Method and apparatus to monitor check valves
First Claim
1. A method of ultrasonically measuring on a quantitative basis the vibration of a vibrating internal part known to have a low frequency vibration inside a device containing an ultrasonic conducting medium comprising:
- mounting an ultrasonic transducer and receiver on a face of said device to be aligned with said vibrating internal part, wherein said ultrasonic transducer emits a series of pulses having pulse rate at least two times higher than a vibration frequency of the vibrating part.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A non-intrusive vibration measurement system and method using commercial ultrasonic instruments together with digital signal filtering and analysis techniques is adapted to quantitatively detect vibrations as small as 0.04-inch peak-to-peak. The system and its methodology is used for in-service vibration monitoring of internal components of check valves, pumps, nuclear reactors, steam generators and heat exchangers, especially when the vibration frequency is too low for quantitative analysis by accelerometers and when the strain induced is too low for strain gauge analysis, and when the vibrating component is in an "encased" environment.
38 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of ultrasonically measuring on a quantitative basis the vibration of a vibrating internal part known to have a low frequency vibration inside a device containing an ultrasonic conducting medium comprising:
mounting an ultrasonic transducer and receiver on a face of said device to be aligned with said vibrating internal part, wherein said ultrasonic transducer emits a series of pulses having pulse rate at least two times higher than a vibration frequency of the vibrating part. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for quantitatively monitoring the vibration of a valve element movably located within a valve body comprising:
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pulse generator means for sequentially generating ultrasonic pulses and for receiving reflected ultrasonic pulses and establishing signals indicative thereof; ultrasonic transducer means mounted on the valve body to face the vibrating valve element for emitting ultrasonic pulses to the vibrating valve element; recording means connected to said pulse generator means for recording the signals established by said pulse generator means; digital signal analysis means for providing a display of vibration of the valve element from which a quantitative analysis may be made including digital filtering of said signals from said pulse generator; and wherein said digital signal analysis means includes a PC based digital filter for filtering said pulse generator signals and displaying same on a high resolution screen of said PC to allow a quantitative analysis of said signals from said pulse generator and a quantitative analysis of said valve element vibration thereby. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for quantitatively monitoring the condition of a movable element within a body enclosing said movable element in an ultrasonic pulse conducting fluid medium comprising:
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ultrasonic transducer means mounted on said body to selectively send to said movable element and receive reflected therefrom ultrasonic pulses; means for recording a time record of said pulses being selectively sent and received from said movable element; PC based digital filtering means for filtering the time record of said recording means to provide a visual time display of the position of said movable element; and a high resolution PC screen for displaying the time record of said PC screen for displaying the time record of said PC based digital filtering means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification