Low bleed DVC6200 positioners on double acting piston actuators fitted with booster relays

I am using DVC6200 positioners with low bleed relays in control service. The positioners are mounted on fairly large double acting piston actuators (flowserve size 100 actuators) where fast stroking speeds (1" per sec) have been specified. As such, booster relays have been installed to achieve the stroke rate.

The standard tune set has delivered very poor results for valve dynamic movement, so manual tuning is in progress. By screwing in the booster gain screws to about 1/4 open, and increasing gain to 12, some improvement is made, but unless the boosters fire, valve response to control changes of less than 4% is still very poor. 

I will be reducing booster gain screws more (1/8 turn) to try to get the boosters to fire on smaller control changes, but suspect that I will still be stuck with very poor dynamics when the valve is modulating.  Should I be replacing the log gain relays in the DVCs with standard relays, and if so, can I expect much improvement.

in that the stroke speed requirment is more than necessary for many of the valves, I am considering removing the boosters and living with slower response, but hopefully better modulating performance.

I cant find the maximum air output from the low bleed relay to understand how much less air it is likely to move than the standard relay when in modulating service.

This is quite an urgent query, so any response would be greatly received.

JR

  • Jeff,

    Here is a great response to this matter: www.google.com/.../ If you are using a double acting piston relay A will be needed and adjusted correctly, during the setup process it will ask if you have boosters, select yes and follow the handheld’s prompts for proper setup please.

    If you need further help please call your local sales office and they can assist in ensuring that given your specific combination of components you get the speed you desire; if you know what speed you want to achieve along with this information they can perform a stroking speed calculation and ensure each component you have is capable of delivering what you want or get you hardware that can. In some cases we highly recommend going with an ODV (Optimised Digitial Valve) assembly package but please discuss this with your sales office: www3.emersonprocess.com/.../Default.aspx

    Thanks,

    Richie

    Richard L Ritter III, PMP, MBA | Technology Specialist - Reliability Services | Final Control

    Emerson Automation Solutions

    Richard.Ritter@Emerson.com

  • In reply to jeff richards:

    Jeff,

    The low bleed relays significantly reduce the Cv of your assembly thus taking the valve offline and replacing the low bleed relay with a relay A and recalibrating the valve using a hand held should improve your response but you will sacrifice speed for a bit of accuracy and should expect a bit of overshoot but it will come back to a steady state eventually. During the recalibration process the handheld will have you back out the deadband volume adjust to your boosters (screws with nuts). Please smite to follow all safety warning and ensure this is done with an offline setup so no injury occurs as per the DVC6200 instruction manual. If there is a handwheel maybe you can adjust it to override the position we or bypass around it if a bypass valve is present otherwise please take it offline while swapping a relay A in. Thanks Jeff and stay safe!

    Richie

    Richard L Ritter III, PMP, MBA | Technology Specialist - Reliability Services | Final Control

    Emerson Automation Solutions

    Richard.Ritter@Emerson.com

  • In reply to jeff richards:

    Hi Jeff,
    Relay change is very simple and easy. It is possible to do in the field without returning valve / unit to workshop. Please disconnect pneumatic line. By using user interface - take DVC "Out of Service", while swapping the relay. Open front DVC plastic cover. You will be able to see pneumatic relay. Open four screws and replace relay. Please refer Instruction manual or Quick start guide for details.
    Just curiosity, what was the reason to go for low bleed relay? Generally low bleed relay are supplied with DVC SIS tier for use in safety shut down SIF (Safety Instrumented Function) valves. It appears from discussions, you are using DVC for control applications.
    Thanks and let me know, if you need any further help.
    As suggested by Richie, It will be good to contact local office. If you could please advise me your geographical locations, I can assist in having Emerson local sales office to contact you on urgent basis.
  • In reply to jeff richards:

    JR,

    This may be done in the field IF in a safe environment (spark won’t start a fire, etc).

    You will take the valve completely offline and remove all electric and pneumatic power then open up the DVC and loosen four #2 Phillips screws and take the low bleed relay off the place the relay a in position. You will then use the handheld and walk through the setup of the positioned as when you replace any relay a new calibration must be performed. Please ensure to follow the instruction manual steps and follow all safety warnings. I look forward to hearing the results and for you all to stay safe while conducting this work.

    Regards,

    Richie

    Please send me an email at Richard.ritter@emerson.com and I can speak with you offline in approximately 1 hour

    Richard L Ritter III, PMP, MBA | Technology Specialist - Reliability Services | Final Control

    Emerson Automation Solutions

    Richard.Ritter@Emerson.com

  • In reply to Richard L Ritter III:

    Jeff,

    I just wanted to respond that me saying a lower Cv is not correct as I have not seen a distinct number on the exhausting Cv but as per Rayiz in this link www.emersonautomationexperts.com/.../ it is more appropriate to say,

    "Generally for control valves, dynamic air consumption is a more appropriate term. Since vendors cannot provide dynamic air consumption data as it is variable. Hence, only static air consumption is published. Static air consumption may be good for an on-off device or valves which are in one unique position all the time.

    Control valves are regulating devices and need to modulate quickly to meet newly computed controller setpoints to position the valve.

    Standard pneumatic relays or low-bleed pneumatic relays on the DVC6200 work on a mechanical balance beam design principle. This keeps an aggressive active condition to take any changes to generate new output based on a new setpoint issued by the DVC algorithm based on controller demand.

    As explained, both relay (standard and low bleed) will be responsive to 1/8% input span signal but due to the low volume of air, a low-bleed relay may be a little lethargic."

    Thanks and hopefully this has helped.

    Richie

    Richard L Ritter III, PMP, MBA | Technology Specialist - Reliability Services | Final Control

    Emerson Automation Solutions

    Richard.Ritter@Emerson.com