Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method for preserving the integrity of a packing and the integrity a stem of a valve, having the steps of providing a gland ring mounted above the packing surrounding the stem; providing a gland retainer mounted above the gland ring, wherein the gland retainer is secured to the valve with one or more fasteners, wherein the gland retainer is a load cell; sensing a compressional force between a top surface and a bottom surface of the gland retainer; converting the sensed each compressional force into a data point; and transmitting the data point to a computing unit.

Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus for monitoring a valve having: a body of the valve containing a control element; a neck extending from the body of the valve and connected to a mounting support, wherein the neck partially houses a valve stem connected to the control element and further wherein the valve stem extends through the mounting support; a gland ring mounted around the valve stem, wherein the gland ring is partially within the mounting support; a gland retainer mounted above the gland ring within the mounting support; one or more fasteners connecting the gland retainer to the body of the valve; and one or more load cells mounted around the fasteners and located above the gland retainer, wherein each load cell is configured to sense a clamping force between a top surface and a bottom surface of the load cell.

Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus for monitoring a valve having: a body of the valve containing a control element; a neck extending from the body of the valve and connected to a mounting support, wherein the neck partially houses a valve stem connected to the control element and further wherein the valve stem extends through the mounting support; a gland ring mounted around the valve stem, wherein the gland ring is partially within the mounting support; a gland retainer mounted above the gland ring within the mounting support; one or more fasteners connecting the gland retainer to the body of the valve; and one or more load cells mounted around the fasteners and located above the gland retainer, wherein each load cell is configured to sense a clamping force between a top surface and a bottom surface of the load cell.