Dresser, Inc.

Harold Randall Smart

Frederick Wilson Wheeler

Edward James Nieters

Anatoly Podpaly

Peter S Levesque

Paul Talmage Tirrell

Jonathan Fredric Cohen

Lei Lu

Chengbao Wang

Jagadish Gattu

Kevin James Mackie

Vinh Do

Melissa Gayle Allin

Jagdish Gattu

Chuhe Zhou

John Dee Kelley

A recovery unit configured to re-inject lost or fugitive emissions back into a pipeline. These configuration may include a pressure vessel that can hold gas (or other fluid) that might vent to atmosphere from, for example, a valve or like flow control. A pump may couple with the pressure vessel. In use, this pump can draw fluid out of the pressure vessel and pressurize it to inject back into the pipeline, typically downstream of the valve. The pump may utilize upstream pressure as a power source.

Re-couping actuating media used to operate a control valve

An amplifier is configured for use in a control valve. These configurations provide a pneumatic signal to an actuator that regulates flow through the device. The amplifier may include a variable orifice, or bleed valve, that moves in response to changes in actuating media around steady state. This bleed valve prevents bleed of actuating media at steady state. This feature reduces energy consumption or emissions from the control valve.

Eliminating bleed on flow controls

A flow control that is configured to monitor energy use. These configurations may include a controller that delivers a signal to pressurize a pneumatic actuator. This controller may have software that can calculate energy use based on pressure of the signal and, for example, changes in position of a valve. This feature can provide real-time data that operators can use to identify potential problems on their process lines. In one implementation, the operators can flag devices that exhibit energy use that trends away from baseline levels. These devices may have inherent issues that can manifest into larger, more catastrophic problems, potentially causing quality problems with end product or requiring the operating to shut-down the process line altogether.

Monitoring energy use on flow controls

A controller for a valve assembly that is configured to meet requirements for use in hazardous areas. These configurations may regulate flow of instrument air to a pneumatic actuator to operate a valve. The controller may comprise enclosures, including a first enclosure and a second enclosure, each having a peripheral wall forming an interior space, and circuitry comprising a barrier circuit disposed in the interior space of one of the enclosures that power limits digital signals that exits that enclosure. In one example, the peripheral wall of enclosures are configured to allow instrument air into the interior space of the first enclosure but to prevent instrument air from the interior space of the second enclosure.

Constructing valve positioners for hazardous areas

A system that provides localized monitoring of characteristics of instrument gas that a valve assembly uses to modulate the flow of a working fluid. The system includes components that generate an output in response to, for example, particulates, humidity, temperature, and other characteristics of the instrument gas. Processing of data and information in the output can help to diagnose changes in the characteristics of the instrument gas. This diagnosis is useful to predict a time frame during which the valve assembly and components associated therewith might fail and/or require maintenance before the valve assembly manifests significant problem that are detrimental to a process line.

System and method to monitor characteristics of an operating fluid in a process line

An attenuating device that is configured to replace motion converters in conventional control valve assemblies. The attenuating device can generate an output displacement in response to a position of a plug relative to a seat in the valve assembly. In one embodiment, the attenuating device comprises a spring assembly with a pair of spring members, disposed in series, and configured to assume a deflection that reduces the displacement of the plug to a smaller displacement that is useful to position a target member of a sensor. This embodiment, however, forgoes the mechanisms of conventional devices in lieu of components that are amenable to compact design. In this way, the attenuating device can substantially fit within the existing structure of the valve assembly, and, in one construction, the attenuating device is disposed in the actuator of the valve assembly.

Attenuating device for valve assembly

Embodiments of a system that can detect leaks that occur in seals, and in one example, to seals found in a valve. In one embodiment, the system utilizes sensors that measure fluid properties of a sample volume proximate to the seal. The system can compare data from these measurements with data from a sample of a reference fluid (e.g., ambient air) to indicate the presence of working fluid in the sample volume. This result may indicate problems with the seal, e.g., degradation of the seal that is meant to prohibit the working fluid from migrating out of the valve.

System to monitor performance of packing material in a seal

Controlling fluid regulation may provide increased efficiency and reliability. In one general aspect, a system and process for fluid regulation may include the ability to receive a command signal, generate a control signal based on the command signal, and move a magnetizable element relative to a wire coil in accordance with the control signal, the movement affecting a pressure in a pressure cavity. The system and process may also include the ability to sense the pressure in the pressure cavity due to the position of the magnetizable element and adjust the control signal based on the sensed pressure and the command signal. The system and process may further include the ability to sense a second parameter of the fluid regulation system and adjust the command signal based on the second parameter.

Fluid regulation control

Effective power regulation may be achieved for a field instrument that derives power from a communication signal. In particular aspects, a system and process for power regulation include the ability to receive a communication signal and adjust the voltage supplied to a power converter based on the current of the communication signal. The system and method also include the ability to convert power of the communication signal with the power converter.

Power regulation for field instruments

A dynamically balanced pneumatic relay amplifier and a current-to-pneumatic converter are disclosed. The relay has a balance plug, a supply plug positioned on top of the balance plug, a bead chain connecting the balance plug and the supply plug, and a vent plug positioned on top of the supply plug. The relay also includes a baffle positioned on top of the vent plug. The converter, used in an electro-pneumatic positioner, comprises a flat strip made of magnetic material located in proximity to a nozzle, and a flow regulator having a flat spring securing a plug in a seat within the regulator. The converter also includes a cantilevered flexure integrally secured to a molded spring support, a first bias spring positioned on a first side of the flexure, and a second bias spring positioned on a second side of the flexure. The thickness of the flexure is locally reduced in an area not integrated into the molded spring support.

Growing community of inventors

Portsmouth, RI, United States of America

Harold Randall Smart