Automated Valve Failure Protection Using Dual Control Fluid Paths

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Solution Overview

Problem

Unintended triggering of safety systems in oil and gas production due to component failures leads to equipment damage, production loss, and environmental contamination, while isolating hazards causes stress on production and safety equipment.

Innovation Solution

A dual valve system with a primary and secondary valve system connected to a control system, where the control system detects feedback signals to manage control fluid flow, ensuring the network valve remains open or closed based on issued commands, preventing unintended closures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If safety systems are triggered to isolate hazards, then safety is improved, but production operations are interrupted causing loss of production and equipment stress

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidproduction operations

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting valve position feedback signals before unintended closure occurs. The control system monitors feedback signals to determine actual valve position, and initiates corrective control fluid flow adjustments proactively to prevent false safety triggers, thereby maintaining production operations while ensuring safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback signals from valve position indicators to continuously monitor the actual state of valves. The control system compares feedback signals with commanded positions, and when discrepancies are detected (indicating unintended closure), it adjusts control fluid flow to correct the valve position, preventing false safety system activation and maintaining production continuity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If component failures are not isolated, then production operations continue, but equipment damage and environmental contamination may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction operationsVSAvoidequipment damage and environmental contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors valve position through feedback signals to ensure valves are in their commanded positions. When feedback indicates a valve has closed unintentionally, the control system detects this discrepancy and initiates corrective action by adjusting control fluid flow to reopen the valve, preventing equipment damage and environmental contamination while maintaining production operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides self-service failure protection by automatically detecting valve position discrepancies through feedback signals and autonomously correcting unintended valve closures by adjusting control fluid flow. This self-correcting mechanism prevents component failures from escalating to equipment damage or environmental contamination without interrupting production operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If production operations are stopped to isolate hazards, then safety risks are reduced, but equipment stress increases due to abrupt halting and restart-up

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety risksVSAvoidequipment stress

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of valve position feedback signals to identify unintended closures before they escalate into safety hazards requiring production shutdown. By detecting and correcting valve position discrepancies early through control fluid flow adjustments, the system prevents safety risks from developing while avoiding abrupt halting and restart-up cycles that cause equipment stress.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If dual valve system with control fluid flow management is implemented, then unintended valve closures are prevented, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve operation reliabilityVSAvoidvalve system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses pneumatic or hydraulic control fluid flow to actuate valves and support their open position. Control fluid is supplied through control lines to valve actuators, and the presence or absence of control fluid flow determines valve state. This approach provides reliable valve control while using well-established pneumatic/hydraulic technology to manage system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

Data Source

PatentUS20250271006A1Methods and systems of failure protection for automated valves

Publication Date: 2025.08.28 SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO

AI summary

A method includes detecting, by a control system, a feedback signal that indicates whether a network valve is open or closed/closing. Upon detecting the network valve is closed/closing, the method may include determining, by the control system, whether a closing command was issued, initiating a secondary valve system based on the determination of whether the closing command was issued. If the closing command was not issued, the method includes stopping control fluid flow from the primary supply system to the network valve and opening the secondary support valve so as to allow control fluid flow from the secondary supply system to the network valve, thereby maintaining the network valve open based on the control fluid flow from the secondary supply system. If the closing command was issued, the method includes closing the network valve.