Systems and methods for control and monitoring of actuated valves

An actuated valve system comprising:

• a valve including a flow controlling valve element;
• an actuator assembled with the valve and including an inlet port in fluid communication with a fluid driven actuator member operatively connected with the valve element and movable within an actuator housing from a normal position to an actuated position in response to pressurization of the inlet port to at least a minimum actuating pressure, the actuator being configured to apply a biasing force to return the actuator member to the normal position upon depressurization of the inlet port;
• a pilot valve having a supply port connected with the actuator inlet port, the pilot valve being operable to supply pressurized fluid to the actuator inlet port in a first position, and to exhaust pressurized fluid from the actuator inlet port through an exhaust port in the pilot valve in a second position;
• and
• a backpressure arrangement in fluid communication with the actuator inlet port and including a backpressure valve configured to retain a positive set pressure smaller than the minimum actuating pressure against the actuator member, and to release excess pressure greater than the positive set pressure from the actuator inlet port, when the pilot valve is moved to the second position.

A backpressure device comprising:

• a body defining a passage extending from an inlet port to an outlet port and a seat disposed in the passage;
• and
• a seal member disposed in the body and biased into sealing engagement with the seat, the seal member separating from the seat at a set pneumatic inlet pressure to release through the outlet port any excess pneumatic pressure greater than the set pneumatic inlet pressure;
• wherein the body includes an engineered leak path in fluid communication with the inlet port configured to provide a leak rate between about 0.25 sccm and 2.5 sccm at an inlet pressure equal to the set pneumatic inlet pressure.