Patent ID: 11867589
Assignee: SWAGELOK COMPANY
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  F | IPC F  G

Claim 12:
13. An actuated valve system comprising:
a valve including a flow controlling valve element;
an actuator assembled with the valve and including a fluid driven actuator member operatively connected with the valve element and movable from a normal position to an actuated position in response to pressurization of an inlet port of the actuator;
a pilot valve connected with the actuator inlet port by an actuator supply line, the pilot valve being operable to supply pressurized gas to the actuator supply line in a first position, and to exhaust pressurized gas from the actuator supply line in a second position;
a sensor connected with the actuator supply line, the sensor being configured to measure pressure changes corresponding to a fluid flow condition in the actuator supply line during a first time period, the measured pressure changes defining a valve cycle pressure profile including a first inflection point indicating a decrease in a rate of pressure increase corresponding to an increased volume in the actuator upstream from the actuator member resulting from movement of the actuator member from the normal position to the actuated position; and
a controller in circuit communication with the sensor, the controller being configured to compare the first inflection point with a first predetermined inflection point corresponding to an expected inlet pressure and time of actuation for movement of the actuator member from the normal position to the actuated position to identify a non-compliant condition in at least one of the valve and the actuator, and to generating an output communicating the identified non-compliant condition.