# US 10,865,817 B2 · Compensating for orientation of a valve positioner on a valve assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,817 B2 - Document ID: US10865817B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/156,232 - Filed: 2018-10-10 - Published: 2020-04-16 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-10 - Assignees: Dresser, Inc. - Applicants: Dresser, LLC - Inventors: Anatoly Podpaly; Jagadish Gattu; Mark Edmund Hebert - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865817B2 ## CPC - F15B 21/02: Servomotor systems with program control derived from a store or timing device; Control devices therefor - F15B 19/002: {Calibrating} - F15B 19/005: {Fault detection or monitoring} - F15B 21/087: {Control strategy, e.g. with block diagram} - G05D 7/0617: {specially adapted for fluid materials} - G05D 7/0623: {characterised by the set value given to the control element} - F15B 2211/865: Prevention of failures - F16K 31/12: actuated by fluid ({fluid-actuated lift valves F16K1/126} ; fluid-actuated check valves F16K15/00; fluid-actuated safety valves F16K17/00) - F16K 37/0025: {Electrical or magnetic means (F16K37/0075 takes precedence)} - F16K 37/0033: {using a permanent magnet, e.g. in combination with a reed relays} - F16K 37/0041: {for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence)} - Y10T 137/8242: Electrical - F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A valve positioner for use on a process control valve or “valve assembly.” The process control valve may include a pneumatic actuator and a valve having a closure member coupled with the pneumatic actuator and moveable relative to a seat. The valve positioner may couple to the pneumatic actuator to provide a pneumatic signal to set a position of the closure member relative to the seat. An accelerometer may couple with the valve positioner. The accelerometer may generate data in response to orientation of the valve positioner. In one implementation, the configurations can use this data to ensure proper visualization of data on a display. The data also permits the device to properly manage operating modes, like tight shut-off or fully-opened mode, that may prevail due to orientation issues that cause defects in a measured position for a closure member that regulates flow of material through the valve assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A valve assembly, comprising: a pneumatic actuator; a valve having a closure member coupled with the pneumatic actuator and moveable relative to a seat; a valve positioner coupled to the pneumatic actuator to provide a pneumatic signal to set a position of the closure member relative to the seat; an accelerometer coupled with the valve positioner to generate data in response to orientation of the valve positioner; a rotating drum extending into the valve positioner; and a magnetic flux sensor disposed in proximity to the rotating drum and affixed to the valve positioner, wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to correlate an angle of the magnetic flux sensor relative to a center of the rotating drum with travel limits for travel of the closure member in the valve. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to update travel limits from a first value to a second value that is different from the first value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to set values that correspond with parameters for the pneumatic signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a display, wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to set orientation for data that appears on the display. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a display having a default orientation for visualizing data, wherein the valve positioner is operative to process data from the accelerometer to maintain the default orientation on the display. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the magnetic flux sensor to provide data that describes a measured position for the closure member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the angle that corresponds with orientation of the valve positioner. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a bracket, wherein the valve positioner secures to the bracket. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the travel limits correspond to hardstop limits for the closure member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve positioner is operative to set an operating mode according to the travel limits. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve positioner is operative to set a fully-opened mode that causes the closure member to move to a position farthest from the seat. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve positioner is operative to set a tight shut-off mode that causes the closure member to move to a closed position in response to commanded positions below a lower limit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve positioner is operative to account for the angle to set an operating mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve positioner is removable. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is located inside of the valve positioner. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a pair of magnets coupled with the rotating drum, wherein the magnetic flux sensor senses changes in polarity as between the pair of magnets. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the travel limits define maximum travel and minimum travel for the closure member.