Monitoring steam traps using RF signaling
AssigneeArmstrong International, Inc.
InventorsMichael Paul Hellman, James F. Washburn, Anthony Sajkowski, Donald J. Hume, Andrew F. Drenick
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Abstract
A method of monitoring the status of a plurality of steam traps includes sensing with a monitor at least one process condition in each of a plurality of steam traps, transmitting radio frequency signals responsive to the sensed process condition of each steam trap with transmitters associated with the steam traps, and receiving the signals generated by the transmitters with a receiver. In one embodiment of the invention, the signals from at least some steam traps are received and retransmitted by a repeater positioned between the steam traps and the receiver.
Claims15
A method of monitoring the status of at least one steam trap, comprising the steps of:
- sensing a process condition in at least one steam trap;
- transmitting a radio frequency signal at a first frequency responsive to the process condition associated with the at least one steam trap;
- transmitting a radio frequency signal at a second frequency responsive to the process condition associated with the at least one steam trap, said second frequency being at a different frequency than said first frequency;
- and
- receiving the first and second radio frequency signals.
A method of monitoring the status of a plurality of steam traps, comprising the steps of:
- (a) sensing a process condition in a plurality of steam traps during a first time interval;
- (b) transmitting a radio frequency signal responsive to the process condition associated with each steam trap during the first time interval;
- (c) receiving the radio frequency signal from each steam trap during the first time interval;
- and
- (d) performing steps (a) through (c), but at a different time interval than the first time interval.
A method of monitoring the status of at least one steam trap, comprising the steps of:
- sensing a process condition in at least one steam trap;
- transmitting a radio frequency signal responsive to the process condition associated with the at least one steam trap;
- and
- receiving the radio frequency signal,
- where the radio frequency signal indicative of the process condition is transmitted periodically when the process condition is within a programmed limit, but where the radio frequency signal is transmitted immediately upon detection of a condition outside the programmed limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.