ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A VALVE AND AT LEAST ONE CONNECTOR

Abstract

Disclosed is an assembly comprising a valve and a connector. The assembly (1) comprising: - a valve (10); - a monitoring circuit (4); - at least one connector (2) intended to be placed upstream or downstream of the valve (10), comprising at least one sensor and a communication circuit for transmitting data, to the monitoring circuit (4), that relates to a measurement carried out by the sensor, the monitoring circuit (4) being designed to transmit said data to a processor outside the assembly and/or to generate operating diagnostic information of the valve on die basis of the transmitted data.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An assembly comprising: a valve; a monitoring circuit configured to monitor the valve; a sensor configured to measure a parameter of the assembly and/or a parameter of a fluid flowing through the valve and generate corresponding measurement data; and a communication circuit configured to transmit the measurement data to the monitoring circuit, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to transmit the measurement data to a processor disposed outside the assembly and/or to generate diagnostic information regarding operation of the valve based on the measurement data.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the valve is an angle seat valve, a thermal valve, or a solenoid valve.

18. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the communication circuit is connected to the monitoring circuit by a wired link or a wireless link.

19. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the communication circuit is powered by an internal energy source.

20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the communication circuit and the monitoring circuit are configured to communicate using low-energy near-field communication (NFC) technology.

21. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the internal energy source is a battery or a device for generating energy.

22. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to be connected to a display configured to display the diagnostic information.

23. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to measure at least one of a position of the valve, a control pressure of the valve, a current of the valve, and/or a local temperature of the valve.

24. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the monitoring circuit comprises a processor configured to process the measurement data and generate the diagnostic information.

25. The assembly of claim 24, wherein the diagnostic information comprises at least one of a response time of the valve, a number cycles the valve has operated, and/or a number of remaining operating cycles of the valve before maintenance.

26. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to predict a change in at least one operating condition of the valve.

27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to predict the at least on change based a correlation of the sensor data and at least one characteristic of the valve, using a machine-learning algorithm.

28. The assembly of claim 16, further comprising: a connector fluidly connected to the valve and disposed upstream or downstream of the valve with respect to a flow direction of a fluid through the valve; and a casing attached to the connector, wherein the sensor and the communication circuit are disposed in the connector and the monitoring circuit is disposed in the casing.

29. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the sensor comprises at least one sensor configured to measure (a) a temperature of the fluid, (b) a pressure of the fluid, and/or (c) an amplitude and/or frequency of (i) a vibration of the fluid, (ii) a vibration of the connector, (iii) a vibration of a pipe connected to the connector, and/or (iv) a vibration of the valve.

30. The assembly of claim 16, further comprising: a first connector fluidly connected to the valve and disposed upstream of the valve with respect to a flow direction of a fluid through the valve; and a second connector fluidly connected to the valve and disposed downstream of the valve with respect to the flow direction of a fluid through the valve, wherein the sensor comprise a first sensor disposed in the first connector and a second sensor disposed in the second connector, and wherein the communication circuit comprises a first communication circuit disposed in the first connector and a second communication circuit disposed in the second connector.

31. A method of monitoring a valve and/or an installation comprising the valve, the method comprising connecting an assembly to the valve, wherein the assembly comprises: a monitoring circuit configured to monitor the valve; a sensor configured to measure a parameter of the assembly and/or a parameter of a fluid flowing through the valve and generate corresponding measurement data; and a communication circuit configured to transmit the measurement data to the monitoring circuit, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to transmit the measurement data to a processor disposed outside the assembly and/or to generate diagnostic information regarding operation of the valve based on the measurement data.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein: the assembly comprises a connector in which the sensor and the communication circuit are disposed; and the connecting an assembly to the valve comprises fluidly connecting the connector to the valve, upstream or downstream of the valve with respect to a flow direction of a fluid through the valve.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the sensor is configured to (A) measure (1) at least one parameter of a fluid flowing though the valve and/or (2) at least one parameter of the assembly, and (B) generate corresponding measurement data.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to measure at least one of a position of the valve, a control pressure in the valve, a current of the valve, and/or a local temperature of the valve.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the monitoring circuit comprises a processor configured to: generate diagnostic information regarding operation of the valve, based on the measurement data and the at least one operating condition of the valve; and predict a change in at least one operating condition of the valve, based on a correlation of the sensor data and at least one characteristic of the valve, using a machine-learning algorithm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The invention will be able to be better understood upon reading the following detailed description of non-limiting exemplary implementations thereof, and upon examining the appended drawing, in which:

[0049] FIG. 1 schematically and partially shows an example of an assembly according to the invention,

[0050] FIG. 2 schematically and partially shows, in axial section, an example of a connector according to the invention,

[0051] FIG. 3 schematically and partially shows an example of a variant of an assembly according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] FIG. 1 shows an example of an assembly 1 according to the invention, comprising a valve 10, a casing 40 that houses a circuit 4 for monitoring the valve, and two connectors 2, respectively upstream and downstream of the valve 10. In a variant, the assembly comprises only one single connector 2, for example mounted upstream or downstream of the valve 10, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0053] In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the valve 10 is an angle seat valve, the invention however not being limited to one particular type of valve and being able to be applied to other types of valves, for example a solenoid valve or a thermal valve. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the connector 2 is placed upstream of the valve 10, between the inflow or outflow pipe of the fluid and the seat of the valve 10.

[0054] The valve 10 comprises a unit for actuating the shutter, which unit is for example housed at least partially in the above-mentioned casing 40. This actuation unit converts for example a command signal for opening or closing the valve into a movement of the shutter of the valve.

[0055] Each connector 2 may comprise a male or female thread which is screwed to a corresponding female or male thread of the body of the valve 10. Each connector 2 preferably has two male ends, two female ends or one male end and one female end for connecting to a pipe and to the valve 10. These ends are preferably fitted with standard threads, for example conical or cylindrical threads, for example of metric type, in particular 5×10, 8×13, 12×17, 15×21, 20×27, 26×34, 33×42, 40×49 or 50×60, the invention however not being limited to one type of end or to one particular dimension of thread. The body of the valve 10 is preferably metallic, as are the connecting ends of each connector 2, but as a variant these are made of plastic. Where appropriate, the valve and the connector are equipped with quick-connection ends or conical-clamping ends. The connection may be made by way of a ring which is screwed.

[0056] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the connector 2 comprises at least one sensor 21 and a communication circuit 22 for transmitting to the monitoring circuit 4 data relating to a measurement carried out by the sensor 21. These data are preferably related to the fluid which is flowing. The monitoring circuit 4 is designed to generate diagnostic information regarding operation of the valve on the basis of the transmitted data.

[0057] The assembly may comprise a means 3 for displaying the generated diagnostic information regarding operation of the valve, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0058] Each connector 2 may comprise more than one sensor 21.

[0059] In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the connector 2 comprises four sensors for measuring the temperature, the pressure of the fluid, a vibration and a noise, respectively.

[0060] The communication circuit 22 may be connected to the monitoring circuit 4 by a wireless link, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. This may in particular be realized using near-field wireless connection technologies of NFC type.

[0061] The monitoring circuit 4 may be configured to provide information on an operating parameter of the valve 10, and for example to measure a position of the shutter of the valve, a control pressure in the case of an angle seat valve, a current in the case of a solenoid valve and/or a local temperature.

[0062] The monitoring circuit 4 may comprise a processor configured to process the data coming from the sensors 21 of the connector 2, in order to provide additional information to the control system 3 and/or to have available an additional information on the behavior of the valve 10.

[0063] For example, it is possible, thanks to the information arising from the measurements carried out by the or each connector 2, to calculate parameters which otherwise would not have been able to be determined solely from the information coming from the valve 10 used without the connector 2.

[0064] This or these parameters calculated in this way concern for example the response time of the valve. It is possible to measure the response time between the arrival of the control signal and the actual closure or actual opening of the valve, for example, and from this information to detect any deviation from an expected value, which would for example be characteristic of a failure of the valve and/or of clogging thereof.

[0065] It is also possible to analyze the operational noise of the valve and to compare a detected spectral signature with an expected signature and, in the case of a difference beyond a predefined threshold, to generate an alert or to request that complementary measurements be carried out.

[0066] It is also possible to carry out measurements using the connector with a view to detecting a drop in pressure or a leak, and more generally any phenomenon which may be indicative of a malfunction of the valve or of the system in which the valve is included.

[0067] The information delivered by the or each connector 2, where appropriate combined with that coming from the valve 10 itself, may be used in the scope of predictive maintenance, and provide information for example on a future risk of a failure or a difference in the operating conditions with respect to a present situation.

[0068] These predictions may in particular concern a drop in pressure, a rise in operating temperature, a fault with the shutter of the valve, a change in the properties of the fluid which is flowing through the connector and the valve, and/or any other behavior of the valve.

[0069] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments that have just been described.

[0070] For example, the communication circuit 22 may be connected to the monitoring circuit 4 by a wired link 23, as illustrated in FIG. 3.