US 12,140,249 B2
Utilizing elastic sensing elements as a monitoring technique for early fault detection of control valve diaphragm failure
Ibrahim Samir Alramadhan, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Dec. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/147,523.
Prior Publication US 2024/0218940 A1, Jul. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. F16K 37/00 (2006.01); E21B 34/02 (2006.01); F16K 41/12 (2006.01); G08B 21/18 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 37/0083 (2013.01) [F16K 41/12 (2013.01); G08B 21/182 (2013.01); E21B 34/025 (2020.05); Y10T 137/0486 (2015.04)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for early detection of control valve diaphragm failure, the method comprising:
disposing an elastic sensing element on a diaphragm of a pneumatic control valve;
generating, using the elastic sensing element, a baseline sensor record comprising initial elasticity measurements of the diaphragm, wherein the baseline sensor record is a collection of recorded measurement data of sensor measurements generated throughout one or more complete stroking travel of the diaphragm;
generating, using the elastic sensing element and during a useful life of the control valve, a sequence of periodic sensor records comprising periodic elasticity measurements of the diaphragm;
generating, in response to any periodic sensor record differs from the baseline sensor record by a pre-determined threshold, an alarm;
performing, in response to the alarm, a maintenance operation of the control valve; and
storing the sensor measurements, the baseline sensor record, the periodic sensor records, and the alarm into a buffer.
 
15. A system for early detection of control valve diaphragm failure, comprising:
a pneumatic control valve comprising:
a valve head,
a valve seat,
a valve stem,
an outer housing encompassing the valve head, the valve stem, and the valve seat,
a diaphragm for controlling a fluid passage of the pneumatic control valve; and
an elastic sensing element disposed partially on the diaphragm and partially on the diaphragm plate for early failure detection; and
a data gathering and analysis system configured such that the data gathering and analysis system:
generates, using the elastic sensing element, a baseline sensor record comprising initial elasticity measurements of the diaphragm;
generates, using the elastic sensing element and during a useful life of the control valve, a sequence of periodic sensor records comprising periodic elasticity measurements of the diaphragm;
generates, in response to any periodic sensor record differs from the baseline sensor record by a pre-determined threshold, an alarm; and
facilitates, in response to the alarm, a maintenance operation of the control valve.