IoT alarm for failures in fluid systems

Abstract

An alerting 24/7 safety device for industrial soft-seated fluid valves, capable to detect immediately and remotely any damage or breakage of internal valve components. Such a system allows the essential technical intervention time to avoid leakages of the harmful (poison or caustic, with dangerous pressures or temperatures) media within the plants.

The inventive step gap is related to the strong improvement of the safety characteristics of the workplaces, in terms of health of the people, environment aspects and attention for the business continuity.

Claims

1. A protection system aimed to detect instantly, with appropriate sensors, the happening of a leakage or an internal failure within a valve for fluids, so as to send an alert, with or without wires, to a monitoring device which, in turn, may activate retro-action controls or other functions.

2. The system may be autonomously powered and use any kind of sensor capable of handling any physical value useful to be detected.

3. The system may use any kind of transmitting system, wired and wireless, therefore comprehending transmitter and receivers systems.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] The device is composed of an operating topwork capable of operating a fluid valve, and a sensor capable of detecting physical changes inside such an arrangement. Such an operating arrangement can also be classified as a valve actuator with force provided by external means such as air, electricity, or any mechanical mean, also self operated or by a hand operating system. Such operating topwork may be any existing one, mounted on or part of a valve, or it can be added to any existing valve device.

[0036] The sensor to be applied to such bonnet or actuator is represented by any device which air-tightly connects the internal environment of such components to the external world; such sensor could be able to detect differences in pressure, temperature, humidity, moisture, gasses, PH, liquids, or any other detectable data, such as the biological ones, capable to be detected by commercial and experimental probes.

[0037] Once the detection signal is gathered by the sensor, this is transmitted elsewhere with the transmission system provided inside or around the sensor itself.

[0038] The idea is to obtain a small device, also autonomously powered by battery, light or other physical means, to work also if the central system of the plant in which the device is installed, turns into failure.

[0039] A standard arrangement could therefore comprehend a sensor, a power supply, a transmitter and even a tuned specific receiver if needed; of course the alerting signals can also easily be forwarded to smart-phones or other similar apparatus.

[0040] Such system made by topwork ad sensor will immediately act if the diaphragm, gasket, gland-pack, o-ring or layer, which is separating the topwork from the valve body, brakes or starts leaking for any kind of permeability: by permeability, beside gasses and liquids, it should also be comprehended light and temperature as both of them are capable to hold energetic values. Permeability of UV light, i.e. could lead in a short time to a diaphragm leakage or breakage.

[0041] These leakages may occur with any kind of valve but this system is designed to allow an intervention before an irreparable spill may occur, in a way to discourage a major disaster; this meaning that the system will necessarily need to be placed in between the seal separating the fluid from the interception system (diaphragm ie) and the seal which is separating the topwork to the external environment.

[0042] This means that the best combination for this device is the one with valves which are tight-sealed towards the environment: when the alarm is activated there will be the time for stopping the system and replacing the festered diaphragm with a new one without major damages.

Examples of how it Will be Used

[0043] Primarily diaphragm and pinch valves, as well as soft seated valves, can encounter significant problems during their functioning installation in plants or systems and, one of these, is the rupture/failure of the elastomer or polymer parts.

[0044] The consequences are and have been of various kinds, both economic and for the health of the operators.

[0045] It happens, and happened, that a failure of such kind causes a disaster, provoking the destruction of huge quantities of goods but, worse, it causes human deaths and medical disabilities.

[0046] For example, a plant with hydro-sulfuric acid in its lines is a very common situation although its caustic media is an extremely dangerous matter.

[0047] But it can happen that the diaphragm or other seals break for inappropriate use in time or for improper replacement of them: these are two common situations although not so advertised; often products inside the line are also promoters of terrific explosions with poison fall-outs.

[0048] If this happens with highly hazardous products, volatile and tremendously poisonous, the problem could raise values of a huge concern.

[0049] Chemical and biotechnology-pharmaceutical companies would be the most interested in such kind of application, although the entire industry world could find important benefits in its application, even to control compressed air losses.

[0050] Economically, it should be relevant to the expected reduction of insurance fees, both the generic ones for damages to plant and environment and those dedicated to labor incidents, especially the fatal ones.