GB2574272A

GB2574272A - Manifold valve assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2574272A
Application number: GB1809051.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Perkins Chris; Thornber Tom
Original assignee: Pneumatrol Ltd
Current assignee: Pneumatrol Ltd
Priority date: 2018-06-01
Filing date: 2018-06-01
Publication date: 2019-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-01
Also published as: GB201809051D0; GB2574272B

Abstract

A manifold valve assembly comprises a manifold 110 having a manifold inlet 112, a manifold outlet 114, and first and second shuttle valves (132, 134, Fig. 2) each having respective shuttle valve inlets and a shuttle valve outlet; and first, second, third and fourth electrically operable EO valves 150A, 150B, 150C, 150D having respective EO valve inlets and EO valve outlets. The manifold inlet 112 is coupled to the first and second EO valve inlets. The first and second EO valve outlets are coupled to respective first shuttle valve inlets. The first shuttle valve outlet is coupled to the third EO valve inlet. The second EO valve outlet is coupled to the fourth EO valve inlet. The third and fourth EO valve outlets are coupled to respective second shuttle valve inlets. The second shuttle valve outlet is coupled to the manifold outlet 114.

Description

MANIFOLD VALVE ASSEMBLY

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to manifold valve assemblies suitable for controlling pneumatically controllable valves and pneumatically controllable valve assemblies.

BACKGROUND

It is known to use pneumatically controllable valve assemblies in fluid processing facilities, such as chemical manufacturing and petrochemical processing plants, to isolate parts of the facility by closing a fluid pathway (e.g. a gas or liquid pipe). The pneumatically controlled valve assembly has a pneumatically controllable valve for closing the fluid pathway in response to a pneumatic signal (e.g. at least two pneumatic pressures) from an electrically controlled solenoid valve. The solenoid valve receives a pneumatic supply, which the solenoid valve switches to form the pneumatic signal in response to an electrical control signal.

Electrically controlled solenoid valves occasionally fail, leading to unscheduled downtime of fluid processing facilities, which is costly. To mitigate the risk of unscheduled downtime resulting from failures of the electrically controlled solenoid valves, the solenoid valves are subject to a routine maintenance programme, in which the solenoid valves are periodically replaced. The electrically controlled solenoid valves are often located in positions that are difficult to access, incurring substantial labour costs. However, errors during solenoid valve replacement may themselves additionally result in failure of newly installed solenoid valves, requiring further solenoid valve replacement. Accordingly, the routine maintenance programme may be costly as a result of maintenance labour and downtime.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a manifold valve assembly and a pneumatically controlled valve assembly, as set forth in the appended claims.

According to a first aspect, there is provided a manifold valve assembly comprising: a manifold having a manifold inlet, a manifold outlet, and first and second shuttle valves each having respective shuttle valve inlets and a shuttle valve outlet; and first, second, third and fourth electrically operable EO valves having respective EO valve inlets and EO valve outlets, wherein the manifold inlet is coupled to the first and second EO valve inlets; wherein the first and second EO valve outlets are coupled to respective first shuttle valve inlets; wherein the first shuttle valve outlet is coupled to the third EO valve inlet; wherein the second EO valve outlet is coupled to the fourth EO valve inlet; wherein the third and fourth EO valve outlets are coupled to respective second shuttle valve inlets; and wherein the second shuttle valve outlet is coupled to the manifold outlet.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a pneumatically controlled valve assembly comprising: a pneumatically controllable valve; and a manifold valve assembly according to the first aspect coupled for pneumatically controlling operation of the pneumatically controllable valve.

The manifold may comprise first, second, third and fourth isolation valves for closing the respective first, second, third and fourth EO valve inlets.

The isolation valve may be manually operable isolation valves.

User-access to each manually operable isolation valve may be restricted by a removable security plate.

EO The EO valve may be a solenoid valve. The EO valve may be a piezoelectrically operated valve.

The manifold may comprise an EO valve pressure sensor coupled to each of the EO valve outlets for outputting an electrical signal in correspondence with the pressure at the respective EO valve output.

The manifold valve assembly may comprise a controller configured to control operation of the EO valves.

The manifold valve assembly may be configured to detect electrical signals from the EO valve pressure sensors, and to identify failure of an EO valve.

The manifold may comprise a pressure indicator coupled to each of the EO valve outlets for providing a visual indication in correspondence with the pressure at the respective EO valve output.

The pneumatically controllable valve may be a spring-return actuated valve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples are further described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1A shows a perspective view of a manifold valve assembly;

• Figure 1B shows a plan view of the manifold valve assembly of Figure 1 A;

• Figure 1C shows a cutaway view through the manifold valve assembly of Figure 1B along the plane C-C;

• Figure 1D shows a perspective view of the manifold of the manifold valve assembly of Figure 1A;

• Figure 1E shows an end view of the manifold of Figure 1D;

• Figure 1F shows a cutaway view through the manifold along the plane A-A in Figure 1E;

• Figure 1G shows an enlarged view of the encircled region of Figure 1E; and • Figure 2 shows a pneumatic circuit for the manifold valve assembly of Figure 1 A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. In the described examples, like features have been identified with like numerals, albeit in some cases having suffix letters. For example, 150A, 150B, 150C and 150D have been used to indicate electrically operable valves (EO valves).

Figures 1A and 1B show a manifold valve assembly 100 for controlling a pneumatically controllable valve 190 (shown in Figure 2), and Figure 1C shows a cutaway view along plane C-C in Figure 1B. The manifold valve assembly 100 has a manifold 110 to which electromechanically operable valves (herein referred to as EO valves) 150A, 150B, 150C and 150D are coupled in a pneumatic circuit.

Figures 1D and 1E show the manifold 110 in isolation, Figure 1F shows a cutaway view of the manifold along the plane indicated A-A in Figure 1E, and Figure 1G shows an enlarged view of an isolation valve of Figure 1F.

Figure 2 schematically illustrates the pneumatic circuit of the manifold valve assembly 100 of Figure 1A.

The manifold valve assembly 100 has a manifold input 112 for a pneumatic supply (e.g. high pressure air), and a manifold output 114 for outputting a pneumatic control signal for coupling to a pneumatically controllable valve 190. The EO valves 150A-150D (e.g. solenoid valves or piezoelectrically operated valves) are each detachably connected to the manifold 110 and coupled to the manifold to form a pneumatic circuit, which includes first and second shuttle valves 132 and 134 within the manifold. The EO valves 150A-150D are two-port valves, each having an inlet port and an outlet port, and are switchable between an open and a closed state in response to an electrical control signal Sig1-Sig3. The inlet and outlet ports of the EO valves 150A-150D are coupled to respective ports 122A-122D and 124A124D of the manifold 110.

Conduits 130 within the manifold 110 couple together the manifold inlet 112, the EO valves 150A, shuttle valves 132, 134 and the manifold outlet 114 in a pneumatic circuit, in which:

• The manifold inlet 112 is coupled to inlets of first and second EO valves 150A, 150B, and the outlets of the first and second EO valves are each coupled to a respective inlet of the first three-port shuttle valve 132.

• The outlet of the first shuttle valve 132 is coupled to the inlet of the third EO valve 150C, and the outlet of the third EO valve is coupled to a first inlet of the second shuttle valve 134.

• The outlet of the second EO valve 150B is coupled to the inlet of the fourth EO valve 150D, and the outlet of the fourth EO valve is coupled to an opposed, second inlet of the second shuttle valve 134.

• The output of the second shuttle valve 134 is coupled to the manifold outlet 114.

In the illustrated manifold valve assembly 100, isolation valves 120A-120D are provided in the manifold 110, each for closing the inlet to a respective EO valve 150A-150D, for isolating the EO valve from the pneumatic supply. The isolation valves 120A-120D are manually operable to close an internal conduit of the manifold 110, for example having a screw threaded bolt 128 that may be screwed into position to obstruct an internal port of the manifold (shown in Figure 1G). For example, the bolt 128 may have an Allen® key head for use by a service engineer.

In the illustrated manifold valve assembly 100. the isolation valves 120A-120D are accessible in ordinary use, having respective apertures provided in the end plates 126 of the manifold 110. Alternatively, the end plates may be provided without corresponding apertures, and may be detachable from the underlying body of the manifold 110, to provide a deterrent to tampering.

A pressure sensor (not shown, e.g. within the manifold 110) may be coupled to the outlet of each EO valve 150A-150D and may provide a monitoring signal to a controller 192 (shown in Figure 2). By monitoring the pressure at the pressure sensors and comparing with the instructed operation of the corresponding EO valve 150A-150D, the controller 192 may monitor for failure of each of the EO valves.

The illustrated manifold 110 is additionally provided with visual pressure indicators 116A116F coupled to the outlets of each EO valve 150A-150D, the manifold inlet 112 and the manifold outlet 114, for visually indicating the pneumatic pressure at each location, for use in visually monitoring operation of the manifold valve assembly 100. The visual pressure indicators 116A-116F may have a distensible element that projects when subject to positive pressure and may, additionally or alternatively, illuminate (e.g. having a built-in light emitting diode) in correspondence with a particular pressure condition.

In the illustrated manifold valve assembly 100, the first and fourth EO valves 150A, 150D are electrically connected for control by a common control signal Sig 1, and the second and third EO valves 150B, 150C are electrically connected for control by respective electrical control signals Sig2, Sig 3.

In operating the pneumatic circuit of the manifold valve assembly 100, electrical control signals Sigi -Sig 3 may be provided to operate all four of the EO valves 150A-150D. In ordinary operation, it would only be necessary to operate three of the EO valves, to ensure that the manifold valve assembly 100 would continue to provide the intended pneumatic output signal from the manifold outlet 114, even if one of the three EO valves should fail. However, the provision of four EO valves 150A-150D in the disclosed pneumatic circuit provides spare capacity (“redundancy”) in the pneumatic circuit. Accordingly, if one of the EO valves should fail, the remaining pneumatic circuit would remain safe, and continue to provide the intended pneumatic output signal from the manifold outlet 114, even if a second EO valve should fail.

The provision of redundancy may enable the manifold valve assembly 100 to be operated without routine maintenance to periodically replace any of the EO valves 150A-150D, resulting a substantial long-term operational cost-saving. Further, if one EO valve 150A150D should fail, the remaining components of the manifold valve assembly 100 will continue to output the intended pneumatic control signal from the manifold outlet 114, without resulting in a shutdown of the pneumatically controllable valve that the pneumatic control signal from the manifold 110 operates. Additionally, the remaining components of the manifold valve assembly 100 will retain further redundancy. Accordingly, once a single EO valve failure is detected, replacement of the failed EO valve may be scheduled for replacement (e.g. for non-emergency applications), without requiring urgent replacement, enabling a programme of predictable maintenance as required, rather than the prior art approach of periodic maintenance of all manifold valve assemblies.

When replacing an EO valve that is the sole EO valve failure of the manifold valve assembly, the failed EO valve is identified either electronically by the controller 192 reading the pressure sensors (corresponding circuitry connecting the controller 192 and the pressure sensors has been omitted from Figure 2), or is identified visually by inspecting the visual indicators 116A-116F. The isolation valve corresponding to the failed EO valve is then closed, to ensure that the failed EO valve is disconnected from the pneumatic supply. Further, the absence of pressure from the outlet of the failed EO valve will then ensure that the inlet of the corresponding shuttle valve 132,134 that is coupled to that outlet of the failed EO valve remains closed, consequently fully pneumatically isolating the failed EO valve. The fully isolated, failed EO valve may then be detached from the manifold 110 and replaced by a service engineer. During the replacement of the (single) failed EO valve, the pneumatic control signal from the manifold outlet 114 remains fully controllable by the remainder of the manifold valve assembly, without the necessity for any downtime of the manifold valve assembly (and without the requirement for a bypass circuit that bypasses the pneumatic supply in parallel to the pneumatic circuit of the EO valves). Enabling replacement whilst the remainder of the device is still operational may be referred to as being “hot swappable”.

The pneumatically controllable valve (190) that the manifold valve assembly 100 controls may have a spring-return actuator, having normally closed operation, which is retained in the open position by a control system. The pneumatically controllable valve assembly may be an emergency shutdown valve.

The figures provided herein are schematic and not to scale.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprise” and “contain” and variations of them mean “including but not limited to”, and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A manifold valve assembly comprising:

a manifold having a manifold inlet, a manifold outlet, and first and second shuttle valves each having respective shuttle valve inlets and a shuttle valve outlet; and first, second, third and fourth electrically operable EO valves having respective EO valve inlets and EO valve outlets, wherein the manifold inlet is coupled to the first and second EO valve inlets;

wherein the first and second EO valve outlets are coupled to respective first shuttle valve inlets;

wherein the first shuttle valve outlet is coupled to the third EO valve inlet; wherein the second EO valve outlet is coupled to the fourth EO valve inlet;

wherein the third and fourth EO valve outlets are coupled to respective second shuttle valve inlets; and wherein the second shuttle valve outlet is coupled to the manifold outlet.

2. The manifold valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the manifold further comprises first, second, third and fourth isolation valves for closing the respective first, second, third and fourth EO valve inlets.

3. The manifold valve assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the isolation valves are manually operable isolation valves.

4. The manifold valve assembly according to claim 3, wherein user-access to each manually operable isolation valve is restricted by a removable security plate.

5. The manifold valve assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the EO valve is a solenoid valve.

6. The manifold valve assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the manifold comprises an EO valve pressure sensor coupled to each of the EO valve outlets for outputting an electrical signal in correspondence with the pressure at the respective EO valve output.

7. The manifold valve assembly according to claim 6, comprising a controller configured to control operation of the EO valves.

8. The manifold valve assembly according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to detect electrical signals from the EO valve pressure sensors and to identify failure of an EO valve.

9. The manifold valve assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the manifold comprises a pressure indicator coupled to each of the EO valve outlets for providing a visual indication in correspondence with the pressure at the respective EO valve output.

10. A pneumatically controlled valve assembly comprising:

a pneumatically controllable valve; and a manifold valve assembly according to any preceding claim coupled for pneumatically controlling operation of the pneumatically controllable valve.

11. The pneumatically controlled valve assembly of claim 10, wherein the pneumatically controllable valve is a spring-return actuated valve.