Valve maintenance support device and method

Abstract

To decide almost in real time during operation of a plant whether there is a possibility that an inner valve may be impaired.SOLUTION: A valve maintenance support system includes a maintenance determination unit 7 that determines based on an aperture command value and actual aperture value of a valve whether the valve has been maintained at a pre-stipulated reference aperture, an impairment determination unit 9 that, when there is a difference equal to or larger than a threshold between a pressure measurement value, which is obtained when the valve determined to be maintained at the reference aperture is maintained, and a pre-stipulated reference pressure value, determines that an inner valve of the valve may be impaired, and a determination result presentation unit 10 that presents an ID of the valve which is determined that the inner valve may be impaired.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for assisting maintenance work, and more particularly to a valve maintenance assistance device and method for assisting maintenance work in cases where maintaining the condition of an inner valve of a valve that comes into contact with a fluid is important. [Background technology]

[0002] Valves used in petrochemical plants and the like (for example, the control valve in FIG. 10) have traditionally required particular attention to safety, and therefore undergo regular maintenance. The valve 100 shown in FIG. 10 comprises a valve body 101, a positioner 102, and an actuator 103. The actuator 103 moves a valve stem 104 up and down in response to the air output pressure Po supplied from the positioner 102, thereby adjusting the valve opening (the gap between the valve disc and the seat ring). In other words, it adjusts the flow of fluid.

[0003] A technology has been proposed to improve the efficiency of valve maintenance work in plants equipped with valves such as those shown in Figure 10 (see Patent Document 1). When a valve controls the flow rate of a high-temperature fluid, a temperature drop occurs when the valve is fully closed, particularly on the outlet side of the valve, due to a decrease in the thermal effect of the high-temperature fluid. The more frequently high and low temperature conditions occur, the more likely it is that deterioration of valve components due to heat cycles (e.g., loosening of the seat ring) will progress. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to estimate component deterioration due to heat cycles by presenting information about the valve's heat cycle to the operator as a diagnostic index.

[0004] On the other hand, an example of valve damage other than deterioration due to heat cycles is damage to the inner valve due to erosion (wear) or corrosion. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the structure of the inner valve part of the valve. As shown in Figure 10, in the gland part 108 that slidably holds the stem 104, a gland packing 109 is provided in the gap between the inner wall of the bonnet 111 and the stem 104 to prevent fluid in the valve box 110 from leaking from the gap between the stem 104 and the bonnet 111 provided on the top of the valve box 110.

[0005] A valve disc (plug) 105 is provided at the tip of the stem 104. A seat ring 106 is provided on a partition wall 114 located between an inlet 112 and an outlet 113 of a valve body 110. When the plug 105 seats on the seat surface of the seat ring 106, the valve is fully closed, and when it separates, fluid flows through the gap between the plug 105 and the seat ring 106 toward the outlet 113. The inner valve mentioned above refers to the plug 105 and the seat ring 106. To detect damage to the inner valve, it is necessary to conduct a leak inspection and a stem angle inspection when the valve is closed, but this inspection cannot be carried out if the valve does not fully close during operation.

[0006] Petrochemical plants and the like use a large number of valves. For example, in the example of Figure 12, valves 100-A and 100-M are arranged in flow path 114-1, and valve 100-C is arranged in flow path 114-3. 115-A, 115-C, and 115-M are flow rate measuring instruments, 116 is a tank, and 117 is a pressure transmitter. In plants such as these where a large number of valves are used, further improvements in safety and work efficiency are required. Speed ​​is particularly important in safety management, and needs are changing to include closer to real-time detection of valve malfunctions, so improvements are required. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-046029 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a valve maintenance support device and method that can determine whether or not there is a possibility of damage to the inner valve of a valve in near real time while the plant is operating, thereby improving the efficiency of valve maintenance work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The valve maintenance support device of the present invention includes a first storage unit configured to store data on an opening command value given to a valve and an ID of the valve that transmitted the data in association with each other, a second storage unit configured to store data on an actual opening value of the valve and an ID of the valve that transmitted the data in association with each other, a third storage unit configured to store data on a pressure measurement value of actuator air supplied from a valve positioner to an actuator in association with the ID of the valve that transmitted the data, and a control unit configured to determine whether the valve is settling at a predetermined reference opening based on the data on the opening command value and the data on the actual opening value. a damage determination unit configured to determine that there may be damage to the inner valve of a valve that has been determined to be in a settled state at the reference opening when there is a difference of a threshold value or more between the pressure measurement value when the valve is settled and a predetermined reference pressure value; and a determination result presentation unit configured to present the ID of the valve that has been determined to be in a settled state when the valve that is the subject of the determination is a type that uses air pressure from an actuator to close the valve, and when a comparison of the pressure measurement value when the valve is settled and the reference pressure value indicates that the pressure measurement value when the valve is settled is equal to the reference pressure value. normal The pressure measurement value at the time of settling is higher than that at the time of settling, and the pressure measurement value at the time of settling becomes the reference pressure value. normalIf the actuator air pressure tends to change in a situation where the valve receives a larger fluid reaction force than when the valve is in the stabilizing state, it is determined that there is a high probability that the inner valve of the valve is damaged, and if the valve being determined is a type that uses actuator air pressure to open the valve, and the pressure measurement value when the valve is in the stabilizing state is compared with the reference pressure value, the pressure measurement value when the valve is in the stabilizing state becomes the reference pressure value. normal The pressure measurement value at the time of settling is smaller than that at the time of settling, and the pressure measurement value at the time of settling becomes the reference pressure value. normal This is characterized by the fact that if there is a tendency for changes in the air pressure of the actuator to occur in a situation where the fluid reaction force is greater than usual, it is determined that there is a high probability that the inner valve of the valve in question has been damaged.

[0010] Furthermore, one configuration example of the valve maintenance support device of the present invention is characterized in that it further comprises a reference pressure registration unit configured to register the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling as the reference pressure value when the reference pressure value at the reference opening is not registered for a valve that has been determined to be in a settling state at the reference opening. In one configuration example of the valve maintenance support device of the present invention, the reference pressure registration unit is characterized in that it registers the reference pressure value when the cumulative operating time of the valve is less than or equal to a predetermined time. Furthermore, one configuration example of the valve maintenance support device of the present invention is characterized in that it further comprises an opening command unit configured to give the value of the reference opening to the target valve as the opening command value so that the valve will be in a stable state at the reference opening when diagnosing damage to the inner valve. 。

[0011] The valve maintenance support method of the present invention includes a first step of storing data on an opening command value given to a valve and the ID of the valve that transmitted the data in association with each other; a second step of storing data on an actual opening value of the valve and the ID of the valve that transmitted the data in association with each other; a third step of storing data on a pressure measurement value of actuator air supplied from a valve positioner to an actuator in association with the ID of the valve that transmitted the data; and a step of determining whether the valve is settling at a predetermined reference opening based on the data on the opening command value and the data on the actual opening value. The method includes a fourth step, a fifth step of determining that there is a possibility of damage to the inner valve of the valve when the pressure measurement value when the valve determined to be in a settled state at the reference opening is settling and a predetermined reference pressure value differs by a threshold value or more, and a sixth step of presenting the ID of the valve determined to be possibly damaged, and the fifth step is performed when the valve to be determined is a type that uses air pressure from an actuator to close the valve, and when the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling and the reference pressure value are compared, the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling becomes the reference pressure value. normal The pressure measurement value at the time of settling is higher than that at the time of settling, and the pressure measurement value at the time of settling becomes the reference pressure value. normal If the actuator air pressure tends to change in a situation where the valve receives a larger fluid reaction force than when the valve is in the stabilizing state, it is determined that there is a high probability that the inner valve of the valve is damaged, and if the valve being determined is a type that uses actuator air pressure to open the valve, and the pressure measurement value when the valve is in the stabilizing state is compared with the reference pressure value, the pressure measurement value when the valve is in the stabilizing state becomes the reference pressure value. normal The pressure measurement value at the time of settling is smaller than that at the time of settling, and the pressure measurement value at the time of settling becomes the reference pressure value. normal This method is characterized by including a step of determining that there is a high probability that the inner valve of the valve in question has been damaged if there is a tendency for changes in the air pressure of the actuator to occur in a situation where the valve is subjected to a larger fluid reaction force than usual.

[0012] Furthermore, one configuration example of the valve maintenance support method of the present invention is characterized in that it further includes a seventh step of registering the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling as the reference pressure value for a valve that has been determined to be in a settling state at the reference opening if the reference pressure value for the reference opening has not been registered. In one configuration example of the valve maintenance support method of the present invention, the seventh step is characterized in that the reference pressure value is registered when the cumulative operating time of the valve is less than or equal to a predetermined time. Furthermore, one configuration example of the valve maintenance support method of the present invention is characterized by further comprising an eighth step of providing the value of the reference opening to the target valve as the opening command value so that the valve is stabilized at the reference opening when diagnosing damage to the inner valve. 。 [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, by providing a first memory unit, a second memory unit, a third memory unit, a settling determination unit, a damage determination unit, and a determination result presentation unit, it is possible to determine whether or not there is a possibility of damage to the inner valve of a valve while the plant is operating, thereby realizing closer to real-time detection of valve malfunctions and assisting workers in selecting valves as maintenance candidates. As a result, the present invention can improve the efficiency of valve maintenance work.

[0014] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing a reference pressure registration section, the reference pressure value can be automatically registered. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a valve maintenance support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the valve maintenance support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the valve maintenance support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows the simulation results of normal valve operation at the beginning of operation. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows the results of a simulation of the operation of a valve in which internal valve damage occurs during operation. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a valve maintenance support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the opening command unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of a plant and its equipment management system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer that realizes the valve maintenance support devices according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a valve. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the structure of the inner valve portion of the valve. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of valves used in a tank of a plant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] [Principle of the Invention] The inventors noticed that damage to the inner valve affects the state of fluid control, and discovered that it is possible to determine whether or not the inner valve is damaged during operation by using the air pressure of the actuator.

[0017] During control, primary pressure is applied to the inner valve for each opening. To maintain the set opening, the valve positioner controls the air pressure of the actuator. If the inner valve is damaged, the pressure applied to the primary side of the inner valve also changes, causing a change in the actuator air pressure even at the same opening. Therefore, we came up with the idea of ​​using the repeatability of the actuator air pressure at a specific opening as a diagnostic indicator for inner valve damage. This can improve the work efficiency of valve maintenance. The present invention is particularly effective for a direct acting valve in which the plug moves up and down at a right angle to the seat ring.

[0018] [First Example] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a valve maintenance support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the following embodiments, for the sake of simplicity, examples of valve IDs (identification information) and the like will be simpler than those used in an actual plant.

[0019] The valve maintenance support device includes a valve ID memory unit 1 that stores in advance the IDs of multiple valves that may be candidates for maintenance, an opening acquisition unit 2 that acquires the opening command value given to the valve and the actual opening value of the valve, an opening command value memory unit 3 (first memory unit) that stores the opening command value data and the ID of the valve that sent the data in association with each other, an opening measurement value memory unit 4 (second memory unit) that stores the actual opening value data and the ID of the valve that sent the data in association with each other, a pressure acquisition unit 5 that acquires the pressure measurement value of the actuator air supplied to the actuator of the valve, and a pressure measurement value memory unit 6 (third memory unit) that stores the pressure measurement value data and the ID of the valve that sent the data in association with each other.

[0020] Furthermore, the valve maintenance support device of this embodiment is equipped with a settling determination unit 7 that determines whether the valve is approximately settled at a predetermined standard opening based on data on the opening command value and the actual opening value; a standard pressure registration unit 8 that registers the pressure measurement value of the valve when it is settled as the standard pressure value if the standard pressure value at the standard opening is not registered for the valve that has been determined to be in an approximately settled state at the standard opening; a damage determination unit 9 that determines that there is a possibility of damage to the inner valve of the valve when there is a difference of more than a threshold between the pressure measurement value when the valve that has been determined to be in an approximately settled state at the standard opening and the predetermined standard pressure value; and a determination result presentation unit 10 that presents the ID of the valve that has been determined to be in an approximately settled state at the standard opening.

[0021] 2 and 3 are flowcharts illustrating the operation of the valve maintenance support device of this embodiment. In this embodiment, for example, let's say there are 26 valves in a plant, and these 26 valves have been assigned unique IDs "A," "B," "C," . . ., "M," . . ., "X," "Y," and "Z" in advance. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the valves with valve IDs "A," "C," and "M" in particular are selected as the valves to be given the highest priority for maintenance in a specific periodic plant maintenance, and that these IDs "A," "C," and "M" have been stored in advance in the valve ID storage unit 1.

[0022] The positioner (102 in Figure 10) used in each valve supplies air pressure to the actuator (103 in Figure 10) according to the difference between the opening command value SP (stem position command value) given by the higher-level device and the actual opening value PV (stem position measurement value) of the valve.

[0023] The opening acquisition unit 2 acquires data on the opening command value SP and the actual opening value PV from the positioner of each valve for which a valve ID is registered in the valve ID storage unit 1 (step S100 in FIG. 2).

[0024] The opening acquisition unit 2 associates the data of the opening command value SP with the ID of the valve that sent the data and information on the time the data was received, and stores these in the opening command value storage unit 3 (Step S101 in FIG. 2). The opening acquisition unit 2 also associates the data of the actual opening value PV with the ID of the valve that sent the data and information on the time the data was received, and stores these in the opening measurement value storage unit 4 (Step S102 in FIG. 2).

[0025] Meanwhile, the pressure acquisition unit 5 acquires the pressure measurement value MV of the actuator air supplied from the positioner of each valve to the actuator for the valve whose valve ID is registered in the valve ID storage unit 1 (step S103 in FIG. 2). The pressure of the actuator air is measured by a pressure sensor built into the positioner. The pressure acquisition unit 5 associates the data of the pressure measurement value MV with the ID of the valve that sent the data and information on the time of reception of the data, and stores the data in the pressure measurement value storage unit 6 (Step S104 in FIG. 2).

[0026] The valve ID is transmitted by the valve positioner together with the data of the opening command value SP, actual opening value PV, and pressure measurement value MV, and is acquired by the opening acquisition unit 2 and pressure acquisition unit 5. The time information may be added on the valve positioner side, or may be added by the opening acquisition unit 2 and pressure acquisition unit 5.

[0027] In this way, by repeating the processing of steps S100 to S104, time series data of the opening command value SP, actual opening value PV, and pressure measurement value MV are accumulated in the opening command value memory unit 3, opening measurement value memory unit 4, and pressure measurement value memory unit 6.

[0028] Next, the settling determination unit 7 determines whether the valve whose valve ID is registered in the valve ID storage unit 1 is approximately settled at a predetermined reference opening Oref (step S105 in FIG. 3). Specifically, the settling determination unit 7 may determine that the valve is in an approximately settled state when both the opening command value SP and the actual opening value PV remain within a range of Oref±TH (TH is a threshold value) for the predetermined reference opening Oref for a specified time or more.

[0029] As described above, the opening command value SP and the actual opening value PV are each accompanied by information about the valve ID and time. Therefore, for a valve whose valve ID is registered in the valve ID storage unit 1, it is possible to obtain the opening command value SP and actual opening value PV at the same time from the opening command value storage unit 3 and the opening measurement value storage unit 4.

[0030] The reference opening Oref may be set in advance by an operator who selects an opening that occurs frequently. Alternatively, the settling determination unit 7 may automatically select, for example, an opening command value SP whose occurrence frequency is equal to or greater than a predetermined occurrence frequency threshold, as the reference opening Oref. The reference opening Oref may be a value common to all valves, or may be a value set for each valve.

[0031] For a valve determined to be in an approximately settled state at the reference opening Oref, if the valve is in an initial state where the reference pressure value Pref at the reference opening Oref is not registered (YES in step S106 in Figure 3), the reference pressure registration unit 8 registers the pressure measurement value MV at the approximately settled state as the reference pressure value Pref for the valve (step S107 in Figure 3).

[0032] As described above, the opening command value SP, actual opening value PV, and pressure measurement value MV are each accompanied by valve ID and time information, so it is possible to obtain the pressure measurement value MV when a valve is determined to be in an approximately settled state at the reference opening Oref from the pressure measurement value memory unit 6.

[0033] The reference pressure value Pref must be registered for each valve. Furthermore, it is preferable to register the reference pressure value Pref when the valve is operating normally, and therefore it is preferable to register it at the beginning of operation when the accumulated operating time of the valve is short, for example, when the accumulated operating time is less than a predetermined time. Information on the accumulated operating time of the valve can be obtained from the positioner. In this way, the reference pressure value Pref is automatically stored in the reference pressure register 8 at the beginning of the valve operation.

[0034] For a valve determined to be in an approximately settled state at the reference opening Oref, if the reference pressure value Pref at the reference opening Oref is in a registered operating state (NO in step S106), the damage determination unit 9 compares the pressure measurement value MV of the valve when it is approximately settled with the reference pressure value Pref corresponding to the reference opening Oref of the valve, and if there is a difference that is equal to or greater than a predetermined pressure threshold PTH (YES in step S108 of Figure 3), it determines that there may be damage to the inner valve of the valve (step S109 of Figure 3).

[0035] Specifically, the damage determination unit 9 determines that there is a possibility of damage to the inner valve of the valve when the absolute value |MV-Pref| of the difference between the pressure measurement value MV when approximately settled and the reference pressure value Pref is equal to or greater than the pressure threshold value PTH. In this embodiment, when there is a tendency for changes in the air pressure of the actuator to occur in a situation where the fluid reaction force is greater than in normal times (a situation where the pressure measurement value MV when approximately settled becomes the reference pressure value Pref), it is processed as being highly likely that damage to the inner valve has occurred.

[0036] The determination result presenting unit 10 presents to the worker the valve IDs of the valves determined to have possibly damaged inner valves, among the valves whose valve IDs are registered in the valve ID storage unit 1 (step S110 in FIG. 3). This presented information is essentially utilized as a diagnostic index.

[0037] However, the determination result presentation unit 10 may present (display) information indicating either "possibly damaged" or "low possibility of damage" for all valves whose valve IDs are registered in the valve ID storage unit 1. In this case, the worker (operator) can also check the valve IDs of valves that have been determined to have a low possibility of damage as a result of the internal valve damage assessment.

[0038] In this way, the processes of steps S105 to S110 in Fig. 3 are periodically performed. Next, the reason why it is possible to determine that there is a possibility of inner valve damage by the process described in step S108 will be described.

[0039] When erosion occurs in a valve plug, the wetted area increases, making it more susceptible to a greater fluid reaction force (a force acting in the direction of opening the valve) than normal at a certain opening. Therefore, if the valve is the type that uses actuator air pressure to close the valve, the actuator air pressure required to close the valve will increase, and if the valve is the type that uses actuator air pressure to open the valve, the actuator air pressure required to open the valve will decrease.

[0040] Furthermore, when erosion occurs in the valve seat ring, the port diameter widens, making the valve more susceptible to a greater fluid reaction force (a force that acts in the direction of opening the valve) than normal at a certain opening. Therefore, if the valve uses actuator air pressure to close the valve, the actuator air pressure required to close the valve will increase, and if the valve uses actuator air pressure to open the valve, the actuator air pressure required to open the valve will decrease.

[0041] In this way, with regard to damage to the inner valve, such as erosion of the plug or seat ring, it is preferable to determine that there is a high probability of inner valve damage occurring when the air pressure of the actuator tends to change in a situation where the fluid reaction force is greater than normal (a situation where the pressure measurement value MV when approximately stable becomes the reference pressure value Pref).

[0042] Although the above description has been given using an example in which there is one reference opening Oref, multiple reference openings Oref may be set. In this case, a reference pressure value Pref is registered for each reference opening Oref and for each valve. A pressure threshold PTH may also be set for each reference opening Oref.

[0043] When the pressure measurement value MV when the valve is nearly stabilized is compared with the reference pressure value Pref for multiple reference openings Oref, if the result |MV-Pref|≧PTH occurs even once, it is determined that there is a possibility of damage to the inner valve. In this case, the determination result is output with an emphasis on safety. As another example of setting multiple reference openings Oref, a more complex determination algorithm may be appropriately adopted.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows the simulation results of normal valve operation at the beginning of operation when the cumulative operating time is short, and FIG. 5 shows the simulation results of valve operation when inner valve damage occurs during operation after the reference pressure value Pref is registered.

[0045] Here, we assume that the valve is of the type that uses air pressure from an actuator to close the valve. In the examples of Figures 4 and 5, the pressure value is normalized and the unit is %. Also, in the examples of Figures 4 and 5, three values ​​of 40%, 50%, and 60% are predefined as the reference opening Oref.

[0046] In the example of Figure 4, the pressure measurement value MV when the reference opening Oref = 50% and the pressure is in an approximately stable state at around 100 seconds is 16.0%, the pressure measurement value MV when the reference opening Oref = 60% and the pressure is in an approximately stable state at around 400 seconds is 21.0%, and the pressure measurement value MV when the reference opening Oref = 40% and the pressure is in an approximately stable state at around 700 seconds is 11.0%.

[0047] Therefore, the reference pressure registration unit 8 registers the reference pressure value Pref corresponding to the reference opening Oref=50% as 16.0%, the reference pressure value Pref corresponding to the reference opening Oref=60% as 21.0%, and the reference pressure value Pref corresponding to the reference opening Oref=40% as 11.0%.

[0048] In the example of Figure 5, the pressure measurement value MV when the reference opening Oref = 50% and the pressure is in an approximately stable state at around 100 seconds is 17.5%, the pressure measurement value MV when the reference opening Oref = 60% and the pressure is in an approximately stable state at around 400 seconds is 22.5%, and the pressure measurement value MV when the reference opening Oref = 40% and the pressure is in an approximately stable state at around 700 seconds is 12.5%.

[0049] In any of the approximately settled states where the reference opening Oref is 50%, 60%, or 40%, the pressure measurement value MV increases relative to the reference pressure value Pref = 16.0%, 21.0%, or 11.0%. If the pressure threshold PTH is set to 1.0%, |MV-Pref|≧PTH holds in any of the approximately settled states where the reference opening Oref is 50%, 60%, or 40%, so the damage determination unit 9 determines that there is a possibility of damage to the inner valve.

[0050] As described above, in this embodiment, whether or not there is a possibility of damage to the inner valve of a valve is determined while the plant is operating, so it is possible to achieve valve malfunction detection in near real time and to support the work of workers in selecting valves as maintenance candidates. Because the technology of this embodiment cannot unequivocally determine that the inner valve is damaged, it is preferable to select valves as maintenance candidates in combination with other diagnostic technologies.

[0051] [Second Example] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, a valve whose valve ID is registered in the valve ID storage unit 1 is diagnosed for damage to an inner valve when the valve reaches a substantially settled state at the reference opening Oref during plant operation. However, the value of the reference opening Oref may be given to the target valve as an opening command value so that the target valve reaches a substantially settled state at the reference opening Oref.

[0052] 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a valve maintenance support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The valve maintenance support device of this embodiment is configured by adding an opening command unit 11 to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0053] 7 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the opening command unit 11. When an operator determines that there is no problem in setting a specific valve to the reference opening Oref during plant operation, the operator instructs the valve maintenance support device to diagnose damage to the inner valve.

[0054] When an operator instructs the opening command unit 11 of the valve maintenance support device to diagnose damage to an inner valve (YES in step S200 in FIG. 7), the opening command unit 11 provides the value specified by the operator from the reference opening Oref set in the settling determination unit 7 for the valve specified by the operator as the opening command value SP to the positioner of that valve (step S201 in FIG. 7). In this way, it becomes possible to settle the valve to be diagnosed at the reference opening Oref.

[0055] After the judgment result is presented by the judgment result presenting unit 10, the worker instructs the valve maintenance support device to end the diagnosis. When an instruction to end the diagnosis is received (YES in step S202 in FIG. 7), the opening command unit 11 instructs the positioner of the valve to return to the original opening command value SP that was given to the valve to be diagnosed immediately before the start of the diagnosis (step S203 in FIG. 7). The opening command value SP that was given to the valve to be diagnosed immediately before the start of the diagnosis can be acquired from the opening command value storage unit 3.

[0056] Thus, in this embodiment, although there is a restriction as to the time when it is possible to set the reference opening Oref, the diagnosis of damage to the inner valve can be performed at any time that satisfies this restriction.

[0057] [Third Example] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment explains an implementation example of the first and second embodiments. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of a plant and its equipment management system, and the same components as in Fig. 12 are assigned the same reference numerals.

[0058] An equipment management system for a petroleum or chemical plant is provided with a management device 12 that controls and manages each piece of equipment in the plant. The valve ID storage unit 1, opening acquisition unit 2, opening command value storage unit 3, opening measurement value storage unit 4, pressure acquisition unit 5, and pressure measurement value storage unit 6 described in the first embodiment handle a huge amount of plant-specific information, so they are preferably implemented in the management device 12.

[0059] Meanwhile, the settling determination unit 7, reference pressure registration unit 8, damage determination unit 9, determination result presentation unit 10, and opening command unit 11 provide processing that is, in principle, required only when determining whether valve maintenance is required. Furthermore, maintenance implementers (workers at maintenance contracted companies) generally perform plant maintenance on behalf of plant owner companies. Therefore, assuming that maintenance will be performed on an unspecified number of plants, it is preferable to implement the settling determination unit 7, reference pressure registration unit 8, damage determination unit 9, determination result presentation unit 10, and opening command unit 11 in a portable computer 13 carried around by a worker (operator) at the maintenance contracted company.

[0060] The plant management device 12 and the computer 13 are temporarily connected using a communication function such as Ethernet (registered trademark) when maintenance work is performed. When an operator starts the application software on the computer 13, the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the computer 13 executes processing according to the program stored in the memory, and realizes the functions of a settling judgment unit 7, a reference pressure registration unit 8, a damage judgment unit 9, a judgment result presentation unit 10, and an opening command unit 11.

[0061] The judgment result presentation unit 10 reads the valve ID from the valve ID memory unit 1 on the management device 12, reads the judgment result of the damage judgment unit 9, and displays the ID of the valve that has been judged to have possible damage to the inner valve on the display of the computer 13 (step S110 in Figure 3).

[0062] Based on the displayed valve ID, the operator checks which valves require particular attention for inspection to maintain the status of the inner valves. After checking the displayed information, the operator disconnects the computer 13 from the management device 12. In this way, the valve maintenance support devices described in the first and second embodiments can be applied to an actual plant.

[0063] The valve maintenance support device described in the first to third embodiments can be realized by a computer equipped with a CPU, a storage device, and an interface, and a program that controls these hardware resources. An example configuration of this computer is shown in FIG. 9. The computer includes a CPU 300, a storage device 301, and an interface device (I / F) 302. For example, a valve, a management device, a display, etc. are connected to the I / F 302. In such a computer, a program for realizing the valve maintenance support 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 in accordance with the program stored in the storage device 301.

[0064] When the valve maintenance support device is implemented by dividing it into the management device 12 and the computer 13 as shown in the third embodiment, each of these may be realized by the configuration shown in FIG. [Industrial Applicability]

[0065] The present invention can be applied to a technique for assisting valve maintenance work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1...valve ID memory unit, 2...opening degree acquisition unit, 3...opening degree command value memory unit, 4...opening degree measurement value memory unit, 5...pressure acquisition unit, 6...pressure measurement value memory unit, 7...settling determination unit, 8...reference pressure registration unit, 9...damage determination unit, 10...determination result presentation unit, 11...opening degree command unit, 12...management device, 13...computer

Claims

1. a first storage unit configured to store data of an opening command value given to a valve in association with an ID of a valve that is a sender of the data; a second storage unit configured to store the actual valve opening value data and the ID of the valve that transmitted the data in association with each other; a third storage unit configured to store data on pressure measurement values ​​of actuator air supplied from the valve positioner to the actuator in association with an ID of the valve that is the sender of the data; a settling determination unit configured to determine whether the valve is settling at a predetermined reference opening based on data of the opening command value and the actual opening value; a damage determination unit configured to determine that there may be damage to an inner valve of a valve determined to be in a stable state at the reference opening when there is a difference of a threshold value or more between the pressure measurement value when the valve is in a stable state and a predetermined reference pressure value; a determination result presentation unit configured to present the ID of a valve determined to have a possible inner valve damage; the damage determination unit determines that there is a high probability that the inner valve of the valve is damaged if the valve being determined is of a type that uses actuator air pressure to close the valve, and a comparison of the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling with the reference pressure value shows that the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling is higher than in normal times when the pressure measurement value when the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling reaches the reference pressure value, and that changes in the actuator air pressure tend to occur in situations where a larger fluid reaction force is received than in normal times when the pressure measurement value when the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling reaches the reference pressure value; and the damage determination unit determines that there is a high probability that the inner valve of the valve is damaged if the valve being determined is of a type that uses actuator air pressure to open the valve, and a comparison of the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling with the reference pressure value shows that the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling is lower than in normal times when the pressure measurement value when the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling reaches the reference pressure value, and that changes in the actuator air pressure tend to occur in situations where a larger fluid reaction force is received than in normal times when the pressure measurement value when the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling reaches the reference pressure value.

2. 2. The valve maintenance support device according to claim 1, A valve maintenance support device further comprising a reference pressure registration unit configured to register, when the reference pressure value at the reference opening of a valve that has been determined to be in a stable state at the reference opening is not registered, the pressure measurement value when the valve is in a stable state.

3. 3. The valve maintenance support device according to claim 2, The valve maintenance support device is characterized in that the reference pressure registration unit registers the reference pressure value when the cumulative operating time of the valve is less than a predetermined time.

4. The valve maintenance support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a valve maintenance support device further comprising an opening command unit configured to provide the value of the reference opening as the opening command value to a target valve so that the valve will be stabilized at the reference opening when diagnosing damage to an inner valve.

5. a first step of storing data of an opening command value given to a valve in association with an ID of a valve that is a sender of the data; a second step of storing the data of the actual valve opening value in association with the ID of the valve that transmitted the data; a third step of storing data on a pressure measurement value of the actuator air supplied from the valve positioner to the actuator in association with an ID of the valve that transmitted the data; a fourth step of determining whether the valve is settling at a predetermined reference opening based on the data of the opening command value and the actual opening value; a fifth step of determining that there is a possibility of damage to an inner valve of the valve when the pressure measurement value when the valve determined to be in a stable state at the reference opening degree is stable and a predetermined reference pressure value differs by a threshold value or more; and a sixth step of presenting the ID of the valve determined to have a possible inner valve damage; the fifth step comprises the steps of: determining that there is a high probability that the inner valve of the valve is damaged if the valve being determined is of a type that uses actuator air pressure to close the valve, and comparing the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling with the reference pressure value shows that the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling is higher than in normal times when the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling reaches the reference pressure value, and that changes in the actuator air pressure tend to occur in a situation where a larger fluid reaction force is received than in normal times when the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling reaches the reference pressure value; and determining that there is a high probability that the inner valve of the valve is damaged if the valve being determined is of a type that uses actuator air pressure to open the valve, and comparing the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling with the reference pressure value shows that the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling is lower than in normal times when the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling reaches the reference pressure value, and that changes in the actuator air pressure tend to occur in a situation where a larger fluid reaction force is received than in normal times when the pressure measurement value when the valve is settling reaches the reference pressure value.

6. 6. The valve maintenance support method according to claim 5, A valve maintenance support method characterized by further comprising a seventh step of registering, for a valve determined to be in a stabilized state at the reference opening, the pressure measurement value when the valve is stabilized as the reference pressure value if the reference pressure value at the reference opening is not registered.

7. 7. The valve maintenance support method according to claim 6, The seventh step is a valve maintenance support method characterized in that the reference pressure value is registered when the cumulative operating time of the valve is less than a predetermined time.

8. The valve maintenance support method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, a valve maintenance support method further comprising an eighth step of providing the value of the reference opening as the opening command value to a target valve so that the valve is stabilized at the reference opening when diagnosing damage to an inner valve.

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