Integrated Valve Control With Partial Strokes to Reduce Actuator Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional on-off valves with actuators experience significant wear due to frequent cycling between fully closed and fully open positions, leading to operational inefficiencies and high maintenance costs, while position modulating valves are expensive and complex for many applications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an integrated controller to manage on-off valve actuators, allowing them to move to a plurality of partially-open positions based on sensor feedback and time thresholds, reducing wear by partial strokes instead of full strokes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If on-off valve actuators are used to control flow, then the valve can be moved between fully closed and fully open positions, but significant wear occurs due to frequent cycling between extreme positions
Solution Approach 1:
The valve actuator is controlled to move to intermediate partially-open positions rather than always moving to the fully open position. The controller receives sensor feedback indicating process conditions and selectively actuates the valve to appropriate positions from a predefined set of partially-open positions, reducing wear while maintaining adequate process control.
2Reliability
If position modulating valves are used to reduce wear through partial openings, then actuator wear is reduced, but the system becomes expensive and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous range of valve positions is segmented into a discrete set of predefined partially-open positions. The controller selects from these discrete positions based on sensor feedback, achieving wear reduction without requiring complex continuous position control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve control system changes the parameter of valve position from a continuous variable to a discrete set of predefined positions. This simplification allows standard on-off actuators to be used with reduced wear while avoiding the complexity of fully modulating valves.
3Productivity
If frequent valve cycling occurs between closed and open positions, then the valve responds to process changes, but operational inefficiencies and high maintenance costs occur
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives feedback from sensors indicating process conditions and uses this information to selectively actuate the valve to appropriate positions. This feedback mechanism allows the valve to respond to process changes only when necessary, reducing unnecessary cycling and associated maintenance requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve assembly for a process fluid is disclosed that includes an integrated controller configured to control an on-off valve actuator based on signals from a sensor that indicates a measured parameter of the process fluid. The integrated controller is further configured to: (i) in response to receiving a first signal corresponding to an open-position valve command signal, control the on-off valve actuator to move the valve element from a starting position to a first partially-open position, (ii) evaluate a first criteria condition for further actuation of the valve element, (iii) in response to the first criteria condition being satisfied, control the on-off valve actuator to move the valve element to a second partially-open position, and (iv) in response to receiving a second signal corresponding to a closed-position valve command signal, control the on-off valve actuator to move the valve element to the closed position.