Set pressure measuring system

Claim 1

Apparatus for monitoring the set pressure of the valve coupled to a port in a pressure line having an internal pressure S p , said port having an effective area A s , wherein said valve includes a closure element movable between a first limit position sealing said port and a second limit position opening said port, and includes a springloaded means for biasing said closure element towards said first limit position, comprising: A. position transducer for generating a position signal representative of the position of said closure element between said first and second limit positions, B. forcer means selectively operable to apply a force ramp to said closure element in the direction opposite to said bias provided by said springloaded means, C. force transducer for generating a force signal representative of the force applied to the said closure element by said forcer means, D. controller means selectively operable to control a set point measurement cycle, including: means for activating said forcer means, means for monitoring said position transducer and said force transducer, and for detecting a test time when said position signal is representative of a predetermined displacement of said closure element from said first limit position, and, in response to said detection, for disabling said forcer means and computing a signal T p representative of the set pressure of said valve in accordance with T.sub.p =S.sub.p +F/A.sub.s where F is representative of the force signal at said test time, S p is representative of said internal pressure, and A s is representative of the effective area of said port.

Claim 5

A system for monitoring the set pressure of a plurality of remote valves, each valve being coupled to an associated port in a pressure line, wherein each of said valves includes a closure element movable between a first limit position sealing its associated port and a second limit position opening its associated port, and includes a springloaded means for biasing said closure element towards said first limit position, comprising: A. a set pressure test means associated with and coupled to each of said remote valves, each of said test means including: position transducer for generating a position signal representative of the position of the closure element of said associated valve between said first and second limit positions, forcer means selectively operable to apply a force ramp to the closure element of said associated valve in the direction opposite to said bias provided by the springloaded means of said associated valve force transducer for generating a force signal representative of the force applied to the closure element of said associated valve by said forcer means, and B. a central controller and associated means for interconnecting said controller and said remote valves, said controller being selectively operable to control a set point measurement cycle for each of said remote valves, said controller including: means for activating said forcer means associated with said remote valves, means for monitoring said position transducers and said force transducers associated with said remote valves, and for detecting test times for each respective valve when the position signal associated with said responsive valve is representative of a predetermined displacement of the closure element of the associated valve from said first limit position, and, in response to said detection, for disabling said forcer means for said respective valve and computing a signal T p repesentative of the set pressure of said respective valve in accordance with T.sub.p =S.sub.p +F/A.sub.s where F is representative of the force signal at said test time for said respective valve, S p is representative of the pressure in said pressure line at said respective valve, and A s is representative of the effective area of said port of said respective valve.

Claim 6

A system for monitoring the set pressure of a plurality of remote valves, each valve being coupled to an associated port in a pressure line, wherein each of said valves includes a closure element movable between a first limit position sealing its associated port and a second limit position opening its associated port, and includes a springloaded means for biasing said closure element towards said first limit position, comprising: A. a set pressure test means associated with and coupled to each of said remote valves, each of said test means including: position transducer for generating a position signal representative of the position of the closure element of said associated valve between said first and second limit positions, forcer means selectively operable to apply a force ramp to the closure element of said associated valve in the direction opposite to said bias provided by the springloaded means of said associated valve force transducer for generating a force signal representative of the force applied to the closure element of said associated valve by said forcer means, and B. a central controller and associated means for interconnecting said controller and said remote valves, said controller being selectively operable to control a set point measurement cycle for each of said remote valves, said controller including: means for activating said forcer means associated with said remote valves, means for monitoring said position transducers and said force transducers associated with said remote valves, and for detecting test times for each respective valve when the position signal associated with said responsive valve is representative of a predetermined displacement of the closure element of the associated valve from said first limit position, and, in response to said detection, for disabling said forcer means for said respective valve and computing a signal T p repesentative of the set pressure of said respective valve in accordance with T.sub.p =S.sub.p +F/A.sub.s where F is representative of the force signal at said test time for said respective valve, S p is representative of the pressure in said pressure line at said respective valve, and A s is representative of the effective area of said port of said respective valve.