Sludge measuring apparatus and ultrasonic probe assembly therefor
First Claim
1. Apparatus for ultrasonically measuring sludge accumulations between the tubes of a heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes straddling a central vertical aisle defined between vertical portions thereof, and contained within a vessel filled with water as a medium for propagating ultrasounds, comprising:
- a probe carrier of elongated shape having rigidity in one plane and being bendable out of said plane;
an ultrasonic probe head mounted at one end of said probe carrier;
electrical conductors for said probe head carried by said probe carrier;
an elongated support adapted to be mounted horizontally within said aisle and on said vessel;
a carriage mounted for movement at successive positions along said elongated support;
guider means on said carriage defining in the horizontal plane an L-shaped path between an entry and an exit thereof;
said probe carrier being passed in said one plane and in a flexed condition across said entry and exit of said guider means into said L-shaped path;
means for feeding said probe carrier forward through said guider means in relation to one of said carriage positions and for extending said probe head horizontally into a lane defined at 90 degrees to said aisle between adjacent vertical portions of tube for said one carriage position;
said probe head being adapted to generate ultrasonic signals in said lane through said medium toward said sludge accumulations and to detect ultrasonic signals reflected back therefrom when positioned by said feeding means at a given distance inside said lane; and
means connected at the other end of said probe carrier and to said electrical conductors for deriving an indication of the depth of said sludge accumulations in relation to successive said carriage positions and under the operation of said feeding means for each corresponding lane.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a steam generator an ultrasonic probe is used to measure the accumulation of sludge between the tubes. A ribbon-like probe carrier is fed into the vessel and deflected by a carriage placed in alignment with a lane of tubes at 90°, the probe head being advanced in the lane to measure vertically and sideways the distance to the surface of the sludge. The probe carrier consists of two steel tapes held face-to-face by a plastic tube which has been heat shrunk. The conductors for the transducers are contained in the space between concave tapes. An adaptor mounted at the end of the probe carrier is amovably connected to the probe head. Probe head, adaptor and probe carrier are sealed so that measurement can be conducted inside the steam generator supposedly filled with water.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. Apparatus for ultrasonically measuring sludge accumulations between the tubes of a heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes straddling a central vertical aisle defined between vertical portions thereof, and contained within a vessel filled with water as a medium for propagating ultrasounds, comprising:
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a probe carrier of elongated shape having rigidity in one plane and being bendable out of said plane; an ultrasonic probe head mounted at one end of said probe carrier; electrical conductors for said probe head carried by said probe carrier; an elongated support adapted to be mounted horizontally within said aisle and on said vessel; a carriage mounted for movement at successive positions along said elongated support; guider means on said carriage defining in the horizontal plane an L-shaped path between an entry and an exit thereof; said probe carrier being passed in said one plane and in a flexed condition across said entry and exit of said guider means into said L-shaped path; means for feeding said probe carrier forward through said guider means in relation to one of said carriage positions and for extending said probe head horizontally into a lane defined at 90 degrees to said aisle between adjacent vertical portions of tube for said one carriage position; said probe head being adapted to generate ultrasonic signals in said lane through said medium toward said sludge accumulations and to detect ultrasonic signals reflected back therefrom when positioned by said feeding means at a given distance inside said lane; and means connected at the other end of said probe carrier and to said electrical conductors for deriving an indication of the depth of said sludge accumulations in relation to successive said carriage positions and under the operation of said feeding means for each corresponding lane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An ultrasonic transducer assembly comprising:
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a central conductive frame at ground potential; a plurality of transducer elements having opposite electrodes and disposed peripherally about said central frame a distance therefrom; first electrical connectors between said frame and the electrodes of one polarity; second electrical connectors associated with the respective electrode of the other polarity passed through said central frame and isolated therefrom; said transducer elements, said central frame and said first and second electrical connectors being embedded within plastic material for maintaining a physical relation therebetween;
said plastic material being machined to provide front and lateral faces for said transducer assembly; andplug means at one end of said central frame forming electrical terminals for said first and second connectors. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Apparatus for bi-dimensionally positioning a probe within an enclosure defined by a vessel wall and in a horizontal plane thereof;
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a carrier for said probe; said carrier being an elongated member of substantial stiffness longitudinally and vertically and having bendability out of the vertical plane; means selectively positioned a distance from said wall along a first axis for deflecting said carrier along a second axis orthogonally from said first axis; and means for feeding said carrier through said deflecting means to selectively position said probe with said carrier along said second axis. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. An ultrasonic transducer assembly comprising:
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a grounded metallic frame, a piezoelectric element having a front and back electrode; said back electrode being separated from said frame by an isolation spacer having a central opening; an electrical lead connected to said back electrode through said central opening of said spacer and through said frame; a peripheral insulation between said front and back electrodes at the periphery thereof; an electrical connection between said front electrode and said frame externally of said spacer and said frame, spacer, peripheral insulation, electrical connection and front electrode being embedded altogether in an epoxy resin and said epoxy resin being machined to provide front and side faces for the overall assembly.
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Specification