Abnormal thermal loading effects monitoring system
First Claim
1. A method for determining stress caused by thermal loads in a system containing fluid, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) detecting temperature data from a plurality of externally mounted temperature sensors to determine a spatial distribution of fluid temperature for at least one positional within the system, the externally mounted temperature sensors at each position defining a plane substantially perpendicular to the flow direction; and
(b) calculating stress on the system in dependence upon the spatial distribution of fluid temperature for the at least one position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Temperature transducers are mounted on the outside surface of a containment system such as a pipe to detect thermal stratification and fluctuations thereof. The transducers are mounted in an arc lying in a plane perpendicular to the flow direction in the system at each of several positions separated along the flow direction. The data obtained by the temperature transducers is supplied to a computer for calculation of stress using transfer functions summing changes in both temperature and position over time. The stress due to abnormal thermal loads is combined with other stress on the system so that fatigue usage and fatigue crack growth can be calculated.
30 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for determining stress caused by thermal loads in a system containing fluid, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting temperature data from a plurality of externally mounted temperature sensors to determine a spatial distribution of fluid temperature for at least one positional within the system, the externally mounted temperature sensors at each position defining a plane substantially perpendicular to the flow direction; and (b) calculating stress on the system in dependence upon the spatial distribution of fluid temperature for the at least one position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for determining stress due to thermal loads in a system having inner and outer surfaces and containing a fluid, comprising:
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temperature detectors, mounted on the outer surface of the system, for detecting a spatial distribution of fluid temperature for at least one position within the system; and means for calculating stress on the system in dependence upon the spatial distribution of fluid temperature for the at least one position. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An apparatus for monitoring stress due to thermal loads in pipes, comprising:
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temperature detectors mounted on exterior surfaces of the pipes for detecting temperature data indicative of temperature profiles for each of a plurality of cross-sections of the pipes; a data acquisition system, operatively connected to said temperature detectors, for obtaining the temperature data from said temperature detectors; and a computing system, operatively connected to said data acquisition system, for determining temperature differentials between the temperature profiles for a plurality of time periods to calculate stress due to thermal loads. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification