EP2564101A1 - A valve unit with a sensor device for monitoring the position of a plug on its operating path with respect to a corresponding valve seat, particularly for supplying gas through a gas metering apparatus - Google Patents

A valve unit with a sensor device for monitoring the position of a plug on its operating path with respect to a corresponding valve seat, particularly for supplying gas through a gas metering apparatus

Info

Publication number
EP2564101A1
EP2564101A1 EP11715705A EP11715705A EP2564101A1 EP 2564101 A1 EP2564101 A1 EP 2564101A1 EP 11715705 A EP11715705 A EP 11715705A EP 11715705 A EP11715705 A EP 11715705A EP 2564101 A1 EP2564101 A1 EP 2564101A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
plug
path
magnetic
valve unit
pair
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP11715705A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Michele Bortoliero
Luca Peron
Teodora Plaian
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Metersit Srl
Original Assignee
Metersit Srl
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Metersit Srl filed Critical Metersit Srl
Publication of EP2564101A1 publication Critical patent/EP2564101A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K37/00—Special means in or on valves or other cut-off apparatus for indicating or recording operation thereof, or for enabling an alarm to be given
    • F16K37/0025—Electrical or magnetic means
    • F16K37/0033—Electrical or magnetic means using a permanent magnet, e.g. in combination with a reed relays
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K37/00—Special means in or on valves or other cut-off apparatus for indicating or recording operation thereof, or for enabling an alarm to be given
    • F16K37/0025—Electrical or magnetic means
    • F16K37/0041—Electrical or magnetic means for measuring valve parameters
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F15/00—Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus
    • G01F15/005—Valves

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a valve unit with a sensor device for monitoring the position of a plug with respect to a corresponding valve seat, having the features described in the preamble of Claim 1 which is the principal claim.
  • the invention lies particularly, but not exclusively, within the field of valve units which are intended to control the supply of gas in gas metering apparatus, and which are therefore designed for remote operation, typically with reduced energy consumption by the actuators used.
  • valve units which are intended to control the supply of gas in gas metering apparatus, and which are therefore designed for remote operation, typically with reduced energy consumption by the actuators used.
  • valve unit having the aforementioned features is described in Italian patent application PD2009A000257.
  • the precise determination of the position of the plug on its operating path is essential for the purpose of monitoring the closed or open position of the valve seat, in order to control the operation of the meter correctly to allow the flow of gas or shut it off according to the various specified operating conditions.
  • the object of the invention is to improve the aforesaid functions by providing a valve unit having a more sensitive position sensor device such that the position of the plug can be detected more precisely.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic view in axial section of a valve unit made according to the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a schematic view on an enlarged scale of a detail of the invention shown in Figure 1, and
  • Figure 3 is a view corresponding to that of Figure 2, in a variant embodiment of the detail depicted.
  • the number 1 indicates the whole of a valve unit made according to the invention.
  • This unit is positioned in a gas flow conduit, indicated by 2, and comprises a valve seat 3 located between an inlet section and an outlet section of the conduit (not shown), which are formed, for example, in a gas meter, to which the invention is particularly applicable.
  • valve seat 3 and the corresponding plug 4 are mounted coaxially with each other in an axial direction indicated by X, along which the operating path of the plug from and towards the corresponding valve seat lies.
  • the plug 4 is fixed to an actuator rod, indicated by 5, which is connected for operation to a motor 6 which can impart a translational movement to the rod along the axis X.
  • the number 7 indicates a return spring acting between the plug 4 and a static part of the valve unit, this spring tending to cause the plug to close the valve seat.
  • valve unit For the monitoring of the position of the plug 4 along the axial direction X, the valve unit is provided with a Hall effect sensor device, indicated as a whole by 10, as will be explained more fully in the remainder of the description.
  • the sensor 10 is conveniently of a magnetic type and comprises a first part 10a including the sensing element 11 of the sensor, fixed to the rod 5 of the actuator by means of a support 12, and a second magnetic part 10b, adapted to interact with the sensing element 11 of the sensor.
  • the part 10b is fixed to the static structure of the valve unit and comprises a first and a second pair of magnetic dipoles, indicated by 14 and 15 respectively, each pair comprising a first and a second dipole ( 14a, 14b; 15a, 15b) and each dipole having opposite polarities (North-South) which are adjacent to each other.
  • the dipoles of each pair 14, 15 are interconnected by a transition zone, represented schematically by a line 16, as shown in the drawings.
  • the pairs of magnetic dipoles 14, 15 are positioned in alignment with each other along a direction parallel to the axial direction X along which the path of the plug is defined.
  • the transition zones (16) of the pairs of dipoles are located in respective positions indicated by A and B in the drawings which correspond to the ends of the path reached in one direction and in the opposite direction by the plug in its movement from and towards the valve seat.
  • the arrangement of the pairs of magnetic dipoles 14 and 15 is such that the magnetic charges of two of the dipoles which belong to separate pairs and are located in positions adjacent to and facing each other have the same polarity, as is shown clearly in Figures 2 and 3 on an enlarged scale, these figures relating to corresponding configurations which are alternative to each other.
  • This arrangement enables the position of the plug, which is moved between the opposing transition zones of the dipoles, to be monitored with high precision, owing to the interaction of the sensing element 11 of the sensor with the zone in which there is an inversion of the magnetic field generated by each of the pairs of dipoles 14 and 15. This makes it possible to determine the open or closed position of the valve seat in a highly accurate way.
  • the sensor device 10 of the invention can obviously be provided in valve units having different configurations, such as that described in patent application PD2009A000257, incorporated herein by reference as a variant embodiment with which the sensor device 10 described above can be associated.
  • the accuracy of reading of the sensor is a function of the accuracy with which the positions on the path to be detected are associated with the transition zones of each pair of magnetic dipoles.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Length, Angles, Or The Like Using Electric Or Magnetic Means (AREA)
  • Measuring Volume Flow (AREA)
  • Indication Of The Valve Opening Or Closing Status (AREA)

Abstract

What is described is a valve unit for controlling the supply of a combustible gas, particularly through a gas meter, of the type comprising a plug (4) associated with a corresponding valve seat (3), the plug being fixed to an operating rod (5) which is movably guided by an actuator means from and towards the valve seat (3) along an operating path defined by at least two opposing end positions, and a position sensor device (10) of the Hall effect type, associated for operation with the plug (4) to detect the position of the latter along the path with respect to a static structure of the valve unit, the sensor (10) including a first part fixed to the static structure and a second part fixed to the operating rod (5) of the plug. The Hall effect sensor device (10) is of the magnetic type and one of the first and second parts comprises the sensing element of the sensor (10) and the other of the parts comprises a first and a second pair (14, 15) of magnetic dipoles, each pair including a first and a second magnetic dipole (14a, 14b; 15a, 15b), each of opposite polarity, separated by a corresponding transition zone. The corresponding transition zones are positioned at the corresponding end positions of the path, and magnetic charges of the dipoles of the first and second pair (14, 15), which are adjacent to and face each other, along the path, have the same polarity.

Description

A VALVE UNIT WITH A SENSOR DEVICE FOR MONITORING THE POSITION OF A PLUG ON ITS OPERATING PATH WITH RESPECT TO A CORRESPONDING VALVE SEAT, PARTICULARLY FOR SUPPLYING GAS THROUGH A GAS METERING APPARATUS
Technical field
The present invention relates to a valve unit with a sensor device for monitoring the position of a plug with respect to a corresponding valve seat, having the features described in the preamble of Claim 1 which is the principal claim.
Technological background
The invention lies particularly, but not exclusively, within the field of valve units which are intended to control the supply of gas in gas metering apparatus, and which are therefore designed for remote operation, typically with reduced energy consumption by the actuators used. In these specific applications there is a known way of controlling the opening and closing of the gas passage within the meter by means of plugs which interact with corresponding valve seats, and which are associated with electrically operated actuators.
An example of a valve unit having the aforementioned features is described in Italian patent application PD2009A000257.
In applications in gas meters of the aforesaid type, the precise determination of the position of the plug on its operating path is essential for the purpose of monitoring the closed or open position of the valve seat, in order to control the operation of the meter correctly to allow the flow of gas or shut it off according to the various specified operating conditions.
There is a known way of monitoring the position by using position sensors, particularly Hall effect sensors, which are used to determine the position of the plug by detecting signals indicating the open and closed positions of the valve seat on which the plug acts. Description of the invention
The object of the invention is to improve the aforesaid functions by providing a valve unit having a more sensitive position sensor device such that the position of the plug can be detected more precisely.
This object is achieved by the invention by means of a valve unit made in accordance with the following claims.
Brief description of the drawings
Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description of a preferred example of embodiment thereof, illustrated, for the purpose of illustration and in a non-limiting way, in the attached drawings, in which :
Figure 1 is a schematic view in axial section of a valve unit made according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic view on an enlarged scale of a detail of the invention shown in Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a view corresponding to that of Figure 2, in a variant embodiment of the detail depicted.
Preferred embodiment of the invention
With reference to the above drawings, the number 1 indicates the whole of a valve unit made according to the invention. This unit is positioned in a gas flow conduit, indicated by 2, and comprises a valve seat 3 located between an inlet section and an outlet section of the conduit (not shown), which are formed, for example, in a gas meter, to which the invention is particularly applicable.
Preferably, the valve seat 3 and the corresponding plug 4 are mounted coaxially with each other in an axial direction indicated by X, along which the operating path of the plug from and towards the corresponding valve seat lies. For its operation, the plug 4 is fixed to an actuator rod, indicated by 5, which is connected for operation to a motor 6 which can impart a translational movement to the rod along the axis X.
The number 7 indicates a return spring acting between the plug 4 and a static part of the valve unit, this spring tending to cause the plug to close the valve seat.
For the monitoring of the position of the plug 4 along the axial direction X, the valve unit is provided with a Hall effect sensor device, indicated as a whole by 10, as will be explained more fully in the remainder of the description.
The sensor 10 is conveniently of a magnetic type and comprises a first part 10a including the sensing element 11 of the sensor, fixed to the rod 5 of the actuator by means of a support 12, and a second magnetic part 10b, adapted to interact with the sensing element 11 of the sensor. The part 10b is fixed to the static structure of the valve unit and comprises a first and a second pair of magnetic dipoles, indicated by 14 and 15 respectively, each pair comprising a first and a second dipole ( 14a, 14b; 15a, 15b) and each dipole having opposite polarities (North-South) which are adjacent to each other. The dipoles of each pair 14, 15 are interconnected by a transition zone, represented schematically by a line 16, as shown in the drawings.
According to the invention, the pairs of magnetic dipoles 14, 15 are positioned in alignment with each other along a direction parallel to the axial direction X along which the path of the plug is defined. Conveniently, the transition zones (16) of the pairs of dipoles are located in respective positions indicated by A and B in the drawings which correspond to the ends of the path reached in one direction and in the opposite direction by the plug in its movement from and towards the valve seat.
According to another feature of the invention, the arrangement of the pairs of magnetic dipoles 14 and 15 is such that the magnetic charges of two of the dipoles which belong to separate pairs and are located in positions adjacent to and facing each other have the same polarity, as is shown clearly in Figures 2 and 3 on an enlarged scale, these figures relating to corresponding configurations which are alternative to each other.
This arrangement enables the position of the plug, which is moved between the opposing transition zones of the dipoles, to be monitored with high precision, owing to the interaction of the sensing element 11 of the sensor with the zone in which there is an inversion of the magnetic field generated by each of the pairs of dipoles 14 and 15. This makes it possible to determine the open or closed position of the valve seat in a highly accurate way.
Because of the provision of an electronic plug monitoring system associated with the motor operating system, it is possible to implement a control logic which makes use of the analysis of the signal detected by the sensor 10 in its passage near the transition zones of each pair of magnetic dipoles 14, 15 in order to recognize and determine with high precision, as mentioned above, the movement of the plug as it reaches predetermined positions, for example the positions in which the valve seat is closed or open.
The sensor device 10 of the invention can obviously be provided in valve units having different configurations, such as that described in patent application PD2009A000257, incorporated herein by reference as a variant embodiment with which the sensor device 10 described above can be associated.
It should be noted that the accuracy of reading of the sensor is a function of the accuracy with which the positions on the path to be detected are associated with the transition zones of each pair of magnetic dipoles.
Thus the invention achieves the proposed objects while yielding the aforementioned advantages by comparison with the known solutions.

Claims

A valve unit for controlling the supply of a combustible gas, particularly through a gas meter, of the type comprising a plug (4) associated with a corresponding valve seat (3), the plug (4) being fixed to an operating rod (5) which is movably guided by an actuator means from and towards the valve seat (3) along an operating path defined by at least two opposing end positions, and a position sensor device ( 10) of the Hall effect type, associated for operation with the plug (4) to detect the position of the latter along the path with respect to a static structure of the valve unit, the sensor ( 10) including a first part fixed to the static structure and a second part fixed to the operating rod (5) of the plug, characterized in that the Hall effect sensor device ( 10) is of the magnetic type and one of the first and second parts comprises the sensing element of the sensor ( 10) and the other of the parts comprises a first and a second pair of magnetic dipoles ( 14, 15), each pair including a first and a second magnetic dipole ( 14a, 14b; 15a, 15b), each of opposite polarity, separated by a corresponding transition zone; in that the corresponding transition zones are positioned at the corresponding end positions of the path; and in that the magnetic charges of the dipoles of the first and second pair ( 14, 15), which are adjacent to and face each other, along the path, have the same polarity.
A valve unit according to Claim 1, wherein each pair ( 14, 15) of magnetic dipoles includes a first and a second magnetic dipole ( 14a, 14b; 15a, 15b) interconnected by a transition line ( 16), this line being associated with a corresponding end position of the path of the plug (4), which can be detected by the sensing element of the sensor (10) in its passage through the transition zone along its path.
EP11715705A 2010-04-28 2011-04-20 A valve unit with a sensor device for monitoring the position of a plug on its operating path with respect to a corresponding valve seat, particularly for supplying gas through a gas metering apparatus Withdrawn EP2564101A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITPD2010A000134A IT1399781B1 (en) 2010-04-28 2010-04-28 VALVE UNIT WITH SENSOR DEVICE FOR CHECKING THE POSITION OF A SHUTTER IN THE OPERATIONAL STROKE IN RELATION TO A RELEVANT VALVE SEAT, IN PARTICULAR FOR THE GAS DELIVERY THROUGH A GAS METER.
PCT/EP2011/056293 WO2011134855A1 (en) 2010-04-28 2011-04-20 A valve unit with a sensor device for monitoring the position of a plug on its operating path with respect to a corresponding valve seat, particularly for supplying gas through a gas metering apparatus

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2564101A1 true EP2564101A1 (en) 2013-03-06

Family

ID=43064544

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP11715705A Withdrawn EP2564101A1 (en) 2010-04-28 2011-04-20 A valve unit with a sensor device for monitoring the position of a plug on its operating path with respect to a corresponding valve seat, particularly for supplying gas through a gas metering apparatus

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2564101A1 (en)
IT (1) IT1399781B1 (en)
WO (1) WO2011134855A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DK2856444T3 (en) 2012-05-25 2017-10-30 Mueller Int Llc POSITION INDICATOR FOR VALVES
FR3028911B1 (en) * 2014-11-26 2017-04-28 Grdf DEVICE AND KIT FOR DETECTING THE STATUS OF A SAFETY VALVE OF A CONNECTING PART BETWEEN GAS PIPES

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5493216A (en) * 1993-09-08 1996-02-20 Asa Electronic Industry Co., Ltd. Magnetic position detector

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10054308A1 (en) * 2000-11-02 2002-06-13 Conti Temic Microelectronic Actuator for electromagnetic valve control has an arrangement for determination of actuator position without risk of displacement of the signal generator or demagnetization of a permanent magnet
DE10304551A1 (en) * 2003-02-04 2004-08-12 Mann + Hummel Gmbh Control element with position detection
DE102007062099B4 (en) * 2007-12-21 2015-07-16 Mahle International Gmbh Position detection device

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5493216A (en) * 1993-09-08 1996-02-20 Asa Electronic Industry Co., Ltd. Magnetic position detector

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of WO2011134855A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT1399781B1 (en) 2013-05-03
ITPD20100134A1 (en) 2011-10-29
WO2011134855A1 (en) 2011-11-03

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