Data logger device and system for high pressure leaning lance drive apparatus
AssigneeStoneage, Inc.
InventorsTimothy Schneider, Joseph Schneider, Rawlin Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A data logger device for monitoring operation of a flexible lance drive apparatus is disclosed that includes a cylindrical housing removably connected to an air fluid pressure line to the drive apparatus, a circuit board mounted in the housing, a pressure sensing switch mounted on the circuit board and communicating with the fluid in the pressure line, and a processor and memory on the board operable to log time at which the switch changes state between two predetermined states.
Claims18
A data logger device for connection to an air pressure supply line to an air motor driving a flexible cleaning lance hose drive apparatus, the device comprising:
- a housing removably fastenable to a pressurized air supply line to an air motor driving a flexible lance hose drive apparatus;
- a pressure transducer operable to continuously monitor air pressure within the air line in real time;
- and
- a datalogging processor and memory communicating with the transducer for recording data from the transducer and providing an input to automated lance hose drive control circuitry that initiates one or more of (a) automated lance reversal operations upon sensing an obstacle in a tube being cleaned by a cleaning lance driven by the drive apparatus and (b) cleaning fluid pressure dump operations upon sensing an unexpected event.
A flexible cleaning lance hose drive apparatus comprising:
- a drive housing;
- a first air motor in the drive housing for driving a lance hose through the drive housing in a first direction;
- a second air motor in the drive housing for driving the lance hose in a second, opposite direction;
- and
- a data logging device operably connected to the first air motor via an air pressure supply line, the data logging device having a housing removably connected to the first air motor, a pressure transducer operable to sense air pressure within the air pressure supply line, and a datalogging processor and memory communicating with the transducer for recording data from the transducer and providing an input to automated lance hose drive control circuitry that initiates one or more of (a) automated lance reversal operations upon sensing an obstacle and (b) cleaning fluid pressure dump operations upon sensing an unexpected pressure event.
A data logger system comprising:
- a plurality of data logger devices, each of the plurality of data logger devices including:
- a housing removably fastenable to a pressurized air supply line to an air motor driving a flexible lance hose drive apparatus;
- a pressure transducer operable to continuously monitor air pressure within the air line in real time, and
- a datalogging processor and memory communicating with the transducer for recording data from the transducer and providing an input usable to initiate one or more of (a) automated lance reversal operations upon sensing an obstacle in a tube being cleaned by a cleaning lance driven by the drive apparatus and (b) cleaning fluid pressure dump operations upon sensing an unexpected event;
- and
- a control circuit communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of data logger devices and configured to receive the input, wherein:
- the control circuit is configured to automatically sense and log operations of the flexible cleaning lance hose drive apparatuses based on the input, and
- at least one of the plurality of data logger devices is operably connected to a high pressure dump valve control for automatically diverting high pressure fluid to atmosphere upon sensing the unexpected event.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.