Method for monitoring a device for regulating the flow of a gas and a regulating system employing said method

A system for regulating the flow of a gas comprising:

• a regulating device provided with a flow conduit for the transit of said gas according to a predefined direction, of a shutter assembly positioned along said flow conduit to define in said flow conduit a restriction which defines a passage area, and a motorisation assembly of said shutter assembly to move it so as to regulate said passage area;
• a sensor assembly configured to measure one or more operating parameters of said regulating system;
• a command device configured to activate said motorisation assembly on the basis of the values of said one or more operating parameters so as to maintain the pressure in a section downstream of said shutter assembly, or the flow rate along said flow conduit, at a predefined calibration value;
• a control logic unit operatively associated to said sensor assembly and comprising a storage unit and a clock;
• a device for determining a value of volumetric flow rate of said gas along said flow conduit, said control logic unit comprising means for calculating, at each time interval of a predefined sequence, of time intervals extending for corresponding durations, the following values:
• a value of velocity and a value of density of said gas at said restriction as a function of said one or more operating parameters determined during said time interval and of a value of volumetric flow rate of said gas along said flow conduit determined during said time interval;
• the product of said value of velocity, of said value of density, of the duration of said time interval and of a correction coefficient to obtain a corresponding value of equivalent wear;
• said control logic unit being also configured for:
• calculating, for each time interval of said sequence, a cumulative value equal to the sum of the values of equivalent wear corresponding to said time interval and to all of the time intervals that precede said time interval in said sequence;
• storing in said storage unit said cumulative value and/or said value of equivalent wear of each time interval;
• comparing said cumulative values with a predefined limit value stored in said storage unit and corresponding to a condition of maximum wear allowable for said shutter assembly, using a predetermined comparison method, to obtain an indication of the condition of efficiency of said shutter assembly.