Method and Apparatus for Monitoring and On-demand Lubricating of Industrial Valves

Abstract

A method of monitoring industrial valve actuation and maintaining an industrial valve by lubricating it on-demand and in coordination with in-service valve operations through an automated system eliminating downtime and / or exposure of personnel to hazardous environments through centralized lubricant supply and spent fluid collections.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCross-Reference to Related Applications[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) from co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 825,342, by Jason Pitcher, “Method and Apparatus for Automatically Greasing Valves” filed Mar. 28, 2019, which, by this statement, is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates generally to maintenance of valves for control of fluid flow. More particularly, the invention relates to automatic preventative maintenance greasing, or lubricating, of industrial valves in-service through coordination with regular operational valve operations.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Many industrial operations are dependent on the ability to control the flow of fluids. Valves are commonly used to control passage through pipes and hoses as well as in / out of equipment, vessels, etc. Valves regulate the flow of gasses, liquids, slurries, or loose materials (her...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The innovation described in this patent text is a system that automates valve maintenance by monitoring valve operation and delivering lubricant on-demand. This avoids downtime for maintenance or repairs and reduces the risk of injury to maintenance personnel. The system uses a programmable logic controller to monitor valve operations and deliver lubricant when required. It also takes into account the specific valve and application environment to ensure proper lubrication. The system can also vent the valve body to prevent pressure locking and thermal binding, and it allows for minimally disruptive lubrication of valves during maintenance. Overall, the system improves valve maintenance and reduces downtime and costs.

Problems solved by technology

This can lead to eventual codification of the standards by regulatory agencies, resulting in mandatory compliance requirements with enforcement under penalty of law.

However, gate valves should only be used in the fully open or closed positions; never for throttling purposes.

Force, heat, and / or chemicals can break down lubricant and washout the valve's body cavity leaving the stem, gate, and seats unlubricated and open to wear.

Unfortunately, transitioning between the open and closed states means that at least some of the time a gate will be partially open.

While sufficient for continuously operating machinery that can be lubricated at regular intervals, or joints that can be lubricated intermittently, these methods do not work for valves which require specific positions during lubrication, may require cycling, and may require injection pressure monitoring.

The required maintenance is dangerous to perform around the high-pressure lines but shutting down operations and relieving line pressure to allow lubrication is a costly option.

However, lubricant quantity for the body cavity is dependent on the valve's bore size and pressure rating, often requiring over 20 lbs. of grease, more than many hand pumps can deliver.

This means that the typical frac-job requiring 20 frac-ops to complete the well, will result in a conservative estimate of 50 valves cycling 20 times with 5 cycles between lubrications, each using a minimum of 25 lbs. of grease, consumes literally more than 2 tons of grease.

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