RU2797783C1 - Method for determining presence of liquid in the column of an underground ball valve and device for its implementation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: gas industry.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions can be used in the maintenance, operation and repair of pipeline fittings at gas transportation facilities. The device for determining the presence of liquid in the ball valve column of underground execution is a microcontroller with a laser distance measurement module mounted on the probe, indicators and control buttons, powered by a battery, a magnet for mounting the device on the crane column, while the indication is carried out when the level of the specified threshold is exceeded. The device is attached to the crane column with a magnet and allows you to determine the presence of liquid in the cavity of the crane column by optical ranging. During operation, the device indicates its normal state by briefly blinking the green indicator. When the level of the specified threshold is exceeded, the indicator switches and blinks red for a short time. The device is powered by a replaceable battery. Calibration of the device is carried out with no liquid in the valve cavity by pressing once on the necessary control buttons.

EFFECT: quick determination of liquid presence.

2 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of gas industry and can be used in the maintenance, operation and repair of pipeline valves at gas transport facilities.

Underground ball valves are used at production facilities of the gas transportation industry. During their operation, as a result of seasonal and daily temperature fluctuations, water vapor condenses with subsequent accumulation of liquid in the cavity of the column [1]. The accumulation of liquid inside the column can also occur due to the lack of tightness of the flange connection of the column with the valve body. If there is condensate and moisture in the column, the possibility of subsequent blocking of the valve stem extension due to corrosion of the elements of the valve or freezing of the liquid at negative outside temperatures is not ruled out. If liquid is found in the valve string during maintenance, it is removed using various methods [2].

Regulatory documents determine the need for periodic checks of the tightness of the flange connection of the column with the valve body [3, 4]. When carrying out maintenance using various devices and instruments, the presence or absence of liquid in the column is determined.

Known devices that require direct contact with the liquid to determine the liquid level in the valve column [5, 6]. During the measurement, the probe or float structure of the device is fed into the tank at a distance from the lowest point of the tank, which allows you to accurately determine the presence of liquid in the cavity of the column. These instruments do not require calibration due to the fact that the main method of level measurement is contact.

The disadvantages of such devices are:

- the need for direct contact with the measured medium - this requires the signaling device to be placed in the valve column for the entire period of operation, which can lead to jamming of the rotating part of the valve,

- the impossibility of installing such sensors due to the characteristics of the measuring point - side surface, small diameter hole, top location,

- lack of built-in indicators, which requires additional devices: power supply and indication.

Known devices that do not require direct contact with the liquid to determine the liquid level in the valve column [7]. The operating principles of these devices are different and can be: ultrasonic, radar, microwave, etc.

The disadvantages of such devices are:

- the need for calibration, using additional devices, which requires special metrological training of personnel,

- the impossibility of installing such sensors due to the characteristics of the measuring point - side surface, small diameter hole, top location,

- the difficulty of adjusting the position during installation due to the provision of the location perpendicular to the liquid mirror,

- in view of the complexity of installation, it is required to install the device on each crane - there is no possibility of prompt transfer of the device to another measuring point.

Known devices that allow you to determine the presence of liquid in the column of the crane and at the same time to remove it. The operation of such devices is based on the phenomenon of ejection from an external source of compressed air [8]. The disadvantages of such devices are:

- bulkiness, due to the presence of a hose, cylinder, pneumatic gun in the design,

- the inability to use on a permanent basis due to the constant consumption during ejection, which leads to the rapid emptying of the compressed air cylinder,

- dependence on weather conditions, so the liquid frozen to the state of ice is not capable of being removed in this way, which leads to an incorrect assessment of the presence of liquid in the valve cavity.

These shortcomings significantly reduce the efficiency of work to determine the presence or absence of liquid in the cavity of the valve column, reduce the efficiency of these works, and reduce the safety of their implementation.

The objective of the utility model is to increase the reliability in the operation of underground pipeline valves.

EFFECT: quick determination of the presence of liquid in the column of an underground ball valve.

The problem is solved, and the technical result is achieved by developing and using a stationary-portable device that is mounted on the crane column with a magnet and allows determining the presence of liquid in the cavity of the crane column by optical ranging. During operation, the device indicates its normal state by briefly blinking the green indicator. When the level exceeds the specified threshold, the indicator switches and briefly blinks red. The device is powered by a replaceable battery. Calibration of the device is carried out when there is no liquid in the valve cavity by pressing once on the necessary control buttons.

The schematic diagram of the device is shown in figure 1.

The device includes a microcontroller (1) with a harness to which a laser distance measurement module (2) is connected via SPI, located on a remote probe with a diameter of less than 10 mm. The device has a PWR switch for on/off; buttons S1, S2 for control; LED indicators L1, L2, L3 for status indication. The device is powered by a Krona-type battery (4) with a voltage of 9 volts through a dc / dc (3) 3.3 volt converter. The rangefinder module is made on VL53L1X can measure the distance in the range of 0-4000mm, and is used to determine the presence of liquid in the cavity of the valve string. Signals from PIN1, PIN2 read the state of the buttons S1, S2, pulled up by resistors to the power circuit. A magnet in the form of a ring enclosing the probe is rigidly attached to the body of the device.

The technology for determining the presence of liquid in the column of an underground ball valve in figure 2 is as follows. The device (5) is permanently attached to the crane column (6) after maintenance (there is no liquid in the column), so that the probe is placed in the process hole, while the device is attached to the column by means of a magnet (7). By rotating the device around its axis (focusing on the arrow mark on the outside of the device), the distance meter is directed to the inner lower horizontal plane (8) of the crane column. After that, the device is turned on by the PWR switch (9). Next, hold down both buttons S1, S2 (10, 13) for more than 10 seconds in order for the device to determine the average distance to the flange (lower point of the column), as a result of which all indicators will blink and the device will record the distance value averaged over several readings in memory. After that, the device enters the operating mode, and periodically monitors the distance. During normal operation, the device briefly blinks the green indicator (11), which indicates the working state of the device. With a conditionally constant deviation of the value of the newly measured distance from the one recorded in the memory by more than 3%, due to the refraction of the optical signal in the liquid, the device will start blinking the red indicator (12) for a short time, signaling the presence of liquid in the valve cavity.

The essential distinguishing features of the claimed device and method of its application are:

- the design of the device is made in such a way that allows you to determine the presence of liquid in the column of any underground crane with ventilation holes;

- the device does not use external sources of electrical energy, which significantly expands the scope of its application: from pipeline fittings on the territory of the main industrial site to taps at the connection point and the linear part of the main gas pipelines;

- the device has simple means for calibration, which allows it to be used by personnel without additional training, and in combination with ease of installation, it can, if necessary, be transferred from one control object to another;

- the device allows to provide constant and operational control over the absence of liquid in the column of ball valves;

The claimed essential features are unknown from patent and scientific information and are therefore “New”.

A prototype of the claimed device was manufactured, which was successfully tested during the maintenance of pipeline valves (TO-2) at the Gryazovets LPUMG of Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta LLC. In this regard, the claimed device meets the criterion of "Industrial applicability".

The claimed device, when used in the manner described earlier, makes it possible to determine the presence of liquid in a column of underground ball valves, without resorting to: a labor-intensive and less efficient method - using devices using the ejection phenomenon, a more expensive method - retrofitting valve columns with stationary liquid level sensors , which will require a significant change in the design of the columns.

Bibliography:

1. Kozachenko A.N. Operation of compressor stations of main gas pipelines / Kozachenko A.N. - M.: Oil and gas, 1999. - 463 p. ISBN 5-7246-0055-2.

2. Pat. RU 2745818 C1, IPC F04F 5/24 (2006.01). A method for removing dripping liquid from a column of an underground ball valve and a device for its implementation / Kiryanov V.A.: Applicant and patent holder Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta Limited Liability Company (RU) - No. 2020128238; dec. 08/25/2020; publ. 04/01/2021, bul. No. 10. - 5 p.: ill.

3. STO Gazprom 2-2.3-385-2009. Procedure for maintenance and repair of pipeline fittings. Clause 8.1.

4. STO 49.50.21-00159025-50-006-2017. Pipeline fittings at the facilities of OOO Gazprom transgaz Ukhta. Maintenance and repair. Appendix D

5. Pat. RU 15132 U1, IPC G01F 23/28 (2000.01). Ultrasonic liquid level indicator / Melnikov V.I.: Applicant and patentee Melnikov V.I. - No. 2000105713/20; dec. 03/09/2000; publ. 09/20/2000, bul. No. 26.

6. Pat. RU 15224 U1, IPC G01F 23/22 (2000.01). Liquid level indicator / Pergament A.M., Gruzevich Yu.K., Telezhnikov V.N., Guseinov Yu.G., Kogan L.M.: patent holders Pergament A.M., Gruzevich Yu.K., Telezhnikov V. N., Guseynov Yu.G., Kogan L.M. - No. 2000102048/20; dec. 02/02/2000; publ. 09/27/2000, bul. No. 27.

7. Pat. RU 2431809 C2, IPC G01F 23/284 (2006.01). Method and device for accurate determination of the liquid level using radar signals emitted in the direction of the liquid surface and radar signals reflected from the liquid surface / SAI Bean (NL): patent holder ENRAF B.V. (NL) - No. 2008137555/28; dec. 02/19/2007; publ. 20.10.2011, bul. No. 29.

8. Pat. RU 2745818 C1, IPC F04F 5/24 (2006.01). A method for removing dripping liquid from a column of an underground ball valve and a device for its implementation / Kiryanov V.A.: Patent holder Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta Limited Liability Company - No. 2020128238,; dec. 08/25/2020; publ. 04/01/2021, bul. No. 10.

Claims (2)

1. The method for determining the presence of liquid in the column of an underground ball valve, which consists in the deviation of the measured distance from the device recorded in the memory, due to the refraction of the optical signal in the liquid, characterized in that the probe of the device is placed in the process hole of the ball valve column in the absence of liquid, is carried out orientation of the device, by rotating it around its axis, focusing on the arrow mark on the outside of the device, reaching the direction of the laser distance measurement module to the inner lower horizontal plane of the crane column, calibrate by pressing the buttons S1, S2, after which the reference distance is recorded in the device memory , with which the measured distance is compared during further operation of the device. 2. A device for determining the presence of liquid in the column of an underground ball valve, implementing the method according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a microcontroller with a laser distance measurement module mounted on the probe, indicators and control buttons, powered by a battery, a magnet for fastening device on the crane column, while the indication is carried out when the level of the specified threshold is exceeded.

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