Overheat Detection System

• US 20100145523A1
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Titanium Metals Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Titanium Metals Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rubin, Lawrence M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/271
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 9/22 with heating by wave energy or particle radiation by acoustic waves C22B9/026
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 9/228 by particle radiation, e.g. electron beams
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/18 concerning coolant pressure, coolant flow, or liquid-coolant level
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2025/04 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 3/08 heated electrically, with or without any other source of heat
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 3/24 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 19/00 Arrangements of controlling devices
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 9/00 Cooling of furnaces or of charges therein F27D1/00, F27D3/00 take precedence

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for preventing the failure of a system, which includes one or more pipes, or one or more cooling jackets, or one or more fluid cooled system components carrying a fluid, involves detecting one or more pressure levels of the fluid in the one or more pipes at one or more points, then comparing the detected pressure levels to a corresponding one or more predetermined limitation values. If the detected pressure levels exceed the corresponding limitation values, a shut-down signal is generated. The shut-down signal triggers the adjusting of one or more systems responsible for causing thermal variations of the fluid, preventing the system from failing while allowing the system to continue operation shortly thereafter.

Claims

1. A system for overheat detection, the system including one or more pipes carrying a fluid, the fluid exerting a temperature and flow dependent pressure against the one or more pipes, comprising:

at least one pressure transducer located at at least one point in the system for obtaining the pressure level of the fluid at the at least one point;

an electronic gate control board for control of at least one heat generation device, the heat generation device having a power output; and

a computer coupled to random-access memory, the random-access memory having stored thereon software which when executed causes the computer to;

load at least one predetermined limitation value corresponding to the at least one point in the system,

compare the at least one predetermined limitation value to the pressure level of the fluid at the at least one point in the system obtained by the at least one pressure transducer, and

generate a shut-down signal if the pressure level lies outside of the predetermined limitation value, the shut-down signal transmitted to the electronic gate control board which adjusts the power output of at least one electron beam gun.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one pressure transducer comprises a solid-state pressure transducer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one pressure transducer comprises a high-speed pressure transducer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one heat generation device comprises an electron beam gun.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising at least one electron beam chamber, wherein the at least one electron beam gun fires into the at least one electron beam chamber.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

at least one shelf inside the at least one electron beam chamber, the at least one shelf configured to feed raw product into the chamber for refining;

at least one hearth, the electron beam gun firing onto the raw product dropping from the at least one shelf to melt the product into the at least one hearth for refining;

at least one mold, the product entering the at least one mold, thus completing the refinement process.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising at least one cooling jacket around at least one of:

the at least one electron beam gun, the at least one shelf, the at least one hearth and the at least one mold.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising at least one pump, the at least one pump configured to pump fluid into the at least one pipe such that the at least one cooling jacket cools the at least one electron beam gun by conduction.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a heat exchanging system including at least one pipe, the at least one pipe carrying a heat exchange fluid and abutting the at least one pipe of the system to allow heat to transfer by conduction.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the heat exchanging system includes:

a cooling tower system; and

a double wall heat exchanger adjacent to the system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the software when executed also causes the computer to calculate a rate of change of the at least one pressure level obtained from the at least one pressure transducer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic gate control board adjusts the power output of at least one electron beam gun by lowering the power output of the at least one electron beam gun.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic gate control board adjusts the power output of at least one electron beam gun by turning off the at least one electron beam gun.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a database, the database recording data related to pressure deviation events.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the software when executed also causes the computer to send an e-mail message to one or more persons responsible for supervising the system.

16. A method for overheat detection of a system including one or more pipes carrying a fluid, the fluid exerting a temperature and flow dependent pressure against the one or more pipes, comprising:

obtaining through at least one pressure transducer at least one pressure level of the fluid in the system at at least one point;

performing a comparison of the at least one pressure level obtained by the at least one pressure transducer to a corresponding predetermined limitation value; and

generating a shut-down signal if the pressure level lies outside of the predetermined limitation value, the shut-down signal transmitted to an electronic gate control board which adjusts a power output of at least one heat generation device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one pressure transducer comprises a solid-state pressure transducer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one pressure transducer comprises a high-speed pressure transducer.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one heat generation device comprises an electron beam gun.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising firing the at least one electron beam gun fires into at least one electron beam chamber.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

configuring at least one shelf to feed raw product into the chamber for refining;

firing the electron beam gun onto the raw product dropping from the at least one shelf to melt the product into at least one hearth for refining;

completing a refinement process when the product enters the at least one mold.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising providing at least one cooling jacket around at least one of:

the at least one electron beam gun, the at least one shelf, the at least one hearth and the at least one mold.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising providing at least one pump, the at least one pump configured to pump fluid into the at least one pipe such that the at least one cooling jacket cools the at least one electron beam gun by conduction.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a heat exchanging system including at least one pipe, the at least one pipe carrying a heat exchange fluid and abutting the at least one pipe of the system to allow heat to transfer by conduction.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the heat exchanging system includes:

a cooling tower system; and

a double wall heat exchanger adjacent to the system.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising calculating a rate of change of the at least one pressure level obtained from the at least one pressure transducer.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the power output of at least one electron beam gun includes lowering the power output of the at least one electron beam gun.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the power output of at least one electron beam gun includes turning off the at least one electron beam gun.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising recording in a database, data related to pressure deviation events.

30. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending an e-mail message to one or more persons responsible for supervising the system.