US Patent 10995594 Critical valve performance monitoring system

A monitoring system can include a position sensor coupled to a pump to sense a position of a rotating assembly member of the pump and generate an associated position signal. The position signal can be used to determine a position of a displacement member in a chamber in a fluid end of the pump. The monitoring system can include a strain gauge to measure strain in the chamber and generate an associated strain signal. The strain signal can be used to determine an actuation point for a valve in the chamber. A computing device can determine an actuation delay of the valve by correlating the position of the displacement member in the chamber with the actuation point for the valve. The actuation delay can represent the actuation point relative to the position of the displacement member during operation of the pump.