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US 12,422,411 B2Granted
System and method for monitoring and diagnosis of heat exchanger tube health
AssigneeInnovas Technologies LLC
InventorsCharles B. Dirks, Brian G. Jamieson, Michael A. Crocker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for monitoring heat exchanger tube health without requiring the heat exchanger system to be shut down and disassembled and without operator intervention. At least one wireless sensor ball (WSB) assembly is positioned in the heat exchanger system. The heat exchanger system includes an ultrasonic acoustic receiver array mounted therewithin. WSB assembly information is gathered regarding status, operating condition, health, efficiency of the piping system, and/or, piping system health trends.
Claims20
A heat exchanger system, comprising:
- a) a heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
- i) a heat exchanger section including a plurality of heat exchanger tubes;
- ii) an exchanger inlet plenum in fluid communication with said heat exchanger section, said exchanger inlet plenum configured to receive inlet fluid;
- and
- iii) an exchanger outlet plenum in fluid communication with said heat exchanger section;
- b) an ultrasonic acoustic receiver array mounted within the heat exchanger assembly, comprising at least two hydrophones configured to receive ultrasound acoustic pulses and determine the location of the origin of said ultrasound acoustic pulses;
- and,
- c) at least one wireless sensor ball (WSB) assembly, each WSB assembly comprising:
- i) a housing;
- ii) at least one sensor on a surface of said housing or within the housing configured to gather selected information regarding the heat exchanger assembly and its current operating conditions;
- iii) signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry positioned within the housing and operatively connected to said at least one sensor;
- iv) a power source positioned within the housing and operatively connected to said at least one sensor and said signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry, wherein said at least one sensor and said signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry cooperate to gather WSB assembly information about a status, operating condition, health, efficiency of the heat exchanger system, and/or, heat exchanger system health trends;
- v) an ultrasound omnidirectional acoustic transmitter operatively connected to the power source and said signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry;
- and,
- vi) a data storage element located in said housing for storage and buffering of said WSB assembly information collected by said at least one sensor;
- d) an acoustic signal processing unit (ASPU) operatively connected to said ultrasonic acoustic receiver array and configured to process an ultrasonic acoustic receiver array output signal;
- e) a WSB charging system positioned within a fluid conduit located between said exchanger outlet plenum and said exchanger inlet plenum;
- and,
- f) a system computer processing unit (CPU) 1) operatively connected to said ASPU;
- and 2) in wireless data communication to a WSB assembly positioned within said WSB charging system.
17 more elements
A method for collecting and synthesizing information regarding a heat exchanger system, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a heat exchanger system of a type including a heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
- i) a heat exchanger section including a plurality of heat exchanger tubes;
- ii) an exchanger inlet plenum in fluid communication with said heat exchanger section, said exchanger inlet plenum configured to receive inlet fluid;
- and
- iii) an exchanger outlet plenum in fluid communication with said heat exchanger section;
- b) receiving ultrasound acoustic pulses from at least two hydrophones associated with an ultrasonic acoustic receiver array mounted within the heat exchanger assembly, and determining the location of the origin of the ultrasound acoustic pulses;
- c) gathering WSB assembly information about a status, operating condition, health, efficiency of the heat exchanger system, and/or heat exchanger system health trends utilizing a WSB assembly of the type, comprising:
- i) a housing;
- ii) at least one sensor on a surface of said housing or within the housing configured to gather selected information regarding the heat exchanger assembly and its current operating conditions;
- iii) a power source positioned within the housing and operatively connected to said at least one sensor and said signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry;
- iv) an ultrasound omnidirectional acoustic transmitter operatively connected to the power source and said signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry;
- and,
- v) a data storage element located in said housing for storage and buffering of said WSB assembly information collected by said at least one sensor;
- and,
- d) processing an ultrasonic acoustic receiver array output signal utilizing an acoustic signal processing unit (ASPU) operatively connected to said ultrasonic acoustic receiver array.
12 more elements
A wireless sensor ball (WSB) assembly for use with a fluid conduit assembly in a piping system, said fluid conduit assembly being of a type including an ultrasonic acoustic receiver array mounted within the fluid conduit assembly, comprising at least two hydrophones configured to receive ultrasound acoustic pulses and determine the location of the origin of said ultrasound acoustic pulses, comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) at least one sensor on a surface of said housing or within the housing configured to gather selected information regarding the fluid conduit assembly and its current operating conditions;
- c) signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry positioned within the housing and operatively connected to said at least one sensor;
- d) a power source positioned within the housing and operatively connected to said at least one sensor and said signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry, wherein said at least one sensor and said signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry cooperate to gather WSB assembly information about a status, operating condition, health, efficiency of the piping system, and/or, piping system health trends;
- e) an ultrasound omnidirectional acoustic transmitter operatively connected to the power source and said signal conditioning control/transmission circuitry;
- and,
- f) a data storage element located in said housing for storage and buffering of said WSB assembly information collected by said at least one sensor, wherein said WSB assembly is configured to operate with said ultrasonic acoustic receiver array.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.