Control Valve System with Cycle Monitoring, Diagnostics and Degradation Prediction

A fluid control valve system comprising:

• a valve body having an elongated bore in communication with an inlet port and an outlet port;
• a valve element movable within the bore between first and second positions, wherein the outlet port is selectably coupled to the inlet port according to the position of the valve element;
• at least one valve sensor mounted in relation to the valve body for generating a sensor signal indicative of at least one instantaneous parameter of the valve that changes between the first and second positions;
• a pilot mounted to the valve body adapted to receive a pilot command signal and to move the valve element in response to the pilot command signal;
• and
• a logic unit receiving the sensor signal and the pilot command signal, wherein a predetermined change in the pilot command signal causes the logic unit to determine a cycle parameter responsive to a time period between two predetermined events, wherein at least the beginning or end of the time period corresponds to a predetermined value of the sensor signal, and wherein the logic unit operates in a baseline mode and a monitoring mode;
• wherein the baseline mode comprises an initial predetermined number of cycles of the pilot command signal, and wherein individual determinations of the cycle parameter are accumulated to obtain an expected cycle parameter;
• wherein the monitoring mode is utilized after completion of the baseline mode, and wherein the logic unit generates an indication signal when the cycle parameter during the monitoring mode exhibits a predetermined variance from the expected cycle parameter.

A method of monitoring operation of a fluid control valve system, wherein the control valve system includes a valve body having an elongated bore in communication with an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the control valve system includes a valve element movable within the bore between first and second positions, wherein the outlet port is selectably coupled to the inlet port according to the position of the valve element, wherein the control valve system includes a valve sensor mounted in relation to the valve body for generating a sensor signal indicative of an instantaneous parameter of the valve that changes between the first and second positions, wherein the control valve system includes a pilot mounted to the valve body adapted to receive a pilot command signal and to move the valve element in response to the pilot command signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• sensing a predetermined change in the pilot command signal and performing the following steps in response to the predetermined change;
• measuring a cycle time parameter responsive to a time period between two predetermined events, wherein at least the beginning or end of the time period corresponds to a predetermined value of the sensor signal;
• updating an expected cycle time parameter;
• and
• performing a comparison in response to the cycle time parameter and the expected cycle time parameter, and generating an indication signal in response to the comparison showing a predetermined variance.

A method of monitoring operation of a fluid control valve system, wherein the control valve system includes a valve body having an elongated bore in communication with an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the control valve system includes a valve element movable within the bore between first and second positions, wherein the outlet port is selectably coupled to the inlet port according to the position of the valve element, wherein the control valve system includes a position sensor mounted in relation to the valve body for generating a position signal indicative of an instantaneous position of the valve element at and between the first and second positions, wherein the control valve system includes a pilot mounted to the valve body adapted to receive a pilot command signal and to move the valve element in response to the pilot command signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• sensing an actuation of the control valve system in response to the pilot command signal and performing the following steps in response to the actuation;
• incrementing a cycle count;
• measuring a cycle time parameter associated with movement of the valve element between the first position and the second position;
• selecting a baseline mode or a monitoring mode in response to the cycle count;
• if in the baseline mode then updating an expected cycle time parameter;
• and
• if in the monitoring mode then performing a comparison in response to the cycle time parameter and the expected cycle time parameter, and generating a first indication signal in response to the comparison showing a first predetermined variance.