Boiler bank surface temperature profiler

• US 5,615,953 A
• Filed: 07/25/1994
• Issued: 04/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diamond Power International Incorporated (Babcock International Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Company (Babcock International Group PLC)
• Inventors: Moskal, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GUTIERREZ, DIEGO F
• Application Number:
  US08/279,736
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 374/5, 374/6, 374/7, 374/124, 374/131, 374/166, 374/45, 374/141, 134/57 R, 134/167 C, 134/168 C
• US Class Current: 374/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/72 Investigating presence of flaws

Abstract

A system for determining the cleanliness of a boiler having a plurality of tube banks by obtaining a temperature profile of the boiler heat transfer surfaces includes extending an extension arm, such as a soot blower lance, near the tube banks of the boiler. A separate temperature reading is taken at intervals along the length of the extension arm by utilizing either a plurality of infrared non-contact temperature sensors or a plurality of optical fibers. Each separate temperature reading enables a temperature profile to be determined along the length of the extension arm which, in turn, allows deposit accumulation on the tube banks to be determined.

Claims

1. A system for determining build-up on a plurality of tubes of a boiler, the system comprising:

extending means for being movably extendable into the boiler near the tubes and for removing build-up from the tubes;

optical fiber means for taking a separate temperature reading at a plurality of positions along a length of the extending means; and

means for determining build-up on the tubes, based on the separate temperature readings taken from the length of the extending means.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the separate temperature means comprises a plurality of radiation sensor means for receiving radiation emitted by the tubes and build-up.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the radiation comprises infrared radiation.

4. The system according to claim 1, including a video means on the extension means for viewing the tubes.

5. A system for determining build-up on a plurality of tubes of a boiler, the system comprising:

extending means for being movably extendable into the boiler near the tubes and for removing build-up from the tubes;

a plurality of optical fibers for taking a separate temperature reading at a plurality of positions along a length of the extending means;

a plurality of infrared non-contact temperature sensors which are operably connected to the optical fibers; and

means for determining build-up on the tubes, based on the separate temperature readings taken by the optical fibers, the build-up determining means including a computer and being operatively connected to the infrared non-contact temperature sensors.

6. A method for determining and removing build-up on a plurality of tubes of a boiler, the method comprising the steps of:

movably extending an arm having a length near the tubes of the boiler;

taking a separate temperature reading at a plurality of positions along the length of the arm by using a plurality of optical fibers which are operably connected to a plurality of infrared non-contact temperature sensors;

determining an amount of build-up on the tubes by operably connecting a computer to the infrared non-contact temperature sensors and by using the separate temperature readings taken from the arm; and

removing build-up from the tubes, using the arm.

7. The method according to claim 6, including viewing the tubes by a video camera.