Pilot-operated relief valve assembly
AssigneeEmerson Automation Solutions Final Control US LP
InventorsVishwa Kalyanasundaram, Michael Mcneely, Raul Almazan, William Bockeloh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pilot-operated relief valve assembly can include a relief valve, and a pressure detection assembly. A valve lift factor or indicator of relief flow can be determined based on pressure measurements gathered by the pressure detection assembly.
Claims20
A pilot-operated relief valve assembly comprising:
- a relief valve assembly that includes:
- a pilot valve;
- and
- a main valve that includes:
- a dome in fluid communication with the pilot valve;
- a valve inlet in fluid communication with the pilot valve;
- and
- a valve outlet;
- the main valve being configured to permit or prevent flow from the valve inlet to the valve outlet based on a pressure differential between an inlet pressure at the valve inlet and a dome pressure within the dome;
- a pressure detection assembly configured to determine a run-time pressure differential between the valve inlet and the dome;
- and
- a control system configured to communicate with one or more processor devices to:
- determine a run-time pressure factor based on the run-time pressure differential;
- and
- determine a run-time valve lift factor based upon the run-time pressure factor, without directly measuring a run-time valve lift of the main valve.
A method of monitoring a pilot-operated relief valve assembly that includes a pressure detection assembly, a pilot valve, and a main valve that includes a dome in fluid communication with the pilot valve, a valve inlet in fluid communication with the pilot valve, a valve outlet, and a piston that is configured to permit flow from the valve inlet to the valve outlet in response to a difference between an inlet pressure at the valve inlet and a dome pressure within the dome, the method comprising:
- determining, based on one or more measurements by the pressure detection assembly, at least one of:
- a run-time dome pressure at the dome, a run-time inlet pressure at the valve inlet, or a run-time pressure differential between the valve inlet and the dome;
- and
- determining a run-time pressure factor based on the determined at least one of the run-time dome pressure, the run-time inlet pressure, or the run-time pressure differential;
- and
- without measuring run-time displacement of the piston, determining a run-time valve flow factor for the main valve based upon one or more of:
- correlating the run-time pressure factor directly to the run-time valve flow factor;
- or
- determining a run-time valve lift factor based upon the run-time pressure factor, and determining the run-time valve flow factor based on the run-time valve lift factor.
A control system for a pilot-operated relief valve assembly, the pilot-operated relief valve assembly including:
- a relief valve assembly that includes:
- a pilot valve;
- and
- a main valve that includes:
- a dome in fluid communication with the pilot valve;
- a valve inlet in fluid communication with the pilot valve;
- a valve outlet;
- and
- a piston movable between a fully open position and a fully closed position, the piston being caused to move between the fully open and fully closed positions by a pressure differential between the dome and the valve outlet;
- the main valve being configured to permit flow from the valve inlet to the valve outlet in response to an inlet pressure at the valve inlet, depending on a position of the piston;
- and
- one or more pressure sensors that are configured to determine at least one of:
- a run-time dome pressure within the dome, a run-time inlet pressure, or a run-time pressure differential between the valve inlet and the dome;
- the control system comprising one or more processor devices that are configured to:
- determine a run-time pressure factor at a run-time valve lift of the main valve, based on the determined at least one of the run-time dome pressure, the run-time inlet pressure, or the run-time pressure differential;
- and
- based upon the run-time pressure factor and without receiving a measurement of the run-time valve lift, determine a run-time valve flow factor at the run-time valve lift, wherein the run-time valve flow factor corresponds to run-time flow from the valve inlet to the valve outlet of the main valve.
A method for monitoring a pilot-operated relief valve assembly that includes a pressure detection assembly, a pilot valve, and a main valve that includes a dome in fluid communication with the pilot valve, a valve inlet in fluid communication with the pilot valve, a valve outlet, and a piston that is configured to permit flow from the valve inlet to the valve outlet in response to a difference between an inlet pressure at the valve inlet and a dome pressure within the dome, the method comprising:
- providing a relationship for a run-time valve flow factor for the main valve, wherein, without a measurement of run-time displacement of the piston, the relationship is configured to control a processor device to one or more of:
- correlate a run-time pressure factor directly to the run-time valve flow factor;
- or
- correlate a run-time valve lift factor to the run-time valve flow factor, wherein the run-time valve lift factor is determined based upon the run-time pressure factor;
- wherein the run-time pressure factor is configured to be determined based on at least one of:
- a run-time dome pressure at the dome, a run-time inlet pressure at the valve inlet, or a run-time pressure differential between the valve inlet and the dome, each of which is configured to be determined based on one or more measurements by the pressure detection assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.