Heat exchanger tube plug installation
AssigneeEST Group, Inc.
InventorsAndrew Hall, Alex Kotlyar, Ka'ren Sarkissian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of tube plug installation in a heat exchanger or pressure vessel is provided. The method includes verifying the suitability of a selected tube plug with a specifically identified type of heat exchanger or pressure vessel before installation of the selected tube plug. The step of verifying being performed with a device having an app, software, or user interface and after having entered or accessed data concerning the selected tube plug and entering or accessing data concerning the specifically identified type of heat exchanger or pressure vessel and operating parameters of the specifically identified type of heat exchanger or pressure vessel.
Claims10
A method of tube plug installation in a heat exchanger or pressure vessel, comprising the steps of:
- verifying suitability of a selected tube plug with a specifically identified type of heat exchanger or pressure vessel before installation of the selected tube plug;
- confirming tube plug installation success or failure after installation based on at least one real-time measurement taken during installation and an analysis thereof;
- and
- retaining plug installation data in association with host tube location within the heat exchanger or pressure vessel;
- wherein said steps of verifying, confirming, and retaining are performed by a device having an app, software, or user interface and after having received entered or accessed data concerning the selected tube plug including tube plug material and lot number and data concerning the specifically identified type of heat exchanger or pressure vessel including tube material and host tube location relative to the specific heat exchanger or pressure vessel into which the tube plug is to be installed and operating parameters of the specifically identified type of heat exchanger or pressure vessel;
- wherein the step of verifying includes comparing metallurgical properties of the host tube of the heat exchanger or pressure vessel and the tube plug to ensure compatibility;
- wherein the tube plug includes a deformable ring and an elongated pin having a conical shape which is slidably received within the ring for expanding the ring outwardly when the pin is pulled axially relative to the ring;
- wherein the real-time measurement includes installation linear pulling force;
- and
- wherein the analysis includes analysis of travel of the pin during installation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.