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US 11,275,365 B2Granted
Integration of online and offline control valve data
AssigneeFisher Controls International LLC
InventorShawn W. Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated diagnostics system utilizes online and offline diagnostics techniques to evaluate control valves found in process plant environments. The integrated diagnostics system improves on existing diagnostic systems, which typically rely exclusively on online diagnostics or offline diagnostics.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- actuating a control valve via a first control signal;
- receiving, by one or more processors, offline diagnostics data for the control valve, the offline diagnostics data describing a first relationship between pressure and valve position observed during a response of the control valve to the first control signal for a first range of travel when the control valve is not in service in a process plant;
- calculating an offline response of the control valve utilizing the offline diagnostics data;
- actuating the control valve via a plurality of control signals;
- receiving, by the one or more processors, online diagnostics data for the control valve, the online diagnostics data describing a plurality of relationships between pressure and valve position observed during a plurality of responses of the control valve to the plurality of control signals for one or more ranges of travel, each less than the first range of travel, when the control valve is in service in the process plant;
- calculating a plurality of online responses for the control valve utilizing the online diagnostics data;
- for each of the plurality of online responses, calculating a value for a response ratio relating the offline response to one of the plurality of online responses such that each online response has a corresponding value for the response ratio;
- analyzing the values of the response ratio to determine a rate of change for the response ratio over time;
- and
- determining that the rate of change for the response ratio exceeds a threshold value;
- and in response to determining that the rate of change for the response ratio exceeds the threshold value, generating an indication to be provided to an operator via a user interface.
8 more elements
A system comprising:
- a control valve in a process plant;
- a plurality of sensors configured to monitor the control valve;
- and
- an integrated diagnostics system communicatively connected to the plurality of sensors, the diagnostics system configured to:
- receive, via the plurality of sensors, offline diagnostics data for the control valve, the offline diagnostics data describing a first relationship between pressure and valve position observed during a response of the control valve to a first control signal for a first range of travel when the control valve is not in service in the process plant;
- calculate an offline response of the control valve utilizing the offline diagnostics data;
- receive, via the plurality of sensors, online diagnostics data for the control valve, the online diagnostics data describing a plurality of relationships between pressure and valve position observed during a plurality of responses of the control valve to a plurality of control signals for one or more ranges of travel, each less than the first range of travel, when the control valve is in service in the process plant;
- calculate a plurality of online responses for the control valve utilizing the online diagnostics data;
- for each of the plurality of online responses, calculate a value for a response ratio relating the offline response to one of the plurality of online responses such that each online response has a corresponding value for the response ratio;
- analyze the values of the response ratio to determine a rate of change for the response ratio over time;
- and determine that the rate of change for the response ratio exceeds a threshold value;
- and generate, in response to determining that the rate of change for the response ratio exceeds the threshold value, an indication to be provided to an operator via a user interface.
9 more elements
A method comprising:
- initiating an offline diagnostics procedure on a control valve in a process plant, wherein the control valve is controlled through a first range of travel;
- collecting, during the offline diagnostics procedure, offline diagnostics data from a plurality of sensors monitoring the control valve;
- calculating an offline response of the control valve utilizing the offline diagnostics data;
- collecting, during online operation of the control valve during which the control valve is controlled through one or more ranges of travel each less than the first range of travel, online diagnostics data from the plurality of sensors monitoring the control valve;
- calculating a plurality of online responses for the control valve utilizing the online diagnostics data;
- for each of the plurality of online responses, calculating a value for a response ratio relating the offline response to one of the plurality of online responses;
- analyzing the values of the response ratio to determine a rate of change for the response ratio over time;
- and
- generating an indication to be provided to an operator via a user interface when the rate of change for the response ratio exceeds a threshold.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.