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US 11,693,436 B2Granted
Control systems for valve actuators, valve actuators and related systems and methods
AssigneeFlowserve Pte. Ltd.
InventorsMark D. Ollander, Daniel E. Carlson, Michael Adam Rumore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Valve systems and related methods include valve actuators and control systems configured to monitor at least one characteristic of the valve system during movement of a valve element to a position in the valve system and to determine a drift of the position based on the monitored at least one characteristic of the valve system.
Claims19
A valve system comprising:
- a valve actuator for controlling a position of a valve element in a valve in order to control flow through at least a portion of the valve;
- and
- a control system for controlling the valve actuator, the control system configured to:
- instruct the valve actuator to move the valve element toward an unobstructed first position in the valve to enable fluid flow through the at least a portion of the valve;
- instruct the valve actuator to move the valve element from the unobstructed first position to a second closed position in the valve to reduce the fluid flow through the at least a portion of the valve, wherein the valve element is at least partially seated to reduce the fluid flow in the valve in the second closed position;
- monitor at least one characteristic of the valve system during movement of the valve element to the second closed position comprising a hard stop;
- determine a drift of a sensed location of the second closed position based on the monitored at least one characteristic of the valve system by calculating a difference between a previously recorded closed position and the second closed position;
- and
- during each movement of the valve element, maintain a predetermined location of the unobstructed first position while actively adjusting the location of the second closed position comprising the hard stop each time the drift in the sensed location of the second closed position is detected.
6 more elements
A valve system comprising:
- a valve actuator for controlling fluid flow through at least a portion of a valve with a valve element;
- and
- a control system for controlling the valve actuator, the control system configured to:
- instruct the valve actuator to move the valve element to a target position from an initial position in the valve to reduce or increase fluid flow through the at least a portion of the valve, the initial position being an unobstructed position;
- monitor at least one characteristic of the valve system during movement of the valve element to the target position;
- detect a location of the target position based on the monitored at least one characteristic of the valve system;
- and
- during each movement of the valve element, the control system being further configured to at least one of:
- move the valve element into contact with a seat of the valve system in the target position and then to force the valve element into the seat until a selected value of torque in the valve actuator is reached;
- or
- maintain a predetermined location of the initial position while actively adjusting the location of the target position based on the monitored at least one characteristic of the valve system each time the valve element is moved to the target position.
8 more elements
A method of operating a control system of a valve actuator, the method comprising:
- moving a valve element with the valve actuator to a closed position to substantially inhibit fluid flow through at least a portion of a valve;
- determining a drift of the closed position based on the monitored at least one characteristic of the valve system;
- and
- at least one of:
- moving the valve element into contact with a seat of the valve system in the closed position and then forcing the valve element into the seat until a selected value of torque in the valve actuator is reached;
- or
- maintaining a predetermined location of the open position lacking a hard stop in the valve to enable fluid flow through the at least a portion of the valve while actively adjusting the location of the closed position based on a monitored at least one characteristic of the valve system each time the valve element is moved between the open position and the closed position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.