# US 2021/0341402 A1 · Method for calculating the strength and the service life of a process apparatus through which fluid flows > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0341402 A1 - Document ID: US20210341402A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/274,536 - Filed: 2019-09-11 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-13 - Assignees: Linde Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Linde GmbH - Inventors: Manfred STEINBAUER; Rainer FLÜGGEN; Pascal FREKO; Paul HEINZ; Alexander WOITALKA; Patrick HAIDER; Dino MEHANOVIC; Thomas REITER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210341402A1 ## CPC - F28D 9/00: Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall {(F28F3/083, F28F3/086 take precedence)} - G01N 25/00: Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means (G01N3/00 - G01N23/00 take precedence) - F25J 5/002: {for continuously recuperating cold, i.e. in a so-called recuperative heat exchanger} - F28D 9/0068: {with means for changing flow direction of one heat exchange medium, e.g. using deflecting zones} - F28D 9/0093: {Multi-circuit heat-exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat-exchangers for more than two fluids} - F28F 3/025: {the means being corrugated, plate-like elements} - F28F 27/00: Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus (control arrangements in general G05) - G01K 11/3206: at discrete locations in the fibre, e.g. using Bragg scattering - G05B 23/0254: {based on a quantitative model, e.g. mathematical relationships between inputs and outputs; functions: observer, Kalman filter, residual calculation, Neural Networks} - G06F 30/23: using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM] - F25J 2280/02: Control in general, load changes, different modes ("runs"), measurements - F28F 2200/00: Prediction; Simulation; Testing - G05B 2219/37514: Detect normality, novelty in time series for online monitoring - G06F 2111/10: Numerical modelling - G06F 2119/08: Thermal analysis or thermal optimisation - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - F25J: LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS {OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS} MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT {OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE (cryogenic pumps F04B37/08; gas storage vessels, gas holders F17; filing vessels with, or discharging from vessels, compressed, liquefied or solidified gases F17C; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B)} - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract The invention relates to a method for calculating the strength and the service life of a process apparatus through which fluid flows, wherein: temperatures existing at a plurality of different points of the apparatus are measured at a first time point in order to obtain temperature measurement values (201); the temperature measurement values are used as constraints in a finite element method (203) in order to determine mechanical stresses existing at a plurality of different points in the material of the apparatus as stress values (204); the remaining service life of the material of the apparatus is determined from the obtained stress values (205); the remaining service life of the material of the apparatus is determined also in dependence on data regarding the apparatus that were determined at a second time point (207), which second time point is earlier than the first time point. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for calculating the strength and the service life of a process apparatus through which fluid flows, wherein at a first time point temperatures prevailing at a plurality of different points of the apparatus are measured in order to obtain temperature measurement values, wherein the temperature measurement values are input into a finite element method as boundary conditions, in order to determine mechanical stresses prevailing at a plurality of different points in a material of the apparatus as stress values, wherein a remaining service life of the material of the apparatus is determined from the obtained stress values, wherein the remaining service life of the apparatus is further determined as a function of data relating to the apparatus determined at a second time point which is earlier than the first time point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the data relating to the apparatus comprise the results of finite element methods determined at the second time point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the data relating to the apparatus further comprise temperature measurement values and/or temperature calculation values and/or mechanical stresses and/or strains and/or a remaining service life which were respectively determined at the second time point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein temperature distributions in the apparatus are obtained as temperature measurement values. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature measurement values are obtained by means of fiber-optic temperature sensors, in particular by means of fiber Bragg grating sensors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the boundary conditions for the finite element method are obtained in the form of the temperature measurement values during the ongoing operation of the apparatus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method Method according to claim 1 any one of the preceding wherein the execution of the finite element method and/or the determination of the mechanical stress and/or the determination of the remaining service life are carried out during the operation of the apparatus and/or in a remote computing unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the process apparatus through which a fluid flows is designed as a heat exchanger, in particular as a plate heat exchanger or spiral or coiled heat exchanger, or as a column or as a container for phase separation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein no thermo-hydraulic simulation model is created, wherein the finite element method and the determination of mechanical stress are carried out without a thermo-hydraulic simulation model, wherein, in particular, boundary conditions for the finite element method are not determined by a thermo-hydraulic simulation model. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A computing unit with means for carrying out the method according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A computing program that causes a computing unit to perform the method according to claim 1 when it is executed on the computing unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A machine-readable storage medium having a computer program according to claim 11 stored on it.