Systems and methods for determining failure in a back pressure balanced relief valve
AssigneeEmerson Automation Solutions Final Control US LP
InventorsVishwa Kalyanasundaram, Katherine Si
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A back pressure balanced relief valve can include a piston, a pressure balancing device, and a pressure sensor. A pressure chamber can be created between the pressure balancing device and the piston. The pressure sensor can be configured to monitor the pressure in the pressure chamber for indications of a potential failure of the balancing device.
Claims20
A back pressure balanced relief valve system comprising:
- a piston;
- a balancing device that includes one of a pressure-balancing bellows or a pressure-balancing diaphragm and defines a first pressure chamber between the piston and the balancing device;
- a bonnet that defines a second pressure chamber between the bonnet and the piston;
- a bonnet spacer that at least partially surrounds the piston to define a piston orifice between the piston and the bonnet spacer that restricts fluid flow between the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber;
- and
- a pressure port in fluid communication with the first pressure chamber, the pressure port configured to receive or be in fluid communication with a pressure sensor for the pressure sensor to monitor the pressure in the first pressure chamber for indications of a potential failure of the balancing device.
A method of detecting a potential failure in a relief valve via a back pressure balanced relief valve system, the method comprising:
- using a first pressure sensor, electronically monitoring a pressure in a first pressure chamber via a pressure port in fluid communication with the first pressure chamber, the first pressure chamber being defined by a piston and by one of a bellows or a diaphragm of the relief valve;
- using a second pressure sensor, electronically monitoring a pressure in a second pressure chamber via a pressure port in fluid communication with the second pressure chamber, the second pressure chamber being defined by a bonnet and the piston;
- and
- using a control system in communication with the pressure sensor, providing an alert of a potential failure of the relief valve based on a pressure differential between the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber.
A back pressure balanced relief valve system for a valve, the valve having a valve body and a valve seat within the valve body, the back pressure balanced relief valve system comprising:
- a piston;
- a bonnet that defines a bonnet chamber between the piston and the bonnet;
- a bonnet spacer that at least partially surrounds the piston;
- a bellows that defines a bellows chamber between the piston and the bellows, the bellows chamber in fluid communication with the bonnet chamber across a clearance formed between the piston and the bonnet spacer;
- a first pressure sensor in fluid communication with the bellows chamber, the first pressure sensor configured to monitor non-transient pressure in the bellows chamber;
- and
- an electronic controller configured to monitor non-transient pressure in the bellows chamber to identify a potential bellows failure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.