Actuating drive used in automation technology

Abstract

The invention relates to an actuating drive (1), used in automation technology, for actuating a fitting, such as a valve, comprising: a housing arrangement (10) having at least one housing (11); an electric motor (20); an electronic operating circuit (30) for operating the motor; a transmission (40); a drive output (50); the electric motor (20) being configured to drive the drive output, the transmission (40) being configured to transmit a force or a torque from the electric motor to the drive output, an atmosphere comprising at least one gas and / or at least one vapor and enclosed by the housing arrangement, the actuating drive comprising a gas sensor device (60) which has at least one gas sensor (61), is arranged in one of the at least one housing and is configured to measure a concentration or change in concentration of a gas and / or of a vapor in the atmosphere.

Description

[0001] Actuator for automation technology

[0002] The invention relates to an actuator for automation technology as for example in DE102204048366A1 open bart.

[0003] Such actuators are also used in environments with technical gases and vapors, especially flammable gases and vapors. For example, it is necessary to know whether a pipeline in a process plant or a fitting installed within it is leaking, allowing gas or vapor to enter the actuator. Vapor is characterized by the fact that a gaseous medium is capable of condensing under given physical conditions.

[0004] The problem is solved by an actuator of automation technology according to independent claim 1.

[0005] An actuator according to the invention for automation technology for actuating a fitting such as a valve or a gate in a channel such as a pipeline comprises: a housing arrangement with at least one housing; an electric motor; an electronic operating circuit for operating the motor; a gearbox; an output;wherein the electric motor is configured to drive the output, wherein the gearbox is configured to transmit a force or torque from the electric motor to the output, an atmosphere comprising at least one gas and / or at least one vapor, which atmosphere is enclosed by the housing arrangement, wherein the actuator has a gas sensor device with at least one gas sensor, wherein the gas sensor device is arranged in one of the at least one housing, wherein the gas sensor device is configured to measure a concentration or change in concentration of at least one gas and / or at least one vapor in the atmosphere by measuring a concentration or change in concentration of at least one component of a complementary atmospheric fraction.

[0006] The displacement or replacement of a complementary atmospheric component by a gas or vapor leads to a decrease in the concentration of the complementary atmospheric component. The gas sensor device can therefore indirectly measure a gaseous atmospheric component by measuring at least one complementary atmospheric component.

[0007] For example, carbon dioxide concentration can be measured by measuring oxygen concentration. Conversely, a decrease in oxygen concentration can be accompanied by an increase in carbon dioxide concentration.

[0008] For example, the ingress of a process gas such as hydrogen into the housing leads to a decrease in the concentration of, for example, nitrogen or oxygen that was originally present. This can be detected by a sensor and interpreted as an increase in the concentration of the process gas that can detect the concentration of one of the originally present gases, in this case, for example, an oxygen or nitrogen sensor. In this way, concentrations of atmospheric constituents can be indirectly determined by measuring complements.

[0009] The concentration and / or the change in concentration can each be measured and / or output as an absolute value and / or as a relative value.

[0010] In one embodiment, the gas sensor device is configured to measure the concentration or change in concentration by measuring the concentration of the gas or vapor, or by measuring the concentration of at least one component of a complementary atmospheric fraction.

[0011] In one embodiment, at least one housing of the at least one housing is pressure-tight encapsulated.

[0012] In one embodiment, the at least one gas sensor is arranged in the at least one pressure-resistant encapsulated housing.

[0013] This ensures that the atmosphere inside the housing is not affected by influences outside the pipeline.

[0014] In one embodiment, the gas is a non-flammable gas such as helium or carbon dioxide, or a flammable gas from one of the following lists:

[0015] hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon such as methane, propane, acetylene, cyclohexane, ethylene, or ammonia, or carbon monoxide, or a hydrogen sulfide compound, wherein the vapor is a non-flammable vapor such as water vapor or a flammable vapor of one of the following: an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol or a hydrocarbon without oxygen content such as an alkane such as octane or hexane such as cyclohexane, or alkene or alkyne.

[0016] In one embodiment, the electronic operating circuit or evaluation circuit of the gas sensor device is configured to detect a change in the concentration of at least one gas and / or at least one vapor.

[0017] In one embodiment, the electronic operating circuit or the evaluation circuit is configured to issue a warning message when there is a minimum increase in the concentration of the gas to be detected.

[0018] The invention is described below using exemplary embodiments.

[0019] Fig. 1 shows a sketch of an exemplary actuator according to the invention for automation technology.

[0020] Fig. 1 shows an actuator 1 according to the invention comprising a housing arrangement 10 with two housings 11, wherein an electric motor 20, a gearbox 40, an output 50 and an electronic operating circuit 30 are arranged within the housing arrangement. The electric motor is configured to transmit a force or torque to the output via the gearbox 40. The electronic operating circuit is configured to operate the electric motor.

[0021] According to the invention, a gas sensor device 60 is provided, which is configured to determine at least one atmospheric fraction of an atmosphere in at least one housing of the actuator. The gas sensor device comprises at least one gas sensor 61, or, as shown here, two gas sensors. The gas sensor device can indirectly measure a gaseous atmospheric fraction by measuring at least one complementary atmospheric fraction with the gas sensor 61. Displacement or replacement of a complementary atmospheric fraction by a gas leads to a decrease in the concentration of the complementary atmospheric fraction. The gas sensor device can therefore indirectly measure a gaseous atmospheric fraction by measuring at least one complementary atmospheric fraction.

[0022] For example, carbon dioxide concentration can be measured by measuring oxygen concentration. Conversely, a decrease in oxygen concentration can be accompanied by an increase in carbon dioxide concentration.

[0023] For example, the ingress of a process gas such as hydrogen into the housing leads to a decrease in the concentration of, for example, nitrogen or oxygen that was originally present. This can be detected by a sensor and interpreted as an increase in the concentration of the process gas that can detect the concentration of one of the originally present gases, in this case, for example, by an oxygen and / or nitrogen sensor.

[0024] For example, carbon dioxide concentration can be determined by measuring oxygen concentration. Conversely, a decrease in oxygen concentration can be accompanied by an increase in carbon dioxide concentration. Therefore, by measuring oxygen concentration, the carbon dioxide concentration can be indirectly inferred. In this way, concentrations of atmospheric constituents can be indirectly determined by measuring complement.

[0025] At least one of the housings can be pressure-tight encapsulated.

[0026] In particular, at least one housing can also be pressure-tight or media-tight. This ensures that the atmosphere inside the housing is not affected by influences outside the pipeline.

[0027] The atmospheric gas to be measured can be a non-flammable gas such as helium or carbon dioxide, or a flammable gas from the following list:

[0028] Hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon such as methane, propane, acetylene, cyclohexane, ethylene, or ammonia, or carbon monoxide, or a hydrogen sulfide compound, wherein the atmospheric vapor to be measured or measured may be a non-combustible vapor such as water vapor or a combustible vapor from the following list: an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol or a hydrocarbon without oxygen content such as an alkane such as octane or hexane such as cyclohexane, or alkene or alkyne.

[0029] In one embodiment, the electronic operating circuit 30 or an evaluation circuit 62 of the gas sensor device is configured to detect a concentration or change in concentration of the gas or vapor.

[0030] In one embodiment, the electronic operating circuit 30 or the evaluation circuit 62 is configured to issue a warning message when there is a minimum increase in the concentration of the gas to be detected.

[0031] The example of the invention shown in Fig. 1 is not to be interpreted as limiting. For example, the actuator can have only one housing or more than two housings. If more than one housing is present, it is not necessary to provide a gas sensor 61 in each housing.

[0032] Reference symbol list

[0033] 1 actuator

[0034] 10 Housing arrangement

[0035] 11 Housing 20 Electric motor

[0036] 30 electronic operating circuit

[0037] 40 gearboxes

[0038] 50 downforce

[0039] 60 Gas sensor device 61 Gas sensor

[0040] 62 Evaluation circuit

Claims

Claims 1. Actuator (1) of automation technology for actuating a fitting such as a valve or a gate in a channel such as a pipeline, comprising: a housing arrangement (10) with at least one housing (II); an electric motor (20); an electronic operating circuit (30) for operating the motor; a gearbox (40); an output (50);wherein the electric motor (20) is configured to drive the output, wherein the gearbox (40) is configured to transmit a force or torque from the electric motor to the output, an atmosphere comprising at least one gas and / or at least one vapor, wherein the atmosphere is enclosed by the housing arrangement, wherein the actuator has a gas sensor device (60) with at least one gas sensor (61), wherein the gas sensor device is arranged in one of the at least one housing, characterized in that the gas sensor device is configured to detect a concentration or change in concentration of at least one gas and / or at least one vapor in the atmosphere; to measure by measuring the concentration or change in concentration of at least one component of a complementary atmospheric component.

2. Actuator according to claim 1, wherein at least one housing (11) of the at least one housing is pressure-tested encapsulated.

3. Actuator according to claim 2, wherein the at least one gas sensor (61) is arranged in the at least one pressure-tested encapsulated housing.

4. Actuator according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the gas is a non-flammable gas such as helium or carbon dioxide or a flammable gas from the following list: hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon such as methane, propane, acetylene, cyclohexane, ethylene, or ammonia, or carbon monoxide, or a hydrogen sulfide compound, wherein the vapor is a non-flammable vapor such as water vapor or a flammable vapor of one of the following: an alcohol such as methanol, or ethanol, or a hydrocarbon without oxygen content such as an alkane such as octane or hexane such as cyclohexane, or alkene or alkyne.

5. Actuator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic operating circuit (30) or an evaluation circuit (62) of the gas sensor device is configured to detect a concentration or a To detect changes in the concentration of at least one gas and / or at least one vapor.

6. Actuator according to claim 5, wherein, in the event of a minimum increase in the concentration of the gas to be detected, the electronic operating circuit (30) or the evaluation circuit (62) is configured to issue a warning message.

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