Vibration monitoring

• US 20070038393A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Inventors: Leib, Anthony, Borah, Frederic, Lah, Ruben, Fkiaras, George
• Application Number:
  US11/502,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038393A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/56
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 41/04 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/14 Frequency

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for monitoring the status of a cutting tool during delayed decoker unit operation, and systems for remotely monitoring the level of coke or foam in a drum during the coking process. One or more sensors or accelerometers is coupled to a location in a delayed coking unit operation to read vibrations emanating from the component that the respective accelerometers are located on. Vibrational data is transmitted to a computer system that manipulates the data to provide useful information that an operator of a delayed coking unit operation may view.

Claims

1. A vibration monitoring device comprising:

at least one transducer coupled to a component in a delayed coker unit system, the transducer providing an output signal representative of a physical characteristic at said component;

a computer-readable medium, operatively connected to said transducer, that provides computer-executable instructions for modifying the output signal; and

a display, operatively connected to said computer-readable medium, that indicates an operational status of said delayed coker unit system.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said transducer comprises an accelerometer.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said at least one transducer comprises a plurality of accelerometers placed vertically along a coke drum.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said plurality of accelerometers comprise four accelerometers.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said component comprises a cutting tool.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said component comprises a drill stem of a cutting tool.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the transducer is coupled to said component via a mounting device.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said component comprises a coke drum.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said component comprises a fluid line.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said component comprises a fluid pump.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said component comprises a fluid reservoir.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said physical characteristic is selected from the group consisting of vibration, temperature, pressure, and acoustics.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said instructions for modifying the output signal comprises instructions for performing a Fast Fourier Transform.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein said operational status comprises the status of the cutting tool inside a coke drum that is being decoked.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein said operational status comprises the status of a cutting tool, said status being selected from the group consisting of cutting, boring, and ramping.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein said operational status comprises the level of coke inside a coke drum being filled during a coking operation.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein said operational status comprises the level of foam inside a coke drum being filled during a coking operation.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein the instructions for modifying the output signal comprise running the output signal through a Fast Fourier Transform to create a Fast Fourier Transform fingerprint.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the display further outputs an operational history.

20. A device for monitoring the cutting tool in a delayed coker unit operation comprising:

at least one vibration sensor connected to a delayed coker unit; and

a computer system connected to said sensor, said computer system comprising a component that can translate a signal transmitted from said sensor.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein said at least one vibration sensor comprises a plurality of accelerometers.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein said computer system transforms said signal into a signature frequency fingerprint.

23. The device of claim 20 wherein said signal is transmitted to an active repeater that, in turn, sends the signal to a network connection that is part of said computer system.

24. The device of claim 20 wherein said computer system further comprises software that translates said signal into a birth certificate via a Fast Fourier Transform.

25. A device for monitoring levels of material produced inside a coke drum during coke production, said device comprising:

at least one vibration sensor connected to a delayed coker unit; and

a computer system connected to said sensor, said computer system comprising a component that can translate a signal transmitted from said sensor.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein said at least one vibration sensor comprises a plurality of accelerometers.

27. The device of claim 25 wherein said computer system transforms said signal into a signature frequency fingerprint.

28. The device of claim 25 wherein said signal is transmitted to an active repeater that, in turn, sends the signal to a network connection that is part of said computer system.

29. The device of claim 25 wherein said computer system further comprises software that translates said signal into a signature frequency fingerprint via a Fast Fourier Transform and thereby allows a user to recognize when.

30. The device of claim 25 wherein said material comprises coke.

31. The device of claim 25 wherein said material comprises foam produced during the production of coke.

32. The device of claim 25 wherein said vibration sensor comprises four vibration sensors coupled vertically to said drum.

33. A system for determining a Fast Fourier Transform wave pattern associated with an operational status of a delayed coker drum operation, said system comprising:

a sensor, coupled to a component in a delayed coker drum system, that generates data representing real-time physical characteristics of said component;

a signal generator that transmits the data;

a signal receiver that receives the data;

software for running a Fast Fourier Transform that converts the data into a useable waveform;

a central processing unit that identifies said operational status by evaluating the waveform; and

a display operatively connected to said software.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said operational status comprises boring and cutting.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein said operational status comprises the fill level of coke inside of a coke drum.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein said operational status comprises the fill level of foam located on top of coke inside of a coke drum.

37. A system for determining a Fast Fourier Transform wave pattern associated with the cutting, boring, and ramping modes of a cutting tool inside a coke drum comprising:

a vibration sensor, coupled to a portion of a decoking system, the vibration sensor generating data during decoking;

a central processing unit that converts the data to a useable waveform;

a central processing unit that identifies, via said waveform, the mode of the cutting tool; and

a display operatively connected to said central processing unit for indicating the mode of the cutting tool.

38. A system for determining a Fast Fourier Transform wave pattern associated with the level of material produced inside a coke drum during coke production, said system comprising:

a vibration sensor, coupled to a portion of a decoking system, the vibration sensor generating data during coking;

a central processing unit that converts the data to a useable waveform;

a central processing unit that measures, via said waveform, the level of fill of said material within said drum; and

a display operatively connected to said central processing unit for indicating said level of fill.

39. A method of determining the operational status of a delayed coker drum operation, said method comprising:

mounting a transducer at a position in a delayed coker unit operation to provide an output signal related to movement at said position;

processing the output signal; and

determining the operational status via the processed output signal.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein said determining comprises determining whether a cutting tool is boring, cutting, or ramping.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein said determining comprises determining various fill levels of material inside a coke drum.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein said processing comprises running the output signal through a Fast Fourier Transform.