name, valve position, and operation results. Pipeline systems (especially petrochemical oil pipelines) typically contain thousands of valves. Relying on manual operation to determine and record valve status results in relatively poor operational accuracy and stability, making them susceptible to human factors and leading to instability in the production process. Utility Model Content

[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention, a valve monitor is provided, which is arranged on a manual valve having a handwheel, comprising:

[0004] A box body is mounted on the main body of the manual valve;

[0005] a sensor disposed on the box body, the sensor being at least partially located in the rotation path of the handwheel; the sensor being capable of being driven by the handwheel in a forward rotation to move forward and generate a first signal, and being capable of being driven by the handwheel in a reverse rotation to move backward and generate a second signal;

[0006] A data transmission module is provided in the box body and is communicatively connected with the sensor and the host computer, and is used for transmitting the first signal or the second signal to the host computer.

[0007] In some embodiments, the sensor includes a master switch, and the master switch includes a movable rocker arm, and the rocker arm is located in the rotation path of the hand wheel.

[0008] In some embodiments, the data transmission module is a wireless DTU module or a data transmission line.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the manual valve is in a closed state, the rocker arm is located on the downstream side of the forward rotation direction of the hand wheel;

[0010] When the hand wheel is rotated forward to open the manual valve, the rocker arm is driven to move forward, and the sensor generates a first signal.

[0011] In some embodiments, the box body is provided with a mounting module for connecting to a manual valve;

[0012] The mounting module includes a bracket and a clamping bolt arranged on the bracket.

[0013] In some embodiments, a power supply module is further included, and the power supply module is connected to the sensor and the data transmission module.

[0014] In some embodiments, the sensor includes a first limit switch and a second limit switch, wherein the first limit switch can be driven by a forward rotating handwheel to move forward and generate a first signal, and the second limit switch can be driven by a reverse rotating handwheel to move reversely and generate a second signal.

[0015] In some embodiments, the sensor is connected to the data transmission module via a circuit.

[0016] In some embodiments, the box body includes a bottom box and a cover, and the bottom box and the cover are connected by bolts.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve monitoring system, comprising a host computer, and further comprising a valve monitor as described above in any one of the above items, communicatively connected to the host computer;

[0018] The host computer processes the data transmitted from the valve monitor to obtain the status of the manual valve.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the utility model are as follows: the solution collects the number of forward / reverse rotations of the valve handwheel through a sensor and transmits it to the host computer through a data transmission module. The operator can understand the status of the valve in real time through the host computer, thereby improving the monitoring capability of the pipeline system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the valve monitor according to the first embodiment of the present utility model from one angle;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the valve monitor according to the first embodiment of the present utility model from another angle;

[0022] Figure 3 This is an exploded schematic diagram of a valve monitor according to a first embodiment of the present invention from one angle;

[0023] Figure 4 This is an exploded schematic diagram of the valve monitor according to the first embodiment of the present invention from another angle;

[0024] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the valve monitor according to the second embodiment of the present utility model from one angle;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the valve monitor according to the second embodiment of the present invention from another angle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is apparent that the embodiments described are only a portion of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of this utility model, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0028] In this utility model, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "fixation," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model based on specific circumstances.

[0029] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0030] In the above description, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0031] This embodiment discloses a valve monitor 100 , which is arranged on a manual valve with a handwheel. The valve monitor 100 includes a box body, a sensor 2 , a data transmission module, a circuit 3 , a mounting module and a power supply module 5 .

[0032] The box body is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped structure, including a bottom box 11 and a cover 12. The bottom box 11 has an opening on one side in the thickness direction, and the cover 12 is used to close the opening. The bottom box 11 and the cover 12 are connected by bolts. Specifically, a first screw hole 13 is opened at the corner position of the bottom box 11 and the cover 12, and the bottom box 11 and the cover 12 are connected by a first bolt 14. The bottom box 11 also has a first extension portion 15 protruding along the length direction at both ends in the length direction. In the thickness direction, the first extension portion 15 is arranged away from the cover. On one side of the base 12, the cover 12 is provided with a second extension part 16 protruding along the length direction at both ends of the length direction, and the first extension part 15 and the second extension part 16 are provided with second screw holes 17 corresponding in position. The second bolt 18 is passed through the second screw hole 17 to connect the base box 11 and the cover 12. The second bolt 18 is a long bolt. The second bolt 18 is provided to increase a tightening force between the base box 11 and the cover 12. Because there are many internal components of the box body and it has a certain weight, the base box 11 and the cover 12 need to be connected more firmly.

[0033] Furthermore, a sealing ring 19 is provided at the connection between the bottom box 11 and the cover 12 to improve the sealing performance and prevent liquid substances such as water and oil from entering the box body.

[0034] Sensor 2 is mounted on the housing, specifically, it can be fixed to the outer side of the upper sidewall of the bottom housing 11 in the width direction. Sensor 2 can be fixed to the bottom housing 11 via a third bolt 21, and the transmission line of sensor 2 can pass through the sidewall of the bottom housing 11 and enter the housing. Sensor 2 is at least partially located in the rotation path of the handwheel. Preferably, sensor 2 serves as a master switch (full switch). The master switch includes a movable rocker arm 22 located in the rotation path of the handwheel. Rocker arm 22 can be driven by forward rotation of the handwheel to move forward, causing sensor 2 to generate a first signal. Rocker arm 22 can be driven by reverse rotation of the handwheel to move backward, causing sensor 2 to generate a second signal. In this embodiment, the direction of manual valve opening can be defined as the forward rotation direction of the handwheel, and the direction of manual valve closing can be defined as the reverse rotation direction of the handwheel. That is, the first signal can be used to indicate the valve open state / number of opening cycles, etc., and the second signal can be used to indicate the valve closed state / number of closing cycles, etc. The master switch can generate two different signals: forward trigger and reverse trigger. These signals are output to the host computer via the data transmission module. The host computer can then determine the valve status based on the received information. For example, if the value of the first signal is 1, the host computer can analyze and determine that the master switch has been toggled once in the forward direction, that is, the valve handwheel has been opened one turn in the forward direction. For another example, if the value of the second signal is 2, the host computer can analyze and determine that the master switch has been toggled once in the reverse direction, that is, the valve handwheel has been closed one turn in the reverse direction. When the manual valve is closed, the rocker arm 22 is located downstream of the forward rotation direction of the handwheel. When the handwheel is rotated forward to open the manual valve, the rocker arm 22 is driven forward, and sensor 2 generates the first signal. That is, when installing the valve monitor 100 on the manual valve, the position of the rocker arm 22 of sensor 2 needs to be calibrated. It needs to be installed with the valve closed, and the end of the rocker arm 22 is in contact with one of the wheel pairs in the handwheel, downstream of the forward rotation direction. In other words, as long as the handwheel rotates forward, even a small angle, sensor 2 will generate the first signal. Upon receiving the first signal, the host computer knows that the valve is open. The handwheel rotates in the reverse direction, and one of the wheel sets in the handwheel passes by the end of the rocker arm 22. The rocker arm 22 is driven to move in the reverse direction. The number of reverse movements is recorded. Combined with the current valve opening state / opening circle number, the current state of the valve can be known.

[0035] Circuit 3 is arranged inside the box body. Circuit 3 connects sensor 2 and data transmission module. Circuit 3 may include MCU, which stores the device ID of valve monitor 100. The device ID corresponds to the valve one by one. When MCU receives the first signal or the first signal of sensor 2, it will package it together with the device ID and the value of the first signal or the second signal, and then send it to the host computer through the data transmission module. After analysis and processing, the host computer can know which valve has performed which operations.

[0036] The data transmission module is disposed within the housing and is communicatively connected to sensor 2 and the host computer. It is used to transmit the first signal or the second signal to the host computer. The connection between the data transmission module and sensor 2 can be indirect, such as through the aforementioned circuit 3 (including the MCU). The data transmission module can be wired or wireless, and its placement can be selected based on the specific scenario.

[0037] In this embodiment, the data transmission module is a wireless DTU module 4. The MQTT protocol is used to report data between the wireless DTU module 4 and the wireless gateway of the host computer. The wireless DTU module 4 is installed on the upper side wall of the base box 11 in the width direction (on the same side wall as the sensor 2). A portion of the wireless DTU module 4 (particularly the antenna) is exposed outside the base box 11 to ensure a stable wireless signal. The transmission line passes through the side wall and enters the box body to connect to the MCU.

[0038] Optionally, the data transmission module can be a data transmission cable, such as an Ethernet cable or USB cable. In this embodiment, an industrial-grade Ethernet cable with strong anti-interference capabilities and stable transmission is preferably used to ensure reliable data transmission. The data transmission cable connects the MCU and the host computer, transmitting data from sensor 2 to the host computer. A communication hole is formed in the lower side wall of the base box 11, through which the data transmission cable can extend outside the box body and connect to the host computer.

[0039] Power supply module 5 is disposed within the housing and connected to sensor 2, data transmission module, and circuit 3. It provides power for the entire valve monitor 100. Power supply module 5 is preferably a battery pack. In this embodiment, circuit 3 may also include a battery charge detection circuit 3. When the battery charge is low, a warning is issued to a host computer via the data transmission module.

[0040] The mounting module is used to install the valve monitor 100 as a whole on the manual valve. The mounting module is arranged on the outside of the other side wall of the bottom box 11 in the thickness direction (the side wall opposite to the opening). The mounting module includes a bracket 61 and a clamping bolt 62 arranged on the bracket 61. The bracket 61 includes a bottom plate 611 and side plates 612 arranged on both sides of the bottom plate 611, so that the bracket 61 is in a "ㄩ" shape. The bottom plate 611 fits the side wall of the bottom box 11 and is fixed to the bottom box 11 by bolts. There are two clamping bolts 62, which are respectively passed through the two side plates 612 of the bracket 61. The two clamping bolts 62 are arranged opposite to each other and can be close to or far away from each other. During installation, first increase the distance between the two clamping bolts 62, then clamp them into the components of the manual valve, and then tighten the two clamping bolts 62 (to make the distance between the two close), and press against the two sides of the manual valve, so that the box body is fixed to the manual valve as a whole. To better secure the manual valve, a suction cup 621 can be provided at the end of one of the clamping bolts 62. This allows the clamping bolt 62 to adhere to the manual valve when pressed against it. For a more secure installation, multiple sets of mounting modules can be provided. In this embodiment, three sets of mounting modules are provided, arranged along the width of the base box 11.

[0041] Example 2

[0042] This embodiment provides another valve monitor 100 , which is different from the first embodiment in that the structure of the sensor 2 is different.

[0043] In this embodiment, the sensor 2 includes a first travel switch 23 and a second travel switch 24. The first travel switch 23 has a first rocker arm 231, and the second travel switch 24 has a second rocker arm 241. The first rocker arm 231 and the second rocker arm 241 are both located on the rotation path of the handwheel. The first rocker arm 231 of the first travel switch 23 can be driven by the forward rotating handwheel to move forward, causing the first forming stroke to generate a first signal. Reverse rotation of the first rocker arm 231 does not generate a signal. The second rocker arm 241 of the second travel switch 24 can be driven by the reverse rotating handwheel to move backward, causing the second travel switch 24 to generate a second signal. Reverse rotation of the second rocker arm 241 does not generate a signal. In this embodiment, two travel switches are provided to respectively collect status information of the forward and reverse movement of the valve handwheel.

[0044] The other structures of the valve monitor 100 of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment and are not described again here.

[0045] Example 3

[0046] This embodiment provides a valve monitoring system that can be used to monitor the status of manual valves on a pipeline system. The valve monitoring system includes a host computer and a valve monitor 100 as described in the first or second embodiment, which is communicatively connected to the host computer.

[0047] In this embodiment, the valve monitor 100 communicates wirelessly with a host computer. The host computer may include a wireless gateway and a programmable logic controller (PLC), which are connected via a network cable. The wireless DTU module 4 of the valve monitor 100 transmits data signals to the wireless gateway, which in turn transmits the data signals to the PLC. The PLC processes the data transmitted by the valve monitor 100 to obtain the status of the manual valve.

[0048] Alternatively, for the valve monitor 100 that communicates with the host computer in a wired manner, the host computer may only include a PLC, and the data transmission line may be directly connected to the PCL to perform data transmission.

[0049] The PLC can process the data transmitted from the valve monitor 100 according to the preset logic, analyze the status of the manual valve and record it, so as to monitor the action of the valve and realize the automatic management of the valve.

[0050] The above descriptions are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A valve monitor, provided on a manual valve with a hand wheel, characterized in that: include: A box body is mounted on the main body of the manual valve; a sensor disposed on the box body, the sensor being at least partially located in the rotation path of the handwheel; the sensor being capable of being driven by the handwheel in a forward rotation to move forward and generate a first signal, and being capable of being driven by the handwheel in a reverse rotation to move backward and generate a second signal; A data transmission module is provided in the box body and is communicatively connected with the sensor and the host computer, and is used for transmitting the first signal or the second signal to the host computer.

2. The valve monitor according to claim 1, characterized in that The sensor includes a master switch, and the master switch includes a movable rocker arm. The rocker arm is located on the rotation path of the hand wheel.

3. The valve monitor according to claim 1, characterized in that The data transmission module is a wireless DTU module or a data transmission line.

4. The valve monitor according to claim 2, characterized in that When the manual valve is in a closed state, the rocker arm is located on the downstream side of the forward rotation direction of the hand wheel; When the hand wheel is rotated forward to open the manual valve, the rocker arm is driven to move forward, and the sensor generates a first signal.

5. The valve monitor according to claim 1, wherein: The box body is provided with a mounting module for connecting to a manual valve; The mounting module includes a bracket and a clamping bolt arranged on the bracket.

6. The valve monitor according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a power supply module, which is connected to the sensor and the data transmission module.

7. The valve monitor according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor includes a first travel switch and a second travel switch. The first travel switch can be driven by a forward rotating handwheel to move forward and generate a first signal. The second travel switch can be driven by a reverse rotating handwheel to move backward and generate a second signal.

8. The valve monitor according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 7, characterized in that: The sensor is connected to the data transmission module via a circuit.

9. The valve monitor according to claim 1, wherein: The box body comprises a bottom box and a cover, and the bottom box and the cover are connected by bolts.

10. A valve monitoring system, comprising a host computer, characterized in that: Also includes a valve monitor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is communicatively connected to the host computer; The host computer processes the data transmitted from the valve monitor to obtain the status of the manual valve.

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