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Pros & Cons of Gas Flowmeters Evolution of Digital Valves Q&A: Understanding Mixing & Agitation
Pros & Cons of Gas Flowmeters Evolution of Digital Valves Q&A: Understanding Mixing & Agitation
Pros & Cons of Gas Flowmeters Evolution of Digital Valves Q&A: Understanding Mixing & Agitation
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ontrol valves have drawn more and more attention in recent valve stem to “feel” the motion of the valve. This technique was,
years, and modern diagnostic technologies and techniques certainly, more of an art than a science. Determining whether the
are helping them shine under this increased scrutiny. motion of the valve was “normal” required a unique skill set and
For many years, end-users focused on infrastructure-related significant experience. And unless the valve’s motion was jerky
assets, invested in advanced process control system equipment, (sticking and slipping), this technique provided no clues as to
and, following the tragedy of 9/11, tightened plant security. what might be wrong with the valve.
Meanwhile, control valves, while essential, were line items buried Veteran technicians also will recall using pencil and paper to
in the maintenance budget. record pressure readings from the gauge on a valve’s actuator
The script is different today, however, thanks to global com- and valve positions from a dial caliper. These readings would then
petition and growing pressure to increase profits, boost plant be used to calculate friction and spring range.
performance, and improve process reliability. The final control
element has a direct impact on a facility’s operational excellence Valve Diagnostics Timeline: 1980s
– a combination of profitability, plant efficiency, quality, and safety The 1980s saw the introduction of computers and portable data
– putting it squarely on the radar screens of maintenance teams acquisition systems into process control facilities. These portable
and reliability and process control engineers. systems (Figure 1) used external sensors to measure the forces
This, in turn, has made valve diagnostics more important than generated by a valve’s actuator and used a travel sensor to mea-
ever. To keep a plant’s control valves performing optimally, the sure the valve’s motion. It was the birth of the valve signature
end-user must be able to monitor each concept.
valve’s performance and have actionable These portable valve diagnostic tools
information to use in identifying which were (and still are) highly effective for vali-
valves require maintenance, accurately dating the health of a control valve before
diagnosing valve problems, and planning putting it in service or for verifying a valve’s
maintenance activities. And they need to condition post-repair. They also are still
have this information in hand before valve successfully used to diagnose the health of
problems impact process performance. control valves equipped with analog posi-
Diagnostic methodologies and technolo- tioners.
gies for control valves have evolved greatly These tools are not, however, user-
in the past 20 years with the advent of friendly. The diagnostic process is time-
microprocessor-based valve positioners consuming, taking at least one hour per
and the introduction of user-friendly ways valve. Personnel must be specially trained
to integrate the information into the super- in installing the sensors. Analyzing the data
visory system. This article will review the so that it becomes actionable information
milestones in this evolution and describe involves significant number-crunching.
how online valve diagnostics (OVD) can help Personnel may be required to enter poten-
Figure 1. The 1980s saw the introduction of
improve process integrity by giving opera- portable data acquisition systems that used
tially hazardous areas to conduct tests. And
tions personnel the information they need to external sensors to measure the forces gener- using these tools is more disruptive than
address problems early, before they become ated by a valve’s actuator and a travel sensor using newer options, as it requires that the
major issues. It also will discuss the various to measure the valve’s motion. process be shut down or the control valve
types of diagnostic information that can be bypassed.
provided by digital valve positioners and explain how to integrate
this information with a plant asset management solution. Valve Diagnostics Timeline: 1990s
The 1990s were marked by the introduction of microprocessors
Valve Diagnostics Timeline: Pre-1980 placed inside valve positioners – the birth of digital valve posi-
Prior to the 1980s, control valves could not be monitored remote- tioners (DVPs). This decade also saw a transition from proprietary
ly and diagnosing a problem valve involved the use of mechanical field communication protocols to open digital communication
tools and techniques that could only be mastered through exten- standards such as the HART Protocol, the Foundation fieldbus,
sive hands-on experience. and PROFIBUS.
It was not uncommon to see a technician apply a finger to a The new DVPs had embedded sensors to measure the pressure
moving the actuator and a travel sensor to track valve motion. This such as low air supply or position deviation.
made them significantly more user-friendly, because the end-user This data can be valuable in predicting eventual
did not need to complete any mechanical setup in order to measure failures or process control deficiencies, or in helping determine
the force that moved the valve and track the valve’s actual position. whether a valve has been improperly selected for a given applica-
In addition, the new DVPs allowed embedded test routines, in tion.
which the positioner would modulate the valve while measuring data In addition, because the values are continuously monitored
from embedded sensors. This essentially eliminated the need for and the data is saved by the DVP, the integration to a historian
portable data acquisition systems, allowing the masses to make their is seamless. In other words, continuous communication with the
own signatures. Yet skills in analyzing signatures were still necessary DVP is not necessary in order to collect the data because the DVP
and the tests were as intrusive as those completed with portable functions as a “field server” of control valve information.
diagnostic tools. Offline: Offline diagnostic information can only be obtained by
There also was no open standard that all valve manufacturers sending a command to the DVP using the vendor’s software to
used to analyze the signature results and display them to the initiate a test or to start the acquisition of specific data. The com-
end-user. Each manufacturer had its own proprietary software mand triggers a routine inside the positioner that modulates the
that required additional hardware and software if the user wanted valve and gathers data from the built-in sensors.
to remotely access the data. Equipment from various manufactur- Typically, the valve must be isolated and bypassed in order to
ers could not be easily integrated, creating “islands of informa- allow the test to stroke the valve back and forth. The result is
tion” that were frustrating and costly to use and support. a signature that will provide insight into the mechanical condi-
tion of the valve, including how well the valve closes and how
Valve Diagnostics Timeline: 2000 – Today it responds to an input signal. Essentially, the offline signature
The early 21st century has been marked by two significant delivers the same results that are provided by portable data
advances that have helped process facilities address such acquisition systems, but it is much easier to execute a signature
emerging challenges as reduced staffing, the location of facilities with a DVP because the necessary sensors are built into the posi-
in evermore remote places, and globalization. tioner, rather than installed separately to the outside of the DVP
First is the introduction of open standards that present diag- by the end-user.
nostic information to the end-user in a common fashion, allowing Online Valve Diagnostics: This type of diagnostic information
devices from various manufacturers to communicate with each is described as “online” because it is gathered while the valve
other and allowing end-users to “mix and match” devices from is controlling a live process. The condition of a control valve can
various manufacturers to best meet their needs. be assessed without disabling the positioner and interfering with
Second is the advent of online valve diagnostics technology plant operations.
that allows sensor and other data from DVPs to be gathered, Data is gathered from the DVP’s built-in sensors as the DVP
analyzed and delivered to the end-user – all automatically and modulates the valve. Once the data is gathered, fault-modeling
all while the process continues running. Without disrupting the techniques are applied to quantify Key Performance Indicators
process, valves can be tested and drifting Key Performance (KPIs), such as friction, initial and final spring settings, response
Indicators (KPIs) can be identified before they begin impacting speed, positioning accuracy, and position lag. The KPIs are then
production. And rather than raw data, the end-user receives compared to the nominal values; if they are found to be outside
actionable information, eliminating the need for complex calcula- the desired range, fault-modeling techniques will identify the pos-
tions and data analysis and helping the end-user more quickly sible cause of the deviation.
determine the appropriate course of action. In addition, KPIs are monitored and analyzed over time, allow-
ing plant personnel to identify trends and estimate when the valve
The “Flavors” of Diagnostic Information will require attention. Predictive maintenance can then be com-
While diagnostics for control valves have evolved significantly, pleted before the valve malfunctions and impacts the process.
end-users can still be confused by the various “flavors” of diag- For example, steadily decreasing friction is a sign of packing and
nostic information that are available. Diagnostic information can stem wear that could result in fluid leaking to the atmosphere,
be divided into three general categories – continuous, offline indicating to plant personnel that the packing should be tightened
and online – based on the type of data provided and how it is to prevent leaking and that the valve should be flagged to receive
gathered. more comprehensive maintenance in the near future.
Continuous: Continuous diagnostic information is defined as The table in Figure 2 offers a snapshot of the various aspects
data saved in the non-volatile memory of a digital positioner. It of valve performance and condition that can be tracked using
can include cycle count (number of valve reversals); accumulated each of the diagnostic “flavors.”
travel; hours of operation closed, near closed and open, etc. It
also includes DVP alerts initiated by the positioner to notify the Diagnostic Capabilities & Limitations
end-user of device performance issues or abnormal conditions, Each of the three diagnostic information “flavors” offers a differ-
DVP Performance √ √ √
DVP Condition √ √
Runtime Information √
Seat Profile √
Seat Load √
Static Performance √
Packing Condition √ √ Figure 3. DVPs capture valve performance data and then transfer it to an
asset management station using one of several communication protocols.
Bellows Condition √ √ The asset management station then converts the data into actionable in-
formation that can be used by plant personnel in assessing and addressing
Guide Friction √ √ valve performance.