Heat exchanger performance monitoring and analysis method and system

• US 20050133211A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BL Technologies Inc. (Ashland Global Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Man Chong, Ivy Wai, Vora, Nishith Pramod, Shah, Sunil Shirish, Yu, Lijie, Ryali, Venkatarao, Prasad, Vijaysai, Osborn, Mark David, Au, Shirley Suet-Yee
• Granted Patent: US 7,455,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/157
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/00 Preventing the formation of deposits or corrosion, e.g. by using filters or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/00 Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus control arrangements in general G05

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for evaluating and monitoring performance of a heat exchanger system. Operating parameters of the system are monitored and fouling factors for heat transfer surfaces of the exchanger are determined. Trending of fouling may be performed over time based upon the fouling factors, and a model of fouling may be selected from known sets of models, or a model may be developed or refined. Fluid treatment, such as water treatment regimes may be taken into account in evaluation of fouling. An automated knowledge based analysis algorithm may diagnose possible caused of fouling based upon sensed and observed parameters and conditions. Corrective actions may be suggested and the system controlled to reduce, avoid or correct for detected fouling.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring performance of a heat transfer system, comprising:

diagnosing a probable root cause of performance degradation of a heat transfer surface via an automated knowledge based analysis algorithm, based on sensed data accessed from the heat transfer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated knowledge based analysis algorithm comprises a Bayesian network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensed data is accessed at different points in time or at different locations in the system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the performance degradation further comprises:

performing a momentum balance based upon the sensed data;

performing an energy balance based upon the sensed data; and

determining individual performance degradation for the heat transfer surface and overall performance degradation for the heat transfer system based upon the momentum balance and he energy balance.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a quality enhancement of the sensed data by applying a measurement noise mitigation algorithm on the sensed data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising predicting performance degradation of the heat transfer surface based upon performance degradation determined at different points in time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein predicting the performance degradation comprises utilizing a multi-model adaptive approach to predict a trend of performance degradation based on the performance degradation determined at different points in time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a corrective action to reduce or limit performance degradation based on the determined performance degradation.

9. A method for monitoring performance of a heat transfer system, comprising:

predicting performance degradation of a heat transfer surface based upon actual performance degradation determined at different points in time, wherein predicting the performance degradation includes determining a trend in performance degradation based upon the actual performance degradation determined at different points in time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the trend in performance degradation is based on a multi-model adaptive approach.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising diagnosing a probable root cause of the performance degradation via an automated knowledge based analysis algorithm.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

accessing sensed data from the heat transfer system at different points in time; and

determining performance degradation of the heat transfer surface based upon the sensed data at different points in time.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a corrective action to reduce or limit performance degradation based on the determined performance degradation.

14. A method for monitoring performance of a heat transfer system, comprising:

predicting performance degradation of a heat transfer surface based upon actual performance degradation determined at different points in time; and

diagnosing a probable root cause for the performance degradation via an automated knowledge based analysis algorithm.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein predicting the performance degradation includes determining a trend in performance degradation build-up based upon the performance degradation determined at different points in time.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

accessing sensed data from the heat transfer system at different points in time or at different locations in the system; and

determining performance degradation of the heat transfer surface based upon the sensed data at different points in time.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining a corrective action to reduce or limit performance degradation based on the determined performance degradation.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the automated knowledge based analysis algorithm comprises a Bayesian network.

19. A method for monitoring performance of a heat transfer system, comprising:

accessing sensed data from the heat transfer system;

determining performance degradation of a heat transfer surface based upon the sensed data;

diagnosing a probable root cause for the performance degradation via an automated knowledge based analysis algorithm; and

determining a corrective action to reduce or limit performance degradation based on the determined performance degradation.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the corrective action includes adjusting chemical treatment of process equipment including the heat transfer system.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the corrective action includes adjusting operating characteristics of process equipment including the heat transfer system.

22. A method for monitoring performance of a heat transfer system, comprising:

accessing sensed data from the heat transfer system;

determining a performance degradation of a heat transfer surface based upon the sensed data at different points in time;

predicting performance degradation of the heat transfer surface for a future based upon the performance degradation determined at different points in time; and

determining a corrective action to reduce or limit performance degradation based on the determined performance degradation.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the corrective action includes adjusting chemical treatment of process equipment including the heat transfer system.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the corrective action includes adjusting operating characteristics of process equipment including the heat transfer system.

25. A method for characterizing performance degradation of a heat transfer system, comprising:

accessing sensed data from the heat transfer system;

determining a performance degradation of the heat transfer surface based upon the sensed data at different points in time;

predicting performance degradation of the heat transfer surface for a future based upon the performance degradation determined at different points in time;

diagnosing a probable root cause for the performance degradation;

determining a corrective action to reduce or limit performance degradation based on the determined performance degradation.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein diagnosing a probable root cause for performance degradation is performed via an automated knowledge based analysis algorithm.

27. A method for monitoring performance of a heat transfer system, comprising:

accessing sensed data from the heat transfer system;

determining performance degradation of a first and a second heat transfer surface based upon the sensed data; and

characterizing performance degradation individually for the first and the second heat transfer surface.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein characterizing performance degradation individually for the first and the second heat transfer surface comprises:

performing a momentum balance based upon the sensed data;

performing an energy balance based upon the sensed data; and

determining individual fouling factors for the first and the second heat transfer surfaces of the system based upon the momentum balance and the energy balance.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining a corrective action to reduce performance degradation of the first heat transfer surface, or second heat transfer surface, or both, based on the performance degradation determined for the first and the second heat transfer surfaces.

30. A heat transfer performance monitoring system, comprising:

sensors adapted to sense data from a heat transfer system;

a performance degradation evaluation system adapted to determine a performance degradation for one or more heat transfer surfaces based on sensed data at different points in time;

a trend analysis module adapted to determine a trend in performance degradation build-up based upon the performance degradation determined at different points in time

a diagnosis module adapted to diagnose a probable root cause for the performance degradation; and

a correction action analysis module adapted to determine a corrective action to reduce or limit performance degradation based on the determined performance degradation.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

a measurement noise mitigation algorithm adapted to remove or replace anomalous data points from the sensed data, and to provide a temporally comparative set of data from the sensed data.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the performance degradation evaluation system further comprises:

a momentum balance module adapted to implement momentum balance analysis based upon sensed data

an energy balance module adapted to implement energy balance analysis based upon sensed data; and

a fouling factor module adapted to compute individual fouling factors for each of the one or more heat transfer surfaces, and an overall fouling factor for the heat transfer system.

33. The system of claim 30, further comprising a fluid characteristics data module adapted for inputting or sensing physical, chemical, or biological properties of a heat transfer fluid medium.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the diagnosis module comprises an automated knowledge based analysis algorithm.

35. The system of claim 30, further comprising a model identification module adapted to match a trend in the performance degradation to one of a range of available models for performance degradation.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein the model identification module is further adapted to develop a model for the trend in the performance degradation.

37. A heat transfer performance monitoring system, comprising:

means for diagnosing a probable root cause of performance degradation of a heat transfer surface via an automated knowledge based analysis algorithm, based on sensed data accessed from the heat transfer system.

38. A heat transfer performance monitoring system, comprising:

means for predicting performance degradation of a heat transfer surface based upon actual performance degradation determined at different points in time or at different locations in the system, wherein predicting the performance degradation includes determining a trend in performance degradation based upon the actual performance degradation determined at different points in time.

39. A heat transfer performance monitoring system, comprising:

means for accessing sensed data from the heat transfer system;

means for determining performance degradation of a heat transfer surface based upon the sensed data;

means for diagnosing a probable root cause for the performance degradation via an automated knowledge based analysis algorithm; and

means for determining a corrective action to reduce or limit performance degradation based on the determined performance degradation.