Management system and management method

Abstract

To prophylactically reduce the occurrence of sticking in a control valve.SOLUTION: A management system includes: a sticking information storage part which stores passage time information related to passage time at which the risk of sticking of a control valve increases; a time measurement part which measures passage time from a period when the control valve is closed or opened; a sticking risk determination part which refers to the passage time information stored in the sticking information storage part and the passage time measured by the time measurement part to determine whether or not the risk of sticking of the control valve is high; and a determination result notification part which, upon the determination that the risk of sticking of the control valve is high, performs notification about results of the determination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system and a management method.

Background Art

[0002] Valves used in petrochemical plants etc. need to pay particular attention to safety, and thus regular maintenance is performed. In order to improve the work efficiency of valve maintenance, for example, methods such as valve stem slip detection (see Patent Document 1), valve hunting detection (see Patent Document 2), valve scale adhesion detection (see Patent Document 3), etc. have been proposed.

[0003] Also, in the above petrochemical plant, as a valve, a control valve such as an ON-OFF valve that is controlled in two positions of fully open and fully closed may be used. As such a control valve, for example, a configuration having a pocket portion between a valve box and a valve body that rotates within the valve box, such as a ball valve, is known. Regarding the maintenance of such a control valve, for example, a method for detecting a defect for which the control valve is a diagnosis target (see Patent Document 4) has been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Control valves having the aforementioned pocket portion may be used in equipment handling processes for fluids that are solid or highly viscous at room temperature, such as polymer resins. In this case, the fluid may accumulate in the pocket portion of the control valve and stick to the valve body, leading to malfunction. Therefore, in such equipment, it is necessary to proactively reduce the occurrence of sticking in the control valve.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a management system and management method that can preventively reduce the occurrence of sticking in control valves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The management system according to the present application includes: a sticking information storage unit that stores elapsed time information relating to the elapsed time during which the risk of sticking of the control valve increases; a time measurement unit that measures the elapsed time since the control valve was closed or open; a sticking risk determination unit that refers to the elapsed time information stored in the sticking information storage unit and the elapsed time measured by the time measurement unit to determine whether or not the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking; and a determination result notification unit that notifies the determination result when it is determined that the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking.

[0008] The above management system further includes an opening / closing condition storage unit that stores opening / closing conditions that do not hinder the forced opening and closing of the control valve, and an opening / closing operation execution unit that, for a control valve determined to be in a state with a high risk of sticking, determines whether or not there is any hindrance to opening or closing based on the conditions, and if it is determined that there is no hindrance to opening or closing, automatically performs the opening and closing operation of the control valve.

[0009] The above management system further includes an operation sequence instruction unit that, when it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves installed in the same piping system, and the opening / closing operation execution unit automatically opens and closes multiple control valves, automatically locks all but one control valve in a predetermined order so that it cannot be opened or closed.

[0010] The above management system further includes a sequence relationship storage unit that stores the upstream and downstream sequence relationships of multiple control valves installed in the same piping system, and an operation sequence instruction unit that, when it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves in the piping system and the opening / closing operation execution unit automatically opens and closes multiple control valves, refers to the sequence relationship and performs automatic opening and closing operations so that the downstream control valves are opened and closed before the upstream control valves.

[0011] The management method relating to the present invention includes: a sticking information storage step for storing elapsed time information relating to the elapsed time at which the risk of sticking of the control valve becomes high; an elapsed time measurement step for measuring the elapsed time since the control valve was closed or open; a determination step for determining whether the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking by referring to the elapsed time information stored in the sticking information storage step and the elapsed time measured in the measurement time measurement step; and a notification step for notifying the determination result if it is determined that the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking.

[0012] The above management method further includes an opening / closing condition storage step that stores opening / closing conditions that do not hinder the forced opening and closing of the control valve, and an opening / closing operation execution step that, for a control valve that has been determined to be in a state with a high risk of sticking, determines whether or not there is any hindrance to opening or closing based on the conditions, and if it is determined that there is no hindrance to opening or closing, automatically performs the opening and closing operation of the control valve.

[0013] The above management method further includes an operation sequence instruction step in which, when multiple control valves installed in the same piping system are determined to have a high risk of sticking simultaneously, and the opening / closing operation execution unit automatically opens and closes multiple control valves, the control valves other than one control valve are automatically locked in a predetermined order so that they cannot be opened or closed.

[0014] The above management method further includes a sequence relationship storage step for storing the sequence relationship between upstream and downstream control valves in a piping system for multiple control valves installed in the same piping system, and an operation sequence instruction step for automatically performing opening and closing operations by referring to the sequence relationship when it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves in the piping system and the opening and closing operations of multiple control valves are performed automatically by the opening and closing execution step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the management system and management method described above, it is determined whether the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking based on the elapsed time information stored in the sticking information storage unit and the elapsed time measured by the time measurement unit. If it is determined that the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking, the determination result is notified, and the operator can take appropriate measures, such as opening and closing operations, to prevent the control valve from sticking, based on the notified determination result. This makes it possible to preventively reduce the occurrence of sticking in the control valve. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of equipment equipped with a management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a control valve. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the open / closed state of a control valve. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation flow of the management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of equipment equipped with a management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a management system. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation flow of the management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration. [Embodiment for Implementing the Invention]

[0017] Next, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to the common components in each embodiment, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0018] [Principle 1] As a main cause of the sticking of the ON-OFF control valve, it can be cited that the scale accumulated in the pocket part of the valve body sticks due to the opening and closing state not changing for a certain period of time or more. For example, in a batch process such as a petrochemical plant, the opening and closing of the valve body may not be performed for a certain period of time or more. This certain period of time can vary widely, for example, from several minutes to several hours, several days, or several months.

[0019] The inventor focused on the above points, analyzed in advance the elapsed time when the sticking risk of the valve body becomes high in the ON-OFF control valve, determined whether the sticking risk is high according to the elapsed time since the valve became closed or open, and came up with the idea of notifying the operator that the ON-OFF control valve determined to have a high sticking risk should be opened and closed.

[0020] The operator may perform an opening and closing operation for the purpose of preventing sticking within a range without problems in consideration of the various conditions of the determined ON-OFF control valve. Alternatively, even if the opening and closing of the ON-OFF control valve are not required, conditions without problems for opening and closing may be defined in advance, and the opening and closing operation may be automatically performed. Note that the opening and closing operation is preferably executed multiple times as long as there are no problems.

[0021] [First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of equipment equipped with a management system 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the management system 100 manages a control valve 2 provided in the equipment 1. The hardware configuration of the management system 100 will be described later. Equipment 1 is installed, for example, in a petrochemical plant and handles processes of fluids that are solid or highly viscous at room temperature, such as polymer resins. Equipment 1 includes a reaction furnace 3 that contains the fluid. Piping 4 through which the fluid flows is connected to the reaction furnace 3. Equipment 1 may be configured to be heated by a steam trace or the like (not shown).

[0022] The control valve 2 is provided, for example, in the piping 4 described above. The control valve 2 is an ON-OFF control valve that is controlled in two positions: fully open and fully closed. Figure 2 shows an example of the control valve 2. In this embodiment, the control valve 2 is a ball valve. The control valve 2 may be any type of control valve, such as a butterfly valve or a gate valve, as long as it is controlled in two positions, fully open and fully closed, and has a pocket portion, as described later. One or more control valves 2 are provided. One or more control valves 2 can be managed by identification information such as a valve ID (A1, A2, A3, ..., etc.) set for each control valve 2.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the control valve 2 has a structure in which the valve body, a ball 202, is sandwiched between a seat ring 203 called a ball seat. The control valve 2 allows the ball 202 to be opened or closed by rotating the stem 204 by 90° using the actuator 206. A packing 207 is provided in the gap between the valve body 205 and the stem 204 to prevent fluid leakage from inside the valve body 205.

[0024] Figure 3 shows an example of the open and closed states of the control valve 2. As shown in Figure 3, the control valve 2 has a dead space called a pocket 208 between the valve body 205 and the ball 202. Fluid flowing through the piping 4 accumulates in the pocket 208. When the fluid accumulated in this pocket 208 adheres between the ball 202 and the valve body 205, the opening and closing operation of the ball 202 is restricted, resulting in a malfunction in which the valve does not open or close.

[0025] Figures 3(A) and 3(B) show examples of the control valve 2 in which no fluid is adhering to the pocket portion 208. Figure 3(A) shows the open state, and Figure 3(B) shows the closed state. As shown in Figures 3(A) and 3(B), when no fluid is adhering to the pocket portion 208, the switching from the open state to the closed state is performed smoothly.

[0026] Figures 3(C) and 3(D) show examples of a state in which fluid is stuck in the pocket portion 208 of the control valve 2. Figure 3(C) shows the open state, and Figure 3(D) shows the closed state. As shown in Figures 3(C) and 3(D), when fluid is stuck in the pocket portion 208, the ball 202 and the valve body 205 are stuck together by the stuck portion 209, making it difficult to switch from the open state to the closed state. This embodiment aims to prevent the occurrence of such sticking in the control valve 2.

[0027] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the management system 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the management system 100 includes a fixation information storage unit 10, a time measurement unit 20, a fixation risk determination unit 30, a determination result notification unit 40, an opening / closing condition storage unit 50, and an opening / closing operation execution unit 60.

[0028] The seizure information storage unit 10 stores elapsed time information. The elapsed time information is information regarding the time elapsed when the risk of the control valve 2 becoming seizure increases. In this embodiment, the elapsed time is the time elapsed since the control valve 2 opened or closed. If multiple control valves 2 are provided, the seizure information storage unit 10 stores elapsed time information for each control valve 2.

[0029] Elapsed time information can be obtained, for example, based on data from past malfunctions in equipment 1, or data from experiments or simulations. For example, 10 hours can be used as the elapsed time at which the risk of control valve 2 sticking becomes high.

[0030] The time measurement unit 20 measures the elapsed time since the control valve 2 was closed or opened. If multiple control valves 2 are provided, the time measurement unit 20 measures the elapsed time for each control valve 2.

[0031] The seizure risk determination unit 30 refers to the elapsed time information stored in the seizure information storage unit 10 and the elapsed time measured by the time measurement unit 20 to determine whether the control valve 2 is in a state with a high risk of seizure. If multiple control valves 2 are provided, the seizure risk determination unit 30 can determine whether each one is in a state with a high risk of seizure.

[0032] The determination result notification unit 40 notifies the determination result when it determines that there is a high risk of the control valve 2 sticking.

[0033] The opening / closing condition storage unit 50 stores opening / closing conditions that do not hinder the forced opening and closing of the control valve 2. If multiple control valves 2 are provided, the opening / closing conditions can be set and stored for each control valve 2. Opening / closing conditions can be obtained, for example, by consulting with experienced operators. Opening / closing conditions can be time-based, such as being outside the time between 13:00 and 15:00. Alternatively, numerical values ​​or set states of the fluid flowing through the control valve 2, such as temperature, pressure, and flow rate, may also be used as opening / closing conditions.

[0034] Furthermore, for example, during batch processing in the reaction furnace 3, where a constant rate of fluid supply is required, there is a problem in opening and closing the control valve 2 of the piping 4 that supplies fluid to the reaction furnace 3. On the other hand, during process change periods when a constant rate of fluid supply is not required, there is no problem in opening and closing the control valve 2 of the piping 4 that supplies fluid to the reaction furnace 3. Therefore, the opening and closing conditions can be set to either not being during a batch processing period or being during a process change period. Alternatively, these conditions can be combined to set the opening and closing condition as "not requiring a constant rate of fluid supply in the reaction furnace 3."

[0035] The opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines whether there are any obstacles to opening or closing the control valve 2 that has been determined to be in a state with a high risk of sticking, based on the opening / closing conditions, and if it is determined that there are no obstacles to opening or closing, it automatically performs the opening / closing operation of the control valve 2.

[0036] Next, an example of the operation of the management system 100 configured as described above will be explained. Below, we will explain the case where the control valve 2, whose valve ID is A1, is managed. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation flow of the management system 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the stuck information storage unit 10 stores the elapsed time information of the control valve 2 in advance (step S10). Here, the elapsed time information of the control valve 2 is set to, for example, 10 hours.

[0037] Furthermore, the opening / closing condition storage unit 50 stores the opening / closing conditions for the control valve 2 in advance (step S20). Here, the opening / closing conditions for the control valve 2 are set to, for example, a time other than between 13:00 and 15:00.

[0038] With the above elapsed time information and opening / closing conditions stored in advance, the time measurement unit 20 measures the elapsed time since the control valve 2 was closed or opened (step S30). The time measurement unit 20 outputs the measurement result to the seizure risk determination unit 30.

[0039] The seizure risk determination unit 30 refers to the elapsed time information stored in the seizure information storage unit 10 and the elapsed time measured by the time measurement unit 20 to determine whether the control valve 2 is in a state with a high risk of seizure (step S40). For example, if the elapsed time since the most recent opening / closing operation of the control valve 2 is less than 10 hours, the seizure risk determination unit 30 determines that the control valve 2 is not in a state with a high risk of seizure. On the other hand, if the elapsed time since the most recent opening / closing operation of the control valve 2 is 10 hours or more, the seizure risk determination unit 30 determines that the control valve 2 is in a state with a high risk of seizure.

[0040] If it is determined that the control valve 2 is at high risk of sticking (Yes in step S40), the determination result notification unit 40 notifies the determination result (step S50). The determination result notification unit 40 can notify by displaying the determination result on a display unit 5 (see Figure 1) installed in, for example, the control center of equipment 1. If it is determined that the control valve 2 is not at high risk of sticking (No in step S40), the sticking risk determination unit 30 repeats the determination in step S40, for example, based on elapsed time.

[0041] The opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines whether there is any problem with opening or closing the control valve 2, which has been determined to be in a state with a high risk of sticking, based on the opening / closing conditions stored in the opening / closing condition storage unit 50 (step S60). For example, if the control valve 2 is determined to be in a state with a high risk of sticking, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 obtains the opening / closing conditions for the control valve 2 from the opening / closing condition storage unit 50. The opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines whether the opening / closing conditions for the control valve 2, "the time is not between 13:00 and 15:00", are met. If the current time is not between 13:00 and 15:00, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines that there is no problem with opening or closing the control valve 2. On the other hand, if the current time is between 13:00 and 15:00, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines that there is a problem with opening or closing the control valve 2.

[0042] If the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines that there is no impediment to opening or closing the control valve 2 (Yes in step S60), it automatically performs the opening / closing operation of the control valve 2 (step S70). If the control valve 2 is in the open state, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 closes the control valve 2 and then immediately returns it to the open state. Also, if the control valve 2 is in the closed state, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 opens the control valve 2 and then immediately returns it to the closed state.

[0043] On the other hand, if the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines that there is an obstacle to opening or closing the control valve 2 (No. in step S60), it waits until the opening / closing conditions are met, that is, until the current time is no longer between 13:00 and 15:00 (step S80), and when the opening / closing conditions are met, it performs the process in step S70.

[0044] As described above, the management system 100 according to the first embodiment includes: a sticking information storage unit 10 that stores elapsed time information relating to the elapsed time at which the risk of sticking of the control valve 2 becomes high; a time measurement unit 20 that measures the elapsed time since the control valve 2 was closed or open; a sticking risk determination unit 30 that refers to the elapsed time information stored in the sticking information storage unit 10 and the elapsed time measured by the time measurement unit 20 to determine whether or not the control valve 2 is in a state with a high risk of sticking; and a determination result notification unit 40 that notifies the determination result when it is determined that the control valve 2 is in a state with a high risk of sticking.

[0045] Furthermore, the management method according to the first embodiment includes a sticking information storage step (S10) for storing elapsed time information relating to the elapsed time at which the risk of sticking of the control valve 2 becomes high; an elapsed time measurement step (S20) for measuring the elapsed time since the control valve 2 was closed or open; a determination step (S30) for determining whether the control valve 2 is in a state with a high risk of sticking by referring to the elapsed time information stored in the sticking information storage step and the elapsed time measured in the measurement time measurement step; and a notification step (S40) for notifying the determination result if it is determined that the control valve 2 is in a state with a high risk of sticking.

[0046] With this configuration, it is determined whether the control valve 2 is in a state with a high risk of seizing based on the stored elapsed time information and the measured elapsed time. If it is determined that the control valve 2 is in a state with a high risk of seizing, the determination result is notified, and the operator can take appropriate action, such as opening and closing operations, to prevent the control valve 2 from seizing, based on the notified determination result. This makes it possible to preventively reduce the occurrence of seizing in the control valve 2.

[0047] Furthermore, the management system 100 further includes an opening / closing condition storage unit 50 that stores opening / closing conditions that do not hinder the forced opening and closing of the control valve 2, and an opening / closing operation execution unit 60 that, when a control valve 2 is determined to be in a state with a high risk of sticking, determines whether or not there is any hindrance to opening or closing based on the conditions, and if it is determined that there is no hindrance to opening or closing, automatically performs the opening and closing operation of the control valve 2.

[0048] Furthermore, the above management method further includes an opening / closing condition storage step that stores opening / closing conditions that do not hinder the forced opening and closing of the control valve 2, and an opening / closing operation execution step that, for a control valve 2 that has been determined to be in a state with a high risk of sticking, determines whether or not there is any hindrance to opening or closing based on the conditions, and if it is determined that there is no hindrance to opening or closing, automatically performs the opening and closing operation of the control valve 2.

[0049] With this configuration, if a control valve 2 is determined to be in a state with a high risk of seizing, it is determined whether or not there is any impediment to opening or closing based on the stored opening and closing conditions. If it is determined that there is no impediment to opening or closing, the control valve 2 is opened or closed automatically. This reduces the workload on the operator and allows the control valve 2, which is determined to be in a state with a high risk of seizing, to be opened or closed at an appropriate time.

[0050] [Principle 2] If multiple ON-OFF control valves exist in the same piping system and multiple ON-OFF control valves are simultaneously determined to have a "high risk of sticking," it is preferable to avoid performing opening and closing operations simultaneously, even if it is thought that there will be no problems. In other words, opening and closing operations are a source of disturbance in a batch process, and the simultaneous occurrence of disturbances at a specific point should be avoided as much as possible.

[0051] Therefore, we devised a system that automatically locks all but one ON-OFF control valve in the same piping system if multiple ON-OFF control valves are simultaneously determined to have a "high risk of sticking." This improves safety.

[0052] [Principle 3] When operating an ON-OFF control valve, disturbances within the same piping system tend to occur downstream after a certain amount of time has elapsed since the operation. Conversely, if the upstream ON-OFF control valve is operated first, multiple disturbances may accumulate and be transmitted downstream.

[0053] Therefore, if multiple ON-OFF control valves in the same piping system are simultaneously determined to have a "high risk of sticking," it is preferable to perform automatic opening and closing operations so that the downstream ON-OFF control valve is opened and closed first (or to automatically lock the upstream valve). This reduces the probability of disturbances occurring simultaneously at a specific location.

[0054] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of equipment equipped with a management system 100A according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the management system 100A manages the control valve 2 provided in equipment 1A. Equipment 1A handles processes of fluids that are solid or highly viscous at room temperature, such as polymer resins, similar to equipment 1 described in the first embodiment. Equipment 1A includes a reaction furnace 3 that contains the fluid. A piping system 6 through which the fluid flows is connected to the reaction furnace 3.

[0055] Piping system 6 comprises pipe 6A and pipes 6B and 6C. Pipes 6B and 6C branch off from pipe 6A. Pipe 6B is located upstream of pipe 6C in the direction of fluid flow. In other words, pipe 6C is located downstream of pipe 6B in the direction of fluid flow.

[0056] Multiple control valves 2 are provided in the piping system 6. Each control valve 2 is managed by identification information such as a valve ID, which is set for each control valve 2. In Figure 6, for example, three control valves 2 are provided. In this embodiment, the three control valves 2 shown in Figure 6 are assumed to have valve IDs A1, A2, and A3, respectively. Hereafter, when distinguishing between the three control valves 2, the control valve 2 with valve ID A1 will be referred to as control valve 2A, the control valve 2 with valve ID A2 will be referred to as control valve 2B, and the control valve 2 with valve ID A3 will be referred to as control valve 2C.

[0057] In the example shown in Figure 6, control valve 2A is located furthest upstream of the three control valves 2 in the piping system 6. Control valve 2B is located downstream of control valve 2A and upstream of control valve 2C in the piping system 6. Control valve 2C is located furthest downstream of the three control valves 2 in the piping system 6.

[0058] Note that the configuration of piping system 6 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be other configurations with different numbers and arrangements of pipes, branch pipes, and control valves.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opening and closing conditions stored in the opening and closing condition storage unit 50 must also consider the scope of influence from the piping system 6, even if the reaction reactor 3 is not directly involved with the fluid passing through the control valve 2. For example, as shown in Figure 6, in parallel pipes 6A and 6C that branch downstream of the control valve 2B, if a reaction reactor undergoing batch processing exists at the end of pipe 6A when opening and closing the control valve 2C installed in pipe 6C, this may constitute a "condition that hinders opening and closing." In other words, caution is required when pre-setting "conditions that hinder opening and closing" for pipes 6B, 6C, etc., that branch from the same pipe 6A.

[0060] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the management system 100A according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the management system 100A includes a fixation information storage unit 10, a time measurement unit 20, a fixation risk determination unit 30, a determination result notification unit 40, an opening / closing condition storage unit 50, an opening / closing operation execution unit 60, a sequence relationship storage unit 70, and an operation sequence instruction unit 80. The fixation information storage unit 10, the time measurement unit 20, the fixation risk determination unit 30, the determination result notification unit 40, the opening / closing condition storage unit 50, and the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 are the same as in the first embodiment. The configuration of the sequence relationship storage unit 70 and the operation sequence instruction unit 80, which differ from those in the first embodiment, will be described below.

[0061] The sequence relationship storage unit 70 stores the upstream and downstream sequence relationships of multiple control valves 2 installed in the same piping system 6. In this embodiment, the control valves are arranged in order from the upstream side of the piping system 6 as control valve 2A, control valve 2B, and control valve 2C. The sequence relationship storage unit 70 stores the sequence relationships of these control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C.

[0062] The operation sequence instruction unit 80 determines that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves 2 installed in the same piping system 6, and when the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 automatically opens and closes multiple control valves 2, it automatically locks all but one control valve 2 in a predetermined order so that they cannot be opened or closed.

[0063] For example, if the operation sequence instruction unit 80 determines that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves 2 in the same piping system 6, and the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 automatically performs opening / closing operations on multiple control valves 2, it can refer to the sequence relationship stored in the sequence relationship storage unit 70 and instruct the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 to open / close the downstream control valve 2 before the upstream control valve 2. The operation sequence instruction unit 80 may also instruct the operation sequence instruction unit 80 to perform opening / closing operations on the control valves 2 in an order different from the sequence relationship stored in the sequence relationship storage unit 70.

[0064] Next, an example of the operation of the management system 100A configured as described above will be explained. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation flow of the management system 100A according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 8, the fixation information storage unit 10 stores the elapsed time information of the control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C in advance (step S110). Here, the elapsed time information for control valve 2A is set to 10 hours, the elapsed time information for control valve 2B is set to 12 hours, and the elapsed time information for control valve 2C is set to 11 hours. In this way, even if the control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C are installed in the same piping system 6, their elapsed time information may differ from each other, for example, if the local temperature is different in a configuration where they are heated by steam tracing.

[0065] Furthermore, the opening / closing condition storage unit 50 stores the opening / closing conditions for the control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C in advance (step S120). Here, the opening / closing conditions for control valve 2A are set to be, for example, any time other than between 13:00 and 15:00, the opening / closing conditions for control valve 2B are set to be, for example, any time other than between 14:00 and 15:00, and the opening / closing conditions for control valve 2C are set to be, for example, any time other than between 13:00 and 14:00.

[0066] Furthermore, the sequence relationship storage unit 70 stores the upstream and downstream sequence relationships in the piping system 6 for control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C that are installed in the same piping system 6 (step S130). The sequence relationship storage unit 70 stores the sequence relationship that control valve 2A, control valve 2B, and control valve 2C are arranged in that order from upstream.

[0067] With the above elapsed time information and opening / closing conditions pre-stored, the time measurement unit 20 measures the elapsed time since the control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C were closed or opened (step S140). The time measurement unit 20 measures the elapsed time for each control valve 2 and outputs the measurement result to the seizure risk determination unit 30.

[0068] The seizure risk determination unit 30 refers to the elapsed time information stored in the seizure information storage unit 10 and the elapsed time measured by the time measurement unit 20 to determine whether the control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C are in a state with a high risk of seizure (step S150). Here, it is determined that the control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C are simultaneously in a state with a high risk of seizure (Yes in step S150). If it is determined that at least one control valve 2 is not in a state with a high risk of seizure (No in step S150), the seizure risk determination unit 30 repeats the determination in step S150 for that control valve 2, for example, based on the elapsed time.

[0069] The determination result notification unit 40 notifies the user of the determination result if it determines that the control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C are in a state with a high risk of sticking (step S160). The determination result notification unit 40 can notify the user by displaying the determination result on a display unit 5 (see Figure 1) provided, for example, in the control center of equipment 1.

[0070] The opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines whether there are any problems with opening or closing the control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C, which have been determined to be in a state with a high risk of sticking, based on the opening / closing conditions stored in the opening / closing condition storage unit 50 (step S170). Here, it is assumed that the current time is outside of 13:00 to 15:00. In this case, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines that there are no problems with opening or closing the control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C (Yes in step S170).

[0071] At this point, it is determined that control valves 2A, 2B, and 2C, all located in the same piping system 6, are simultaneously at high risk of sticking, and the opening and closing operation unit 60 automatically performs opening and closing operations on multiple control valves 2. Therefore, in this case, the operation sequence instruction unit 80 instructs the opening and closing operation unit 60 on the order of the opening and closing operations (step S180).

[0072] In step S180, the operation sequence instruction unit 80 automatically locks two of the three control valves 2, excluding one control valve 2, in a predetermined sequence, so that they cannot be opened or closed.

[0073] Furthermore, in step S180, the operation sequence instruction unit 80 may refer to the sequence relationship stored in the sequence relationship storage unit 70 and instruct the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 to open and close the downstream control valve 2 before the upstream control valve 2. Specifically, the operation sequence instruction unit 80 automatically locks the control valves 2A and 2B upstream of control valve 2C until the opening / closing operation of control valve 2C is completed. Also, the operation sequence instruction unit 80 automatically locks the control valve 2A upstream of control valve 2B until the opening / closing operation of control valve 2B is completed.

[0074] In this case, the operation sequence instruction unit 80 may define the end of the opening and closing operation not only as the end of the opening and closing operation of the control valve 2 itself, but also as the end of the opening and closing operation after the elapsed time until the effects of the disturbance caused by the opening and closing operation have sufficiently subsided.

[0075] When an instruction is received from the operation sequence instruction unit 80, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 automatically performs the opening / closing operation of the control valve 2 based on the instruction from the operation sequence instruction unit 80 (step S190). If the control valve 2 is in the open state, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 closes the control valve 2 and then immediately returns it to the open state. Also, if the control valve 2 is in the closed state, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 opens the control valve 2 and then immediately returns it to the closed state.

[0076] Furthermore, if the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 determines in step S170 that there is an obstacle to opening or closing at least one control valve 2 (No. in step S170), it waits until the obstacle to opening or closing is resolved (step S200). When the obstacle to opening or closing is resolved, the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 performs the processing from step S180 onward.

[0077] As described above, the management system 100A according to the second embodiment further includes an operation sequence instruction unit 80 that, when it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves 2 installed in the same piping system, and the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 automatically opens and closes multiple control valves 2, automatically locks the control valves 2 other than one control valve 2 in a predetermined order so that they cannot be opened or closed.

[0078] Furthermore, the management method according to the second embodiment further includes an operation sequence instruction step (S180) in which, when it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves 2 provided in the same piping system 6, and the opening and closing operations of multiple control valves 2 are performed automatically, the control valves 2 other than one control valve 2 are automatically locked in a predetermined order so that they cannot be opened or closed.

[0079] With this configuration, if multiple control valves 2 in the same piping system are simultaneously determined to have a high risk of sticking, all but one control valve 2 will be automatically locked to prevent opening and closing operations, thereby improving safety.

[0080] Furthermore, the management system 100A further includes a sequence relationship storage unit 70 that stores the upstream and downstream sequence relationships of multiple control valves 2 installed in the same piping system 6, and an operation sequence instruction unit 80 that, when it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves 2 in the piping system 6 and the opening / closing operation execution unit 60 automatically opens and closes multiple control valves 2, refers to the sequence relationship and performs automatic opening and closing operations so that the downstream control valves 2 are opened and closed before the upstream control valves 2.

[0081] Furthermore, the above management method further includes a sequence relationship storage step (S130) for storing the sequence relationship between upstream and downstream control valves 2 in the same piping system 6, and an operation sequence instruction step (S180) for automatically performing opening and closing operations by referring to the sequence relationship when it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves 2 in the piping system 6 and the opening and closing operations of multiple control valves 2 are performed automatically by the opening and closing execution step.

[0082] With this configuration, if multiple control valves 2 in the same piping system 6 are determined to have a high risk of sticking simultaneously, the control valves 2 on the downstream side can be automatically opened and closed first. This reduces the probability of disturbances occurring simultaneously at a specific location.

[0083] [Hardware configuration] Figure 9 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the management system. Since the management systems 100 and 100A have similar hardware configurations, they will be described here as the information processing unit 300. As shown in Figure 9, the information processing unit 300 includes a communication device 300a, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 300b, memory 300c, and a processor 300d. Furthermore, each of the components shown in Figure 9 is interconnected by a bus or the like.

[0084] The communication device 300a is a network interface card or similar, and is used for communication with other devices. The HDD 300b stores programs and databases that operate the functions of each of the above-mentioned parts.

[0085] The processor 300d operates the processes that perform the above-described functions by reading programs that perform the same processing as the above-described processing units from the HDD 300b or the like and loading them into the memory 300c. For example, using the management system 100 as an example, this process performs the same functions as the processing units of the management system 100. Specifically, the processor 300d reads programs that have the same functions as the time measurement unit 20, the sticking risk determination unit 30, the determination result notification unit 40, the open / close operation execution unit 60, etc., from the HDD 300b or the like. Then, the processor 300d executes a process that performs the same processing as the time measurement unit 20, the sticking risk determination unit 30, the determination result notification unit 40, and the open / close operation execution unit 60. In addition, the HDD 300b is provided with storage areas corresponding to the sticking information storage unit 10 and the open / close condition storage unit 50. When executing the above program, the processor 300d accesses the memory areas corresponding to the fixed information storage unit 10 and the open / close condition storage unit 50 of the HDD 300b as needed, and reads the data stored in those memory areas.

[0086] Thus, the information processing device 300 operates as an information processing device that performs various information processing methods by reading and executing a program. Furthermore, the information processing device 300 can also achieve the same functionality as the embodiment described above by reading the program from a recording medium using a media reader and executing the read program. It should be noted that the program referred to in this other embodiment is not limited to being executed by the information processing device 300. For example, the above embodiment may also be applied to cases where another computer or server executes the program, or where these computers or servers cooperate to execute the program.

[0087] This program may be distributed via a network such as the Internet. Alternatively, this program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, flexible disk (FD), CD-ROM, MO (Magneto-Optical disk), or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), and executed by being read from the recording medium by a computer.

[0088] Of the processes described in the first and second embodiments above, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by known methods. In addition, the processing procedures, specific names, and information including various data and parameters shown in the above document and drawings can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each figure is not limited to the information shown.

[0089] Furthermore, the components of each illustrated device are functionally conceptual and do not necessarily need to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific forms of distribution and integration of each device are not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions.

[0090] Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described above can be combined as appropriate, provided that the processing content is not inconsistent.

[0091] Furthermore, the terms "section, module, unit" mentioned above can be replaced with "means" or "circuits." For example, a modification section can be replaced with a modification means or a modification circuit.

[0092] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are illustrative examples, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms with modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, starting with the embodiments described in the disclosure section of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 1,1A equipment 2, 2A, 2B, 2C control valves 3. Reaction reactor 4, 6A, 6B, 6C piping 5 Display section 6 Piping system 10 Fixed information storage unit 20-hour measurement unit 30. Adhesion Risk Determination Unit 40 Notification Department 50 Open / close condition storage unit 60 Opening / closing operation execution unit 70 Sequence relation memory unit 80 Operation order instruction section 100,100A Management System 202 Ball 203 Seat Ring 204 Stem 205 Valve box 206 Controller 207 Packing 208 Pocket section

Claims

1. A locking information storage unit stores elapsed time information regarding the time period during which the risk of locking of the control valve increases, A time measuring unit that measures the elapsed time since the control valve was closed or opened, A sticking risk determination unit determines whether the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking by referring to the elapsed time information stored in the sticking information storage unit and the elapsed time measured by the time measurement unit, A determination result notification unit that notifies the determination result when it is determined that the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking, An opening / closing condition storage unit that stores opening / closing conditions that do not interfere with the forced opening and closing of the control valve, With respect to the control valve that has been determined to be in a state with a high risk of seizing, the opening and closing operation execution unit determines whether or not there is any impediment to opening and closing based on the opening and closing conditions, and if it is determined that there is no impediment to opening and closing, it automatically performs the opening and closing operation of the control valve. When multiple control valves installed in the same piping system are simultaneously determined to have a high risk of sticking, and the opening / closing operation execution unit automatically opens and closes multiple control valves, the operation sequence instruction unit automatically locks all but one of the control valves in a predetermined order so that they cannot be opened or closed. A management system equipped with the following features.

2. A sequence relationship storage unit that stores the sequence relationship between upstream and downstream in the piping system for a plurality of control valves installed in the same piping system, When it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves in the aforementioned piping system, and the opening / closing operation execution unit automatically opens and closes multiple control valves, the operation sequence instruction unit refers to the sequence relationship and automatically opens and closes the control valves on the downstream side before the control valves on the upstream side. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. A locking information storage unit that stores elapsed time information relating to the elapsed time at which the risk of locking of the control valve increases, A time measuring unit that measures the elapsed time since the control valve was closed or opened, A sticking risk determination unit determines whether the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking by referring to the elapsed time information stored in the sticking information storage unit and the elapsed time measured by the time measurement unit, A determination result notification unit that notifies the determination result when it is determined that the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking, An opening / closing condition storage unit that stores opening / closing conditions that do not interfere with the forced opening and closing of the control valve, With respect to the control valve that has been determined to be in a state with a high risk of seizing, the opening and closing operation execution unit determines whether or not there is any impediment to opening and closing based on the opening and closing conditions, and if it is determined that there is no impediment to opening and closing, it automatically performs the opening and closing operation of the control valve. A sequence relationship storage unit that stores the sequence relationship between upstream and downstream in the piping system for a plurality of control valves installed in the same piping system, When it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves in the aforementioned piping system, and the opening / closing operation execution unit automatically opens and closes multiple control valves, the operation sequence instruction unit refers to the sequence relationship and automatically opens and closes the control valves on the downstream side before the control valves on the upstream side. A management system equipped with the following features.

4. A locking information storage step that stores elapsed time information regarding the time period during which the risk of locking of the control valve increases, A time measurement step for measuring the elapsed time since the control valve was closed or opened, A determination step which involves referring to the elapsed time information stored in the sticking information storage step and the elapsed time measured in the elapsed time measurement step to determine whether or not the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking, If it is determined that the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking, a notification step is made to notify the determination result, A step of storing opening and closing conditions that do not hinder the forced opening and closing of the control valve, With respect to the control valve that has been determined to be in a state with a high risk of seizing, the procedure includes determining whether or not there is any impediment to opening or closing based on the opening and closing conditions, and if it is determined that there is no impediment to opening or closing, the procedure includes an opening and closing operation execution step in which the control valve is automatically opened or closed, When multiple control valves installed in the same piping system are simultaneously determined to have a high risk of sticking, and the opening and closing operations of multiple control valves are performed automatically by the opening and closing operation execution step, an operation sequence instruction step is provided to automatically lock the control valves other than one in a predetermined order so that they cannot be opened or closed. Management methods including those mentioned.

5. A sequence relationship storage step for storing the sequence relationship between upstream and downstream in the piping system for multiple control valves installed in the same piping system, When it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves in the piping system, and the opening and closing operations of the multiple control valves are performed automatically by the opening and closing operation execution step, an operation sequence instruction step is performed to automatically open and close the control valves on the downstream side before the control valves on the upstream side, by referring to the sequence relationship. The management method according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. A locking information storage step that stores elapsed time information relating to the elapsed time at which the risk of locking of the control valve becomes high, A time measurement step for measuring the elapsed time since the control valve was closed or opened, A determination step which involves referring to the elapsed time information stored in the sticking information storage step and the elapsed time measured in the elapsed time measurement step to determine whether or not the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking, If it is determined that the control valve is in a state with a high risk of sticking, a notification step is made to notify the determination result, A step of storing opening and closing conditions that do not hinder the forced opening and closing of the control valve, With respect to the control valve that has been determined to be in a state with a high risk of seizing, the procedure includes determining whether or not there is any impediment to opening or closing based on the opening and closing conditions, and if it is determined that there is no impediment to opening or closing, the procedure includes an opening and closing operation execution step in which the control valve is automatically opened or closed, A sequence relationship storage step for storing the sequence relationship between upstream and downstream in the piping system for multiple control valves installed in the same piping system, When it is determined that there is a high risk of simultaneous sticking of multiple control valves in the piping system, and the opening and closing operations of the multiple control valves are performed automatically by the opening and closing operation execution step, an operation sequence instruction step is performed to automatically open and close the control valves on the downstream side before the control valves on the upstream side, by referring to the sequence relationship. Management methods including those mentioned.

Images